Sean Willers was homeless as a teenager, served in Afghanistan, became an international DJ playing some of the biggest clubs in the world, and then woke up in a hospital bed with no memory of how he got there. That moment didn’t just end a night out, it ended an entire identity. In this episode of School of Rock Bottom, we explore what happens when success and self-destruction start to overlap, and the point where you’re forced to choose between continuing the cycle or rebuilding everything from scratch.

Sean’s life moves through homelessness, early alcohol use, military service, the fitness industry, and a high-flying DJ career that gradually became dominated by cocaine and alcohol. What begins as escapism turns into dependency, shaped further by a nightlife culture where excess is normalised and boundaries slowly disappear.

He breaks down the pivotal night in 2021 when a set in Nottingham, intended to mark a reset, spiralled into blackout, hospitalisation, and police involvement. That moment became the final breaking point with the music industry and the start of sobriety.

From there, the conversation moves beyond the headline of addiction and into the mechanics of recovery itself. Sean challenges the usefulness of labels, questions whether traditional frameworks like AA work for everyone, and argues that long-term change is built less on willpower and more on structure, identity, and discipline.

They also explore the often overlooked reality of early recovery: the substitution of one compulsion for another, the role of dopamine-driven behaviours, and the slow process of building stability without relying on extremes for regulation.

At its core, this is a conversation about control. Not just stopping drugs and alcohol, but learning how to build a life that no longer requires them.

Sean is now a high-performance life and wellness coach, working with people who look like they’ve got it all together on the outside but know something isn’t right underneath, helping them get in shape, quit drinking, and take back control. He has worked with over 500 clients across 15 countries.

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

2:45 A rock bottom moment

6:00 Homeless at 15

8:15 Why Sean isn't a victim

11:00 The gym helps Sean as a teenager

12:40 Joining the army to straighten out

15:30 Was trauma the reason addictions increased?

17:00 DJ'ing and drugs

20:15 Why alcohol and cocaine had to go together

21:30 Why Cocaethylene is dangerous

23:45 Addicted to the coke persona

25:00 Coke leads to heavy porn use

30:00 Cross addiction

32:00 How Sean got clean and sober

35:45 Many paths to the top of them mountain

42:00 Willpower is for weak men!

44:00 Does moderation work?

46:30 Playing the tape forward!

49:45 Why Sean isn't perfect or doing it one day at a time

52:45 Remove yourself from your triggers

Follow Sean

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

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

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

YouTube - https://tinyurl.com/y3ez4ssu

Spotify - https://tinyurl.com/3tjemyxx

Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3

#AddictionRecovery

#SobrietyJourney

#Sober

Anorexia isn’t just about food, weight, or body image. In this next thought clip, I revisit a conversation with Sophie Anderson about the deeper reality behind eating disorders, trauma, control, anxiety, family dynamics, and the hidden emotional pain that so often sits underneath them.

My guest speaks with remarkable honesty about living with anorexia, the dopamine cycle of restriction, the terror around food, and the complicated comfort the illness can create. This is a conversation about survival, coping mechanisms, and what recovery really asks of someone when the illness has become part of how they navigate the world.

We also explore the connection between anorexia and addiction, why eating disorders are often misunderstood, and how social media can influence vulnerability without being the full explanation. There’s a powerful discussion around emotional neglect, safety, codependency, hospitalisation, and the way trauma can quietly shape behaviour long before anyone notices the symptoms. Rather than reducing anorexia to vanity or “control issues”, this episode looks at the complexity behind the condition and why simplistic narratives can stop people from truly understanding it.

If you or someone you love has struggled with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, addiction, anxiety, or mental health challenges, this conversation offers insight, compassion, and a perspective rarely heard in mainstream discussions around eating disorders.

Listen or watch THE FULL EPISODE

YouTube - https://bit.ly/4jbvZdo

Spotify - https://bit.ly/4air4TL

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.

Sophie received support from:

Eating Matters (Norwich), Cruise Bereavement (National) & The Bridge (Bristol).

