I drank 30 bottles of booze and snorted 3.5 grams of cocaine a night — then I turned my life around

A woman who spent years “addicted to cocaine” and would drink up to 30 bottles of booze a night has turned her life around – and says she is proof anyone can get clean.

Charlene Chandler, now 36, snorted three-and-a-half grams of the Schedule II drug daily for 22 years – as well as smoking cannabis and drinking alcohol.

Having grown up in foster care, the mom-of-four says she used substances as a coping mechanism, and her tolerance would constantly go up.

She’d neck up to 30 miniature bottles of vodka and Bacardi – her preference when going to parties.

But she decided to get clean after meeting her fiance, 31 – and turned to her church support group for help.

Now, she’s preparing to start her own business alongside getting her level three diploma in counselling – and will be marrying her fiancé on December 23.

She says she wants to “empower” other women – and wants them to “know your past doesn’t define you”.

Charlene, a small business owner from Portsmouth, Hants., said: “In the care system – I turned to drugs because I couldn’t get access to mental health services.

“The partying started off as a bit of fun, it wasn’t a regular thing.

“But, it quickly became excessive.

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“It descended into full-on alcohol and drug abuse – I could drink 30 bottles of alcohol in one night.

“Getting clean was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through. But life is just better – I’m excited about everything I’ve got coming up.”

Charlene was immediately placed in an incubator after birth, and was quickly diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

She was then taken into care at the age of two.

She lived with her grandparents between the ages of five and 13 – and was eventually placed back into the care system after her behavior became too “erratic.”

Charlene said: “There was a care order placed on me when I was two.

“I went to go and live with my grandparents – but I was very rebellious, growing up.

“I’d go to parties with older men, I’d stay out all night, and as I got older, I started taking drugs.

“My nan and grandad just couldn’t cope – so, I went back into care at the age of 13.”

Charlene says NAS gave her an addictive personality – which she says put her at a higher risk of falling into substance abuse.

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At first, she’d go to parties, drink alcohol and take drugs recreationally – but by 16, she was dependent on substances to survive.

“My tolerance levels went up,” she said. “The more I’d have, the more I needed.

“I just became so dependent – I needed to address my mental health issues.”

At the age of 13, Charlene was diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), depression, anxiety and emotionally unstable personality disorder.

She was “kicked out” of the care system at 16, and was given a council flat in London to live in.

Charlene says she spent the next two decades “non-stop partying” – leaving her unable to hold down a job, and her children were eventually taken into care.

“I wasn’t ready to be a mom,” she said.

“My mental health got really bad – I was just out, all the time.”

The addiction worsened to the point that Charlene would take an “eight-ball” (3.5grams) once-a-day, she’d smoke cannabis multiple times daily and drink 30 bottles of alcohol per evening.

She met her partner, 31, a landscaper, in 2018 – who encouraged her to eventually get sober.

But it wasn’t until August 2023, that Charlene eventually managed to stay off the substances.

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She added: “It was 2023 when I kicked cannabis and alcohol – 2021 when I stopped taking cocaine.

“I knew I wanted to get off the drugs, because I was trying to start a new life.

“I even joined a new church and got baptised.

“My church group was my shoulder to cry on, as was my partner.

“Whenever I needed them, they’d be there.

“It felt impossible to come off it, but they helped me through, as well as my spirituality.”

Charlene and her partner are planning a small church wedding for December 23.

She’s planning to open her small business, selling candles and cosmetics, in the next month.

“I’m living a better life now,” she added.

“I’ve got a lot of insight into where it all went wrong.

“I knew I needed to be a better mom to my children.

“I want to help and empower women – and just let them know your past doesn’t define you, no matter what you’ve been through in life.”

Charlene’s memoir, ‘My Testimony, from Darkness to Light’ is available to buy on Amazon.

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