We found out that my younger and only sister, Gem died in her sleep on the 10th April 2017, just weeks away from her 34th birthday. The cause was a fatal condition called ketoacidosis. It stemmed from the anorexia and alcoholism Gem fought for 16 and 10 years respectively.

The results of how she died also showed a small amount damage to her brain. Just one of many physical and emotional marks left from when, at just 16, she was the victim of a hit and run – the driver was drunk. The night it happened, her life hung in the balance but thankfully, aside from several severely broken bones, she made a steady recovery. Though in her hospital notes, they wrote ‘future risk of depression, anorexia and addiction.’

Soon after, mum and dad fought to have her admitted to a specialised eating disorder unit. We were terrified she would die. Eventually, she recovered and seemed to get on well with life, although she never really ate properly.

A few years after that, after a run of bad luck, Gem sadly started to drink heavily. It wasn’t long before it completely took a hold. A big part of her never receiving sufficient help I believe is due to the stigma and the difficulty in accessing treatment. While this happened in the UK – and I live in Australia – I don’t see much difference. When someone you love is an addict life can become very dark. If society saw it differently, and it was treated like other illnesses, I believe things could be different for addicts and their families.