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 Sophie

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sophiee.anderson

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

#AnorexiaRecovery

#MentalHealthAwareness

#EatingDisordersHelp

If you can imagine a life built around music, parties, friendship and a sense of total freedom, you start to understand the world Dan Charles lived in for over a decade. But that world came to a sudden stop in Ibiza in 2018 when a life-threatening medical emergency left him in a coma after a series of critical complications. What followed was not only survival, but a complete rebuilding of identity, purpose and direction.

This is the first time Dan has ever shared his story publicly and his first ever appearance on a podcast.

Today, I speak with Dan Charles, a Manchester-born, London-based creative whose life on the surface looked like an extended celebration of youth culture, nightlife and connection. Beneath that, however, was escalating drug use, denial about addiction, and a pattern of increasingly risky behaviour that would eventually culminate in a near-fatal incident by a swimming pool in Ibiza.

Dan describes the moment he was found unresponsive, the severity of his condition, and the chain of events and people that ultimately saved his life.

What makes this conversation compelling is not just what happened in Ibiza, but the honesty about what led up to it. Dan reflects on a 10-year period of recreational drug use that escalated within the context of club culture and electronic music scenes in Manchester and beyond. He challenges the conventional framing of addiction, explaining that although he never used substances daily, he still experienced repeated negative consequences and patterns of loss of control in specific environments.

The discussion moves beyond the incident itself into the psychological aftermath. Dan speaks candidly about survivor’s guilt, particularly in relation to his family, who received a call while on holiday informing them that he might not survive the night. He also reflects on the complexity of regret, acknowledging deep remorse for the impact on his family while also recognising the formative role those experiences played in shaping who he is today.

A central theme of the conversation is identity reconstruction. Dan explains how early recovery was not initially a conscious decision, but something imposed by circumstance and family intervention. Over time, however, that shifted into a voluntary and internalised commitment to sobriety, driven by changes in lifestyle, physical health, and mental wellbeing practices.

He discusses how structured routines around sleep, exercise, nutrition, sauna, cold exposure, meditation and mindfulness replaced the chaotic rhythm of his previous life, alongside a growing sense of emotional stability and self-awareness.

This is ultimately a story about consequence, survival and the redefinition of identity after a life that could have ended very differently. It raises difficult but important questions about addiction, pleasure, denial, responsibility and whether lasting change comes from punishment or perspective.

Through his platform Second Chance Dan, he speaks openly about his journey — the real challenges, the choices, and what it takes to start over. Dan is drug and alcohol free nearly 8 years!

SPONSOR

www.gavinsisters.co.uk

SCHOOLOFROCKBOTTOM for 10% off!

SUPPORT THE POD

https://buymeacoffee.com/olivermason1

https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypal

Topics -

0:00 Trailer & Intro

2:00 A rock bottom moment

8:00 Raving and hard drugs

9:40 Is there always trauma?

13:00 Drug use escalates in clubs

16:40 Is Dan an addict?

19:40 Other rock bottoms

24:40 Coming out of the coma

25:40 Dealing with guilt & shame

28:10 No regrets?!

29:40 Dan can't forgive himself

33:55 Recovery felt non negotiable

36:40 Dan's hospital records

38:00 Resisting urges and cravings

40:40 Moving energy into wellness

43:40 Spirituality & gratitude

Follow Dan

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secondchance.dan

Follow Oliver

https://linktr.ee/olivermason

YouTube - https://tinyurl.com/3b5c4wy2

Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3

#AddictionRecovery

#SobrietyJourney

#SecondChance

What does sobriety actually mean once the alcohol is gone? In this next thought, I revisit a moment with Sober Dave for a discussion about addiction, identity, dopamine and emotional sobriety. Dave opens up about drinking from the age of 14, reaching 21 stone, hating the person staring back at him in the mirror, and the moment he realised quitting alcohol was only the beginning. If you’ve ever struggled with addiction, obsessive thinking, workaholism, online shopping, ADHD traits or the feeling of constantly chasing something to feel okay, this conversation will hit hard.

