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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Mia O'Hare

Michelle Heaton bravely recalls being 'sad, sick and very frightened' amid addiction hell

Michelle Heaton has posted a heartbreaking throwback of when she felt "sad, sick and very frightened" as she entered rehab two years ago.

The Liberty X singer, 43, shared the snap which showed her on the first day of rehab back in 2021.

Having admitted to not going a day without alcohol for three years, Michelle checked into The Priory after celeb pals, including Katie Price, staged an intervention and paid for her to get treatment.

She has shared a photograph of herself outside the clinic on her Instagram page and candidly wrote: "#tbt 2 years ago today I arrived on the steps of the @priorygroup.

"Bewildered, confused, sad, sick and very frightened. That day I took my last drink.

"Therefore my sobriety date is tomorrow .. please god. It feels like a lifetime ago and in someways like it was yesterday."

Michelle bravely shared a photo from her first day in rehab (wonderwomanshel/Instagram)
The Liberty X singer has been candid about her addiction (Getty Images)

Michelle added: "I can still remember heading into there wanting to come out a controlled drinker. A normal drinker. I had no idea how bad I actually was, and that that day would be my last day of drinking.

"As long as I continue to do my meetings, step program and work on myself I don’t ever need to go back. #sobriety #alcohol #alcoholic #recovery #addiction #help #throwbackthursday #aa #12steps."

Since leaving the Priory, Michelle continues to follow the 12-Step Programme and attends AA meetings.

She has been extremely candid with fans about her addiction battle, having revealed she had once been consuming as much as a bottle of vodka, lines of cocaine and two bottles of wine daily.

Since checking out in May 2021, Michelle has remained honest about the effects alcohol had on her during her addiction battle and has now been sober for nearly two years.

"I'm a good person, I like to think I'm nice. I am kind and I'm loving and I love to make people feel good about themselves," she explained in an interview on the ReNew podcast.

Michelle is approaching two years sober (Instagram)
She has been candid about her journey (INSTAGRAM)

"Addiction stopped all that. It stopped be being who I am. But I couldn't see it."

In her first interview with her husband Hugh since leaving rehab, Michelle revealed her skin had changed colour in the height of her battle.

She told OK! magazine her skin turned "translucent" and you could see "all my veins".

Michelle explained: "I was skinny but I had a very big hard belly and my liver was protruding. I also wasn’t washing for days and my hair was falling out and had become very thin because of the alcohol abuse and hormones.

"I’d gone down to 7st 13lbs. My body was shutting down and couldn’t function without the alcohol.

"I’d be sick with it but I’d be worse without it and shaking. So many times I would wake up in the morning and scream for help, knowing no one was in the house."

Hugh recalled: "Four days before going to the Priory she also had a very bad fit in bed at 2am. She wouldn’t stop shaking and her mouth was drooling. That was scary and it really spooked her."

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