Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma

In this episode of Believe in People, Lewis Raymond Taylor shares the extraordinary story of how he went from addiction, violence and repeated prison sentences to becoming the founder of a global coaching business that has trained more than 15,000 coaches across 87 countries.Lewis opens up about childhood trauma, addiction, prison, violence, personal responsibility and the moments that forced him to completely rebuild his identity. Together, we explore why addiction is often an attempted solution to deeper pain, what genuine transformation looks like, and whether people can truly change.The conversation also explores the ideas behind Lewis's new book, UNLIMITED. Rather than offering another self-help theory, the book presents principles forged through lived experience and refined over years of coaching thousands of people around the world. We discuss the importance of confronting your past, rewriting the story you tell yourself, discovering purpose, making fear your ally, embracing radical authenticity, taking imperfect action, breaking destructive habits, creating value through service, overcoming setbacks, and unlocking the potential that already exists within you.Whether you're rebuilding after addiction, overcoming trauma, navigating mental health challenges or simply looking to create lasting change, this episode is packed with practical insight and honest reflection.In this episode we discuss:• Childhood trauma and adversity• Addiction, crime and prison• Recovery and personal responsibility• Identity transformation• Building purpose after rock bottom• Fear, resilience and authentic living• Breaking destructive habits• Entrepreneurship and success after prison• The philosophy behind UNLIMITED• Psychopathy, leadership and human behaviourIf you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to check out UNLIMITED by Lewis Raymond Taylor - a practical guide to taking ownership of your life, turning adversity into strength, and becoming the person you're capable of being.You can get your copy here: unlimitedbook.co.ukSearch terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, Lewis Raymond Taylor, UNLIMITED book, prison rehabilitation, trauma recovery, personal responsibility, psychopathy, mental health, entrepreneurship, lived experience, peer support, substance misuse.Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

The TikTok sensation known to millions as "Sober Queen" joins us on Believe in People.Carole Watson's story is unlike anything we've featured before. Her addiction began at just ten years old and continued for more than 45 years through drugs, alcohol, crime, prison, abusive relationships, health scares and repeated brushes with death.Known online for her brutally honest recovery content, humour and storytelling, Carole has built a huge following on TikTok as @carolebosswatson, inspiring people across the recovery community with her no-nonsense approach to sobriety.In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore childhood trauma, domestic abuse, crack cocaine, prison life, organised crime, self-worth, motherhood, recovery and the moments that finally led Carole to choose a different life.There is simply too much life to fit into a single episode description. From East End gangsters to prison wings, from addiction to TikTok fame, Carole's journey is raw, shocking, funny and ultimately full of hope.In this episode:Addiction beginning at age tenCrime, prison and crack cocaineDomestic abuse and traumaHealth scares and rock-bottom momentsRecovery, self-worth and accountabilityTikTok fame and building a recovery communityPractical advice for staying soberNow approaching two years sober, Carol's story proves that no matter how long addiction has been part of your life, recovery is always possible.Search terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, lived experience stories, peer support, trauma and recovery, prison recovery, crack cocaine recovery, TikTok recovery community, women in recovery, Believe in People podcast.Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People, Kaitlin Reeve, known online as Sober As A Mother Focused, joins us to discuss motherhood, addiction recovery, trauma, shame, and the unique barriers women face when seeking support.Kaitlin shares her deeply personal journey from childhood trauma and early substance use to cocaine addiction, cannabis dependency, and ultimately long-term recovery. We explore the fear many mothers experience around disclosing addiction, concerns about social services involvement, the stigma placed on women compared to men, and why so many mums remain trapped in addiction for longer than necessary.The conversation examines the reality of parenting while in active addiction, the challenge of rebuilding relationships with children, and the emotional work required to repair trust. Kaitlin speaks openly about guilt, shame, self-forgiveness, and how recovery transformed not only her relationship with substances but also her role as a mother.We also discuss 12-step recovery, the importance of safe spaces where women can be honest without fear of judgement, and the misconceptions surrounding addiction, relapse, cravings, and recovery. Kaitlin offers a powerful perspective on why addiction is often hidden in plain sight and why compassion, understanding, and lived experience must play a greater role in supporting mothers seeking help.This episode offers practical insight for people in recovery, family members, frontline practitioners, and anyone interested in real stories of change. It is a conversation about stigma, secrecy, resilience, and what it takes to choose recovery when everything feels at risk. Topics Covered Motherhood and addiction  Fear of losing children when asking for help  Childhood trauma and adverse experiences  Cocaine addiction recovery  Cannabis dependency  Women and recovery  Parenting in sobriety  Shame, guilt and self-forgiveness  12-step recovery  Stigma and substance misuse  Lived experience and recovery advocacy Resources📱 Instagram: @soberasamotherfocusedAbout Kaitlin ReeveKaitlin Reeve is the creator of Sober As A Mother Focused, an online platform dedicated to raising awareness around addiction, recovery, motherhood, and mental health. Through honest storytelling and lived experience, she shares the realities of recovery as a parent and advocates for safer, more compassionate support for women affected by substance use.With more than 17,000 followers online and over three years of continuous sobriety, Kaitlin uses her platform to challenge stigma, offer hope, and encourage honest conversations about addiction and recovery. She is currently training as an addiction therapist and continues to support others through education, advocacy, and lived experience. Search Termsaddiction recovery podcast UK, motherhood and addiction, mums in recovery, women and substance misuse, cocaine recovery, cannabis addiction recovery, trauma and recovery, lived experience stories, peer support, Believe in People podcastClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this special episode of Believe in People: EXTRA, recorded on the road at the British Podcast Show in London, we sit down with broadcaster Richard Bacon for an honest conversation about alcohol addiction, cocaine use, stigma, and what it means to live with risk while trying to build a stable life.Richard traces the story back through family history, from a grandfather who died of alcoholism to a mother he believes is addicted but does not recognise it, and he reflects on the role of genetics in substance use. He describes how drink and drugs in his late teens felt like they “flipped a switch”, and why that matters when you are trying to make sense of cravings, habit, and shame without reducing everything to willpower.We also talk about public consequences and recovery support. Richard revisits being publicly sacked from Blue Peter after cocaine use, his experience of trying Alcoholics Anonymous, and why it did not quite fit despite his respect for it. From there, the conversation moves into harm reduction: drinking less, using medication intended to blunt alcohol’s impact on the brain, taking vitamins and mineral supplements, and staying alert to the real dangers of heavy drinking, including accidents and long-term brain health.Richard is now the founder of Yes Yes Media, a format and new media company backed by Elisabeth Murdoch and Jane Featherstone’s SISTER, alongside producer Arthur Essebag’s Satisfaction Group. The company develops original entertainment formats across television, digital media, gaming and interactive technology, with collaborators including Courteney Cox, Johnny McDaid and Savan Kotecha. Richard describes the company’s vision as creating entertainment designed for the “TikTok era”, where audiences can interact with stories across multiple devices and platforms. Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People, playwright Ed Edwards joins us to discuss The Political History of Smack and Crack - his award-winning play exploring addiction, recovery, Thatcherism, political unrest, and Britain’s heroin epidemic.Drawing on his own experiences of addiction, prison, relapse, and long-term recovery, Ed reflects on stigma, Narcotics Anonymous, consumer culture, creativity, and the human realities behind substance use. Ed is brutally honest about relapse, including the “relapse before the relapse” signs like pulling back from meetings and turning irritation into isolation. We also explore why Narcotics Anonymous can feel like a higher power even if you are an atheist, and how belonging acts as a real-world protective factor in a consumer culture that competes for our attention.This episode explores addiction recovery, trauma, peer support, mental health, politics, and the lived experiences that shaped a generation.Links & Resources🎭 Most Wanted  Most Wanted 🎟️ The Political History of Smack and Crack The Political History of Smack and Crack📚 Book Referenced In The Episode The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade — Alfred W. McCoy The Politics of Heroin by Alfred W. McCoyClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

