'My dad's past means I don't feel Christmas magic'

A woman says having dealt with her father's alcohol problems means she "doesn't always feel the magic of Christmas" as she aims to raise awareness of the issue over the festive period.

Amy Dickson, from Reigate, Surrey, said the time of year can bring up complex feelings due to her experience with her father, Steve, who died in 2020.

A new film released by the National Association of Children of Alcoholics (Nacoa) aims to raise awareness of the issues faced by people whose parents have had problems with alcohol.

Ms Dickson said she was "very wary" of Christmas events "because I find being around people who drink excessively quite anxiety-inducing".

She added: "There's more acceptance about drinking excessively over the period.

"I don't always feel the magic of Christmas."

Steve died in 2020 as a result of multiple alcohol-related illnesses.

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Ms Dickson, who now hosts a podcast looking at the issues children of alcoholics face, said she dealt with her father's alcohol problems for decades, and that issues could become exacerbated over Christmas due to to parties and socialising.

Children of alcoholics can also feel a "complexity about doing the right thing" about inviting parents to Christmas gatherings for fear of issues they might cause, she said.

Podcast co-host Sarah Drage, from New Romney in Kent, whose father died of organ failure in 2017, said: "Growing up with an alcoholic parent is unpredictable.

"You are grieving someone that is still alive."

The new film, called "Glimpses of You", is aiming to raise awareness of the struggles that children of alcoholics face.

The film shows a woman walking around Brighton and Hove remembering "perfect glimpses" of her father, but also her conflicted memories of them.

Nacoa ambassador Ceri Walker, whose mother died when she was 21, plays the role of a therapist in the film.

She said: "We need to help these children today to help them not repeat the pattern.

"It's just going to happen again if we don't give the support early enough - we need more prevention."

More than 1,600 alcohol-related deaths have been registered in the South East since April 2023, according to Department for Health and Social Care statistics. This includes 698 in Sussex, 593 in Kent and 370 in Surrey.

Nacoa offers a confidential helpline for children, adults and other people who are affected by a parent's alcohol problem.

• If you have been affected by this story the BBC Action Line web page features a list of organisations which are ready to provide support and advice.

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