Maghera woman on a mission to 'break the stigma' surrounding alcoholism

A County Derry woman is on a mission to 'break the stigma' surrounding alcoholism, sharing how sobriety transformed her life.

Geraldine ‘GiGi’ Leyden, a recovering alcoholic, is a life coach, mentor, author from Mid Ulster. With almost 16,000 followers on Instagram (@serenitytenx), the mother dedicates her platform to supporting women in recovery and educating others on alcohol addiction.

Geraldine shared that ten years ago, after hitting “rock bottom,” she realised she could “no longer continue” and decided to give up alcohol.

“I made the decision to quit drinking when at the point I had reached rock bottom. At the time, I physically or mentally continue leading that lifestyle. I was terrified because I didn’t think I could stop, and I didn’t know how to either.  I knew that if I didn’t ask for help, I would die.”

“When you are living each day with that anxiety, you slowly lose your mind. The alcohol made me feel that I didn’t want to be here anymore, and I thought the world would be a much better place without me in it. I felt it would be easier to leave rather than stay and lead a life without alcohol- how insane does that sound? But that’s were excessive alcohol consumption can lead you.”

“I woke up after a very sad week, it was a Friday morning, and I knew I had to make the decision- will I drink today and die? or would I stop today and live? I chose to live.”

The Maghera woman described the 'most terrifying part' of getting sober as admitting to loved ones that she needed help and 'relearning' how to live without alcohol as a crutch.

“The hardest part is telling another human being how ill you are, sharing that you are drinking as much as you are and admitting that you have a problem. This is terrifying because you know once it’s out there, you must do something about it – no more hiding.

“I had to learn to do everything again without alcohol. Even things as simple as answering the phone and having a conversation while sober was so scary. Waking up and knowing you can’t have that drink can fill you with dread for the day ahead… but you were filled with dread anyway every day that you drank.”

“Going out socially was very hard, trying not to draw attention to the fact that you weren’t having a drink. People ask too many questions when you decide to stop. We should be more respectful of this and learn to stop prying. Drink pushers are everywhere, trying to get you to have just one. This is dangerous and disrespectful – it could be the difference between life and death.”

The mother of three praised her family for their 'unconditional love,' support, and lack of judgment throughout her recovery. She also described Alcoholics Anonymous as her 'saviour' in her journey to sobriety, explaining that she now 'loves her life.'"

“My family were an amazing support, and they would have done anything to help me. They never judged, just showed me unconditional love. AA was my saviour. Going to my first meeting, although I was terrified, I walked into a room filled with love and hope. There were others just like me, and I realised I wasn’t alone. I continued attending at least three meetings a week, listening and following every suggestion for my sobriety.”

“I love my life now and value every minute of it because I know how short it is.  I don’t worry like I used to, instead, I hand everything that bothers me over to my higher power. I know I’ll always be okay as long as I don’t take that first drink.

“I got myself back. I wasn’t always drinking alcoholically, but now I have a much better version of myself—one that’s filled with gratitude every day I wake up. Family is everything to me, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep us all together.

“I now grab opportunities I would have been too scared to try before, as I’m no longer weighed down by the daily anxieties that come with alcoholism. I give back every single day to the suffering alcoholic because I feel so lucky to be on the other side of it.

“I have a beautiful granddaughter that I adore! Imagine if I’d missed meeting her because I chose to keep drinking instead of asking for help? Now, I travel the world and spend lots of time in Australia with my beautiful Emma and Lana. I feel very, very blessed.”

Using her first-hand experience, Geraldine now channels her journey into helping others overcome addiction. Through her online platform, coaching work, and the recent release of her eBook Behind Closed Doors, she offers practical support and hope to those facing similar struggles.

“I decided to share my journey publicly as I wanted to remove the stigma that comes with alcoholism, especially for women in addiction. I knew there were so many others suffering, and I wanted to help. It’s an epidemic that’s getting worse every day and people need to know they are not alone. I was sober for seven years before I shared it publicly and it was scary to do so, but my platform was a great place to start raising awareness.”

She added: “My eBook is the guide I wish I had access to when I was struggling. It contains information covering every step of making the decision to stop drinking and the aftercare process.

“I cover topics such as talking to family members about your addiction, making the decision to stop, coping with your first weekend, and navigating your first big event. I also explain what it means to take one day at a time and how to approach it.

“There is a lot of focus on childhood and growing up, exploring the possible causes of addiction. I’ve included plenty of suggested exercises to help people work on themselves and stay sober. I also discuss how to navigate AA and the process of getting a sponsor, if that’s the route you choose to take. It holds 21 chapters filled with valuable information for both families and the person struggling with addiction. I also share my own story, where alcohol took me, and what I did to stop.

“It’s something I am very proud of, and I know it will help so many people”.  

Offering advice to anyone struggling with addiction, she urged them to 'swallow your pride,' 'ask for help,' and added, 'if I can do it, anyone can.'

"You are not alone. I am inundated with people struggling, so you are not the only one. AA is a wonderful organisation to belong to, and there’s hope in the rooms of AA that you won’t find anywhere else.

“The thought of never drinking again can be terrifying, but drinking the way you are is even more terrifying. It’s hard work keeping up the deception and lies to feed your habit. Don’t wait until trauma hits and you lose everything. Stop now and live the life you deserve for yourself and your family. If I can do this, anyone can."

You can purchase Gigi’s ebook here