Former alcoholic, 36, reveals DRAMATIC transformation after finally getting sober – as she details terrifying depths of her near-fatal addiction that started at AGE 16 and saw her drinking FIVE BOTTLES of wine a day

A former alcoholic has lifted the lid on her life-threatening battle which saw her drink five bottles of wine a day and almost die twice.

Katie Hurley, 36, from New Orleans, Louisiana, started drinking at age 16. At the age of 26, she became involved in a serious drinking problem that caused her to quit her job and develop an inflamed liver.

And when doctors warned her in 2018 that she wouldn't make it to her next birthday, Katie knew she had to make a change.

Now, after a long battle with alcohol, Katie has opened up about her fight to take back her life and being sober is the best thing that could have happened to her.

She said: “Alcohol doesn't discriminate, and it won't stop until it takes everything away from you and those you care about. But recovery is possible and there is hope on the other side.”

After developing a “difficult relationship” with alcohol at the age of 16, Katie began reaching for another drink.

During her college years, she partied every night and had no problem with 'drinking'.

The 36-year-old explained: 'I have had a rocky relationship with alcohol since I was 16. One drink was never enough for me.

'In my early 20s, I was a typical college student, partying hard, blacking out and drinking drinks like there was no tomorrow. Instead of growing out of it like some of my friends, I continued to delve deeper into the drinking world.”

After a break-up at the age of 25, Katie moved to Europe, where her alcohol problem worsened.

However, at that time she had not yet come to terms with her alcoholism.

But at the age of 26, she had to face how serious her drinking had become.

'On Christmas Eve 2013, I contacted my parents and told them I had a drinking problem.

'I told them I couldn't go a day without alcohol. They were extremely supportive. They took me home and checked me into my first rehab,” Katie explained.

Although her recovery period was positive, she relapsed a few months later, and things started to spiral again.

'I started drinking significantly more than before. Worse, this time I did it in secret. I hid wine bottles in the house and drank at work,” she admitted.

As time went on, Katie found it increasingly difficult to hide her addiction from her family, and the toll on her health increased.

'I started to feel very ill. “I was vomiting, bloated and had stomach pain, which turned out to be an inflamed liver,” she explained.

She eventually resigned, fearing that her colleagues were suspicious of her drinking habits.

And because she had no responsibility, things only got worse.

'I drank five bottles of wine every day. I drank like that for about two months, getting sicker and sicker,” she recalls.

However, Katie finally got a wake-up call in 2018 when she was hospitalized three times in a row.

Doctors issued a stern warning: if she continued to drink excessively, she might not live to see her next birthday.

And when her dad caught her “chugging a bottle of wine,” Katie went into a long U-turn, landing her in the emergency room.

She explained: 'My father caught me chugging a bottle of wine in the garden. The confrontation sent me over the edge. I was so angry that I went on a 36-hour bender that ended with me in the hospital emergency room.

'I was placed on a psychiatric hold and was helped to detox from alcohol for a few days. It is essential to seek medical help if you are trying to stop heavy drinking, as the withdrawal symptoms can be life-threatening.

“This was the most defeated and ashamed I had ever felt, but it was also the most hopeful I felt that I could actually get sober this time.”

Katie was finally able to stop drinking after a 30-day treatment program and has now been sober for five years. By sharing her story on TikTokshe hopes to remove the stigma associated with addiction and binge drinking.

'Everyone drinks alcohol. It makes things more fun, is widely available and encouraged in most cultures.

'Drinking alcohol is something we all grow up with in movies and social interactions. It seems to be normal. This is the hardest part of quitting,” she explained.

Despite the challenges of her sobriety, Katie is thrilled with her new life.

'The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. “I have energy, I'm not hungover and I'm confident and calm,” she noted.

She added: “I can control my emotions and make good decisions. I can maintain connections and friendships. I am in a happy, loving relationship. I now enjoy the little things and find joy in my daily life. It may seem hard now, but your life will be so much better afterward.”