John McMahon: From Hopeless Addiction to Recovery, Psychology, and a Life Transformed

Today’s guest is John McMahon, a psychologist, author, educator, and addiction expert whose life story is a remarkable journey from addiction and hopelessness to recovery, education, and spiritual growth.In 1984, John was in a psychiatric hospital and was given just six months to live if he continued using alcohol and drugs. Instead, he got sober, returned to education, earned a degree and doctorate in psychology, and went on to develop and teach one of the UK’s largest master’s courses in addiction, helping train many of Scotland’s addiction therapists.John’s newly published book chronicles this extraordinary journey through boyhood in Scotland, his time as a trainee priest and hippy, addiction, recovery, relationships, loss, faith, and the discovery that some of life’s darkest moments can become our greatest sources of strength.In this conversation, we explore addiction, recovery, the impact of addiction on families, the role of spirituality, and how the internet can be used therapeutically to support those affected by alcoholism.John also shares why he and his wife Lou created Bottled Up, a free resource designed to help families of people struggling with alcohol addiction.This is a story of love, loss, resilience, recovery, and transformation—and a powerful reminder that even the lowest point in a person’s life does not have to be the end of their story.🌐 Learn more and explore John’s work:
Bottled Up⁠