Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma

Matt speaks with Zoe, whose powerful story charts a path through substance misuse, undiagnosed ADHD, and trauma toward recovery and renewal. Growing up in an environment where drug use was normalised, Zoe began using cannabis at 12, later turning to alcohol, pills, and toxic relationships as coping mechanisms. She reflects on the pressures of working in high-stress kitchens, where substance use was embedded in the culture, and shares how a domestic violence incident and the temporary loss of contact with her child became a life-altering turning point. Through therapy, self-reflection, and support, Zoe has begun to break intergenerational cycles and reclaim a future for herself and her son. This candid conversation offers a nuanced look at how addiction is often rooted in trauma and mental health, and why compassion and comprehensive support are crucial to lasting recovery. 

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This is a toolkit for recovery & resilience. Whether you’re in recovery or seeking to understand addiction, there’s something here for everyone.

📩 Contact: [email protected]
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” by Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

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Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/believe-in-people/id1617239923

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Matt speaks with Chris Tait - keyboardist for Electric Six and founder of Passenger Recovery, a Detroit-based organisation supporting musicians and creatives in sobriety. Together they explore what happens when the highs of the music industry collide with the depths of addiction.

Chris reflects on using alcohol as a coping mechanism from a young age, the culture of excess and self-destruction that permeates the music world, and the pivotal moments that pushed him to seek recovery. With honesty and clarity, he discusses the emotional cost of addiction, the pressures of life on the road, and the profound relief of finally telling the truth.

This is a powerful reminder that behind the glamour of the stage are real people with real struggles - and that healing begins when we make space to speak openly about pain, identity and recovery.

In this episode:

• Addiction behind the scenes of the music industry
• Teenage alcohol use and coping through substances
• Recovery turning points and redefining identity
• Passenger Recovery and supporting creatives in sobriety
• Metropolis Records: A Call to Action
• Stigma, peer support and purpose-led advocacy
• Why storytelling saves lives in creative communities

Search terms: musicians in recovery, alcohol recovery stories, music industry addiction, lived experience stories, trauma and recovery, Passenger Recovery, Electric Six, creative sobriety.

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 

🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com 

Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.

If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:

📩 Contact: [email protected]
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

Listen & Subscribe:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Matt jumps straight into a heartfelt and unflinching conversation with Shev, who reflects on the emotional weight of adult responsibilities placed on her from an early age - including becoming a mother at just 17.

Shev speaks candidly about the wounds of abandonment, the complexity of family relationships, and how alcohol use quietly escalated while working in the pub industry. She challenges the stigma that surrounds single motherhood, identity, and women in recovery, sharing her determination to rewrite her story with honesty and strength.

Through community support, family connection and the rise of the sober movement, Shev has begun rebuilding a life that reflects her values, her resilience and her sense of purpose. This conversation explores the intersections of trauma, identity, motherhood and recovery — and shows how healing begins when we finally choose to reclaim our narrative.

In this episode:

• Becoming a mother at 17 and carrying adult responsibilities too soon
• Abandonment, family trauma and emotional wounds
• Alcohol escalation within the pub industry
• Stigma, single motherhood and rewriting your story
• Community support, sober movements and renewed identity
• Resilience, hope and building a self-led future
• The realities of healing while still showing up for family

Search terms: alcohol recovery stories, single motherhood and addiction, trauma and recovery, lived experience podcast UK, family dynamics in addiction, sober movement UK.

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 

🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com 

Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.

If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:

📩 Contact: [email protected]
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

Listen & Subscribe:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew 

Join Matt for a gripping and emotional conversation with Tom, a former talent agent whose high-flying lifestyle in central London masked a devastating struggle with cocaine addiction. Tom recounts the harrowing moment he realised he was using drugs while bringing his new-born daughter home - a wake-up call that forced him to confront the grip addiction had on his life. Reflecting on his own childhood, Tom explores the psychological toll of drug-induced psychosis, self-blame, and the destructive cycle of addiction. With honesty and vulnerability, he shares the painful road to recovery, from despair and relapse to the intervention that led him to rehab and healing. At its heart, Tom’s story is one of redemption - highlighting the power of empathy, the necessity of support, and the unwavering drive to reconnect with what matters most. 

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 

🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com 

Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.

If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:

📩 Contact: [email protected]
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

Listen & Subscribe:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew 

Matt is joined by Ollie for a raw and introspective conversation tracing his journey from early childhood trauma to recovery. After losing his mother at just eight years old and navigating the fallout of his father’s 22-year prison sentence at fifteen, Ollie turned to cannabis as a coping mechanism - eventually becoming heavily dependent and identifying as a self-proclaimed “weed connoisseur.” He candidly reflects on how his rationalisation masked the deep mental health toll, including psychotic episodes and profound emotional isolation. Smoking from morning to night, his life became shaped by addiction. Now in recovery, Ollie challenges the widespread perception of cannabis as harmless, offering a powerful reminder that its impact - particularly on mental health - can be just as serious as that of any other substance. 

