TV presenter, author, and campaigner Katie Piper has opened up for the first time about her complex relationship with alcohol in an exclusive interview with woman&home.
Reflecting on how drinking once played a destructive role in her life, she revealed how early on in her relationship with husband Rich, he gently urged her to seek help after noticing troubling patterns.
“Sometimes I’d make an argument or become confrontational and, one day, Rich said, ‘I want you to get help with this to change it,’” Katie, 41, explains. “It was something I already knew but hadn't really confronted.”
In the cover interview for the woman&home's August issue, Katie bravely discusses how alcohol became a way to overcome crises of confidence and trauma-induced flashbacks at nighttime.
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"I [attended] a lot of events where I’d drink to fit in and not feel nervous or shy,” she recalls.
“When things went well, like when we got good viewing figures, I’d receive a bottle of champagne. I was quite lonely. I lived on my own [so] I’d drink it [by myself]. I also had a lot of problems with sleeping because of flashbacks, so I’d drink on the sofa, pass out, wake up fully clothed and think, ’S***! I'm supposed to be at a studio for 8am!’.”
Determined to take control, Katie sought help at a daytime addiction clinic in West London, attending counselling therapy focused on abstaining from harmful habits.
“It wasn't alcoholism. It was using alcohol in a destructive way,” she explains. “It wasn’t a happy use of alcohol.”
Combining crisp white cotton and timeless Broderie, Katie's dainty All Saints summer dress is as classic as it comes.
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During the interview, Katie - who shares daughters Belle, 11, and Penelope, 7, with her carpenter husband Richie Sutton, 41 - also discussed how therapy had benefited her in other areas of life - including her marriage.
“Therapy for the burn injury stopped years ago. I've had therapy since for normal things in life that people go through that aren't visible. I've been to couples therapy with Rich. It’s like a relationship MOT and it helps because it validates what you're going through. You feel seen and heard, it's healthy for your marriage and friendships,” she explained, adding that as well as utilising external support, being in tune with her body through a positive relationship with exercise as well as a deep sense of self-awareness helps her cope as a busy working mum of two as well as with ongoing health procedures.
“I sometimes feel rage and it's connected to overwhelm. It’s tiredness, when tolerance is low and you lose your patience. You think, ‘I shouldn't have shouted at them, They just wanted to read the book backwards and upside down’. Then you feel like such a b****," she says.
“We’re all connected to email, to-do lists, when we're walking the dog we've got a podcast on, we’re always multitasking. It’s not talked about enough how sometimes people breathing just f***s you off!
“I journal a lot, then re-read it, so I know my patterns. For example, I know alcohol is a depressant and hangovers give me the blues but that exercise is good for me. Running is a big part of my life and weight lifting is good as well. I like the psychology of feeling in control, strong, and able, especially as unplanned medical situations come up. You have a quick recovery, if you're healthy.”
Read Katie's full exclusive interview with woman&home in the August issue of the magazine, on shelves from 26th June.