This Is Powerful With Paul Sculfor

It is the first episode of the New Year and we are featuring our youngest guest so far. Jack Curran speaks to us candidly about his ketamine addiction and by way of his account of the catastrophic mental and physical damage it caused him personally, gives a rather ominous warning to anyone even considering the drug. 

Jack has been featured on The Guardian and on other media outlets, speaking out about genZ’s recreational drug of choice in the UK that at times made him feel like he ‘was peeing glass’. Jack is a recovery worker at Step By Step Recovery and is training to become a fully licensed counsellor. Having repaired a critically damaged relationship with his father and turned around much of the physical deterioration, Jack is an image of gratitude and inspiration.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

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Find Jack on Instagram @j.curran95

Find Jack on Facebook Jack Curran

Find Jack on Tik Tok @addicted.333

As we are approaching the season of parties, cheer, family, friends, temptation and a whole minefield of disturbances to our serenity, we are sharing some of the ways in which Paul has handled the festive season over the years. 

We cover the gifts of Christmas present, the pain of Christmas past, the tips for Christmases future and unrealistic New Year’s resolutions.

Just a taste of what’s to come- you aren’t wearing concrete shoes, phone a friend and why leaving a turkey in the oven and driving to Vegas is just not a good idea. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor

This week, we’re joined by Victoria Vanstone, self-confessed ‘drunk mother gone sober’. Victoria is the host of award-winning podcast Sober Awkward and author of the heartfelt and hilarious memoir,  A Thousand Wasted Sundays. Known for her raw honesty and relatable humor, she offers a fresh take on sobriety which appeals to drinkers of all classifications!

We caught up with Victoria in Thailand, where she’s traveling with her children, to cover loads of big topics, from accepting that routine binge-drinking is actually a problem, to mourning the loss of her party-girl identity and embracing the joy of sober parenting. As we are well within the festive period, Victoria shares practical tips on avoiding alcohol when it is most tempting and the surprising gifts that sobriety can provide.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

Find Victoria on Instagram @soberawkward

Sober Awkward podcast website  www.soberawkward.com

Amazon audible link to Victoria’s comedy memoir,  A Thousand Wasted Sundays https://a.co/d/gMz8m7N

Victoria’s free online community:  www.cuppa.community 

Our guest this week is Mark White, who at over 22 years sober, has established himself as a community builder and true visionary. Mark has successfully launched workshops that are designed for ‘the next regeneration of mindful movers’ around the world and was recently voted as one of the UK’s top social entrepreneurs because of his work in the wellness space.  

One of the most driven people out there, Mark comes clean about personal shame, suffocating the darkness and that can of worms that no one should open. Mark is a proud father of two daughters, a keen runner, and is passionate about combining physical activity with gratitude. By combining techniques he has learned in recovery and setting personalised physical fitness goals, the results for many have been life-changing. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 
Listen to all of our episodes on your favourite podcast platform:
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Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

Find Mark on Instagram @markwhite_0602

Find Grateful Mile on Instagram @gratefulmileofficial

Find Daily Five on Instagram @dailyfiveofficial

In this episode, we follow George’s journey through the depths of addiction and his incredible transformation. For years, George was trapped in a destructive cycle of alcohol and drug abuse, leading to repeated hospitalisations for physical emergencies and psychiatric ward admissions for mental health emergencies. His addiction was fuelled by a desperate need to escape overwhelming emotions like worry, panic, fear, anger, and paralysing frustration. 

Finally George entered rehab and committed to a 12-step program and it seemed his life was on the upswing. All of his hard work was put to the test when his criminal past caught up with him, landing him in prison. Instead of giving in to despair, George requested to be placed in a rehabilitation wing, where he found purpose in helping others with their addictions and recovery.

