School of Rock Bottom

• Can You Have a Rock Bottom in Recovery? Addiction & ADHD. School of Rock Bottom 70: Issy Hawkins

  Can you have rock bottom moments when sober and IN recovery? Today, I sit down with actor and content creator Issy Hawkins, who has been sober for a decade, to talk about burnout, identity, and the side of recovery no one likes to admit. We explore what it’s really like being diagnosed as an adult with ADHD in sobriety, the truth behind the “addict voice,” and why even years into recovery, the mind can still turn against you. Issy first joined the podcast in episode 33, sharing her journey through alcoholism, rehab and how she got sober at 21, but this episode goes further into what happens when recovery itself feels overwhelming. In this conversation, we explore into what it means to confront the “addict voice,” how ADHD interacts with addiction, and the ways that burnout and self-judgment can sneak into recovery. Issy shares how she stepped back from everything to reconnect with herself, exploring meditation, self-reflection, and facing long-buried shame. We discuss the complex interplay of identity, impulse control, and emotional regulation, and why sobriety doesn’t automatically solve the deeper challenges of the mind.This episode is for anyone in recovery, whether you’re new or have been sober for years, and for anyone interested in the human experience of coping with trauma, mental health, and the constant negotiation between external achievement and internal wellbeing. It is honest, reflective, and a rare insight into the real work that continues long after alcohol is gone. The twist is that through this new dark period came an unexpected present - a spiritual awakening. More on Issy -Issy Hawkins is an actor and content creator with over 150,000 followers on social media. After graduating drama school into the pandemic in 2020, Issy decided to focus on her advocacy work as a means of encouraging other young people with addiction issues to ask for help, taking to social media to share her experience and she hasn’t looked back since. Issy navigated nearly her entire 20's sober after a stint in rehab at age 21 and is passionate about dismantling the stigma. She is also the child of a recovering alcoholic. Issy is an Ambassador for Alcohol Change UK and most recently won The National Diversity Awards for the category Role Model for Age.Oliver & Issy are ambassadors for Alcohol Change UK and you can access support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773eThank you to Gavin Sisters for sponsoring this episode! Visit -www.gavinsisters.co.uk and use promo code SCHOOLOFROCKBOTTOM for 10% off!Podcasting is an expensive passion. To help me keep going, I'd really appreciate it if you could buy me a coffee, thank you!https://buymeacoffee.com/olivermason1Or via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypalTopics -0:00 Trailer & Intro5:45 Issy's sober rock bottom moment11:45 Is the "addict voice" you?!14:30 Is severe addiction different?19:30 What is the addict voice?21:30 Is it all about survival and self love?27:45 Recovery tools in tough moments30:45 Replacing alcohol with other unhealthy things33:15 Fear of abandonment?34:45 ADHD39:00 Dropping the ADHD mask39:45 WhatsApp & DM's!42:45 ADHD, dopamine and addiction45:00 Low impulse control and no long term consequences45:45 Emotional dysregulation47:39 Sponsor48:40 ADHD diagnosis52:45 A spiritual awakening during the rock bottom?Follow IssyTik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@issyhawkins_Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/issyhawkins_Follow OliverInstagram - https://tinyurl.com/2vt29sjvFacebook - https://tinyurl.com/34cwz59rTikTok - https://tinyurl.com/ujw4vxn9LinkedIn - https://tinyurl.com/yuemhnd7Threads - https://tinyurl.com/yk7vdeahX - https://tinyurl.com/3u5mnpdsPlease subscribe, follow, like, leave a review and comment! YouTube - https://tinyurl.com/bdhbjswzSpotify - https://spoti.fi/3Z0Pr1rApple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3#RecoveryPodcast #ADHDandAddiction #alcoholrecovery

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• Loneliness & Love Addiction. School of Rock Bottom Thought #26: Darren