Dave speaks openly about the emotional side of recovery, the idea of being a “dry drunk”, and why many people replace alcohol with other compulsive behaviours without even realising it. We talk about dopamine addiction, ADHD, self-worth, identity after alcohol, and why getting sober can feel like stepping out of prison into a life you no longer recognise.

This episode also explores the hidden side of recovery that people rarely discuss publicly. From compulsive online shopping and addiction transfer to work addiction and validation seeking, we explain how the “ism” of alcoholism can quietly appear in other parts of life long after the drinking stops.

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

TikTok - https://tinyurl.com/ujw4vxn9

LinkedIn - https://tinyurl.com/yuemhnd7

Threads - https://tinyurl.com/yk7vdeah

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

#AddictionRecovery

#Sobriety

#MentalHealth

If you think you enjoy drinking too much to ever stop, this episode will challenge you. Today I'm joined by Hattie Underwood from Sober Happy Free to talk addiction, sobriety, cocaine use, ADHD, anxiety, and what really happens when drinking stops working. From secretly drinking on Christmas morning with a newborn baby to nearly five years sober, this is a raw, honest look at alcohol addiction recovery and how change actually happens.

Hattie shares the moment everything shifted - a quiet realisation there was nowhere left to hide. What follows is a story many people will recognise but rarely say out loud. The routines, the denial, the belief that things are still “under control” while everything underneath says otherwise.

This episode breaks down the role of Dry January, relapse, and why temporary sobriety often isn’t enough without a deeper shift. There’s a clear distinction here between stopping and actually letting go — and why that difference matters if you’re stuck in the cycle.

We also go deeper into the psychology behind addiction. ADHD, dopamine, anxiety, eating disorders — the patterns that existed long before alcohol, and why substances can feel like the solution before they become the problem.

Recovery isn’t presented as perfect or instant. It’s practical. Community, 12-step fellowship, structure, honesty — and learning how to live without constantly needing to escape your own mind.

If you’re questioning your relationship with alcohol, or even just curious whether things could feel different, this conversation gives you something real to work with.

More about Hattie -

Hattie is the face behind Sober Happy Free - a fast growing social media platform on Instagram and TikTok that’s built a community of more than 38,000 people in just 18 months.

Using her own experience of addiction, Hattie shares honestly about what helped her get sober - and, just as importantly, what’s helped her stay sober - with the aim of helping others who might be struggling.

She’s a passionate advocate for removing the stigma around addiction and believes real change is possible and is 5 years sober.

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

6:15 Dry January turns into 4 months

10:00 Returning to drinking and cocaine

12:00 The benefits of Dry January

14:30 Did Hattie really relapse?

17:00 OCD before addiction

18:30 Bulimia

20:20 Undiagnosed ADHD

22:30 Alcohol and messaging boys

24:00 Using sex for self esteem

25:45 Cocaine addiction

34:45 Drug addiction escalates

38:15 Addiction stronger than love for children?

44:15 Rock bottoms, orgasms and a cure for addiction?

51:00 How Hattie stays sober

56:00 Suggestions for those stubborn to change

Follow Hattie

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

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

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

YouTube -

Spotify -

Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3

#AddictionRecovery

#SobrietyJourney

#AlcoholFree

Many people struggling with alcohol and drug addiction dream of one day being able to drink or use normally again — to have one or two, enjoy it, and stop there. But what if that fantasy is part of the trap?

In this next quick thought, Oliver Mason explores relapse thinking, cravings, sobriety, moderation myths, and why many problem drinkers do not truly want one or two drinks at all. They want the feeling that comes after.

This episode looks at why social drinkers experience alcohol differently, why chasing “normal” can keep people stuck, and the uncomfortable truth that can help set people free.

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 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 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

#AddictionRecovery

#Sobriety

#MentalHealth

If you think you’re in control of your drinking, listen to this. Today I sit down with Leanne Bayliss, who went from cocaine and alcohol addiction to raising a disabled child alone while rebuilding her life sober. This is not a journey about one period of struggle. It’s about what happens when you hit bottom repeatedly, and the moment you realise it’s live or die.

