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 -

www.gavinsisters.co.uk

and use promo code SCHOOLOFROCKBOTTOM for 10% off!

T-Shirt from The Recovery Cartel -

www.therecoverycartel.co.uk

https://www.instagram.com/therecoverycartel

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

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

The Slavery of Addiction - https://youtu.be/8j3Nq_lcFlY?feature=shared

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

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theselfdevelopmentcoach

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#Sobriety

#Recovery

#MentalHealth

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

Spotify - https://bit.ly/3YMYyWC

YouTube - https://bit.ly/3X0RJzq

Apple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQ

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

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

Follow Raffa

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/creative_recovery_workshops

Follow Oliver

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X - https://tinyurl.com/3u5mnpds

#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?

Follow Oliver

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Please subscribe, follow, like, leave a review and comment!

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Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3

#AddictionRecovery #CocaineAddiction #SchoolOfRockBottom

In this next thought, I revisit a simply amazing conversation with Mark Shenton as we explore the essential conversation around pornography, sex addiction, dopamine, and the search for validation.

Drawing from lived experience, this episode examines how early exposure to porn can quietly shape identity, self-worth, and behaviour, and why so many people struggle in silence. If you’ve ever questioned your relationship with sex, porn, or compulsive behaviours, this is an honest, grounded reflection that may challenge how you think about addiction and recovery.

This conversation looks at pornography not as a moral issue, but as a powerful neurological and emotional stimulus. We discuss how constant access can distort expectations around sex, intimacy, and body image, particularly for young people still forming a sense of self. The episode explores how porn can act as an entry point into more compulsive behaviours, how tolerance builds over time, and why the brain often cannot distinguish between digital stimulation and real human connection.

There is also a candid discussion about objectification, shame, and validation. How the pursuit of approval through sex can feel like relief in the moment, yet leave deeper emptiness afterwards. How dopamine highs mirror other addictions, followed by anxiety, depression, and regret. And how blurred boundaries between fantasy and reality can escalate behaviour in ways people never expected or planned.

Importantly, this episode does not stay in the problem. It speaks openly about recovery, meetings, and the quiet power of sharing honestly with others who understand. It reflects on love addiction, emotional attachment, and the difference between intimacy and intensity. It also highlights how meaning and stability can slowly replace compulsive coping mechanisms through connection, service, and telling the truth about our experiences.

This is not a sensational story. It is a human one. A reminder that addiction often begins as an attempt to soothe pain, that many people are walking similar paths behind closed doors, and that help exists long before things fall apart completely. If this resonates, you are not alone, and you do not have to work it out by yourself.

Listen or watch THE FULL EPISODE

Spotify - https://bit.ly/3WCXK5s

YouTube - https://bit.ly/3Ytj4f7

Apple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQ

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

For anyone struggling with these topics Mark suggests reaching out to -

SLAA - https://slaauk.org

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

Follow Mark

X - https://x.com/ShentonStage

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shentonstage

Follow Oliver

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X - https://tinyurl.com/3u5mnpds

#pornaddiction #slaa #recovery

Have you ever walked past someone sleeping rough, visibly unwell, clearly addicted to drugs, and written them off without a second thought?

Today, I'm joined by Charlotte Seaman to explore one of most confronting addiction stories you will hear. From heroin and crack addiction to prison, psychosis, sex work, assault and homelessness, Charlotte’s journey shows the brutal reality of severe drug addiction and the possibility of recovery when all hope feels lost. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, trauma, or relapse, this conversation may be the one that unlocks a door.

Charlotte was born into a loving home, yet by the age of 11 she was already using drugs and being arrested. At 13, following a sexual assault, her life escalated rapidly into violence, incarceration, and heavy substance use. What followed was an 18-year descent through crack, heroin, injecting, snowballing, repeated prison sentences, homelessness, and eventually a full psychotic breakdown. This episode shows what it really looks like when drugs take everything.

Together, Oliver and Charlotte explore the link between childhood trauma and self-medication, how addiction progresses when left untreated, and why mixing stimulants and depressants can become so compelling and so dangerous. Charlotte speaks openly about using heroin then methodone during pregnancy under medical supervision, smoking spice in prison, living on the streets, and the shame and guilt that followed her for years. This is an honest conversation about accountability, consequences, and forgiveness in recovery.

