On this weeks episode of One For The Road i am joined by Abigail Burrows, a professional flute player, admits that she’s never had a healthy relationship with alcohol and started drinking at a very young age. She was an exceptionally talented child and was offered a place at a specialist music school aged 8. She had a busy international performing career throughout her childhood but in her late teens, she was drinking very heavily to cope with burn-out and guilt, unable to play the flute anymore and dropping out of the Royal College of Music.

Later in life she returned to music and even managed to stop drinking for 5 ½ years. Celebrating this achievement with a glass of champagne, she believed her bad drinking habits had been due to being young and stupid, but after that drink, her life unravelled almost immediately, and it took her 10 years to get sober again. Her drinking took a particularly dark turn after her father died of alcoholism.

Abbie is now over 1 year sober and she’s never been happier. She owes her recovery to an amazing charity called Music Support who help people working in the music and live events industry.

https://www.instagram.com/abbieflutes

www.abigailburrows.com

Music Support is a registered charity that helps anyone who works in the UK music industry experiencing substance use, addiction and/or mental health challenges. Find out more about their work at www.musicsupport.org. The charity is hosting “Understanding Addiction and Embracing Recovery: The Classical Edition,” a webinar in partnership with the Royal Society of Musicians on Blue Monday, 20th January, from 6pm – 730pm. It will feature Abbie and Music Support Trustee and cellist, Rachael Lander (a previous guest on my podcast). This special session that will also include a workshop on the neuroscience of addiction and pathways to recovery is suitable for anyone who works in the UK music industry (and their family and friends). Find out more and register to join at https://www.rsmgb.org/whats-on/understanding-addiction-embracing-recovery

If you want to connect with me via Instagram, you can find me on the instahandle @Soberdave https://www.instagram.com/soberdave/

or via my website https://davidwilsoncoaching.com/

Provided below are links for services offering additional help and advice.

www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/alcohol-support-services

https://nacoa.org.uk/

Show producer- Daniella Attanasio-Martinez

Instagram - @TheDaniellaMartinez

https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellamartinez/

www.instagram.com/grownuphustle

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