#138 – Helen Bratton: Disaddicted

#138 – Helen Bratton: Disaddicted

What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? For many, it’s hearing from someone like Helen Bratton, a UK recovery coach who didn’t get sober until 41, after years of heavy drinking, depression, and even a massive stroke. Helen talks frankly about how alcohol became the glue in her marriage and seeped into family life so deeply that her four-year-old knew how to pour a gin and tonic.

She shares the chilling moment her child brought her a morning glass of wine as a “special drink,” and how that memory still fills her with horror. Despite being suicidal, signed off work with so‑called anxiety, and warned about drinking on medication, Helen kept going until a friend gently suggested she might be dependent.

An online survey confirmed it, and, as she says, she felt “such an enormous sense of relief for that confirmation.” She threw herself into a 12-step programme, but soon realised she had more questions than answers. Working with a recovery coach changed everything, eventually leading her to train as one herself. Helen now supports people who can’t disappear into rehab for 90 days, helping them get well in real life, with their jobs, kids, and responsibilities still in the mix.

Drawing on influences like Dr Robb Kelly and Dr Gabor Maté, she focuses on trauma, emotional needs, and brain science, believing that “we have everything within our own selves to recover. So why don't we utilise it?” She’s building an online course and a bank of free resources, and even takes on occasional pro bono clients.

If you’re curious about approaches beyond traditional rehab and want to hear how someone turned stroke, addiction, and family chaos into a meaningful career helping others, this conversation might be exactly what you need today.