Loudoun said there was never any normality in her life.
"I couldn't hold a job, there was violence and I was getting into trouble at 16 and narrowly avoided going to jail."
Her drinking continued and eventually developed into cocaine use.
Ainsley Loudoun hopes her story will inspire others to look for the help they need. Photo / Supplied
"My life just completely spiralled," she said. "I was drinking because of this horrible hole inside me. Drink was my solution, which then became my problem. It just got really bad and dark."
It came to a head when, by the age of 26, Loudoun said, her family and friends didn't want to be around her anymore – and she realised she was running out of options.
"It came to the stage where there was not going to be any other way out for me. I was hurting so bad and the drink wasn't taking things away anymore," she told the publication.
"It was either going to be jail or I killed myself or recovery. Those were the options I had left — and so I chose recovery."
Loudon has been in recovery for two years and is holding down a job for the first time, adding that the programme headed by Cocaine Anonymous completely transformed her life.
"I now work the programme into my life daily. Recovery is a constant process," she said.
In light of Mental Health Awareness Month, the 28-year-old said she wants people to know that there is a way out and there is a solution.
WHERE TO GET HELP:
If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call 111.
If you need to talk to someone, the following free helplines operate 24/7:
