You Can Heal From Childhood Sexual Abuse, PTSD & Alcoholism. School of Rock Bottom 5: Andy Jeffery

[TW//PTSD, Childhood Sexual Abuse, Paedophilia, Alcoholism] There are 2 million adult survivors of sexual abuse in the UK. 1 in 4 women are raped or assaulted. 1 in 20 men. 1 in 5 children. Childhood abuse survivors are 7x more likely to be alcohol addicts; 10x more at risk of intravenous drug addiction and 12x more likely to attempt suicide. Today it is an honour to welcome Andy Jeffery who was heavily involved in drama as a youngster and has over 20 years in theatre management and organising numerous National Music Hall and Variety Festivals. These days, Andy is a public speaker, writer and campaigner whose autobiographical book, A Small Boy Smiling, tells a remarkable story of survival and how he has overcome the trauma, guilt and shame of childhood sexual abuse, teenage alcoholism and complex post-traumatic stress disorder. When he was eight years old, he was targeted by a group of predatory paedophiles who subjected him to 18-months of horrific sexual abuse. 'A Small Boy Smiling' was published under the pseudonym Matt Carey. Andy's heartbreaking story is the most remarkable journey of hope, recovery, inspiration and healing. Despite suffering in his childhood and having many rock bottoms - he shares how he turns it all around and goes on to enjoy a fantastic life, career and dedicates his time helping fellow survivors. The word 'hero' can be used lightly but no one deserves this title more than Andy. An absolute must watch/listen. Topics - 0:00 Intro 3:23 Andy's rock bottom 11:09 Andy's childhood rock bottom 16:40 Nervous breakdown and PTSD 20:21 Puberty, flashbacks and alcohol 25:32 What is Andy's experience of PTSD? 29:30 Recovering from PTSD 31:20 Equine therapy 36:30 Any healing is possible 37:50 The role of acceptance and forgiveness 41:30 Is justice important? 42:51 Helping others 44:15 Travelling and spirituality 50:00 You are not alone Andy suggests visiting his website for further support and links - https://www.mattcareybooks.com/people-who-can-help 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 Andy and get his book - Website - https://bit.ly/3oIl4jK 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 Watch/Subscribe - YouTube - http://bit.ly/3ZDreyl 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 all 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. We will also be discussing how to protect your mental health whilst working within the creative industries.