Does Your Parent Drink Too Much? School of Rock Bottom 43: Sammy Kingston

Did you know 1 in 5 people are affected by a parent's drinking? In this powerful episode, we hear from TEDx speaker Sammy Kingston, who lost her mother to alcoholism in 2018. After being estranged for 10 years, Sammy had just 10 minutes with her mother before she passed from stage 4 liver disease. This life-changing moment led Sammy to get sober and dedicate herself to helping children of alcoholics and anyone struggling with alcohol addiction. Sammy shares her deeply personal story, reflecting on how her mother’s addiction impacted her mental health as both a child and adult. She discusses overcoming isolation, people-pleasing, fear of abandonment, anxiety, depression, and setting boundaries. Sammy also offers invaluable advice for parents struggling with alcohol, explaining why children can't make their parents sober. Plus, Sammy explains how she got sober in her 20s and what she’s learned from her journey. A must-listen for anyone touched by addiction. More About Sammy - Sammy Kingston is the Co-Founder of Virtual Umbrella and a passionate advocate for children of alcoholics. Since 2018, she’s raised awareness about the effects of alcoholism through talks, films, and community work. She is a Community Champion for Alcohol Change UK and created the VR film Anonymous—an autobiographical project about growing up as a COA, which premiered at Raindance Film Festival. She also shared her story on the TEDx stage in 2022—link in the show notes! Topics - 0:00 Intro 3:05 Sammy's rock bottom 6:55 Isolation & people pleasing 13:05 Approval seeking behaviour 15:30 A victim mentality? 18:00 Fear of abandonment & putting in boundries 19:55 Why children can't get their parents sober 23:30 Fear of authority, depression & anxiety 26:35 Sammy's relationship with alcohol now 34:15 Giving up booze in your 20's 37:15 Being a COA & adulthood 41:35 Can Sammy be TOO loyal & responsible? 43:20 Sammy's letter to her mum 45:50 Who is Sammy wanting to help? 48:25 Looking after yourself 50:15 Words to parents still drinking If you have been affected by these topics, Sammy suggests the following support - Nacoa (For COA): https://coa.nacoa.org.uk Alcohol Change UK: https://alcoholchange.org.uk This Podcast is not for profit but my goal is to break even. To help me make more please donate here. Thank you! https://bit.ly/3kSucAs Follow Sammy Twitter/X: https://x.com/K_Samantha1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sammy_kingston_ Ted Talk - https://bit.ly/3Y96OiZ Follow Oliver Instagram - https://bit.ly/3IemHLY Facebook - http://bit.ly/3w8S1Gx TikTok - https://bit.ly/3YGLsYm LinkedIn - http://bit.ly/3kp4ymC Threads - https://bit.ly/3svw7yL X - http://bit.ly/3GQYj2l Please subscribe, follow, like, leave a review and comment! YouTube - https://bit.ly/3ZTQ3Kf Spotify - https://bit.ly/4eykA4L Apple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQ #ChildOfAnAlcoholic #AlcoholRecovery #MentalHealthAwareness