Leanne speaks about the reality of addiction, from early coping mechanisms like bulimia to a life dominated by alcohol, cocaine and dependency on anything that could either elevate or sedate her mind. Diagnosed later in life with ADHD, she explains how substances became both escape and survival, creating a cycle that felt impossible to break. What emerges is not a neat narrative, but a deeply human one—messy, confronting and recognisable.

At the centre of this episode is a moment that changes everything. An attempt on her life that becomes the turning point. Not because everything suddenly gets better, but because it forces a decision. Stay or go. Live or die. From that point, recovery begins...not as a single choice, but as a daily commitment.

The conversation moves into territory many avoid. Motherhood in addiction. Raising a child through over 100 medical procedures while battling alcohol dependence. The guilt, the denial, the rationalisation, and the quiet moments no one sees. Leanne doesn’t sanitise any of it. She articulates something many people feel but rarely admit: the internal conflict between love for your child and the pull of addiction.

There’s also a clear, grounded discussion about sobriety itself. Labels like “alcoholic”, the role of trauma, and the uncomfortable truth that there is no single path to recovery. Both Oliver and Leanne challenge rigid thinking in the recovery space, making it clear that what matters is not how you get sober, but that you do.

They explore the neurological side too. ADHD, dopamine regulation, and why substances like alcohol and cocaine can feel like solutions rather than problems—until they aren’t. It’s a nuanced look at addiction that goes beyond willpower and into wiring, environment and lived experience.

They talk about risk. The idea that you might have another drink in you, but not another recovery.

This isn’t a journey wrapped in clichés or easy answers. It’s about responsibility, awareness, and doing the work - especially when no one is watching.

Leanne is the author of the upcoming books From Cocaine to Rice Cakes and Single Mom Syndrome, where she shares unfiltered truths about sobriety, motherhood, and choosing yourself. Leanne is 5 years clean and sober.

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

Sponsor -

www.gavinsisters.co.uk promo code SCHOOLOFROCKBOTTOM for 10% off!

Support the podcast -

https://buymeacoffee.com/olivermason1

https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypal

Topics -

0:00 Trailer & Intro

2:55 A rock bottom moment

4:25 Navigating multiple challenges

6:25 Addiction would have killed me

8:40 Using everything to feel better

12:40 Why alcohol stopped bulimia

15:15 Why Leanne wanted to use drugs and alcohol

16:45 Gaining insight along the bumpy road to recovery

18:55 Wanting to destroy rather than fix

20:15 Alcoholic at 16?

23:55 Use recovery labels to empower you!

26:40 Are you really powerless?

28:25 Be careful where you get your advice

30:55 Cocaine, alcohol & ADHD

35:10 Being a sober mum is better

39:40 We love taking hostages

41:10 Being triggered by morning drinking

43:10 Can I control my drinking now?

45:30 Helping those who are depressed

50:40 How Leanne got clean and sober

53:55 Why recovery is different for everyone

57:55 Why helping others helps you

59:55 From cocaine to rice cakes

Follow Leanne

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

Follow Oliver

https://linktr.ee/olivermason

WATCH on YouTube - https://tinyurl.com/32r6ppec

Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3

#AddictionRecovery

#AlcoholRecovery

#RecoveryPodcast

Addiction doesn’t care what the substance is.

In this next quick thought, I revisit a conversation with Gab Stone, as we strip back the illusion that gambling is somehow different to alcohol or drugs. What you’ll hear might challenge everything you think you know. The same patterns, the same brain chemistry, the same spiral. If you’ve ever told yourself “this isn’t as bad” or “I can control it,” this conversation will hit hard. Because underneath it all, addiction is addiction—and the cost is always the same.

We explore the striking parallels between gambling addiction and substance addiction, breaking down the myth that behavioural addictions are somehow less serious. From the early days of harmless fun to the slow creep into obsession, the conversation reveals how quickly things escalate—and how difficult it becomes to step back. The chase to break even, the illusion of control, and the belief that one more hit, one more bet, might fix everything.