Most importantly, this episode is about how Charlotte finally got clean and sober, the role recovery programmes played in saving her life, and what it means to rebuild after nearly two decades lost to addiction. Now over a year clean, Charlotte has become a recovery advocate with more than 100,000 followers online and has been recognised with a High Sheriff Award for turning her life around. Her story challenges stereotypes and offers hope to those who feel they have gone too far to ever come back.

This is a difficult but deeply hopeful episode about responsibility and redemption without clichés. If you believe addiction is a moral failing, this conversation may change your mind. If you’re struggling right now, it may remind you that recovery is possible — even after everything has fallen apart.

Oliver is an ambassador for Alcohol Change UK, support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773e

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

www.gavinsisters.co.uk 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

Topics -

0:00 Trailer & Intro

4:00 A rock bottom moment

5:10 Alcohol and drugs from 11

7:45 Not feeling good enough

8:45 Charlotte goes off the rails

10:30 The aftermath of sexual assault

11:30 Charlotte goes to prison

12:35 Why did Charlotte commit assault and self-forgiveness?

16:30 Smoking spice in prison

18:00 Escalation to snowballs

20:00 Living on the streets

22:00 Using methadone during pregnancy

25:15 Methadone & Heroin withdrawal

28:30 Unmanageable & powerless

30:30 The internal snap

33:00 Addiction leaves me vulnerable

34:00 Why sharing rock bottom moments saves lives!

36:15 How Charlotte found recovery

39:00 Are you in recovery if you take Methadone?

41:50 The 12 steps saved my life

43:00 Recovery is more powerful than addiction

44:15 Can ANYONE addicted to drugs make it back?!

46:30 Abstince from EVERYTHING?!

48:15 TikTok is Step 12?

49:15 Charlotte wins The Sheriff Award

51:45 An emotional but hopeful end

Follow Charlotte

Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@charlottesrecovering

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/charlotteseaman11

Follow Oliver

https://linktr.ee/olivermason

Watch/listen here

YouTube - https://tinyurl.com/yb54pese

Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3

Dry January is often framed as a health reset, but for many people it becomes something far bigger. In this next quick thought, I revisit a conversation with Sober Dave recorded at the most emotionally charged point of the year, we hear how one message on the 7th of January changed the direction of an entire life. Hungover, grieving, overweight and stuck in a cycle that felt impossible to escape, Dave was invited into a three-month break from drinking. Not as an intervention. Not as a warning. Simply as support. What followed wasn’t just sobriety, but clarity, momentum and the first glimpse of a different future.

Dry January works because it removes judgement. It gives people permission to pause without having to explain themselves. In this conversation, we explore why Dry January creates that rare psychological space, why stopping “just for a month” can unlock deeper questions, and why curiosity is far more powerful than willpower. This episode speaks directly to anyone who has tried Dry January before, anyone questioning their relationship with alcohol, or anyone who has wondered what might happen if they didn’t go back to drinking at the end of the month.

This clip goes beyond counting days. It looks at what actually helps people stay stopped: community, education, self-investment and honest reflection. From weight loss and better sleep to rebuilding self-worth and identity, this is a reminder that meaningful change rarely comes from pressure or shame. It starts when someone feels invited rather than told.

If Dry January has ever made you quietly ask, “What would my life look like if I kept going?”, this episode is for you.

Listen or watch THE FULL EPISODE

YouTube - https://bit.ly/3VSPOw9

Spotify - https://bit.ly/402S5Hs

Apple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQ

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 & Dave are 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

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

Follow Sober Dave

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/soberdave

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

Podcast - Search "One For The Road" on all platforms

Follow Oliver

Instagram - https://tinyurl.com/2vt29sjv

Facebook - https://tinyurl.com/34cwz59r

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#SoberLiving

#DryJanuary

#AlcoholRecovery

Ryan Phillips shares his recovery from cocaine addiction with over 65,000 followers on TikTok. In this conversation, he describes the moment his cocaine use finally collapsed under the weight of truth. After days awake on coke, surrounded by smashed glass and blood, Ryan was found by his sister while his young niece waited outside. Hearing that his niece had become frightened of him became the wake-up call that ended the secrecy and forced honesty to begin. We talk openly about addiction, cocaine recovery, relapse, accountability and what happens when denial finally breaks.

