For this episode, Gabby sits down with author and speaker Catherine Gray for an honest, curious conversation about the habits that shape our lives — and the tiny patterns that quietly run the show.

Best known for her writing on behaviour change and sobriety, Catherine joins us to explore the ideas behind her book Little Addictions, unpacking how small compulsions — from scrolling and sugar to work and worry — can subtly steer our choices, moods, and identities. Together, we look at why humans cling to rituals, what it really takes to shift ingrained habits, and how self-awareness can open the door to something more intentional.

This episode marks a reflective pause in the journey: a chance to examine the everyday dependencies we often overlook, and to ask what freedom might look like — not in dramatic transformations, but in small, meaningful changes.

A thoughtful Midpoint conversation about awareness, agency, and the stories we tell ourselves about control.

• More than 40 percent of respondents who began drinking before age 15 were classified with alcohol dependence at some time in their lives, the researchers found: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/age-drinking-onset-predicts-future-alcohol-abuse-and-dependence

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Today we speak to David Erritzoe (Clin Associate Professor in Psychopharmacology & Psychiatry) .

A leading researcher in the science of psychedelics, addiction, and mental health, David joins us to unpack what’s actually happening in the brain when patterns break, beliefs loosen, and change becomes possible. Together, we explore the tension between biology and meaning, evidence and experience — and what modern neuroscience can (and can’t) tell us about transformation.

This conversation sits right at the heart of the journey: a moment to question assumptions, re-examine what we think we know about the mind, and consider how altered states — whether clinical, chemical, or contemplative — might reshape the stories we tell about ourselves.

• David is a highly cited scientist (top 0.1% globally in 2025, Clarivate), and in 2025 received Imperial’s President Award for Excellence in Research, and his team has received several additional awards in recent years. David and his team have been awarded competitive grant & fellowship funding, hereunder from MRC/UKRI, NIHR and Welcome Trust. David has published 150+ scientic papers, contributed to 7 books (incl author of 6 book chapters), an per Dec 2025 has a Scopus h-index of 54 and 19k+ citations.

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For today's episode ofThe Midpoint I’m joined by bestselling author Alexandra Potter.

Alexandra is the author of numerous romantic comedy novels, including One Good Thing and Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up — one of the bestselling books of 2022 and the inspiration behind a major TV series. Her books have sold in more than twenty-five territories, with worldwide sales of over one million copies, and have topped bestseller charts around the globe.

In this episode, we talk about the reality behind those success stories — what it means to navigate change, uncertainty, and reinvention in midlife, both creatively and personally. Alexandra shares her honest reflections on identity, ambition, and learning to trust yourself when the path ahead isn’t clear.

She has found that most of her success has come after the age of 40 - the perfect story to inspire is all in midlife!

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