Melissa Love joins Believe in People to share how working as a nurse in addiction services challenged her own hidden fears, internalised stigma and understanding of dependency. Through personal reflections on her brother’s addiction, family trauma and her father’s rejection, Melissa explores how these experiences reshaped her view of recovery, compassion and what real care looks like.This episode explores addiction recovery, trauma, stigma in healthcare, family dynamics, mental health and the importance of dignity-led, non-judgemental support. Melissa discusses fear, bias, grief, powerlessness, emotional silence and the transformative power of human connection in recovery.Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People, The Secret Drug Addict joins us to discuss anonymous recovery, addiction stigma, and the reality of long-term sobriety. We explore themes of addiction recovery, trauma, peer support, mental health, and the lived experiences that shaped their journey.This conversation challenges assumptions about addiction and visibility. We explore why anonymity can be a form of protection rather than shame, and how removing identity allows the message of recovery to stand on its own. We discuss the growing influence of social media in recovery spaces, including dopamine-driven algorithms, performative vulnerability, and the pressure to share pain publicly. The Secret Drug Addict reflects on grief, validation, and how easily recovery can become something that is performed rather than lived. There is a strong focus on ego, both in addiction and recovery, and the importance of staying grounded.The Secret Drug Addict shares the reality of early recovery, including insomnia, anger, anxiety, and emotional instability, alongside the long-term perspective of nearly two decades sober. The conversation closes with reflections on humility, living one day at a time, and writing a recovery book without chasing validation, sales, or recognition.Link to book: Diary of a Secret Drug AddictThis episode offers practical insight for people in recovery, family members, frontline practitioners, and anyone interested in real stories of change.Search terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, anonymous recovery, addiction stigma, social media and addiction, dopamine and addiction, peer support, trauma and recovery, substance misuse, Believe in People podcastClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Kieran McCartney joins us to discuss cocaine use, ADHD, grief, and recovery. Best known for his "win or walk" deal with Lord Sugar on the BBC show, The Apprentice, Kieran opens up about the pressures behind success, the loss of his father, and how that led to increased cocaine use.We explore the normalisation of cocaine culture in the UK, the link between alcohol and stimulant use, and how substances can become tools for coping with trauma and emotional pain. Kieran shares insight into how his recent ADHD diagnosis shaped his experience of addiction, and why he has chosen a natural recovery route over medication.This episode covers the turning point where use stopped being enjoyable, the role of therapy in processing grief, and the importance of recognising the root causes behind addiction. Kieran also reflects on business culture, identity, and the reality of recovery in environments where substance use is common.This episode offers practical insight for people in recovery, family members, frontline practitioners, and anyone interested in real stories of change.Search terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, cocaine addiction UK, ADHD and addiction, grief and substance misuse, lived experience stories, peer support, trauma and recovery, the apprentice, kieran mccartney Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

This short episode of Believe in People EXTRA features a short focused clip from our conversation with Dr Caroline CopelandDr Copeland is a Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology & Toxicology at King’s College London, and the Director of the National Programme on Substance Use Mortality. Today she explores ketamine use, polydrug risks, drug adulteration, and the growing dangers within today’s drug supply. Dr Copeland will be joining Believe in People for a full-length episode in the coming weeks. #believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

She had the “perfect” life on paper and still didn’t want to wake up. In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Cara Cox joins us to discuss trauma, addiction, repeated relapse, and long-term recovery. We explore how childhood loss, family alcoholism, emotional instability, and internal loneliness shaped her relationship with substances from an early age.Cara speaks openly about drinking to blackout as a teenager, using cannabis and ketamine, and later progressing into heroin and crack use. She reflects on the devastating impact of her mum’s alcoholism and suicide, the instability of moving between schools as a child, and how substances became both escapism and a way to feel confident, connected, and temporarily at peace.This episode also examines the realities of ketamine addiction, including physical harm, rehab admissions, near-death experiences, psychiatric units, and the mental health crash that often comes when substances are removed. Cara shares what changed after years of relapse, how connection and fellowship helped her recover, and why creative recovery, peer support, and lived experience now shape her work through Chase Recovery and The Detox Factor.This episode offers practical insight for people in recovery, family members, frontline practitioners, and anyone interested in real stories of change.Search terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, ketamine addiction recovery, trauma and addiction, lived experience stories, relapse and recovery, peer support, substance misuse, Believe in People podcast.Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this special episode of Believe in People: EXTRA, we present a unique collaboration with Apple Music and the Radio Academy Award-winning podcast Classical Connections, hosted by world-renowned pianist and composer Alexis Ffrench.Originally broadcast as part of the celebrated 60-Second Sonata segment, Alexis invited host Matthew Butler to share a deeply personal reflection on trauma, addiction and stigma. In response, Alexis composed an original piano piece that can be heard at the end of this mini episode - a bespoke composition capturing the emotional weight, hope, and humanity within Butler’s story and why non-judgemental listening remains one of the most powerful tools in recovery.In an extraordinary gesture of support for the recovery community, Apple Music has donated both the composition “Believe” and the full interview audio for wider public use - helping bring conversations about stigma, compassion, and addiction recovery to new audiences.Listen to the full conversation with Alexis and Matt here:https://open.spotify.com/episode/4qpy20dulem9zFfDc6R1Fh#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Neil Firbank joins us to discuss heroin addiction recovery and how connection and purpose can transform lives. We explore themes of addiction recovery, trauma, peer support, mental health, and the lived experiences that shaped Neil’s journey - from homelessness, injecting and suicidal thoughts, to treatment, group work, and building what became the National Recovery Games. This episode offers practical insight for people in recovery, family members, frontline practitioners, and anyone interested in real stories of change.Search terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, lived experience stories, peer support, trauma and recovery, substance misuse.Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People Extra, Bea Wood joins us to challenge one of the most common myths about Tourette’s - that it is simply about swearing.Bea explains the difference between coprolalia and the more common motor and vocal tics that shape everyday life and the need for constant safety awareness. The conversation explores intrusive thoughts and urges, why suppressing tics can make them worse, and how anxiety and social context can intensify symptoms.We also examine the emotional toll of stigma, including the distress of taboo or racial tics, and the difference between laughing with someone and laughing at them. Bea reflects on how media portrayals and selective editing can reinforce misunderstanding, while highlighting practical steps that communities can take to offer meaningful support.This episode offers practical insight for people living with Tourette’s, family members, frontline practitioners, and anyone seeking to better understand the neurological reality behind the condition.You can listen to the full episode here:https://open.spotify.com/episode/5MpnmlSImp2ebYTkUXdVCb?si=F3YszPa2RLiMt9sbRnDx3g#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

Finley joins Believe in People to share his lived experience of ketamine addiction and recovery, and how a substance that first felt functional and harmless became physically and psychologically destructive.We explore how early use of cannabis and cocaine progressed into ketamine, why it can feel controlled at first, and how denial allows harm to escalate unnoticed. Finley explains ketamine bladder in clear, practical terms, the impact on family and identity, and the turning point that forced change.This is a grounded conversation about stigma, youth culture and what real recovery requires beyond detox.#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextra #ketamineClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

