“You’re not just an alcoholic if you drink vodka in the morning. That’s just the end of the spectrum, but it’s a broad spectrum,” she explains. As her alcohol addiction increased, Verena found herself in a cycle that became increasingly difficult to break.
The turning point: burnout and rehabilitation
When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, Verena’s fast-paced life came to a screeching halt. She experienced severe burnout where she “lost her footing,” as she puts it. Unable to work, she moved back in with her mother, where she became so weak that she was unable to perform basic tasks or care for herself.
“My mother picked me up and took me to the supermarket. She asked me to get milk and I didn’t even know what milk was or how to get it. That’s how badly my brain was affected.”
Verena then went to a rehabilitation clinic, a decision that she now describes as the best of her life.
“I needed this distance from my old life,” she says. “In rehab, I began to unravel the reasons for my addiction and realized that alcohol was just a substitute for dealing with my deeper issues. I spent my days walking in nature, reflecting on my life and getting therapy.”
This time was a crucial turning point. Verena began to see a way forward, a way without alcohol.
“After withdrawal, I rediscovered the things that I really enjoy. I spent a summer kitesurfing, getting back into nature and pursuing hobbies like yoga, tennis and music. All the time I spent in bars suddenly came back to me,” she says.
“You suddenly discover new things. And you have space in your head again because you’re not always hungover.”
Fresh and grounded
After years of therapy, rehabilitation and self-discovery, Verena has chosen a new path – a path free of alcohol, but full of creativity and driven by the desire to destigmatize addiction and burnout.
“I feel so much more stable in this world. “That is the greatest gift for me,” she says. “Of course, things still happen in life. I’m not always happy just because I stopped drinking, but I feel more grounded, like a tree firmly rooted in the ground.”
Then she adds: “People tell me I’m glowing all the time. Honestly, alcohol makes you feel breathless and sweaty. When you drink a lot, every pore in your body shows that something is wrong.”
Today, Verena works to raise awareness of alcohol problems and inspire others to seek help. That’s why she tells her story in her book, her podcast and her solo stage show: in the hope of helping others who are struggling.
“Recovery is possible, and a life without alcohol can be richer and more fulfilling than you ever imagined. If you keep an eye on your consumption, you might never go astray like I did,” she advises. “But if you do, you should know that there is a way back – to a life worth living.”
Find support and further information
If you or someone you know is suffering due to alcohol consumption, it is important to get help. You can find support on your national health department website or from your doctor.
Verena told us her story for our “Redefining Alcohol” campaign. This campaign is part of the WHO and European Union joint Evidence into Action Alcohol Project (EVID-ACTION), which runs from 2022 to 2026 and aims to work in 30 countries (the 27 Member States of the European Union plus Iceland, Norway and Ukraine) to raise awareness of the harm caused by alcohol consumption.
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