How I Triumphed Over Gambling, Love Addiction & Alcoholism! School of Rock Bottom 8: Nicole Hall

[TW//Gambling, Love Addiction, Alcohol Dependence, Trauma, Abuse] Today I welcome actor and former magician Nicole Hall as we discuss how genetics and environment may have impacted her journey into love, gambling and alcohol addiction. Nicole generously shares how she used fantasy as a way to escape the negative memories and emotions from childhood trauma. Then Nicole discovered she was very gifted in performing and it also served as the perfect escape. This led her to university and much professional acting work, including a semi regular role in BBC's Casualty. Meanwhile, Nicole had known since she was born that she was gay but was desperately afraid to tell her very religious family about her sexuality. When the work dried up, her addictions increased and her mental health plummeted coming to a head in 2015 when an encounter with her mum served as the final wake up call that she had to turn her life around. Nicole is now living a sober, happy and healthy life and hasn't taken a bet since 2020. Her more recent work has spotlighted mental health, addiction and survival. She is co-founder of an emerging black women-led theatre company called Nubian Co-Hearts and is currently working on a play which explores these hard-hitting themes and similar gritty topics. Topics - 0:00 Intro 2:35 Nicole's Rock Bottom 8:18 Nicole's childhood fantasy as a means to escape 14:23 Fantasy is replaced by alcohol 16:30 If I'm gay will I go to hell? 23:32 Acting as a way to escape and live in fantasy 30:15 Getting a "proper job" and breaking down 33:25 What is love addiction? 38:45 Gambling 40:25 How Nicole beat cross addiction 46:18 What does it mean to be powerless? 47:20 Free NHS drug and alcohol services 49:35 Nicole's faith 52:20 Mental health maintenance 54:40 Nicole's female black led theatre company If you've been affected by any of the issues discussed on today's episode Nicole recommends contacting your local NHS drug/alcohol service: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/find-alcohol-addiction-support-services/ 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 Nicole Instagram - https://bit.ly/3Oq6VSO Follow Oliver Instagram - https://bit.ly/3IemHLY Twitter - http://bit.ly/3GQYj2l Facebook - http://bit.ly/3w8S1Gx LinkedIn - http://bit.ly/3kp4ymC TikTok - https://bit.ly/3YGLsYm Listen or watch on: YouTube - https://bit.ly/4535NuB Apple - https://apple.co/41IrJt4 or search 'School of Rock Bottom' where you listen to your podcasts. About this podcast - Welcome to the School Of Rock Bottom Podcast with Oliver Mason. I work as an actor, voice-over artist, Performing Arts School Principal and a Mental Health Coach. It's these careers and passions combined that have inspired this podcast! People working in the entertainment and performing arts industry are twice as likely to experience depression, are up to 15x more likely to suffer from anxiety and those working across alll the creative industries are 3x more likely to suffer a mental health problem. In this podcast, we invite creatives who have lived through a rock bottom but have survived! These stories need to be heard to help others realise that no matter how bad things seem there is hope and always a way out.