This episode of Believe in People Extra explores one of the most debated ideas in addiction: being recovered rather than simply in recovery.Young Lee unpacks the difference between cured and recovered, explaining the “twist of the mind” that precedes relapse and why the real powerlessness isn’t the first drink - it’s the thought that comes before it. Using a simple Terminator analogy, he describes how addiction doesn’t say “I might be back” - it says “I’ll be back.”Young also reflects on becoming unrecovered, the small daily shifts that lead someone back toward relapse, and why emotional sobriety - not just abstinence - is the foundation of lasting freedom.This episode is for anyone questioning their recovery, currently struggling, or working to understand the psychology behind addiction beyond the substance itself.Listen to the full conversation with Young Lee here:https://open.spotify.com/episode/73A5jN7eetBSMQ45FfJow3#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

Lucy Rocca joins Believe in People to share her candid story of alcohol misuse, trauma, and recovery, and the creation of Soberistas, one of the earliest online sobriety communities for women.Lucy takes us back to the 1990s, the rave scene, early drug use, and the beginnings of binge drinking that quickly became unsafe. She explains how alcohol escalated in adulthood, how motherhood and “outward stability” can hide the reality of harmful drinking, and why shame keeps so many people silent.A key part of this conversation is trauma. Lucy describes living with post-traumatic stress disorder for years without recognising it, and how therapy, including eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing, helped her process what happened and rebuild her life.We also talk about “grey area drinking”, the gap between “social drinking” and physical dependence, and why so many people feel they are “not bad enough” to seek support until crisis hits. Lucy explains how Soberistas became a confidential, judgement-free space for women who want to change their relationship with alcohol, and why real connection matters more than ever in a world that is increasingly digital.In this episode, we discussBinge drinking, alcohol culture, and having “no off switch”The rave era, early drug use, and how alcohol became normalisedMotherhood, emotional impact, and the hidden harms of drinkingCrisis, hospitalisation, and the moment denial endedTrauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and why it can go unrecognisedTherapy, including eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing“Grey area drinking” and why people feel “not bad enough” for helpBuilding Soberistas and why community reduces shameHow sobriety changes relationships, identity, and self-respectThe importance of real human connection alongside online supportLinks and resourcesSoberistas: https://soberistas.com/ If you have enjoyed this episode of Believe in People, please share it with someone who might need it. Subscribe for more conversations that challenge stigma and centre real recovery stories.#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

This short episode of Believe in People Extra features a focused clip from our conversation with Adam Maxted - UK wrestling star, personal trainer, and two-time Love Island contestant.Adam speaks openly about steroids, testing cycles, image and performance enhancing drugs, cutting through myths around quick results and explaining the real difference between use and abuse. He reflects on gym culture, body image pressure, and why many people turn to these substances without fully understanding the risks.Adam also discusses the mental and physical impacts he experienced, including unwanted body changes, changes to libido, and the longer-term consequences that are rarely talked about in fitness spaces or on social media.This short episode is designed to be honest, accessible, and non-judgemental - offering insight for people who may be curious about steroids, gym-goers, and professionals working with image and performance enhancing drug use.You can listen to the full conversation with Adam here:https://www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com/adammaxted/#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

Paula McGowan OBE joins Believe in People for a full, in-depth conversation about her son Oliver, whose death led to the introduction of The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training across health and social care in England. Paula explains how people are too often doubted, judged, or written off in services, how distress is misread as behaviour or non-compliance, and how bias, fear, and rigid systems can escalate harm. Drawing directly from Oliver’s story, this conversation challenges professionals to reflect on power, responsibility, and what must change in everyday practice to prevent avoidable harm and loss of life.What Is The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training?The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training was introduced following Oliver’s death to address systemic failures where autistic people and people with a learning disability were not listened to, misunderstood, or harmed through avoidable mistakes. The training is now a legal requirement for health and social care staff in England.Information about the training and statutory expectations can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oliver-mcgowan-code-of-practice/the-oliver-mcgowan-draft-code-of-practice-on-statutory-learning-disability-and-autism-trainingTraining availability and booking information can be found here:https://www.olivermcgowantraining.com/book-trainingIf you found this episode of the Believe in People podcast valuable, please share it with colleagues and professionals who need to hear it. Subscribing, reviewing, and sharing helps this conversation reach the people who can make change happen.WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextra #PaulaMcGowan #OliverMcGowanClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

