Sandra Parker, 54 (below), gave up a 25-year corporate career to become a certified alcohol-abuse coach. Here, she talks about her own personal struggles with alcohol and explains why setting up her own business to help others is one of the most rewarding things she’s ever done.
WORDS: JOANNA EBSWORTH. IMAGES OF SANDRA: ELIZABETH KEATES FILM & PHOTOGRAPHY.
I was on a sailing holiday in a remote part of Asia six years ago when I first noticed I had a real problem with alcohol. There wasn’t a lot of alcohol available where we were, and when drinks were being passed around one night, all I could think was, “hurry up!”. The next day, hidden away in my cabin on an amazing boat with a massive hangover, I kept thinking about how I’d wasted a whole day of my five-day trip. Later, I decided to never let that happen again, and so began my journey to sobriety.
Until that moment, I’d always thought my drinking habits were normal. As a chartered accountant, I had moved from Scotland to London in my early 20s to work in investment banking and had enjoyed the work-hard-play-hard culture. But looking back, I can see how alcohol slowly become a constant in my life.
As my lifestyle changed and I did a couple of courses in wine tasting, the vodka and Red Bulls got swapped for espresso martinis and Californian Chardonnay. Working in a predominantly male environment, I also felt a lot of pressure to work long hours and keep up with my colleagues at social networking events – something that’s very hard to do when you’re only 5’4” and 8 stone.
At some point, I realised the hit I got from alcohol was also spiralling my stress levels. Even worse, the thought of having a night out without alcohol made me feel deprived and uneasy.
By the time I hit my 40s, I was trying to lead a healthier lifestyle: I’d taken up yoga, run a marathon, cut processed foods from my diet, and practiced meditation regularly. But I’d still turn a blind eye to my alcohol consumption. I wasn’t drinking every night, and I never, ever intended to get drunk, but every so often I drank way more than I planned or wanted to. I’d wake up the next day feeling physically awful and even worse mentally, and my hangovers were starting to feel like the panic attacks I’d suffered when I was younger. I experienced waves of regret and shame, and I couldn’t bear to feel like that any longer.
SEEKING HELP
Once I got back from that sailing trip, I spent ages searching for help to redu