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 

🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com 

Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.

If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:

📩 Contact: [email protected]
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

Listen & Subscribe:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew 

Join Matt for an extraordinary conversation with Andre, whose story spans over three decades in a Los Angeles prison following convictions for armed robbery and murder. 

Opening with a raw account of the grief, addiction, and desperation that drove his actions, Andre offers a gripping exploration of life inside the U.S. prison system - marked by gang violence, racial segregation, and institutional corruption. What sets this episode apart is Andre’s profound introspection, as he reflects on the choices that shaped his past and the spiritual awakening that helped him survive. 

Now living in the UK after deportation, Andre speaks candidly about the challenges of reintegration, the trauma of incarceration, and his mission to give back through mentorship and entrepreneurship. This powerful episode is a testament to the human capacity for change and offers vital insight into the intersections of addiction, justice, and redemption. 

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 

🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com 

Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.

If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:

📩 Contact: [email protected]
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

Listen & Subscribe:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew 

Join Matt as he sits down with Emma, whose powerful and unflinching account traces a journey through addiction that began at just 11 years old. Growing up in a family shaped by substance use - her father’s addiction and her grandmother’s role as a local drug dealer - Emma’s path quickly escalated from early experimentation to heroin and crack cocaine dependency by 23. She shares pivotal and harrowing moments, including a public overdose and being revived with naloxone, offering a stark portrait of addiction’s physical and emotional toll. With honesty and insight, Emma confronts the deep shame and stigma that often surround substance misuse, while calling for greater compassion and understanding in how we view those in recovery. Her story is a moving testament to resilience and the urgent need to humanise the conversation around addiction. 

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 

🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com 

Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.

If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:

📩 Contact: [email protected]
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

Listen & Subscribe:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew 

Johnny Borrell - guitarist, singer, and frontman of Razorlight - joins Matt for an honest and introspective conversation about teenage heroin addiction, the road to recovery, and the stigma surrounding substance use in the music industry. Johnny shares the emotional fallout of being removed from his band due to drug use and how a combination of supportive relationships and the unlikely refuge of Championship Manager helped him begin to rebuild. Reflecting on the intense pressures of recording Razorlight’s debut album, he discusses a subsequent relapse and the broader misconceptions about addiction in the music world, particularly within the festival scene. This episode offers a rare glimpse into the complexities of recovery in the public eye and the strength it takes to reclaim both personal identity and creative purpose. 

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 

🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com 

Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.

If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:

📩 Contact: [email protected]
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

Listen & Subscribe:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew 

Adam Maxted - professional wrestler and Love Island reality TV star - joins Matt for an unfiltered conversation about life in the spotlight, the pursuit of physical perfection, and the emotional complexities behind public success. From his early days navigating a limited wrestling scene in Ireland to the explosive fame that followed his appearance on Love Island, Adam shares the highs and lows of a career shaped by sudden recognition, body image pressures, and the creation of his larger-than-life persona, “Big Flex.” He opens up about the impact of steroid use, missed opportunities like a WWE contract, and the challenges of staying grounded amidst fame and rejection. Together, they unpack the realities of instant gratification culture, the stigmas around help-seeking in hyper-masculine spaces, and the value of personal responsibility and growth. Adam’s story is a powerful reminder that resilience, discipline, and self-acceptance are key to redefining success beyond the glare of public expectation. 

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 

🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com 

Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.

If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:

📩 Contact: [email protected]
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

Listen & Subscribe:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew 

Matt sits down with Ambrose, a leading voice in the recovery community, for a powerful conversation tracing his journey from severe substance misuse to health, purpose, and advocacy. 

Ambrose candidly shares his experience with a wide range of substances - including alcohol, cannabis, ecstasy, LSD, amphetamines, benzos, and heroin - initially used to cope with social anxiety and emotional discomfort. His story unfolds through a series of devastating lows, from incarceration and relationship breakdowns to suicidal ideation, ultimately revealing the complex and layered nature of addiction. A turning point came through the power of peer support, which Ambrose credits as vital to his recovery. 

Now working with the Hepatitis C Trust, he channels his lived experience into education, outreach, and the national mission to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030. This episode is a testament to personal responsibility, resilience, and the transformative impact of community-led recovery.

Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!

🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 

🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!

Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com 

Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.

If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:

📩 Contact: [email protected]
🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)

Listen & Subscribe:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts

🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler
🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson
🏢 Network: ReNew