Dr Zoe Williams has revealed how she pleaded with her alcoholic mother to stop drinking as a teenager.
The This Morning medic, 40, candidly spoke about her childhood and said that her mother Marilyn, who died in 2017, tried to take her own life several times.
Writing for The Sun’s Fabulous, Dr Zoe discussed her mum Marilyn’s addiction and highlighted how casual drinking has increased during lockdown.
Candid: Dr Zoe Williams has revealed how she pleaded with her alcoholic mother to stop drinking as a teenager and ended up leaving home at 18 (pictured on This Morning)
Dr Zoe said: ‘I was barely 16 when I stood before my mum, pleading and crying, before going to school. I was begging her to choose me instead of alcohol.
‘Mum tried to take her own life several times in the grip of her addiction. She wasn’t successful but her attempts made it clear living was excruciating for her.’
Dr Zoe explained that when she was 14 her mother Marilyn, who was a ‘caring’ woman, started drinking heavily when she got into a relationship.
She said what started out as just a glass had turned into drinking vodka everyday by the time Dr Zoe was studying for her A-Levels.
Family: The TV doctor explained how ‘at the height of her addition’ her mum Marilyn ‘tried to take her life several times’ adding that they were unsuccessful (pictured in a snap shared to Instagram in 2017 on the third anniversary of her death)
As things got harder, Dr Zoe decided to leave home at 18 because it was easier to sofa-surf than not know what her mother’s mood would be like.
And after going to medical school, Dr Zoe admitted that she didn’t have the best relationship with alcohol herself and would always be worrying about her mum.
However during her time studying Marilyn did get some help from her GP, but sadly nothing worked.
She said: ‘Mum hated being told what to do in rehab so would leave. I was at medical school when I finally accepted Mum would drink herself into an early grave.’
Opening up: Dr Zoe explained that when she was 14 her mother started drinking heavily when she got into a relationship (Dr Zoe is pictured in PPE)
Worrying times: Dr Zoe told her mum’s story as it was revealed that the number of heavy drinkers doubled between February and August (pictured on This Morning)
Discussing how alcoholism changed her mother, Zoe revealed that she had changed from a loving person to someone who could be ‘violent and upset’.
Marilyn died in 2017 from alcohol-related heart failure, with her two children Dr Zoe and son Linton by her side.
Revealing her personal story, Dr Zoe said that she’s now backing the Commission on Alcohol Harm’s call for a government strategy to deal with alcoholism.
The doctor explained that when she was a teenager she could go to school to get a break, but millions of young people haven’t had that chance during lockdown.
Throwback: She said that she decided to leave home at 18 and sofa surf as her mother’s moods could be difficult to judge (pictured at 19)
She also quoted new figures that show the number of heavy drinkers in the UK doubled between February and August.
A major report said on Monday that Britain is facing a ‘looming addiction crisis’ with millions turning to alcohol to cope with the pandemic.
The number of people drinking at ‘high risk’ levels has doubled to almost 8.5million since February, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Experts fear money worries, the stresses of juggling work and childcare and the emotional fallout from the virus has left many reaching for the bottle.
Thousands more sought help for addiction to painkillers during lockdown amid fears delays to NHS treatment could cause cases to rocket.
Doctors are worried excessive drinking during the pandemic will have a major toll on the health of the nation for years to come.
In surveys of more than 10,000 people PHE found that more than 8.4million are now drinking at problem levels, up from 4.8million in February.
The problem is rife among the middle class where more than four in ten are now consuming too much alcohol, up from almost 28 per cent in February.
If you have been affected by this story, please call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org. For help with drinking, contact Alcoholics Anonymous on 0800 9177 650 or by email: [email protected]
The number of people drinking at ‘high risk’ levels has doubled to almost 8.5million since February, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists