Channel 7
Kaitlyn Isham’s world turned upside down when secrets from what she calls her ‘deep dark past’ emerged in the form of nude, provocative pictures last week.
When New Idea speaks to Kaitlyn after the news broke of her past life as a webcam girl named ‘Mermz’, emotions were at an all-time high.
But there’s much more to her story.
‘My brother Eric passed away in a motorcycling accident when I was 22 so I had a lot of issues there,’ the media graduate tells.
‘[His death] was so unexpected, it was really hard on my family and me. I went into a downward spiral and I partied a lot.’
After Eric died in 2010, Kaitlyn, 28, numbed the pain with alcohol and her life spun out of control.
‘I would black out, go on benders for weeks, I would wake up in unknown places and I hooked up with a lot of guys. Every time I drank I had either done something stupid, woken up in a scary place, gotten into a fight – I was just going down a really dangerous road.’
Her drinking got so bad, Kaitlyn’s mum feared for her life.
‘She thought she was going to lose another child,’ Kaitlyn chokes up.
‘Alcoholism does run in my family but I really think [my addiction] comes back to Eric passing away.’
Rehab was the only way for Kaitlyn to sober up.
‘I knew I had a problem but I didn’t think I needed rehab,’ Kaitlyn remembers. ‘The first time I went, everyone my age in my facility were heroin addicts and I was an alcoholic. They made fun of me for being an alcoholic, saying it was nothing.
‘After I got out, I was back hanging around with the wrong people so I relapsed and started drinking again. Finally, I went back and I did it right.’
‘I don’t drink anymore – I haven’t had a drink in three years. I go to AA meetings and I have a sponsor,’ Kaitlyn admits.
For the full story, see this week’s New Idea – Out now.
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