Sober Dave – When alcohol becomes too important as a parent

It was a huge honour to welcome Sober Dave to the Lunchtime Lives family! As expected this was an amazing interview with star Nacoa ambassador, Josh Connolly.

Dave speaks about his experiences being a parent who drank too much. But also reveals that he shares core experiences as a child of neglect, shame and sadness.

This went on to inform the way he used alcohol in later life and subsequently became addicted to it.

The selfish bubble

‘When I was drinking, I never really thought about the kids. And that’s being honest. I thought about me.

‘I thought about them the next day, when I was hung over. But it was more at the time I was in the selfish bubble of: “I need to drink. I need to drink.”

‘Often when I work with people as a coach. When I start to invite them in to have that internal discussion about their kids… It does trigger a little bit of emotion there.

‘And it’s like, “So why don’t you try and explore how it might feel for them when it’s bedtime and they want tucking in and a bedtime story read to them. With their little snuggle put next to them. And actually, you might think you’re preset, but you’re not.’