Ryan is a recovery and wellness advocate and the founder of The Deep End, a community offering therapy, coaching, yoga, meditation and breathwork. With a background in the music industry, he speaks candidly about cocaine addiction, dry sniffing, ADHD, fantasy as escapism, and the slow, uneven reality of getting clean. He reflects on growing up using imagination as refuge, moving from weed to cocaine, and how addiction tightens its grip quietly rather than all at once.

We explore the myth of the dramatic turning point, the cycle of stopping and starting, and why willpower alone never worked. Ryan explains how speaking the truth out loud became the real shift, how NA, CBT and therapy each played different roles, and why sharing publicly on TikTok helps him stay clean. We also discuss whether relapse is part of recovery, why counting days and chips can sometimes do more harm than good, and how to navigate New Year’s Eve without cocaine.

This is not a story about instant change or neat endings. It is a grounded conversation about patience, responsibility and learning to live without escape. If you are questioning your relationship with drugs, wondering whether cocaine has started to control you, or trying to understand what recovery actually looks like day to day, this episode will meet you where you are.

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

3:00 A rock bottom moment

12:00 The loop of being in and out of recovery

13:45 Using fantasy as a child to escape

17:00 Moving from weed to coke

19:30 Cocaine starts to get it's claws in

21:45 Will everyone who takes coke get addicted?

25:00 ADHD & dry sniffing?

26:45 Ryan's recovery journey

32:00 NA, CBT & Therapy

34:15 Why TikTok helps Ryan stay clean

36:10 Sponsor

37:10 Does Ryan use old videos as reminders?

38:45 What do the public want from Ryan?

42:15 What is The Deep End?

46:00 Is relapse part of recovery?

48:15 Counting days & chips arent useful?!

50:00 How do you stay away from drugs on New Years Eve?

52:15 New Years Eve/Day is just another day?

54:00 Patience & gratitude

57:15 Recovery or recovered?

58:15 What do you want written on your gravestone?

Follow Ryan

Website -

https://www.wearethedeepend.com

TikTok -

https://www.tiktok.com/@ryaninrecovery

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ryan_thedeepend

Follow Oliver

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Please subscribe, follow, like, leave a review and comment!

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#CocaineRecovery

#AddictionRecovery

#RecoveryPodcast

Staying sober through the festive season can feel like walking a tightrope with no safety net, especially when the mind starts whispering those familiar lies that have dragged so many people back to day one. In this next quick thought, I revisit an old episode and the most dangerous relapse lie “just one won’t hurt". If you’re trying to stay clean and sober one day at a time, this short episode will hit exactly where you need it.

Addiction crafts believable lies, how denial disguises itself as control, and why comparing your drinking or using to someone “worse” keeps you trapped. I unpack the real meaning of powerlessness, why it has nothing to do with quantity or frequency, and how the smallest decision can trigger a cascade of consequences that affect consumption, timekeeping, behaviour, mood and mental health. Remember, powerlessness starts when you take that first drink or drug.

We look at the internal logic of relapse, the moments where people convince themselves that this time will somehow be different, and the reason relapse often begins days or weeks before the physical act. Through humour, honesty and lived experience, I show how these patterns play out in real life and why understanding this lie one tool to long-term recovery.

Listen or watch THE FULL EPISODE

Spotify - https://bit.ly/3RmMvu8

YouTube - https://bit.ly/3NuVwzU

Apple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQ

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 ambassador 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

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

Follow Oliver

Instagram - https://tinyurl.com/2vt29sjv

Facebook - https://tinyurl.com/34cwz59r

TikTok - https://tinyurl.com/ujw4vxn9

LinkedIn - https://tinyurl.com/yuemhnd7

Threads - https://tinyurl.com/yk7vdeah

X - https://tinyurl.com/3u5mnpds

#relapseprevention

#recovery

#alcoholaddiction