Manchester-based tech entrepreneur Nicky Wake has bravely shared before and after photos of herself to show the impact alcohol had on her appearance.
Wake is the founder of the and Don鈥檛 Panic Events management company and described herself as a 鈥榟igh-functioning alcoholic鈥� before checking into rehab.
She鈥檚 been alcohol-free for 145 days since checking out of rehab and used the occasion to share photos of the impact alcohol was having on her life.
Wake turned to drink after the tragic death of her husband Andy in 2020. His brain was starved of oxygen after he suffered a heart attack and he died during Covid, leaving his wife to raise their young son Finn.
Now鈥檚 she started to turn her life around and hasn鈥檛 touched alcohol in the 145 days since checking out of rehab.
Writing on LinkedIn she said: 鈥淚 was a high-functioning alcoholic. I was miserable and deep down, I knew I was spiralling.
鈥淚鈥檇 spent the last several years running on fumes. My soul shattered when I lost Andy, the love of my life. Grief hit me hard, and I didn鈥檛 know how to deal with it.
鈥淚 had a grieving child, a business to run, and the constant pressure of trying to keep everything together.
鈥淪o, I turned to alcohol, which wasn鈥檛 new to me. I grew up in the Hacienda, and I was no stranger to a party, but things took a turn after Andy鈥檚 heart attack.
鈥淚t was almost immediate. I remember giving Andy CPR for 40 minutes at home alone after his heart attack and the second the paramedics took over, I was pouring myself a glass of wine.
鈥淓ach time I would visit him in hospital I was accompanied by a bottle of diet coke topped up with vodka.
鈥淚鈥檓 not proud of it, but I was doing whatever I could to numb the pain.鈥�
In 2022 the serial entrepreneur launched the UK鈥檚 only dedicated dating app for widows and widowers but said she hit rock bottom in November 2024.
鈥淚 was in a dark, dark place and it all hit me,鈥� she revealed. 鈥淚 woke up one morning, poured my usual glass of wine, and thought, 鈥榃hat the **** am I doing with my life?鈥� It was like a slap in the face.
鈥淚 did something I thought I鈥檇 never do. I checked myself into rehab the day before my son鈥檚 birthday.
鈥�28 days of intense therapy, CBT, counselling, hypnosis, meditation was everything I needed to change my life around.
鈥淚 even registered a new business in rehab, , after reading a leaflet about sober sex and coming to the terrifying realisation that I鈥檇 never had sober sex and my love life was about to become difficult.
鈥淚鈥檓 145 days into my journey and I鈥檝e never felt healthier, more alive, more driven and for the first time in years, I feel like I鈥檓 truly ME again.
鈥淔or anyone out there struggling, you don鈥檛 have to do it alone. Asking for help was the hardest step, but it was the best one I ever took.
鈥淲e all have our battles, and it鈥檚 okay to talk about them.鈥