The actress was 31 when she made the choice to change her ways, she has revealed.
Explaining what prompted her to make the call, Lynch has told More magazine that although her problem with alcohol was minor, she got tired of waking up hungover.
'Relatively speaking, my personal bottom was rather benign,' Lynch said.
The 50-year-old told the magazine she used to joke at 12-step meetings: 'Had I know I'd be telling my story over and over again, I would have made it a lot better.'
The actress, who plays ruthless cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester in the hit series, says marriage came as a surprise to her.
'I'd never dated anyone that I wanted to marry,' she said. 'I didn't think it was going to be out there for me. But the minute we were married, I felt the difference. I felt like I am no longer alone.'