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'I was drinking two litres of gin a day in my 20s'

News imagePA Media Two pictures of Holly Dyson alongside each other. She is pictured in a hospital robe in one and wearing a white and orange jumper and smiling at the camera in the second.PA Media
Holly Dyson said she was "not your stereotypical alcoholic"

A woman who was told she had six months left to live after drinking two litres of gin a day is now planning to run a half marathon.

Holly Dyson, 28, was dependent on alcohol for six years in her 20s, and felt unable to leave the house without taking a bottle of wine.

"I truly, wholeheartedly was going to die. I was told I was going to die. I believed it and I had no hope," Holly, who lives near Southport on Merseyside said.

As she approaches three years being alcohol-free, Holly will run the London Landmarks Half Marathon on Sunday for the charity Alcohol Change UK.

News imagePA Media A picture of Holly running in a race. She is wearing a white vest, a black weighted vest, white headphones and sunglasses and has a purple race number with white 230 pinned to her t-shirt. PA Media
Holly is now gearing up for a half marathon

Holly's reliance on alcohol escalated rapidly in her mid-20s, and she turned from drinking prosecco with her family in the evenings to experiencing physical withdrawals if she went without a drink.

"If I was going out, I'd have to take a bottle of wine and I would put it into three smaller bottles so I could hide them in a bag.

"I was just living in fear every single day," she said.

She was also no stranger to starting her day with a pint of cider.

"I went to hospital numerous times. I had severe liver disease and then, in 2023, I went in again and I was really unwell this time."

She said that after she started vomiting blood, doctors told her she would die in six months if she carried on.

"But even that didn't stop me," she said.

"It upset me but I didn't care. I'd kind of accepted the fact I was going to die because I can't stop this."

News imagePA Media Two pictures of Holly Dyson alongside each other. She is pictured in a black top with a tear running down her face. The second photograph she is wearing a blue top, beige jacket and blue jeans and holding her phone and smiling at the camera.PA Media
Holly said she was told she would die if she did not stop drinking

Holly said negative stereotypes surrounding alcohol addiction had prompted her to speak out.

"I'm not your stereotypical alcoholic," she said.

"I was a young girl when I got trapped in that cycle and I think stereotypes can be a barrier to people seeking and getting help.

"Equally, I don't think alcohol addiction is spoken about enough. I think there's so much stigma and stereotypes attached to it and the stigma is awful."

Holly said the half-marathon was more than a physical challenge and is a way to give back, raise awareness, and show that recovery is possible.

"Here I am, nearly three years later, working in addiction and running a half marathon," she said.

"These are all things that I could only dream of and now I'm actually doing it."

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