Her children were taken from her, her marriage was over and she found herself in a hospital bed, scared and alone after trying to take her own life.

Now Emma Bushen’s candid story is to appear on the shelves of WHSmith, after she decided to reveal a warts and all autobiography charting her nine year battle with the bottle.

The 34-year-old mum-of-three, from Temple Way in East Malling, has now been dry for more than three years after turning to alcohol following the birth of her second child, Liam, now 10.

At the height of her addiction she would be drinking a bottle of vodka a day, and lashing out at husband James in violent attacks. She even sold her wedding ring to pay for drink.

She told the Kent Messenger: “When he was born Liam didn’t sleep through until he was three. With the tiredness, the only thing that would get me through the day was that drink of vodka at the end of it.

“I would wake up and James would be asleep on the sofa and I wouldn’t know why. Sometimes I’d attacked him and he still has a scar from when I bit him.

“I couldn’t take the kids to school because I was too hungover. I was so ashamed and embarrassed of myself" - Emma Bushen

“I couldn’t take the kids to school because I was too hungover. I was so ashamed and embarrassed of myself.”

After being told to leave the family home by social services Emma reached her lowest moment.

For the second time during her addiction, she took an overdose and was only discovered after her concerned husband asked police to check on her.

In her hospital bed she decided she needed to quit the booze and sought help from Alcoholics Anonymous online. Now she is back with James and enjoying family life.

Mrs Bushen said: “Every time I thought of having a drink I would just think of my kids, and write a diary rating my days so I could see things were getting better. I’m tee total now.

“If I was still drinking I would be dead by now. I’m just so glad that I stopped. It’s the little things like sitting down at the table for a meal with my family. I’ve never been so happy.”

The book was the topseller of online bookseller Amazon’s alcohol addiction books when it was released.

Emma added: “It was really therapeutic writing it and lots of things came out that I didn’t realise, like how I’d sworn at my kids when I was drunk, so I was able to confront that with him.

"I hope it gives hope to other people with addiction that you can change your life.”

Confronting the Bottle, co-written with Joanne Haywood, is available from www.amazon.co.uk and is expected to be released in Maidstone WH Smith shortly.

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