There’s a raw honesty here about the mental gymnastics addicts perform. The idea that the problem isn’t the behaviour itself, but the losses. The belief that a “miracle” is just one more gamble away. And the terrifying moment when logic disappears, even in the face of clear consequences. Whether it’s sitting in a clinic or hearing a doctor’s warning, the pull to go back remains just as strong.

We also touch on the neuroscience—dopamine, anticipation, and why gambling can be even more addictive than substances. The unpredictability, the constant cycle of hope and loss, and how the brain becomes wired to chase both. It’s not just about winning. In many cases, it’s the losing that hooks you deeper.

Listen or watch THE FULL EPISODE

YouTube - https://bit.ly/4fbqqZe

Spotify - https://bit.ly/41yG9OJ

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.

For further support Gab recommends the following -

National Problem Gambling Clinic -

https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/services/addictions/national-gambling-clinic

GamCare -

https://www.gamcare.org.uk

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 Gab

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gabstone9

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

#GamblingRecovery #BreakingTheStigma #AddictionAwareness

What if addiction isn’t really about drugs - but about the feeling that you never truly belonged anywhere? Today, I sit down with Kyle Hall, whose story moves from growing up in an alcoholic home to crystal meth addiction, psychosis, and eight years of relapse before finally finding a way out.

Kyle describes being a kid who didn’t fit in anywhere—not with the popular crowd, not even with the “weird kids.” That quiet disconnection, and the inability to express who he really was, became the foundation for everything that followed.

What starts as food, pornography, and alcohol slowly escalates into something far darker, as he searches for identity, confidence, and escape in all the wrong places.

We break down the progression most people never see. How drinking turns into drugs. How curiosity becomes dependency. And how, step by step, he ends up in a world of chemsex, isolation, and eventually injecting crystal meth—not as one reckless decision, but as a series of small ones that compound over time.

From there, things unravel fast. Days without sleep. Paranoia. Hallucinations. A complete break from reality where he believes people are coming to kill him. And even then, the instinct is still the same—to drink, to use, to escape.

But even at rock bottom, there are moments that cut through.

One of them happens in an Uber, when a driver says something he never forgets: “You never finish alcohol. Alcohol finishes you.”

Kyle speaks openly about eight years of trying to get sober and failing, and what finally changed when it stuck. Not a new method. Not a new environment. But a moment of complete surrender—and a decision to actually live the recovery he’d been around for years.

We also explore the shift into spirituality. From rejecting faith completely to finding Jesus that gave him forgiveness, direction, and a way to rebuild.

By the end, this isn’t a clean redemption story. It’s something more honest. A life rebuilt from chaos—now channelled into The Spiritual Pharmacy & Late Night Sober Cafe, sober community spaces designed to give people what he never had: connection, purpose, and somewhere to belong.

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 that lasted months

6:45 A drug induced psychosis

16:45 Using food and cigarettes before drugs

20:20 Porn obsession

22:30 Falling in love with alcohol

24:45 Struggling with sexuality

27:00 From alcohol to injecting crystal meth

32:20 Breaking the relapse cycle

36:45 Doing The 12 Steps

39:15 Finding a spiritual solution?

42:15 Kyle's sober events & spaces

Follow Kyle

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

https://www.instagram.com/spiritualpharma

Buy tickets

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/theenergyxchangecic

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

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

YouTube - https://youtu.be/3XD8otGW9pM

Spotify - https://tinyurl.com/yv6f57w8

Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3

#AddictionRecovery

#RockBottom

#SobrietyJourney

Addiction is a liar. It convinces you that a drink or a drug will make you feel better — but that promise is one of the most dangerous lies in recovery.

In this week’s quick thought, Oliver Mason explores why “feeling better now” is addiction’s most powerful trick, how relapse works, and why short-term relief always comes at a long-term cost.

It’s a bit like a toxic ex who comes back promising things will be different — offering comfort, care, even hope — only for the cycle of harm to return later, often worse than before. Like someone who broke your nose, then has the audacity to say, “I’ll make you feel better.”

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 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 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

#AddictionRecovery

#Sobriety

#MentalHealth