We don't normally put trigger warnings on our blogs and podcasts at Club Soda. If ever there was a subject that needed it, though, it's alcohol and trauma. Trauma is a very personal experience. For those of us who've combined alcohol and trauma as a means to cope, this conversation is challenging. For this reason, we urge you to decide for yourselves if you're in the right headspace to hear it.
Our discussion today is with trauma specialists Mark, founder of School for Inspiring Talents and Life Chance Education, and his wife Victoria, a therapist specialising in trauma and addiction.
Alcohol and trauma specialists Mark and Victoria
Husband and wife super team Mark and Victoria Escott connected through their own recovery journeys from drugs, alcohol and trauma. Now, they help others who have had traumatic experiences. Trauma could be from a car accident, divorce, or childhood abuse. Their career paths are different but their work centres around the same goal: to help those in need of help to deal with alcohol and trauma.
Mark Escott
Mark is the CEO and co-founder of Life Chance Educations. He brings personal experience and professional training to his role in helping vulnerable children deal with adverse experiences in their early years. This led Mark to found the School for Inspiring Talents and Life Chance Education, where he helps children and their families heal from trauma and the unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as addiction, that have let them to seek help.
Victoria Escott
Victoria is a specialist counsellor for alcohol, drugs, addictive/destructive behaviour, trauma and PTSD. In recent years, Victoria's therapeutic practices have centred around people who have experienced a wide range of trauma. Victoria has a wealth of experience in dealing with addictions due to trauma and is particularly interested in attachment theory.
Deal with addiction, heal the trauma
The reason that this subject is so tricky is two-fold. As our guests discuss with Club Soda co-founder Dru, once we get a grip on problem drinking, often the uncomfortable feelings that we were masking with alcohol come to the fore. Without our coping mechanism, often that trauma feels completely overwhelming. But, as Victoria and Mark adeptly point out, there are many ways to process trauma without relapsing on our drinking goals. From self-soothing to individual or family therapy, there are many ways to find the right support. That includes our community right here at Club Soda.
As human beings, we need connection, and we need safety. SO any community that comes together where you have a connection, you can have social elements going on, it feels safe. In my book, the more options there are of those things, the better their chances are because we do we need each other.
Victoria Escott