A personal trainer has revealed how she turned her life around after she walked in on her mother’s suicide attempt and lost her father to alcohol addiction.
Alexa Towersey, 39, from Sydney, may be a leading personal trainer and lifestyle coach now, but her life hasn’t always been so seemingly perfect.
Aged just 15, Alexa’s world quickly changed, after her mother was diagnosed with manic depression – and she went on to battle her own demons with a crippling alcohol addiction.
A personal trainer (pictured) has revealed how she turned her life around after she walked in on her mother’s suicide attempt and lost her father to alcohol addiction
Alexa Towersey (pictured now), 39, from Sydney, may be a leading personal trainer and lifestyle coach now, but her life hasn’t always been so seemingly perfect
Aged just 15, Alexa’s world quickly changed, after her mother was diagnosed with manic depression – she swiftly fell into drinking herself (pictured right)
Alexa was also bullied at school, and called ‘Alexa Anorexic’ by other girls in her class.
‘Overnight my entire life changed,’ Alexa told Yahoo.
‘My mother essentially became a stranger to me. My dad didn’t know who she was half the time, and mum didn’t know who she was.
‘I didn’t know what to do, or what to say, so I did nothing at all. Looking back now, that affected my relationship with her and my dad and I never spoke about it.’
The 39-year-old said she is now speaking about it publicly to coincide with Mental Health Month, and said people need to have the ‘education’ and ‘awareness’ that is needed to love someone like her mum.
She said that her father also battled an alcohol addiction, which she said made her in turn feel like alcohol was something that was difficult to avoid (pictured with her dad)
To this day, Alexa said she recalls walking in on her mother’s suicide attempt – and it has taken her a long time to ‘forgive myself’.
She said that her father also battled an alcohol addiction, which she said made her in turn feel like alcohol was something that was difficult to avoid.
‘My dad was an alcoholic from the time I was 16,’ she previously told FEMAIL.
‘Even though I had an incredible relationship with my dad, I’d still be embarrassed when he would turn up to my soccer games with his hip flask of whiskey and yell the whole game.’
The personal trainer told FEMAIL that alcohol was a huge part of her early life and she had her first drink at 15, which was a hip flask of rum with all of the ‘cool kids’ from school (pictured now at the gym)
The personal trainer told FEMAIL that alcohol was a huge part of her early life and she had her first drink at 15, which was a hip flask of rum with all of the ‘cool kids’ from school.
She said that she made herself so sick that she was never able to drink rum again.
During school Alexa would drink at least one weekend night, if not both, which would depend on how hungover she was from the previous night.
‘There was no set amount – I didn’t have an off switch. Once I started, I found it very difficult to stop,’ she previously said.
‘My night would end when I was so drunk that I couldn’t see straight and I threw up or passed out.’
During school Alexa would drink at least one weekend night, if not both, which would depend on how hungover she was from the previous night (Alexa pictured now)
During university Alexa worked at bars and would drink every night she was working so she could get through the shift with a ‘smile on my face’ (pictured before)
During university Alexa worked at bars and would drink every night she was working so she could get through the shift with a ‘smile on my face’.
She believed that alcohol was liquid courage and made her more fun to be around.
‘The most terrifying part for me, was the beginnings of the craving for it during the day. I would count down the hours until my first meeting so I could have my first drink. This is when I really knew it was an issue,’ she said.
‘I never enjoyed the taste, I drank because I enjoyed the feeling of being drunk and I drank when I was stressed or anxious.’
She would often refer to Sundays as ‘self-loathing Sundays’ because she would wake up with barely any recollection of the night before.
She believed that alcohol was liquid courage and made her more fun to be around (pictured during university)
The personal trainer (pictured) decided to stop drinking when her father died ‘as a direct result of alcoholism’
The personal trainer decided to stop drinking when her father died ‘as a direct result of alcoholism’.
Although she thinks she knew a long time ago that she had an issue, it was his death that forced her to properly acknowledge it.
‘I flew to New Zealand from Hong Kong for dad’s funeral. I drank his last bottle of whisky and then I danced on the tables, threw up on myself, fell in a ditch and missed my flight home,’ she revealed.
‘I think for me, that was the pivotal point. I woke up the next day and just thought “what the f*** am I doing? I don’t want to be my dad”.’
She also didn’t want her behaviour to define her, so while she was listening to her partner fill her in on the blanks from the night before, she told him she was done with drinking for good.
Although she thinks she knew a long time ago that she had an issue, it was his death that forced her to properly acknowledge it (pictured at the gym)
More than ten years later, she still hasn’t touched a drop (pictured now)
Nowadays, Alexa’s life is filled with workouts, health and happiness – and she said she feels better than ever (pictured at the gym)
More than ten years later, Alexa still hasn’t touched a drop.
‘Quitting drinking was the best decision, albeit the hardest one, I’ve ever made. It ended friendships and relationships,’ she said.
‘It made a lot of people uncomfortable. It’s amazing how confronting your decisions about your life can be for others.’
Nowadays, Alexa’s life is filled with workouts, health and happiness.
She said she feels better than ever.
‘You are so much stronger, braver and beautiful than you think,’ she posted on Instagram. ‘And one day, I hope you’ll stand on the other side and see that too.’
If alcohol is a problem and is harming you or someone you know, you can contact one of the many services available here, speak to your GP, local health service or call a helpline.