How do we take proper time out? What is ‘reflection’? How do we

How do we deal with the real world, particularly when we’re

How are the children of addicts and alcoholics affected over the course of time? What does recovery look like to them? This episode, we’re talking to Lauren from UK Detox and her son Owen. She tells us about her journey into recovery and how everything has changed, while he explains the utter transformation he has seen in his mother in the course of the last few years. Also, we’re talking about the difference between work experience and the classroom, particularly when it comes to understanding addiction.

Does time go faster as we get older? Do we experience a sense of

What do I do for myself in early recovery? Is it a good idea to dive directly into doing anything and everything when I’ve just left treatment? How do I gradually find a balance? This week, we’re talking about how we all have to ‘learn to recover’, and that the process is an individual one, that takes as long as it takes. We’re also talking about open-mindedness, being willing to engage with all sorts of different things, and the particular value of recreational and social activities as part of the overall recovery process.

Do we always know when we’re in denial? Is denial just about our

How do we cope with everything the world keeps throwing at us? It’s one thing to know that we’re getting riled about things that don’t really matter, but it’s another thing entirely to maintain a rational and reasonable approach. How am I supposed to be patient when the world seems to have it in for me? Chances are that’s not true, but it’s the way it looks to me, so perhaps I should be talking about it? This week, we’re talking about patience, tolerance and the absence of both. We also consider the critical importance of self-awareness and talking about things as they come up.

Am I honest with myself about judging things I know nothing

Should I be here? Or even there? Can everyone else see what I’m thinking? Do they all think I’m a fraud? ‘Imposter Syndrome’ is a very common phenomenon in early recovery, the feeling that we are somehow ‘out of place’. This week, we’re talking about why it’s so important that we identify it and get over it.  We’re also looking at the important role played by volunteering in early recovery, why it is important to try new things and how an explanation and an excuse are perhaps not quite the same thing!

What is a spiritual experience? How do we know if we’ve had one? What do we do when it happens? Do we even know when it's happened? Far from being some great, faraway mythical marvel, we can and do find them in the everyday. We look at some of the different manifestations of spiritual experience, from the first day of rehab to the golf course, with everything else in between! Also, we’re talking about our initial experiences of rehab, our ever-expanding powerlessness over people and finally, the dreaded ‘What if…?’