'I was drinking a bottle of wine a day which didn't seem excessive... but I was so wrong'
15.03.2024 - 08:45
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A woman who said she felt 'trapped by alcohol' has reflected on her journey to sobriety after a chance encouter with a Buddhist monk.
Geniene Azalea said she was known for 'liking a bevvy' and would often show up to jobs 'half-drunk' from the night before, the Liverpool Echo reports. She said she was considered a 'funny drunk' by her friends for 20 years of her life and having worked in the hospitality sector, found her life revolved around alcohol.
But the now 44-year-old said her desire to drink has 'vanished' after a monk taught her meditation. Geniene, from Claughton, Wirral, said: "Looking back, I had frequent blackouts and often showed up to jobs still half-drunk from the night before.
READ NEXT: 'Doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with me, now I might lose my bladder'
"I attempted to cut down on drinking, but when I couldn't, I ended up associating my identity with it. I was known for 'liking a bevvy'.
"The problem was, I was good at hiding it most people would never have known I was drinking to hide my low self-esteem. It took a toll on my mental health massively but it wasn't because of the hangovers because I drank so much, I never got hangovers.
"On my days off, it was getting earlier and earlier when I was reaching for a drink. It was 3 o'clock, 1 o'clock, and then 12 o'clock at lunchtime. I had drunk daily since I was 14 and I felt trapped.
"I tried to stop so many times before but the technique of going cold turkey without any mind training didn't work for me."
Things got too much for Geniene and in 2016 she hit a mental health crisis, feeling burned out. Now, three months sober, she thanks her chance encounter with a Buddhist monk for helping her overcome her struggles and addiction.
The