Picture this: It’s the end of a long day and you just want to relax - quiet the nerves, calm the mind, and slow the racing thoughts - so you have a drink (or a few). And in that moment, it works. Alcohol can bring a temporary sense of ease as the tension softens, the body relaxes, and everything feels a little more manageable. But then comes the flip side. That wired-but-tired feeling in the middle of the night. The vague sense of dread in the morning.

On the outside, Pia Clinton-Tarestad had it all - a successful career, leadership roles, and a life that sparkled on paper. But behind closed doors, alcohol had crept in as a nightly habit that was hard to shake. By 2019, she was drinking up to two bottles of wine a night, sometimes hiding it in a mug during Zoom calls so no one would notice. Today, Pia leads Clean Slate Clinic with purpose, using her lived experience to support others walking a similar path.

Clean Slate Clinic is proud to partner with South Western Sydney PHN (SWSPHN) to make safe, home-based alcohol and other drug (AOD) support more accessible across the region.

There’s no one-size-fits-all moment when someone decides to change their relationship with alcohol. For Andrew, it wasn’t a dramatic rock bottom – just a slow and steady realisation that what looked “high-functioning” on the outside was taking a huge toll on the inside. Now, five and a half years alcohol-free, Andrew is living a completely different life - swimming in the ocean every day, training lifesavers, and finally receiving the mental health care he needed all along.

If you’ve been thinking about cutting back on alcohol - or stopping altogether - the idea of taking medication might come as a surprise. You’re not alone in that. We speak to so many people who say: “I thought I’d just push through it”, or “I didn’t realise withdrawal could be dangerous”. And here’s the truth: for some people, stopping alcohol after a period of regular or heavy use can come with risks. It’s not about willpower. It’s about biology.

South Eastern NSW residents wishing to reduce their dependence on alcohol, stimulants or cannabis may be eligible to access our at-home detox and recovery program through a new partnership between COORDINARE - South Eastern NSW PHN and Clean Slate Clinic. 

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