A MUM who was in hospital nearly dying after drinking too much alcohol has told of her remarkable recovery journey.

Emma Harrison admitted “not knowing if it was 10 o’clock in the morning or night” during her lowest times when her booze intake spiralled out of control.

The 43-year-old, from Paisley, had her three children removed from her care and was admitted to hospital several times at the start of last year.

She developed alcohol-related neuropathy which left her barely able to walk and was suffering from hypothermia.

But after agreeing to go to rehab whilst lying in a hospital bed, Emma began to turn her life around.

She spent 12 weeks at Abberycare in Erskine.

READ MORE: Man in 'absolute grips of drug addiction' speaks of turning life around

Emma, who is now more than a year sober and has rebuilt her relationship with her kids, said: “I was killing myself with alcohol, drinking myself to death. I was drinking in the house on my own.

“I got to the stage where I didn’t know if it was 10 o’clock in the morning or 10 o’clock at night. When I was admitted to hospital with hypothermia, my family thought I was going to die.

“One day, Gordon, the admissions manager at Abbeycare, and the nurse from my local addiction service came to my hospital bed and asked if I wanted to go in.

“When I started rehab, I was really poorly. I was severely underweight; I’d lost a lot of my hair. But I had a willingness to change, and I did everything they asked me to do.

“I had one-to-one therapy and group therapy, and started learning all about addiction, as well as the triggers to look out for and things from my past that I didn’t know still affected me.”

(Image: Supplied) Emma was so dedicated that she later completed Abbeycare’s comprehensive aftercare programme, which helps reduce the risk of a relapse.

And six months after, she joined its peer support programme, being assigned as a contact for people who were about to leave the clinic.

This led to a position on its volunteering programme, where participants are given the chance to work in the clinic, learn from other staff and complete training courses.

Emma now spends 14 hours a week volunteering and is on track to gain an SVQ in health and social care, which could lead to full-time employment.

One of her responsibilities is to do check-in calls with former clients to make sure they are not overwhelmed by returning to normal life.

“It’s been a beautiful journey,” Emma said. “I learn so much from the staff and from the new clients who are coming in.

“Helping others is all part of our recovery, that’s how we stay sober. The clients can relate to us because it’s not that long ago that we were in their position ourselves. It gives them hope straight away because they see that recovery is possible.

“Abbeycare saved my life. If I hadn’t come in here, I wouldn’t be here today. I would’ve gone out, lifted a drink again, and I wouldn’t have survived it. It’s given me a life to live and I feel like I’ve found my calling.”

READ MORE: 'It's changed my life': Woman who took up running at 60 prepares for Paisley 10k

Eddie Clarke, outreach manager at the Abbeycare Group, said: “We hope Emma’s story will act as an inspiration to those who find their lives devastated by alcohol addiction, which unfortunately continues to affect too many people in Scotland.

“She has been on a remarkable journey that began in her hospital bed when she was offered the chance to begin her recovery with us, and we are so glad that she said yes.

“She is now a valued member of Abbeycare staff, who uses her own experiences to put people at ease when they first arrive at the clinic and support them when they move on.”