This short episode of Believe in People Extra shares an exclusive preview from our upcoming full conversation with Paula McGowan OBE, whose son Oliver’s death led to the introduction of The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training across health and social care in England.This preview focuses on one critical question: why Tier 2 training matters, and why listening to people with lived experience is not optional, but essential for safety, dignity, and life itself.Paula explains why Tier 2 training must be delivered face to face, why it is led by experts with lived experience, and why cutting corners in training is never about saving money, but about risking lives.What Is The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training?The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training was introduced following Oliver’s death, to address systemic failures where autistic people and people with a learning disability were not listened to, misunderstood, or harmed through avoidable mistakes. The training is now a legal requirement in health and social care settings in England.You can book the training herehttps://www.olivermcgowantraining.com/book-trainingOfficial government guidance and statutory expectations can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oliver-mcgowan-code-of-practice/the-oliver-mcgowan-draft-code-of-practice-on-statutory-learning-disability-and-autism-training#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Chiedu Oraka, one of the UK’s most distinctive emerging voices in rap, also known as The Black Yorkshireman, joins Matt to discuss dual identity, stigma, and the turning points that reshaped his life. Born and raised on a Hull council estate in a Nigerian household, Chiedu grew up balancing two worlds: cultural expectations at home and the pressure to fit in outside - while carrying the weight of how others perceived him.We explore how racism, reputation, and “estate survival” shaped his early choices, including the realities of alcohol culture, drugs, crime, and being labelled from a young age. Chiedu speaks candidly about the contradiction that defined a pivotal year: going to prison and going to university in the same year - and how that collision forced a change in direction.Now, after performing at Glastonbury, opening for Coldplay, and supporting Skepta on tour, Chiedu reflects on success without abandoning his roots - using his platform to challenge stigma, widen perceptions of Black British identity and to pass the ladder down for young people who feel written off.This episode offers practical insight for people in recovery, family members, frontline practitioners, and anyone interested in real stories of change.Search terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, stigma and recovery, lived experience stories, drugs and alcohol culture, racism and identity, peer support, trauma and recovery.#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcastClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People Extra, Amy Jo Johnson shares why she chose to stop drinking - not because her life had fallen apart, but because alcohol was making her anxiety louder and everyday life harder to manage.She shares the simple mindset shift that helped her most: giving herself permission to drink, and realising she didn’t actually want to. Amy Jo also reflects on how not drinking changed her friendships, why some social situations stopped feeling fulfilling, and how having support at home made it easier to follow through.This short episode explores:Why you don’t need rock bottom to change your drinkingHow removing alcohol can reduce anxiety and mental noiseWhat happens to friendships when drinking is no longer the focusIf you’re questioning your relationship with alcohol, feeling unsure about stopping, or wondering whether you’re “allowed” to want something different, this clip may help you take a first step.To listen to the full episode:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amy-jo-johnson-alcohol-free-loving-life-pink-power/id1617239923?i=1000653697345Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Joe Sealey joins us to discuss cocaine addiction, alcohol misuse, grief, and recovery. Known to millions as a cast member on The Real Housewives of Cheshire, Joe shares the story that existed long before the cameras - the career-ending injury that ended his football dream, the sudden death of his father, and how trauma and loss of identity pulled him into addiction.We explore themes of addiction recovery, trauma, peer support, mental health, and the lived experiences that shaped Joe’s journey. Joe describes the moment cocaine felt like it saved his life, how quickly things escalated into dependency, the cycle of relapse and secrecy, and the impact addiction had on his family. He also reflects on what finally changed, why honesty became his turning point, and how routine, communication, and taking recovery one hour at a time helped him rebuild.This episode offers practical insight for people in recovery, family members, frontline practitioners, and anyone interested in real stories of change.Search terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, lived experience stories, peer support, trauma and recovery, substance misuse.Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In the first episode of Believe in People Extra, our new spin off miniseries, Michelle Heaton speaks openly about what it feels like to want to stop drinking and not be able to.She explains the medical dangers she didn’t understand, the shame that kept her stuck, and why addiction isn’t about a lack of willpower. Michelle shares the moment that changed everything: seeing someone else in recovery who had what she wanted - and realising she didn’t have to do this alone.This short episode explores:Why stopping alcohol suddenly can be unsafeHow peer support works when willpower doesn’tWhy rehab helped, but free AA and CA meetings keep her soberIf you’re thinking about recovery, supporting someone else, or searching for a place to start, this clip may help you take the next step.To listen to the episode in full https://open.spotify.com/episode/1THTnfwpdcL22CaDFTkvNmClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Patti reflects on a lifetime shaped by silence, trauma, and survival. Growing up in a dysfunctional home in 1970s San Francisco - marked by alcoholism, emotional neglect, and parents who barely spoke - she began using alcohol and drugs at just 13 to escape overwhelming pain. By 16 she had lost her mother to alcoholism, a loss that profoundly shaped her understanding of addiction, identity, and generational trauma.Patti shares candidly about early experiences with hallucinogens during the counterculture era, the years she spent bartending in Alaska amid heavy cocaine use, and the moment she chose life over self-destruction. She describes the powerful impact of her first women-only 12-step meeting, the birth of long-term sobriety, and the choice to get clean before having children so she would never repeat the patterns she grew up with.After nearly 13 years in recovery, Patti later faced relapse - driven by disconnection, loss of community, motherhood identity shifts, and the seductive “yummy mummy” drinking culture. She unpacks how secrecy, co-dependency, and convincing self-talk sustained her relapse, and the moments that finally brought clarity: writing her first book while still drinking, confronting her own hypocrisy, and acknowledging that recovery requires honesty, therapy, and belonging - not just abstinence.Together, Patti and Matt explore the deeper roots of addiction: trauma, loneliness, the search for meaning, and the societal and gendered pressures that shape women’s drinking. Patti critiques patriarchal elements of traditional 12-step structures, highlights the importance of women-centred spaces, and explains why she has gone on to start recovery groups in New Zealand, Portugal, and beyond.This is a rich and layered conversation about breaking generational cycles, redefining identity in motherhood, and building a recovery community grounded in compassion, inclusion, and truth.In this episode:Growing up in silence, emotional neglect and an alcoholic homeEarly use of alcohol, speed and acid from age 13Hallucinogens in 1970s San Francisco drug cultureLosing her mother to alcoholism at 16Bartending in Alaska, cocaine use, and the “fork in the road” momentGetting sober before having children to break multi-generational patternsWomen-only 12-step spaces and the power of belongingMoving to New Zealand and the loss of recovery communityMotherhood, purpose collapse and the pull of “mummy wine culture”The psychology of relapse: secrecy, co-dependency and self-negotiationWriting a book while drinking and the confrontation with honestyCreating women’s meetings and broader, non-pedantic recovery spacesTrauma as a root cause, subjective suffering, and the need for therapyFinding your people and why some recovery rooms “suck”#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, we conclude our two-part conversation with Andy Woodward, who reflects on the long-term psychological effects of childhood trauma and how those experiences shaped his later struggles with alcohol use, anxiety and identity.Andy shares how a false rape accusation in 2015 became a devastating turning point - stripping away the structures that once grounded him, including careers in both professional football and policing. Without those frameworks, unresolved trauma resurfaced, and alcohol became a way to cope with fear, panic and overwhelming emotional distress.Through honest reflection, Andy discussesthe spiral into binge drinking,the psychological impacts of trauma,the difficulty forming safe relationships,the misconceptions around addiction,and the challenges of seeking meaningful help within rigid or judgemental systems.He also speaks candidly about the profound media attention following his 2016 disclosures, and the lack of aftercare that left him vulnerable and unsupported. A central theme of this conversation is the recognition that substance misuse often develops as a response to prolonged emotional pain - and that sustainable recovery begins with understanding that link.This episode is a powerful and compassionate exploration of trauma, survival and change - and what it means to rebuild life with honesty, humility and hope.In this episode:How childhood trauma resurfaced later in lifeThe psychological fallout of a false rape accusationAlcohol use as coping, binge cycles and relapse psychologyAnxiety, panic, fear and relationship difficultiesMedia exposure, vulnerability and lack of aftercareRehab, 12-step work and multiple recovery pathwaysMindset, meditation and living in the presentHope, acceptance and rebuilding life after collapseSearch terms: trauma and addiction recovery, false accusation lived experience, alcohol recovery UK, mental health and panic, relapse and recovery psychology, lived experience stories, stigma and trauma.Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, we begin the first of a powerful two-part conversation with Andy Woodward, the former professional footballer whose bravery exposed one of the biggest safeguarding scandals in British sporting history.Andy was the first to go public with his experience of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of youth coach Barry Bennell, a predator enabled by a culture of silence that protected reputations instead of children. With striking honesty, Andy explains how abusers groom not only children but entire families, using trust, authority and the “position of trust” to create a fortress around their behaviour.This episode also explores the wider emotional toll of Andy’s early experiences, including the devastating connection between his abuser and the man who murdered his aunt - a trauma that echoed across generations and shaped the course of his adult life.Part One lays bare the origins of a profound reckoning: how childhood trauma fractures identity, how the football world concealed the truth for decades, and why speaking out became the catalyst for change. Part Two will explore Andy’s journey through pain, addiction, survival and healing - a testament to how recovery begins with telling the truth.In this episode:Growing up in football and the culture that enabled abuseHow Barry Bennell groomed families as well as childrenThe weaponisation of trust, authority and reputationThe psychological and emotional impact of long-term abuseThe connection between Bennell and the murder of Andy’s auntThe beginnings of a personal reckoning that would change British sportSearch terms: childhood trauma podcast, football abuse scandal, Andy Woodward interview, lived experience stories, trauma and recovery, safeguarding in sport, mental health, addiction and traumaClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, we are privileged to sit down with Taz, whose life story spans racism, identity conflict, culture, trauma, addiction, and the long path to redemption.Born in Britain to Pakistani parents, Taz grew up between cultures – navigating violence, racism, and confusion around faith, masculinity, and belonging. Forced into an arranged marriage, his life spiralled into addiction, offending, and prison before honesty, therapy, and self-reflection helped him rebuild with compassion and clarity.This episode examines how culture and religion are often conflated, how expectations can fracture identity across generations, and how misunderstanding faith can deepen shame, anger, and emotional repression. Taz speaks with rare openness about guilt, forgiveness, fatherhood, and the truth that recovery begins when survival mode ends.In this episode:Growing up British-Pakistani in 80s and 90s EnglandRacism, violence, identity confusion, and early traumaThe clash between cultural expectations and personal faithArranged marriage, shame, anger and emotional repressionPrison, relapse, and the realities of addictionHow honesty, therapy and understanding shaped long-term recoveryRebuilding life with compassion and purposeSearch terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, lived experience stories, trauma and recovery, British-Pakistani lived experience, culture and identity, substance misuse.Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Katie Price and Kerry Katona sit down for a raw, unfiltered conversation about cocaine addiction, recovery, motherhood, mental health, and the double standards women continue to face in the public eye.Recorded live behind the scenes at Hull City Hall during their UK tour, Katie and Kerry speak candidly about ADHD, bipolar diagnoses, self-medication, toxic circles, fame, exploitation, and how accountability transformed their lives.They share how friendship became a protective factor, why authenticity matters more than gossip or headlines, and the practical tools that helped them rebuild after the darkest moments. This episode offers a rare, honest insight into women’s experiences of addiction, shame, media pressure, relapse, and long-term recovery.In this episode:How cocaine became a “best friend” and how they broke the cycleWhy disclosures still carry more stigma for womenExploitation, tabloid culture and the pressure to fail in publicMotherhood, relapse, and choosing healthier circlesPractical recovery tools: therapy letters, affirmations, exercise, boundariesKatie Price: instagram.com/katiepriceKerry Katona: instagram.com/kerrykatona7#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Mel shares a powerful and deeply honest account of her journey through alcohol misuse, escalating substance use, mental health struggles, and the non-linear path toward recovery.Growing up as a triplet in a family where drinking was normalised, Mel describes early identity struggles, belonging within pub culture, and how her use escalated in Brighton – from drinking to dangerous encounters with dealers and a chaotic lifestyle that felt increasingly out of control. A moment of clarity in Spain shifted everything.Mel reflects on the complexities of giving up alcohol while continuing to use cannabis, the emotional roots behind her coping behaviours, and how recovery eventually took shape through boxing, community, medication, 12-step fellowships, and building a personal sobriety toolbox that actually works.This is a grounded, practical, and compassionate story about rebuilding identity, finding strength in healthy routines, and learning what recovery really looks like beyond abstinence or expectation.In this episode:Growing up as a triplet and early identity conflictPub culture, belonging, and escalating use in BrightonDrinking, cannabis, dealers, and unsafe situationsThe moment of clarity in Spain that shifted everythingBoxing as a recovery tool and protective factorCommunity, fellowship, medication, and building a sobriety toolboxThe reality of non-linear recovery and self-compassionSearch terms: alcohol recovery podcast UK, lived experience stories, substance misuse, boxing and mental health, trauma and recovery, addiction recovery.#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Emma Hardy MP returns to the podcast to discuss some of the most urgent challenges facing Hull and the wider UK – including rising ketamine harm, worsening mental health pressures, and the city’s ongoing triple flood threat.Recorded during a period of national uncertainty, Emma reflects on the cost of living crisis, social housing pressures, sewage and drainage issues, and the wider political culture that shapes how communities experience harm, trauma and recovery. We explore why transparency is essential for rebuilding public trust and how innovation – from improved infrastructure to “poo-powered planes” – could unlock more sustainable solutions.This is a grounded, accessible conversation about public health, community resilience, and the need for leadership that brings people together rather than exploiting division. Emma highlights why unity, purpose, and local empowerment remain central to solving long-term challenges.In this episode:Hull’s triple flood threat and the reality of failing infrastructureThe rise of ketamine-related harm and community impactMental health pressures linked to cost of livingWhy transparency is essential in governmentInnovation, climate resilience and “poo-powered planes”Building unity across communities facing trauma and inequalityThe role of purpose, connection and collaboration in long-term recoverySearch terms: ketamine harm UK, mental health crisis, addiction recovery podcast UK, lived experience stories, community recovery, Hull public health, trauma and recovery.#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Elly returns for her third appearance to share more than 30 years of insight from frontline harm reduction and public health work, with a particular focus on eliminating Hepatitis C across the UK.Elly explains how treatment has transformed from long, punishing year-long interferon courses with severe side effects to today’s short-course tablets that are over 96 percent effective. Drawing on decades of clinical, operational and commissioning experience, she breaks down how public health services respond to complex, evolving risks and why Hepatitis C continues to affect a far broader population than many assume.While often associated with injecting drug use, Hepatitis C also impacts people who have had tattoos abroad, unregulated cosmetic work, shared razors or toothbrushes, or undergone certain health procedures in other countries. Elly offers clear guidance on symptoms, risk factors and the long-term damage caused when the virus goes undiagnosed for years.We also explore the barriers that prevent people from completing treatment and how genuine co-production between service users, providers and commissioners is essential for improving outcomes. This conversation is relevant for healthcare professionals, students, commissioners and anyone wanting a clear, practical understanding of one of the UK’s most significant viral risks.In this episode:30 years of harm reduction and public health practiceThe evolution of Hepatitis C treatment: from interferon to 96%-effective tabletsHow Hepatitis C affects far more people than commonly understoodSymptoms, risks and why early diagnosis mattersBarriers to completing treatment and how services can remove themThe role of co-production in improving access and outcomesPublic health innovation, stigma reduction and community engagementSearch terms: Hepatitis C elimination UK, harm reduction podcast, public health stories, addiction recovery podcast UK, trauma and recovery, lived experience, substance misuse.#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, we meet Henry Beercock, founder of Hull’s rapidly growing sober movement Alcohull Free. After nearly two decades of heavy binge drinking, Henry made a bold decision that changed his life: he stopped drinking, stepped away from his corporate career, and began rebuilding his health, identity and purpose from the inside out.What started as a personal recovery journey quickly evolved into something bigger. Alcohull Free became a cultural shift – a movement for people who are tired of drinking culture but still want to connect, socialise and celebrate without compromise. Henry has created a space where choosing to be alcohol-free is not about restriction, but about reclaiming joy, energy and freedom.This candid and energising conversation explores what sobriety really looks like beyond the stereotypes, and how one person’s transformation can inspire a community-wide rebellion against outdated norms.Whether you’re exploring sobriety, rethinking your relationship with alcohol, or looking for new ways to connect without pressure, this is an episode that could genuinely change everything.In this episode:Two decades of binge drinking and the moment Henry decided to stopLeaving corporate life and rebuilding identityHow Alcohull Free started and why the movement mattersSocial pressures, drinking culture and redefining connectionSobriety as empowerment rather than restrictionCommunity, belonging and the rise of sober spaces in HullTools for anyone curious about living alcohol-freeSearch terms: alcohol recovery podcast UK, sobriety stories, binge drinking recovery, alcohol-free movement, lived experience stories, trauma and recovery, substance misuse.#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this special episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, we present a unique collaboration with Apple Music and the Radio Academy Award-winning podcast Classical Connections, hosted by world-renowned pianist and composer Alexis Ffrench.Originally broadcast as part of the celebrated 60-Second Sonata segment, Alexis invited host Matthew Butler to share a deeply personal reflection on trauma, addiction, stigma, and the origins of the Believe in People podcast. In response, Alexis composed an original piano piece titled “Believe” - a bespoke composition that captures the emotional gravity, hope, and humanity within Butler’s story.The conversation explores how speaking with hundreds of people in recovery transformed Butler’s understanding of addiction, what leads individuals to substance use, the deeply personal nature of “rock bottom,” and why non-judgemental listening remains one of the most powerful tools in harm reduction and recovery.In an extraordinary gesture of support for the recovery community, Apple Music has donated both the composition “Believe” and the full interview audio for wider public use, helping bring conversations about stigma, compassion, and addiction recovery to new audiences.In this episode:Trauma, hope and the origins of Believe in PeopleHow hundreds of lived experience stories shaped Butler’s understanding of addictionThe emotional and musical process behind Alexis Ffrench's composition “Believe”Stigma, rock bottoms and the human side of substance useThe importance of listening without judgementApple Music’s support for recovery conversations and community outreachSearch terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, trauma and recovery, Alexis Ffrench, Apple Music collaboration, lived experience stories, stigma and addiction, mental health, recovery community.Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Young Lee returns to explore what happens after the chaos of addiction — when the substances are gone, the dust has settled, and the real internal work begins.Once seen as a rising talent in the music scene, Young describes how losing everything forced him to rebuild not just a life, but a self. Through daily spiritual practice, humility, service, discipline, and presence, he has found a quieter, deeper form of freedom - one rooted not in status, attention or achievement, but in being genuinely useful to others.This is not simply a story of surviving addiction. It is a raw, reflective exploration of spiritual recovery, long-term healing, and the ongoing work of becoming someone trustworthy again. Young speaks candidly about repairing relationships with his children, breaking the illusion of control, and staying grounded in a world that constantly pulls us away from ourselves.If you’ve ever wondered what recovery looks like years after the substances have gone, this conversation offers clarity, honesty and hope. It’s not about perfection. It’s about showing up, telling the truth, and choosing peace one day at a time.In this episode:What recovery really looks like years after stopping substancesHow losing everything created space to rebuild identityDaily spiritual practices and the discipline of presenceReconnecting with his children and earning back trustBreaking the illusion of control and embracing serviceMusic, purpose, humility and long-term emotional sobrietySearch terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, spiritual recovery, life after addiction, long-term sobriety, lived experience stories, trauma and recovery, substance misuse.If you liked this episode then you'll also love Young's first appearance 👇https://open.spotify.com/episode/6UtKzvrzzqVJWLQxZSehJ8https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/41-young-heroin-house-music-healing-smuggling-acid/id1617239923?i=1000650255345#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Ross shares an extraordinary journey from personal tragedy to public advocacy following the suicide of his father - a traumatic event that deeply shaped his mental health and identity.Struggling to cope with overwhelming grief, Ross turned to alcohol and cocaine to numb the pain, leading to multiple suicide attempts and a period of profound crisis. A pivotal moment of clarity during hospitalisation marked the beginning of his recovery journey, rooted in sobriety, honesty and the lifesaving impact of peer support.Through his involvement with Andy’s Man Club, Ross rediscovered purpose by helping create spaces where men can speak openly, confront trauma, and support each other without judgement. His story highlights the social conditioning of masculinity, the emotional cost of silence, and the healing power of community-led recovery.This conversation also examines the moment Ross met the paramedic who saved his life - a full-circle encounter that reinforced the value of second chances and the profound ripple effect of choosing to stay.Trigger Warning: This episode discusses suicide, addiction and mental health crises.In this episode:Suicide bereavement and its long-term emotional impactAlcohol and cocaine misuse as coping mechanisms for griefMultiple suicide attempts and the moment everything changedHospitalisation, sobriety and reclaiming purposeThe role of Andy’s Man Club in community-led men’s mental health supportMasculinity, emotional resilience and breaking the silenceMeeting the paramedic who saved his lifeWhy peer support can transform recoveryIf you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, addiction or overwhelming emotions, please contact Samaritans at 116 123 or visit Andy’s Man Club to find a local group.Search terms: suicide bereavement recovery, men’s mental health podcast UK, addiction recovery stories, lived experience, peer support groups, trauma and recovery, cocaine addiction#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Matt speaks with Woody Albrow, the National Connecting Communities Lead at Change Grow Live, who shares an open and deeply personal account of his journey through addiction, spirituality and professional development.Woody reflects on the early signs of substance use during his teens, including butane gas, cannabis, hallucinogens and eventually alcohol, which became his most destructive dependency. He speaks honestly about the emotional undercurrents that fuelled his use - shame, isolation, denial and the weight of unprocessed trauma.He describes the profound personal impact of addiction: fractured family relationships, disconnection from his children, and the collapse of his physical and emotional wellbeing. A powerful turning point involving arrest and hospitalisation pushed Woody into detox, where the foundations of his recovery journey began to take shape.A key theme throughout this conversation is the role of spirituality, nature, and meaningful human connection. Woody explains how spiritual philosophy helped him replace dependency with purpose, grounding and clarity, and how being part of a recovery community offered both accountability and belonging.Now in a national leadership role, Woody reflects on stigma, disclosure and the complexities of bringing lived experience into professional spaces. He explores the cultural shifts needed within organisations to recognise lived experience not as a risk, but as a transformative asset.In this episode:Early substance use and the emotional roots of addictionButane gas, cannabis, hallucinogens and alcohol dependencyArrest, hospitalisation and the moment rock bottom became a turning pointShame, isolation and denial in active addictionSpirituality, nature and the foundations of long-term recoveryCommunity, peer support and rebuilding family connectionsLeading with lived experience at Change Grow LiveStigma, disclosure and cultural change in professional settingsSearch terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, lived experience leadership, spiritual recovery, trauma and recovery, substance misuse, peer support, Change Grow Live, long-term sobriety.