The Recovery Toolkit Podcast

In this episode, Richie and David get real about what recovery actually looks like. They discuss about the daily grind, structure, relationships, and why life can feel harder when you’re doing it without escaping.

We dive into:

This week on the Recovery Toolkit Podcast, Richie is joined by Cheryl, a trauma-informed practitioner who works closely with people affected by gambling harm.

With years of experience supporting others through recovery, Cheryl shares how trauma, unmet needs and early life experiences can often lie at the heart of addiction.

In this thought-provoking conversation, Richie and Cheryl explore the power of asking the right questions. Cheryl describes how, in just a few moments of honest dialogue, people can experience powerful realisations about their own journey. These moments of clarity can become the first step towards healing.

Together, they reflect on the importance of self-awareness in recovery and how tools such as reflection, connection and curiosity can help build a life beyond addiction.

Whether you are navigating your own recovery or supporting someone else, this episode offers insight, encouragement and new ways of thinking about what drives addiction and what helps to heal it.

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In this powerful and moving episode of The Recovery Toolkit Podcast, Richie Paxton sits down with Malcolm, who shares his long and complex journey through recovery after alcohol misuse and gambling harm.

This week, we bring you a slightly different and very important episode. We're joined once again by Jo from Recover Together, who bravely opens up about an experience that’s rarely talked about: lapse and relapse in recovery.

Jo shares her personal journey of having a lapse, and the fear that came with it – fear of losing her job, her identity, and everything she had built. But rather than hiding away, Jo showed incredible courage by speaking out and reaching out to her colleagues. Her story is a powerful reminder that a lapse doesn’t mean failure, and it certainly doesn’t mean the end of the road. She talks about the warning signs; not getting dressed, avoiding exercise, neglecting self-care.

Things came to a head when Jo found herself on the verge of breaking one of her core values: honesty. That moment became a turning point. Jo made the brave choice to talk, and in doing so, took the first step towards getting back on track. Having relapsed earlier in her recovery, Jo reflects on how much she’s learned. This time, she knew how vital it was to communicate how she was feeling to those closest to her. In doing so she was able to take control and avoid a full relapse.

Jo also speaks honestly about the added pressure of working in the gambling harms sector. She worried how being honest would affect her work, her colleagues, and those she supports. But the response she received was nothing but supportive – a real lesson in the importance of planning ahead and having a strong support system. By focusing on the things that keep her well, like going for walks, singing, and making space for self-care, Jo feels like herself again. She also highlights how vital it is for organisations employing people in recovery to have clear, compassionate policies in place.

Recover Together's person-centred approach made all the difference. Jo wanted to share her experience so that anyone feeling isolated or ashamed knows they are not alone. Her message is clear: prioritising recovery isn’t just about staying well – it’s what makes it possible to keep doing the work you love and supporting others along the way. We’re incredibly proud to have Jo back on the podcast. This is a conversation you won’t want to miss.