Anne’s DVA Funded Alcohol Addiction Treatment

After years of binge drinking, navigating Navy drinking culture, and battling toxic relationships, Anne found the strength to undertake alcohol addiction treatment for her daughter and herself.

There was a time when I thought I might have had control.

A drink here, a party there – it all seemed so harmless as a teenager.

But addiction doesn’t announce itself with flashing warning signs. It sneaks in quietly, disguising itself as fun, as confidence, as an escape.

Before I knew it, alcohol wasn’t just something I used, it was who I was.

I had a normal childhood, free from adversity. But even as a kid, I was shy and introverted.

When I discovered alcohol at 15, it felt like I had unlocked a new version of myself – confident and outgoing.

I was pushed out of this external shell that had felt almost impossible to crack.

Drinking gave me an identity. I became the life of the party, and soon, partying was all that I searched for.

I never had an off switch.

A couple of drinks were never enough, even in the early days.

I was a binge drinker right from the very start.

By the time I joined the Navy at 20, my drinking was already excessive.

In the Navy, the drinking culture runs rampant.

This was my norm and as you could imagine, my alcohol consumption only escalated.

Two years before leaving the Navy, I became a daily drinker.

My self-esteem had completely plummeted, and I found myself constantly gravitating towards unhealthy relationships, using them as justification to drink more.

I didn’t have many healthy coping mechanisms, so I leaned on alcohol more often than not to manage my emotions.

After serving 11 years in the Navy, I relocated back to my hometown in Queensland and commenced work as a shift worker.

I hoped this geographical change was the fresh start I needed to get myself back on track.

I told myself that things would improve, that my drinking would subside. But instead, my addiction followed me everywhere I went.

My life revolved around alcohol completely.

Mornings were dictated by hangovers.

I never set an alarm; I simply woke up whenever my body was ready to and start getting my daughter up for daycare.

I was in a perpetual state of recovering just enough to start drinking again.

When my daughter eventually started school. The responsibility of getting her there on time was onerous.

Eventually, I started drinking at work.

My entire day was centered upon getting alcohol and consuming it without being noticed.

I was hypervigilant about staying around the radar.

Of course, this meant that there wasn’t a moment where I wasn’t distracted by my need to have alcohol.

I started to call in sick more frequently, my behaviour had changed, and I was withdrawing from everyone.

I no longer wanted to drink socially – I needed to drink alone.

I never knew what I would be like at the end of a drinking session, I also knew that no one would want to drink to the extent that I wanted to.

I convinced myself that I was still showing up for my daughter, that I was doing what I needed to.

In reality, I wasn’t present at all. My mind was clouded by the 24/7 obsession of needing to drink.

My parents knew that something was wrong.

They tried to speak to me about it, but I would often lie or get defensive.

No one could have an effective conversation with me about alcohol.

They didn’t yet understand addiction as a disease and couldn’t comprehend why I couldn’t just put it down and stop.

It wasn’t really until I went to Rehab that they started researching addiction for what it is and gaining insight into the full depth of my struggle.

By this point, my mental and physical health had hit a rock bottom.

I was caught in toxic cycles and destructive relationships, surrounding myself with others who fed my addiction even further.

I didn’t want to keep living this way, but I couldn’t see a way out.

Suicidal thoughts became more frequent.

I felt hopeless.

But I kept self-medicating with alcohol to merely get through the day.

During December of 2023, this is when I first put in an enquiry to Hader Clinic Queensland. I knew I couldn’t control my alcohol intake and I couldn’t stop.

I had never gone more than a month without alcohol.

I decided not to follow through with an admission.

I couldn’t face the truth and find the courage to admit to those around me that I had an addiction and needed rehab.

Everything changed when I crashed my car while drink driving.

It was that exact moment when I knew I needed rehab.

I knew that if I continued the way I was going, I could end up killing someone.

Four days later, I walked in the doors of Hader Clinic Queensland.

I completed the 28-day alcohol addiction treatment program funded by DVA and it changed my life.

At first, I pushed back on a lot of what was told to me, I thought I knew best.

Looking back, my advice to anyone entering recovery is simple: listen.

Addiction had isolated me completely.

Being at Hader Clinic Queensland, I met people who understood me and everything I had experienced in addiction.

I wasn’t alone anymore.

I felt seen, heard, and validated.

While I did consider staying in the program longer, I had to return to work and my daughter.

When I got to Hader Clinic Queensland, I felt broken and stuck with the belief that I wasn’t able to change.

Walking out, I believed that a normal and happy life was possible. I wasn’t beyond repair in anyway.

I went straight back to work after rehab, and I was terrified of it.

I feared judgement and daunting questions about my addiction and rehab experience.

But instead, I was met with overwhelming support.

Today, I am 11 months sober.

Recovery isn’t something that can be handed to you.

It’s something you have to fight for every day.

Staying sober requires ongoing effort and commitment – remaining connected to the community, working with a sponsor, and staying accountable.

Now, looking forward, my relationship with my daughter has completed transformed.

We spend quality time together and I am present in each moment.

I am no longer crawling out of my skin and distracted by the urge to drink alcohol.

I am reliable and can give her the stability she deserves.

I am also currently studying community services.

I hope to one day soon support survivors of domestic violence trapped in addiction.

If you are struggling, don’t be afraid of change. You are worthy of getting well.

Names and photographs of this client may have been changed to protect their privacy.

Dr Mel Symon

Director, Hader Group QLD

Dr Mel Symon is the Director of Hader Group QLD, leading both Hader Clinic Queensland and Hader Clinic Queensland Private. With more than 30 years of experience in human services and over 20 years as a founder and business leader, Mel has played a central role in establishing and growing Queensland’s leading addiction treatment services.

Mel holds a PhD in Addiction Treatment from the University of Queensland, along with a Master of Mental Health, Master of Professional Management, and a Bachelor of Social Science. Since 2016, she has overseen the development of the 40-bed Hader Clinic Queensland residential rehabilitation program and, in 2021, the creation and opening of the 25-bed Hader Clinic Queensland Private Hospital.

Passionate about lifelong recovery, Mel is dedicated to evidence-based care, meaningful change, and supporting individuals to rebuild their lives through sustainable recovery pathways.

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