Calvary counsellor Diane Kroker on journey struggled with alcoholism now she's helping others recover

Those were thoughts Wagga's Diane Kroker felt when she finally removed the chains of addiction from her life.

Her journey through alcoholism to being sober for 13 years has not only just saved her life but transformed her as a person.

She currently works in the Calvary Riverina's Drug and Alcohol Centre in Wagga where she runs the eight-week out-patient program.

"I do have a passion just to keep talking about recovery; I feel that's my gift back cause there was always somebody there to help me, so I just want to be there to pay it forward to help somebody else," said Diane Kroker.

Diane was just 13 years old when she became addicted to alcohol, saying growing up under the same roof as an alcoholic parent it felt like walking on eggshells, never knowing what mood would strike next.

"I was a very scared terrified child and yeah, I turned to alcohol to actually help me get over my anxiety, but I didn't really learn that that was a maladaptive way of coping with life," Ms Kroker said.

Her addiction got to the point where she recalled stealing money from her own family members and was stuck in a "merry go round of misery" where she would drink to relieve the pain caused by a drinking session.

The turning point came when she was made redundant from the job she had held for 21 years after twice turning up to work drunk.

"The beauty is I cried with relief, because I was so shy, nobody knew I was suffering and I actually got help and I was forced into my first rehab," said Ms Kroker.

Ms Kroker was admitted to the Calvary rehabilitation program in 2005, an experience she loved so much that she came back the second year.

She was then introduced to a fellowship which helped her through her loneliness - which was caused by her addiction burning bridges and counselling - which allowed her to work on herself, something she does to this day.

It was only through the pilot program in 2009 she finally achieved her sobriety, a moment she still vividly remembers.

"On the 7th of November, 2009, 4am in the morning somehow, I was on the floor of my bedroom and crawled up onto my bed," she said.

"I remember looking up into the heavens and the window there and just going I can't do this anymore and it was like a moment of clarity: you don't have to just don't drink."

Ms Kroker has added a new Passport of Learning - Life and Recovery to the day program, which allows patients a more flexible schedule for balancing work, life with their recovery sessions.

She believes that this is key to prevent patients from slipping through the cracks during recovery, with that specific program offering several options for patients such as attending two days a week.

"I've seen too many people die," she said.

"I've heard of too many people die...I don't want the loss of life so I don't want people to fall through the cracks."

Her time recovering from alcohol addiction has helped in her new role in helping others recover.

"Recovery is two-fold, one's learning first of all putting down your drug of choice...second part is working on yourself why did I you pick that up? Why did I pick that colon drug up?" she said.

"Drugs are alcohol are only a symptom of you trying to cope with life ... people have used it to survive because they've been so overwhelmed."