RHONY 's Leah McSweeney Celebrates 1 Year of Sobriety: '365 Days Booze Free'

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Leah McSweeney has marked a milestone in her sobriety: one year alcohol free.

The Real Housewives of New York City star posted on her Instagram in honor of the day, sharing a screenshot from a Twelve Steps program page showing that she's been sober for a full year.

"365 days booze free. Thank you G-d," she began in the caption before explaining why she drank during this past season of RHONY, her first on the show.

"People often ask me if I stopped drinking because I saw myself drunk on TV," the 38-year-old wrote. "I stopped drinking a couple days before the show even aired. I'm also often asked if I drank because I knew I was going to be on the show since I had not drank for almost a decade before. And the truth is I started drinking before I knew I was going to be on RHONY."

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She continued, "When I found out that I was in fact going to be on the show I thought to myself that it may be a good time to stop drinking again but it was much too hard to stop and I wasn't ready after all I just started again and I wanted to 'enjoy' myself.' I always knew there was a stigma around alcoholism and addiction but I didn't realize just how terrible the stigma was, especially for women, until the show aired."

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McSweeney also touched on how difficult navigating addiction and sobriety has been for many amid the COVID-19 pandemic over the last year.

"I would love to make an [irreverent] funny joke about how I'm happy my year back drinking was spent drinking with the best of them but the truth is people are struggling right now more than ever with addiction," the Married To The Mob mogul wrote.

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"This year of dealing with a pandemic and isolation makes getting and staying sober even more complicated including finding help for it. Depression and loneliness has people turning to substances more than ever," she concluded, adding the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration hotline. "If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol or drugs right now please call 1-800-662-4357."

McSweeney frequently opened up about her past relationship with alcohol on RHONY. She continued to drink throughout season 12 but said she quit before it aired over the summer. In June, she celebrated 90 days sober and shared a photo on Instagram of her sobriety pin.

"It's been a trippy 90 days," she captioned the post at the time.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.