#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Matt speaks with Chris De Banks, founder of Not Saints - the UK’s only not-for-profit record label dedicated to supporting musicians in recovery. Through Chris’s lived experience, we explore the powerful intersection of music, addiction and sobriety, and the realities of navigating creative life without substances.Chris reflects on his early experiences in the drug-fuelled 90s music scene, how substance use became normalised, and the point where creativity and chaos began to collide. He shares his journey through addiction and recovery, the turning points that helped him rebuild, and how Not Saints emerged as a platform to amplify sober artists, challenge stigma, and provide genuine community in an industry often dominated by alcohol and drug culture.Together, Matt and Chris dismantle the myths that link creativity with substance use, discuss the glamorisation of addiction in pop culture, and highlight how storytelling, sober events and authentic expression can reshape what artistic identity looks like in recovery.This is an inspiring conversation about purpose, second chances, and building spaces where creativity thrives without cost to wellbeing.In this episode:The drug-fuelled 90s music scene and early addictionHow recovery reshaped Chris’s relationship with creativityFounding Not Saints and building a sober creative communityThe myth of “needing substances to create”Stigma, pop culture and the glamorisation of addictionSober events, storytelling and empowering artists in recoveryWhy purpose, routine and connection sustain long-term sobrietySearch terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, musicians in recovery, sober music community, lived experience stories, trauma and recovery, substance misuse, creativity and sobriety.#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Matt sits down with Daniel Ramson, known online as TalkToBigDan, for a raw, provocative and unapologetically direct conversation about recovery, responsibility and the limits of traditional services.Dan charts his journey from partying with rock stars to being sectioned, surviving drug-induced psychosis, and navigating the family fallout that followed. Rejecting the disease model of addiction, he advocates instead for radical accountability, discipline, structure and ownership - an approach that has made him one of Europe’s most in-demand and controversial recovery coaches.This conversation does not shy away from division. Dan pulls no punches, challenging assumptions about treatment, personal responsibility and what it actually takes to change your life. While his views are not universal, they are rooted firmly in lived experience and delivered with a level of honesty that forces reflection.Whether you agree or disagree, this episode sparks vital debate around the future of recovery, the limits of conventional approaches, and the role of personal agency in rebuilding a meaningful life after addiction.In this episode:The rise of TalkToBigDan and his tough-love philosophyDrug-induced psychosis, crisis points and being sectionedFamily fallout, shame and rebuilding identityWhy Dan rejects the disease model of addictionRadical accountability, discipline and structure as recovery toolsThe tension between lived experience and traditional servicesDebates that challenge and reshape how recovery is understoodSearch terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, tough-love recovery, recovery coaching, drug-induced psychosis, lived experience stories, trauma and recovery, discipline and addiction.#believeinpeople #believeinpeoplepodcast #believeinpeopleextraClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, John shares a powerful story of quiet transformation - a shift from binge drinking, late nights and emotional exhaustion to clarity, creativity and meaningful connection.After a 5am moment of reckoning, John made a life-changing decision: to stop drinking. Not because he identified as an alcoholic, but because alcohol no longer aligned with the life he wanted to build. In the space that sobriety created, he discovered a new passion for photography and founded Hull and Yorkshire Daily, a widely followed platform capturing the beauty, grit and character of the region.With honesty and insight, John reflects on how removing alcohol unlocked personal growth, emotional stability and even physical transformation. His story explores the pressures of drinking culture, the search for authenticity, and what it means to rebuild a life based on values rather than habits.This conversation is a compelling reminder that sobriety is not only a response to harm - it can be a deliberate, empowering choice that makes room for creativity, purpose and self-belief.In this episode:A 5am moment of clarity and choosing sobrietyLeaving binge drinking culture behindHow photography became a new identity and outletCreating Hull and Yorkshire DailyPersonal, emotional and physical transformationRedefining authenticity without alcoholLiving a values-led life and finding connection through creativitySearch terms: sobriety podcast UK, binge drinking recovery, alcohol recovery stories, lived experience, creative recovery, trauma and recovery, Hull photography.Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Paul Haley shares his extraordinary journey from the depths of heroin and crack cocaine addiction to a position of national leadership within Change Grow Live. After a near-fatal injecting injury became his rock bottom, Paul made the courageous decision to rebuild his life - a decision that would ultimately shape his future and the lives of thousands of others.Nearly two decades into recovery, Paul now serves as Change Grow Live’s National Service User Involvement Lead, using his lived experience to challenge stigma, influence policy, and embed the voices of people in treatment across the UK. His story is not just about abstinence - it is about reclaiming identity, finding meaning, and proving that lived experience is an asset capable of transforming entire systems.This conversation explores resilience, purpose, and the power of turning personal pain into professional impact. Paul’s journey shows that recovery can lead not only to healing, but to leadership, innovation and lasting change.In this episode:Heroin and crack cocaine addiction, collapse and near-fatal injecting injuryThe moment Paul decided to rebuild his lifeTwo decades of recovery and personal transformationWhy lived experience is essential in modern treatment systemsPaul’s role as Change Grow Live’s National Service User Involvement LeadChallenging stigma and influencing national practiceHow recovery can lead to leadership, purpose and systemic changeSearch terms: heroin recovery UK, crack cocaine recovery, lived experience leadership, addiction recovery stories, trauma and recovery, Change Grow Live, service user involvement.Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this powerful transatlantic collaboration of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, host Amy Goldberg welcomes UK host Matt Butler into the guest seat, joined by special guest host Caitlin Morrison — sister of the late Matthew Perry and a driving force behind the Matthew Perry Foundation.Together, they explore the intersections of recovery, resilience and legacy through an intimate conversation about how storytelling dismantles stigma, how lived experience shapes advocacy, and why honesty continues to be one of the most transformative tools in the recovery movement.Matt reflects on his own journey — from working behind the scenes in addiction services to becoming the host of a nationally recognised podcast — and how the stories he’s heard have reshaped his understanding of compassion, trauma and hope. Caitlin offers moving insight into her brother Matthew’s mission to help people recover, and how his legacy continues through advocacy, education and lived-experience leadership.This episode is a testament to the universal nature of recovery and to the power of collaboration across borders, communities and personal histories.In this episode:A cross-Atlantic conversation on recovery and stigmaThe legacy of Matthew Perry and the mission of the Matthew Perry FoundationMatt Butler’s journey from frontline work to podcast hostHow storytelling challenges shame and transforms public understandingWhy lived experience is vital in reducing stigmaThe emotional realities of advocacy, grief and purposeReframing recovery as service, connection and compassionSearch terms: Matthew Perry Foundation, addiction recovery podcast UK, lived experience stories, stigma and recovery, storytelling and mental health, Amy Goldberg podcast, Caitlin Morrison interview.Learn more about the hosts and their work:Believe in People America by Amy Goldberg: Push Back Productions | InstagramCaitlin Morrison and the Matthew Perry Foundation: Foundation Website | LinkedInBelieve in People: Spotify | YouTubeClick here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Matt sits down with ultramarathon runner Tom Fitzsimons, whose extraordinary journey from alcohol addiction to running 3,073 miles across the United States in 100 days stands as one of the most powerful testaments to human resilience and purpose.Through raw, candid storytelling, Tom shares how running became his lifeline - a way to reclaim identity, process trauma, and rebuild a life grounded in meaning rather than self-destruction. From training in front of a fireplace to surreal encounters on America’s loneliest highways, he reflects on the emotional toll of addiction, the healing power of movement, and the strangers who shaped his path along the way.This conversation challenges stigma, celebrates recovery, and reminds us that profound purpose can be found in even the most painful places. Tom’s story shows how discipline, community, and endurance can transform not only a body, but a life.In this episode:Tom’s journey from alcohol addiction to ultramarathon runnerRunning 3,073 miles across America in 100 daysTrauma, identity loss and the emotional cost of addictionWhy running became a source of healing and structureStrangers, community and the unexpected support found along the roadChallenging stigma through lived experience and storytellingPurpose, resilience and rebuilding a life through movementSearch terms: alcohol recovery UK, ultramarathon recovery stories, running and mental health, lived experience stories, trauma and recovery, endurance and sobriety, substance misuse.Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, we continue the second part of a powerful two-part conversation with Sarah Hicks, who shares her courageous journey through trauma, justice and long-term recovery.Speaking with clarity and unflinching honesty, Sarah reflects on her experience of surviving sexual assault and the profound psychological impact that followed. She details the systemic barriers she encountered while seeking justice - from investigative inconsistencies to structural gaps that can retraumatise survivors rather than support them.As Sarah traces her path through advocacy, she highlights how transforming pain into purpose became a catalyst for change. Working with the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Independent Advisory Group, as well as serving as a lived experience coordinator, she now champions survivor-led reform, pushing institutions to become more accountable, trauma-informed and compassionate.This episode is a sobering, essential exploration of resilience, systemic improvement and the vital role of lived experience at the heart of meaningful reform.In this episode:The long-term impact of surviving sexual assaultSystemic failures and barriers within justice and investigative processesTrauma, recovery and rebuilding trust in institutionsSarah’s role in the Violence Against Women and Girls Independent Advisory GroupLived experience coordination and survivor-led reformThe emotional cost of speaking out — and the power it createsWhy advocacy, accountability and trauma-informed practice matterSearch terms: sexual trauma recovery, survivor-led advocacy, VAWG lived experience, mental health and trauma, justice system failures, addiction recovery podcast UK, stigma and recovery.Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Matt begins the first part of a deeply personal two-part conversation with Sarah Hicks, whose story spans addiction, trauma, abusive relationships, grief and the long journey back to self-worth.Sarah reflects on her early experiences with substance use, unpacking how emotional neglect, generational patterns and unhealthy family dynamics shaped her understanding of love, loyalty and survival. She speaks candidly about the damaging impact of coercive control, the emotional fallout of loss and abandonment, and how codependency and stigma kept her trapped in cycles that felt impossible to break.With striking honesty and insight, Sarah explores the complexities of motherhood while carrying trauma, and how the desire to protect her children became a catalyst for change. Her recovery journey is one of painful self-reflection, gradual healing and the courage to rebuild a life on her own terms.This episode shines a light on the nuanced intersections of addiction, mental health, family systems, trauma and isolation, offering a compassionate and realistic portrayal of what long-term transformation truly requires.In this episode:Early substance use and emotional copingCoercive control, abusive relationships and breaking the cycleGenerational trauma and the shaping of self-worthGrief, abandonment and the emotional weight of lossMotherhood while navigating addiction and traumaCodependency, shame and internalised stigmaThe beginnings of Sarah’s healing and personal transformationSearch terms: addiction and trauma recovery, coercive control lived experience, grief and addiction, mental health podcast UK, family systems and recovery, lived experience stories.Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Matt speaks with Chris Tait - keyboardist for Electric Six and founder of Passenger Recovery, a Detroit-based organisation supporting musicians and creatives in sobriety. Together they explore what happens when the highs of the music industry collide with the depths of addiction.Chris reflects on using alcohol as a coping mechanism from a young age, the culture of excess and self-destruction that permeates the music world, and the pivotal moments that pushed him to seek recovery. With honesty and clarity, he discusses the emotional cost of addiction, the pressures of life on the road, and the profound relief of finally telling the truth.This is a powerful reminder that behind the glamour of the stage are real people with real struggles - and that healing begins when we make space to speak openly about pain, identity and recovery.In this episode:Addiction behind the scenes of the music industryTeenage alcohol use and coping through substancesRecovery turning points and redefining identityPassenger Recovery and supporting creatives in sobrietyMetropolis Records: A Call to ActionStigma, peer support and purpose-led advocacyWhy storytelling saves lives in creative communitiesSearch terms: musicians in recovery, alcohol recovery stories, music industry addiction, lived experience stories, trauma and recovery, Passenger Recovery, Electric Six, creative sobriety.Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