  What if loneliness wasn’t just an emotion — but a symptom of something deeper? In this next quick thought, I revisit a conversation with Darren - a powerful and painfully honest moment about loneliness, love addiction, and why so many of us confuse validation with connection. This clip explores what it really means to feel lonely, even when surrounded by people, and how learning to sit with that feeling — instead of running from it — can become one of the most healing acts of self-awareness.We talk about the HALT method — hungry, angry, lonely, tired — and why recognising these emotional triggers can change the way we respond to pain. Loneliness, as you’ll hear, isn’t just about being alone. It’s about the ache of disconnection, the search for validation, and the quiet pull of old patterns that can keep us trapped. Love addiction often hides in plain sight, disguised as romance, attachment, or the pursuit of affection. But behind it can lie the same cycle of craving and withdrawal that drives any addiction.This episode asks a difficult but essential question — what happens when we stop trying to fill the void and simply face it? Sometimes, being alone is less painful than staying in something that keeps us small. Sometimes, sitting with discomfort is where real recovery begins.Listen or watch THE FULL EPISODESpotify - https://bit.ly/3QsOSf5YouTube - https://bit.ly/4a3ajKKApple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQAbout the “THOUGHT” series -Every other Monday at 5 PM, I’ll bring you a quick ‘thought’—a powerful moment from previous episodes designed to kickstart your week with insight, motivation, and connection. These shorter clips help us stay connected as a community, while every other Tuesday delivers a full, brand-new episode with fresh stories and lessons. Oliver is an ambassador for Alcohol Change UK and you can access support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773ePodcasting is an expensive passion. To help me keep going, I'd really appreciate it if you could buy me a coffee, thank you!https://buymeacoffee.com/olivermason1Or via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypalFollow Darren -Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/creativedazzlePodcast - https://theatreaudiencepodcast.com/Follow Oliver Instagram - https://tinyurl.com/2vt29sjvFacebook - https://tinyurl.com/34cwz59rTikTok - https://tinyurl.com/ujw4vxn9LinkedIn - https://tinyurl.com/yuemhnd7Threads - https://tinyurl.com/yk7vdeahX - https://tinyurl.com/3u5mnpds#loveaddiction #slaa #recovery

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• From Zero Drugs to Crack Den! Drugs & Gambling Recovery. School of Rock Bottom 69: Charlotte Jackson

  What happens when a woman who never touched a drug until the age of 29 ends up addicted to crystal meth, gambling and living in a crack den? This is not the story you expect — but it’s the one you need to hear. Today, I sit down with Charlotte Jackson, a holistic coach and healer who has rebuilt her life after years of chaos, addiction, and near-death moments. Five years clean, she speaks with brutal honesty about loneliness, survival, and finding freedom on her own terms.Charlotte shares how her darkest moments wasn’t just about drugs or homelessness — it was about being trapped in toxic relationships, feeling invisible and using addiction as a way to escape overwhelming loneliness. We talk about how meth takes hold, why community matters in recovery, and how spiritual awakenings, journalling, and connection can light the way out of the madness. And then, just when she thought her story couldn’t turn, Charlotte experienced something she can’t explain: a sightings and messages from a friend who had passed away. That encounter revealed itself as a signpost, guiding her towards sobriety and showing her that recovery was possible. It’s a moment that changed everything — and it might just change the way you see life. Oliver is an ambassador for Alcohol Change UK and you can access support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773eThank you to Gavin Sisters for sponsoring this episode! Visit -www.gavinsisters.co.uk and use promo code SCHOOLOFROCKBOTTOM for 10% off!Podcasting is an expensive passion. To help me keep going, I'd really appreciate it if you could buy me a coffee, thank you!https://buymeacoffee.com/olivermason1Or via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypalTopics -0:00 Trailer & Intro 3:45 Charlotte's rock bottom moment 6:00 Loneliness and constantly moving 8:00 Drugs became my family10:00 From no drugs ever to living in a crack den 16:00 I felt safe in a crack den!18:00 What is crystal meth?22:00 Sleep deprivation 23:30 Stereotypes of drug addiction 24:30 Addiction progression 28:00 What is addiction?29:15 Loneliness leads to gambling and meth 32:30 Sponsor 33:30 Becoming "indifferent" to drugs 36:45 Finding your own recovery path39:15 Journalling 41:15 Charlotte's spiritual awakening 42:45 Drugs are the solution to a problem 45:20 Messages from dead loved ones?!51:00 My friend saved my life 54:15 Is anything possible?58:45 I'm not scared - I'm excited!Follow Charlotte https://www.instagram.com/iamcharlottejacksonFollow OliverInstagram - https://tinyurl.com/2vt29sjvFacebook - https://tinyurl.com/34cwz59rTikTok - https://tinyurl.com/ujw4vxn9LinkedIn - https://tinyurl.com/yuemhnd7Threads - https://tinyurl.com/yk7vdeahX - https://tinyurl.com/3u5mnpdsPlease subscribe, follow, like, leave a review and comment! YouTube - https://tinyurl.com/ys56s8dvSpotify - https://spoti.fi/3Z0Pr1rApple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3#AddictionRecovery #SobrietyJourney #SchoolOfRockBottom

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• Can You Get Through Anything Sober? School of Rock Bottom Thought #25: Tom Clarke-Hill

