If you think you enjoy drinking too much to ever stop, this episode will challenge you. Today I'm joined by Hattie Underwood from Sober Happy Free to talk addiction, sobriety, cocaine use, ADHD, anxiety, and what really happens when drinking stops working. From secretly drinking on Christmas morning with a newborn baby to nearly five years sober, this is a raw, honest look at alcohol addiction recovery and how change actually happens.

Hattie shares the moment everything shifted - a quiet realisation there was nowhere left to hide. What follows is a story many people will recognise but rarely say out loud. The routines, the denial, the belief that things are still “under control” while everything underneath says otherwise.

This episode breaks down the role of Dry January, relapse, and why temporary sobriety often isn’t enough without a deeper shift. There’s a clear distinction here between stopping and actually letting go — and why that difference matters if you’re stuck in the cycle.

We also go deeper into the psychology behind addiction. ADHD, dopamine, anxiety, eating disorders — the patterns that existed long before alcohol, and why substances can feel like the solution before they become the problem.

Recovery isn’t presented as perfect or instant. It’s practical. Community, 12-step fellowship, structure, honesty — and learning how to live without constantly needing to escape your own mind.

If you’re questioning your relationship with alcohol, or even just curious whether things could feel different, this conversation gives you something real to work with.

More about Hattie -

Hattie is the face behind Sober Happy Free - a fast growing social media platform on Instagram and TikTok that’s built a community of more than 38,000 people in just 18 months.

Using her own experience of addiction, Hattie shares honestly about what helped her get sober - and, just as importantly, what’s helped her stay sober - with the aim of helping others who might be struggling.

She’s a passionate advocate for removing the stigma around addiction and believes real change is possible and is 5 years sober.

Oliver is an ambassador for Alcohol Change UK and you can access support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773e

Thank you to Gavin Sisters for sponsoring this episode! Visit -

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Podcasting is an expensive passion. To help me keep going, I'd really appreciate it if you could buy me a coffee, thank you!

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Topics -

0:00 Trailer & Intro

3:00 A rock bottom moment

6:15 Dry January turns into 4 months

10:00 Returning to drinking and cocaine

12:00 The benefits of Dry January

14:30 Did Hattie really relapse?

17:00 OCD before addiction

18:30 Bulimia

20:20 Undiagnosed ADHD

22:30 Alcohol and messaging boys

24:00 Using sex for self esteem

25:45 Cocaine addiction

34:45 Drug addiction escalates

38:15 Addiction stronger than love for children?

44:15 Rock bottoms, orgasms and a cure for addiction?

51:00 How Hattie stays sober

56:00 Suggestions for those stubborn to change

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