In this episode of Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma, Matt jumps straight into a heartfelt and unflinching conversation with Shev, who reflects on the emotional weight of adult responsibilities placed on her from an early age - including becoming a mother at just 17.Shev speaks candidly about the wounds of abandonment, the complexity of family relationships, and how alcohol use quietly escalated while working in the pub industry. She challenges the stigma that surrounds single motherhood, identity, and women in recovery, sharing her determination to rewrite her story with honesty and strength.Through community support, family connection and the rise of the sober movement, Shev has begun rebuilding a life that reflects her values, her resilience and her sense of purpose. This conversation explores the intersections of trauma, identity, motherhood and recovery — and shows how healing begins when we finally choose to reclaim our narrative.In this episode:Becoming a mother at 17 and carrying adult responsibilities too soonAbandonment, family trauma and emotional woundsAlcohol escalation within the pub industryStigma, single motherhood and rewriting your storyCommunity support, sober movements and renewed identityResilience, hope and building a self-led futureThe realities of healing while still showing up for familySearch terms: alcohol recovery stories, single motherhood and addiction, trauma and recovery, lived experience podcast UK, family dynamics in addiction, sober movement UK.Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

Join Matt for a gripping and emotional conversation with Tom, a former talent agent whose high-flying lifestyle in central London masked a devastating struggle with cocaine addiction. Tom recounts the harrowing moment he realised he was using drugs while bringing his new-born daughter home - a wake-up call that forced him to confront the grip addiction had on his life. Reflecting on his own childhood, Tom explores the psychological toll of drug-induced psychosis, self-blame, and the destructive cycle of addiction. With honesty and vulnerability, he shares the painful road to recovery, from despair and relapse to the intervention that led him to rehab and healing. At its heart, Tom’s story is one of redemption - highlighting the power of empathy, the necessity of support, and the unwavering drive to reconnect with what matters most. Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