Today, George is a recovered addict and alcoholic, three and a half years sober. His journey is a powerful reminder that by being of service to others, George has found immense purpose and strength.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

This is one of those remarkable interviews that will surprise you, pull on your heart strings and reveal the depth of the human spirit. Growing up in a conservative, deeply religious London family, our guest Vinny reveals how he strayed into a life of crime, addiction, and self-destruction. His rock bottom moment came after months of heavy substance abuse, a heart attack, and a near-tragic incident involving his wife and children. From functioning as a plumber constantly under the influence, to spiraling emotionally, Vinny’s mantra, “I’ve got this,” was a lie that masked his slow self-destruction. 

Today, Vinny inspires hope in recovery circles, offering tough love combined with vulnerability and honesty. Grateful for every breath, Vinny’s story is one of resilience and absolute transformation. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

Today we welcome Dr David McLaughlan to the show. David always had his sights set on a medical career, but did a bit of modelling in his earlier days. Working with a variety of people reinforced his values of being a kind and compassionate person, (so-called ‘soft skills’) and helps him engage with patients today.  Now one of the UK's leading addiction psychiatrists, David has contributed to international treatment guidelines, academic journals as well as mainstream media outlets. Additionally, David serves as Academic Secretary of The Royal College of Psychiatrists' Addiction Faculty. Aside from being incredibly articulate, engaging and well-educated, David is a genuine guy, the real deal and has people very close to him who have had issues with alcohol. 

After recognising that emerging technology might enable greater self management of harmful habits and addictive behaviours, David has launched an app called Curb. Curb’s personalised approach is a tool which helps to examine our relationships with alcohol and has been proven to help people quit or reduce their drinking.  

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

Find Curb on Instagram @curb.app
Download the Curb app for free http://www.curb.health/

This week we hosted the incredible host of the Hurt to Healing podcast, Pandora Morris. A former lawyer turned mental health activist, Pandora’s journey began in childhood, facing OCD and an eating disorder that manifested through restrictive eating and chronic over-exercising. 

Much like obsessive behaviour often linked to addiction, Pandora would regularly run at least twenty miles a day, take midnight bike rides and start her days with a swim in the sea - an activity which once saw her hospitalised with hypothermia. As part of her own healing, Pandora’s travelled the world working with OCD experts and has made it her mission to support others on their path to mental health recovery. Pandora’s honesty in how she sees the world and her reality within that world is both raw and refreshing.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 

Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

Find Pandora on Instagram @hurttohealingpod

Pandora’s podcast https://podfollow.com/1649515453

Pandora’s website  https://www.hurttohealing.co.uk/

This week, we welcome former professional footballer turned successful entrepreneur Andy Ramage. After a career-ending injury, Andy pivoted to create two financial brokerages and soon discovered that his life changed dramatically when he decided to go alcohol-free. This decision not only transformed his health and mindset but also became his unique selling point, helping him stand out in a competitive business market. 

The coaching initiatives that Andy has created have collectively helped hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people to revitalise their lives. Andy provides refreshing authenticity and humour while providing plenty of advice that you can put to use right away. Spoiler alert - you will never look at a marshmallow the same way again. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor

Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

Find Andy on Instagram @andyramageofficial

Andy’s website  www.andyramage.com

Andy’s coach training website - www.aretewaycoach.com 

This week we are super excited to welcome Ollie Ollerton onto the show. You might know Ollie from the British television programme SAS: Who Dares Wins? Ollie is not only a former Marine, SAS soldier, and Special Forces Combat Frogman, he's also an author of five books and the CEO of Breakpoint and Battle Ready Academy, two powerful physical and mental training academies. 

Ollie’s personal breakthrough arrived once he worked up the courage to put booze and drugs behind him. Finding himself at a crossroads, Ollie created his own bootcamp in which he was both the drill sergeant and the recruit. He coached himself out of his darkest depths and created an empire of self improvement programmes that have turned around the lives of many and continue to inspire even more. 

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/

Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor

Find This Is Powerful on Instagram @this_ispowerful

Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 

Ollie’s coaching courses can be found here: 
https://learn.ollieollerton.com/battle-ready-intensive

Ollie’s websites www.ollieollerton.co.uk & www.break-point.co.uk