  How do you stay sober through unimaginable pain? In this next quick thought, I revisit my conversation with actor Tom Clarke-Hill who lived through the devastating loss of his wife after 28 years together — and still didn’t pick up a drink.This powerful clip isn’t just about recovery, it’s about what it really means to live one day at a time, to face pain without numbing it, and to discover strength you never knew you had. If you’ve ever wondered whether you can get through the darkest moments without alcohol or drugs, this episode is for you.We also explore what it means to survive bereavement without alcohol, why sobriety is never “one drink away,” the reality of emotional sobriety, the importance of living fully in the present moment, and how sponsoring others in recovery creates an extra layer of protection.Listen or watch THE FULL EPISODEYouTube - https://bit.ly/3w5RtEISpotify - https://bit.ly/3Q4p60nApple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQAbout the “THOUGHT” series -Every other Monday at 5 PM, I’ll bring you a quick ‘thought’—a powerful moment from previous episodes designed to kickstart your week with insight, motivation, and connection. These shorter clips help us stay connected as a community, while every other Tuesday delivers a full, brand-new episode with fresh stories and lessons. Oliver is an ambassador for Alcohol Change UK and you can access support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773ePodcasting is an expensive passion. To help me keep going, I'd really appreciate it if you could buy me a coffee, thank you!https://buymeacoffee.com/olivermason1Or via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypalFollow Tom -Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tomclarkehillFollow Oliver Instagram - https://tinyurl.com/2vt29sjvFacebook - https://tinyurl.com/34cwz59rTikTok - https://tinyurl.com/ujw4vxn9LinkedIn - https://tinyurl.com/yuemhnd7Threads - https://tinyurl.com/yk7vdeahX - https://tinyurl.com/3u5mnpds#12steps #recovery #sobercurious

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• How I Survived Cocaine & Alcohol From Age 15. School of Rock Bottom 68: Tihane

  Do you really need to hit rock bottom to get clean and sober, or is that just a myth? Today’s guest is living proof that the story isn’t so simple. At 15 years old, Tihani was already using cocaine, experimenting with ADHD meds from the street, blacking out and carving tattoos into her own skin in drug-fuelled hazes. By her twenties she was on benders, remembering the days of the week by counting how many pills she'd taken since the weekend. Yet despite the chaos, she built a successful creative career, performing on global stages and working with brands like Vogue and Red Bull. But behind the glossy exterior was a dangerous secret: addiction was eating her alive.Eight years cocaine free & no hard alcohol or pills and 2 years completely sober, Tihani reveals the truth about addiction most people never hear. We talk about the illusion of control, the rituals of cocaine use, and why “dry sniffing” was just as destructive as the binges mixed with whiskey. She explains what it felt like to shift that obsessive intensity into wellness, how self-help and trauma therapy saved her, and whether addicts are actually the lucky ones for being forced to confront life’s hardest questions around why we are here and if life has any meaning. This conversation will challenge everything you thought you knew about recovery. Do you really have to give up everything at once? What about nicotine? What is the actual root cause of addiction? And when the highs fade away, does life without drugs have any real meaning? For anyone who has ever questioned their relationship with substances, this episode is more than a story — it’s a wake-up call and one of my favourite conversations ever. If conversation can be 'art' then this is it. More on Tihane -She a genre-blending artist, creative director, and storyteller who’s spent her life chasing truth across continents and soundscapes. Her debut album The War on Love blends vintage R&B, tribal rhythms, and cinematic textures into healing anthems that hit deep. She’s performed on global stages from TEDx to SXSW, and led creative work for Vogue Italia, RedBull, and NY Fashion Week and beneath the success is an honest story about pain, shame, healing — and learning to create from who you really are. Huge thanks!Oliver is an ambassador for Alcohol Change UK and you can access support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773eTihane recommends this book -https://tinyurl.com/5wn4s8e6Oliver mentions Sober Dave -https://www.soberdave.co.ukThank you to Gavin Sisters for sponsoring this episode! Visit -www.gavinsisters.co.uk and use promo code SCHOOLOFROCKBOTTOM for 10% off!Podcasting is an expensive passion. To help me keep going, I'd really appreciate it if you could buy me a coffee, thank you!https://buymeacoffee.com/olivermason1Or via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypalTopics -0:00 Trailer & Intro 4:00 A rock bottom moment 7:30 Is a rock bottom required to get into recovery?10:00 Addiction is on a spectrum!12:15 Using coke at 15 16:00 Street ADHD meds 17:35 Dry sniffing?21:10 "Downers weren't for me!"24:15 Shifting intensity into wellness 26:45 Giving up drugs and alcohol one at a time 30:00 Self help and trauma therapy 34:15 Are addicts lucky?36:30 Does life have purpose and meaning? 43:20 Cocaine was the ultimate permission slip 45:15 Does Tihane miss cocaine? 47:30 Do you have to give up EVERYTHING at once? 50:15 Sponsor51:15 What about nicotine?53:00 What is the root cause of addiction?55:45 First steps to recovery Follow Tihane https://www.instagram.com/tihane___?Follow OliverInstagram - https://tinyurl.com/2vt29sjvFacebook - https://tinyurl.com/34cwz59rTikTok - https://tinyurl.com/ujw4vxn9LinkedIn - https://tinyurl.com/yuemhnd7Threads - https://tinyurl.com/yk7vdeahX - https://tinyurl.com/3u5mnpdsWatch here -YouTube - TBCSpotify - https://spoti.fi/3Z0Pr1rApple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3#AddictionRecovery #SobrietyJourney #SchoolOfRockBottom

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