Matt is joined by Ollie for a raw and introspective conversation tracing his journey from early childhood trauma to recovery. After losing his mother at just eight years old and navigating the fallout of his father’s 22-year prison sentence at fifteen, Ollie turned to cannabis as a coping mechanism - eventually becoming heavily dependent and identifying as a self-proclaimed “weed connoisseur.” He candidly reflects on how his rationalisation masked the deep mental health toll, including psychotic episodes and profound emotional isolation. Smoking from morning to night, his life became shaped by addiction. Now in recovery, Ollie challenges the widespread perception of cannabis as harmless, offering a powerful reminder that its impact - particularly on mental health - can be just as serious as that of any other substance. Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

Join Matt for an extraordinary conversation with Andre, whose story spans over three decades in a Los Angeles prison following convictions for armed robbery and murder. Opening with a raw account of the grief, addiction, and desperation that drove his actions, Andre offers a gripping exploration of life inside the U.S. prison system - marked by gang violence, racial segregation, and institutional corruption. What sets this episode apart is Andre’s profound introspection, as he reflects on the choices that shaped his past and the spiritual awakening that helped him survive. Now living in the UK after deportation, Andre speaks candidly about the challenges of reintegration, the trauma of incarceration, and his mission to give back through mentorship and entrepreneurship. This powerful episode is a testament to the human capacity for change and offers vital insight into the intersections of addiction, justice, and redemption. Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew 

Join Matt as he sits down with Emma, whose powerful and unflinching account traces a journey through addiction that began at just 11 years old. Growing up in a family shaped by substance use - her father’s addiction and her grandmother’s role as a local drug dealer - Emma’s path quickly escalated from early experimentation to heroin and crack cocaine dependency by 23. She shares pivotal and harrowing moments, including a public overdose and being revived with naloxone, offering a stark portrait of addiction’s physical and emotional toll. With honesty and insight, Emma confronts the deep shame and stigma that often surround substance misuse, while calling for greater compassion and understanding in how we view those in recovery. Her story is a moving testament to resilience and the urgent need to humanise the conversation around addiction. Click here to text our host, Matt, directly!🎧  If this episode connected with you, please subscribe and review. It directly helps us reach more people affected by addiction, trauma and stigma. 🔗 Then share this episode with someone who needs to hear it!Browse the full archive at 👉 www.believeinpeoplepodcast.com Believe in People is a platform for lived experience, recovery insight and honest conversation. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or working on the frontline, this podcast exists to inform, challenge stigma and inspire change.If you or someone you know needs support with drugs, alcohol, housing, domestic abuse, or mental and physical wellbeing, free and confidential help is available via Change Grow Live:📩 Contact: [email protected]🎵 Music: “Jonathan Tortoise” - Christopher Tait (Belle Ghoul / Electric Six)Listen & Subscribe:Spotify | Apple Podcasts🎙️ Facilitator: Matthew Butler 🎛️ Producer: Robbie Lawson 🏢 Network: ReNew