When I first saw Johnny Lawrence’s documentary The Slavery of Addiction, I knew I had to speak with him. Johnny grew up in fear - beaten by his father, bullied for his skin colour and convinced he’d never be enough. Alcohol seemed to be the perfect medicine.

Together we explore one of the most misunderstood aspects of trauma and addiction: acceptance. Johnny shares a deeply personal account of confronting his abusive father as an adult, the moment he realised the abuse was not his to carry, and why walking away became an act of self-preservation rather than bitterness. What follows is an honest conversation about emotional responsibility, identity and the cost of waiting for people to change when they are incapable of doing so.

Johnny explains why trying to “process the past” often keeps people trapped, and why accepting emotions, rather than events, became the turning point in his recovery. He challenges common narratives around forgiveness, making a clear distinction between accepting how something made you feel and excusing what was done to you. This episode explores how anger, guilt, and helplessness often replace one another, and how alcohol can become a way to survive emotions that feel unbearable at the time.

The conversation also reframes addiction in a way many people have never heard before. Johnny speaks openly about being grateful to alcohol, not as something to glorify, but as an honest acknowledgement that it once served a purpose. Together, we discuss why substances are often solutions before they become problems, why sobriety is about freedom rather than restriction, and how focusing on what you want instead of what you’re avoiding can change everything.

This episode is essential listening for anyone struggling with trauma, addiction, or the pressure to forgive before they are ready. It offers a grounded, compassionate perspective on recovery, accountability, and what it really means to let go of what was never yours to begin with.

Oliver is an ambassador for Alcohol Change UK and you can access support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773e

Thank you to Gavin Sisters for sponsoring this episode! Visit -

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and use promo code SCHOOLOFROCKBOTTOM for 10% off!

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Podcasting is an expensive passion. To help me keep going, I'd really appreciate it if you could buy me a coffee, thank you!

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Topics -

0:00 Trailer & Intro

3:20 A rock bottom moment

10:20 Escaping violence as a child

13:35 The brain learns it needs alcohol to survive

15:20 Dyslexia & being mixed race shapes Johnny's experience

20:20 Trying alcohol for the first time

25:20 Alcohol becomes a replacement for life

28:35 Making peace with the abuse

33:05 Processing the emotional imprints & acceptance

34:50 Stop focusing on not drinking alcohol!

36:20 What about forgiveness?

42:05 Why I'm grateful to alcohol

46:0l20 Alcohol becomes the solution 47:50 People will tell you you don't have a problem!

49:35 How did Johnny get sober?

52:05 Dealing with alcohol cravings

57:05 The sober journey

Follow Johnny

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Website - https://www.johnnylawrence.co.uk

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In this next quick thought, I revisit a conversation with rehab manager Raffa as we challenge the stereotype of what “rock bottom” really means.

It’s not always losing your job, your home, or your relationships. Sometimes it’s quieter — a loss of self-respect, a look of disappointment from someone you love, or the moment you realise you can’t keep living the way you are.

Drawing on decades of frontline recovery experience, this conversation explores the many forms rock bottom can take — and why it’s often an internal turning point rather than a public collapse.

We also tackle a common myth: that rehab is only for a certain “type” of person. Addiction doesn’t discriminate — and getting help is not weakness, it’s courage.

You don’t need to lose everything or wait to hit a stereotypical 'rock bottom' to change — recovery begins when you can no longer ignore the pain.

Listen or watch THE FULL EPISODE

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About the “THOUGHT” series -

Every other Monday at 5 PM, I’ll bring you a quick ‘thought’—a powerful moment from previous episodes designed to kickstart your week with insight, motivation, and connection. These shorter clips help us stay connected as a community, while every other Tuesday delivers a full, brand-new episode with fresh stories and lessons.

Oliver is an ambassadors for Alcohol Change UK and you can access support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773e

Podcasting is an expensive passion. To help me keep going, I'd really appreciate it if you could buy me a coffee, thank you!

https://buymeacoffee.com/olivermason1

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#rehab #addiction #recovery

He technically died twice. He survived Borstal, homelessness, decades of speed and cocaine, five heart attacks, and 29 days in a coma after a triple heart bypass went wrong. His life was saved by Dr Hasnat Khan, who was close to Princess Diana, and he came back sober, creative, and unstoppable.

This is Garry Johnson, the punk poet, street journalist, and man who discovered the Stone Roses, telling his story like no one else can. From the chaos of Fleet Street tabloids to the highs of punk rock and the life-threatening lows of addiction, Garry shares the moments that nearly ended him—and how he survived them all.

We explore the drug-fuelled confidence that once drove his creativity, the trauma that shaped his choices, and the health crises that should have stopped him. Garry talks honestly about losing his daughter, why caffeine now acts as a trigger, and the hard truth about why addiction rarely ends when the body starts screaming for change.

Since quitting, Garry has transformed his life: seven books published, albums released, screenplays written, and stage performances performed sober. He reflects on creativity without drugs, lessons learnedand what he would tell his grandchildren about drugs.

Oliver is an ambassador for Alcohol Change UK and you can access support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773e

Thank you to Gavin Sisters for sponsoring this episode! Visit -

www.gavinsisters.co.uk

and use promo code SCHOOLOFROCKBOTTOM for 10% off!

Podcasting is an expensive passion. To help me keep going, I'd really appreciate it if you could buy me a coffee, thank you!

https://buymeacoffee.com/olivermason1

Or via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypal

Topics -

0:00 Trailer & Intro

2:30 A rock bottom moment

5:00 Speed helps him become a writer

6:45 Abuse in children's home & Borstal

7:45 Using speed & creativity to deal with anger

12:00 Coke and speed gave me confidence

13:30 Why speed was my favourite

16:00 Dependancy starts

21:15 Cocaine calmed me down and helped me survive?

22:45 Garry has his first heart attack

24:30 Paranoia & anxiety

28:15 Nearly dying was the wake up call

30:30 Now I don't even drink coffee!

32:00 I kept using in between heart attacks

34:30 Getting clean and career takes off

36:00 Do drugs make you more creative?

39:00 Garry discovered The Stone Roses?

41:00 A true story about Ozzy Osbourne!

42:30 Now a story about Robbie Williams!

45:15 Would Garry change the past if he could?

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#AddictionRecovery #CocaineAddiction #SchoolOfRockBottom