Stephanie Davis has revealed she used to drink a bottle of wine a night to mask her crippling anxiety, before a stint in rehab lead to a breakthrough; being diagnosed with autism.
The former Hollyoaks star had a turbulent battle with alcoholism, and a suicide bid in 2019 prompted her to turn her life around.
Now in a new interview, Stephanie, 29, says being diagnosed with high functioning autism while in rehab felt like the 'biggest relief' after years of self sabotaging behaviour.
"Before I was diagnosed with high-functioning autism, drinking was the only thing I knew," the mother-of-one told OK! Magazine.
"I needed to drink a bottle of wine before a night out because of my severe anxiety in social settings. I also needed to know the layouts of places. So when I’d walk into somewhere new I’d go, 'Right, the toilets are there, the bar is there.'
"In the end, my anxiety got so bad I couldn’t leave the house without a drink. If something went wrong, I’d drink. I saw that as my medicine, it was my best friend, but in the end it destroyed me to the point I wanted to take my own life."
Stephanie said following the demise of her tumultuous relationship with Jeremy McConnell she felt 'so low I was drinking myself to death'.
The actress, who played Sinead O'Connor in the Channel 4 soap, 'got dragged to rehab' by her parents. During her time there she was diagnosed with high-functioning autism and attention-deficit disorder.
Stephanie said it was the 'biggest relief' as it helped her to 'accept myself for the first time'.
Signs of high-functioning autism include emotional sensitivity, fixation on particular subjects or ideas, devotion to routines and difficulties in social situations.
Three years on, Steph is sober and in a loving relationship with Joe Mckalroy, 25, whom she met at a support group last December after he lost his brother to suicide.
The soap star, who is proud mum to Caben, five, said her anxiety was exasperated when she joined Hollyoaks and would require a whole week's scripts in advance so she could learn them all.
Now, Stephanie says a routine is essential to her otherwise she 'can't cope. She will recite to Joe the plan for the next day every night before they go to bed and has a specific way of cleaning.
The mother-of-one says she is keeping a close eye on Caben as she recognises certain traits in him which have caused her concern.
Stephanie says she hopes by speaking out she can help others 'who might be unknowingly suffering with autism get diagnosed and understand themselves better'.
*If you are struggling with mental health, you can speak to a trained advisor from Mind mental health charity on 0300 123 3393 or email info@mind.org.uk
