"My name is Grace, I’m 31, and I’ve always been the one to say yes to a night out. If there was a party, a meal, or just a quick drink after work, I was there. I thought people liked me for it. I kept the night going, made people laugh, and if things were quiet, I could always liven them up.

Most nights were the same. A few drinks would turn into too many. We’d be loud, sometimes a bit messy, but I told myself that’s what nights out were for. I grew up around drinking being part of every social occasion, so I never saw it as a problem.

Then one day I realised I hadn’t been invited to my closest friend’s birthday. We’d celebrated together every year since we met. At first, I thought she’d forgotten to tell me the plan, so I asked her. She went quiet and said she didn’t want to upset me, but she had started leaving me out because when I drank, I became too much.

She told me I got loud, interrupted people, and forgot conversations. She was tired of spending her nights looking after me instead of enjoying herself.

I laughed it off in the moment, but when I got home it hit me hard. I thought about other friends I hadn’t seen in a while, messages that had slowed down, invites that stopped coming. I realised this had been happening for years, but I had been too busy brushing it off to notice.

That was when I found the Control Alcohol Consumption Essentials package from Clear Minds. I didn’t think it would work for someone like me, but I had nothing to lose.

At first I didn’t notice much change, but then one weekend I turned down an invite without feeling like I was missing out. Another weekend I went home after one drink, just because I wanted to.

The more I stuck with it, the less alcohol controlled my social life. I could meet friends and enjoy myself without waking up with regret. I remembered conversations. I laughed for the right reasons.

My friend invited me out again recently. She told me she’s proud of me, and for the first time in years, I’m proud of myself too."

We want to thank Grace for sharing her story. Her journey is proof that sometimes the hardest truths are the ones that can change your life.

If you are ready to take back control, click the link below to learn more about the Control Alcohol Consumption Essentials package that helped Grace find her balance again.