This month, one of our clients offered a heartfelt and honest reminder of a truth we see every day at The Living Room: this illness doesn’t discriminate.

“Before I got help, my life probably seemed great from the outside, a nice house in a nice village, husband, two children, but behind closed doors I was drinking a lot. I was not remembering putting my children to bed or even sometimes collecting them from school. My addiction crept up on me,

" I was always a binge drinker in my teenage years, but then the binges became longer and the time between, shorter. I realised I needed help when I was not enjoying drinking. I didn't want to drink, and people were noticing that I wasn't myself.

“There was no big rock bottom or trauma or event, just a gradual realisation that I couldn’t stop on my own

“I found The Living Room via the NHS website. I emailed, was called back within hours, and had my first assessment within a week. That was seven weeks ago—and I’ve never felt so supported, accepted, and free from judgement.”

Her experience highlights why we’re proud to stand alongside Hertfordshire County Council’s (HCC’s) “Let’s break the stigma” campaign. In Hertfordshire, 68 % of residents say they feel judged for their drug or alcohol use, and many avoid seeking support because of it.

Too often, people believe alcohol or drug misuse is a choice or moral failing, when in reality, it’s a serious mental health condition influenced by trauma.

At The Living Room, we uphold the belief that connection is the opposite of addiction. We’re here to replace shame with understanding, judgment with empathy, and isolation with community. Stories like this one show how transformative recovery becomes when people feel safe to ask for help.

With support from our abstinence-based therapy, and additional help from organisations like Family Lives, our client is not only rebuilding her life but also growing stronger in her ability to support her autistic son. As she says:

“It’s still early days, but I feel so much more positive about my ability to live a sober life. The phrase ‘the opposite of addiction is connection’ has never felt truer.”

By sharing lived experience stories, lending a listening ear, and advocating for more compassionate language, we help dismantle stigma. And as HCC’s campaign urges: when judgement is replaced by understanding, more people feel safe to ask for support.

If this has touched a chord, we are here for you. We offer free, time-unlimited group therapy for adults living in Hertfordshire. We also run dedicated Family and Carer groups for those affected by another person’s addiction. Call us on 0300 365 0304 or self-refer online.

Addiction thrives in silence, but recovery grows in community. Together, we can break the stigma—and help each other recover.