Melissa Rice is what you might describe as an unexpected addict. Growing up in a happy family in Kirkby, on the outskirts of Liverpool, Rice excelled in school and later qualified as a primary school teacher. Discovering alcohol in her early teens, she used it as a form of escapism, a route to confidence and sociability. But by the time she had reached her early twenties, her relationship with alcohol began to unravel every aspect of her life, including her teaching career, her friendships and her family. Now three years sober, the former primary school teacher turned author is sharing her story. In her new book Sobering: Lessons learnt the hard way on drinking, thinking and quitting, she describes her journey to rock bottom, “hitting every shameful branch along the way” and the long difficult road to recovery. Written with the expert help of rehab and addiction specialists, the book offers invaluable advice and an insight into the powerful hold that addiction can take over someone’s life. In today’s episode, Rice speaks to Róisín Ingle about the crucial role mental health plays in addiction issues, the abortion she had at nineteen and how it has shaped her journey since and why she still needs to take her recovery one day at a time.

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