Married At First Sight's Gemma Rose Barnes has spoken candidly about her struggles with alcohol addiction and how it has 'taken over her life'.
Fans of the reality TV show will recognise Gemma from the 2022 series, when she was paired up with personal trainer Matt Murray.
The 31-year-old has continued to give fans glimpses of her life in the time since the show, using social media to share selfies and snaps of her hanging out with her family, but this week she took to Instagram to share something a bit different.
Gemma began: “Hi guys. I'm just coming onto Instagram to talk about something incredibly important and something that has been affecting my life for a really, really long time. I've been struggling with addiction and it's taken over my life."
The MAFS star expressed belief that the Covid-19 outbreak was 'the biggest catalyst' for her, adding: "I struggled to get better. I've been very, very poorly.
“Addiction is an illness. It's a disease and there is just so much help available. My addiction has left me pushing away friends and family.
“Pushing people away that were closest to me and still mattered, isolated myself. It left me in a really dark place."
Gemma admitted that opening up about her struggles was 'hard', but that she'd promised she would 'always be open and honest'.
"I can't live my life with this illness anymore," she continued. "My life has become unmanageable.”
Gemma described attempting to deal with the addiction by herself by quitting drinking altogether, and though she did well for 'a few months', she found it tough to stay sober.
"I wanted my addiction to leave me alone and I couldn't, I couldn't run from it," she said.
Gemma is now taking part in the 12 steps of recovery programme and is working with a sponsor to help her stay on the right track.
The move has 'changed [her] life already', Gemma said.
“In this period, I've reached out and asked for help from people who understand because they've been through it."
The reality TV star was flooded with well-wishes and support from fans after sharing the clip, with many sharing their own stories of sobriety.
Gemma has since thanked those who have shown her their support, admitting she was 'terrified' to post the video, but that discussing her addiction out loud 'takes away the power'.
"Addiction is no joke. Addiction is an illness," Gemma added.
Please drink responsibly. If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/reallifeofgemroseTopics: Health, Mental Health, Married At First Sight, TV And Film