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 -

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/olivermason1

Or via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypal

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

Follow Hattie

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/soberhappyfree

Follow Oliver

Instagram - https://tinyurl.com/2vt29sjv

Facebook - https://tinyurl.com/34cwz59r

TikTok - https://tinyurl.com/ujw4vxn9

LinkedIn - https://tinyurl.com/yuemhnd7

Threads - https://tinyurl.com/yk7vdeah

X - https://tinyurl.com/3u5mnpds

Please subscribe, follow, like, leave a review and comment!

YouTube -

Spotify -

Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3

#AddictionRecovery

#SobrietyJourney

#AlcoholFree

Many people struggling with alcohol and drug addiction dream of one day being able to drink or use normally again — to have one or two, enjoy it, and stop there. But what if that fantasy is part of the trap?

In this next quick thought, Oliver Mason explores relapse thinking, cravings, sobriety, moderation myths, and why many problem drinkers do not truly want one or two drinks at all. They want the feeling that comes after.

This episode looks at why social drinkers experience alcohol differently, why chasing “normal” can keep people stuck, and the uncomfortable truth that can help set people free.

Listen or watch THE FULL EPISODE

Spotify - https://bit.ly/3RmMvu8

YouTube - https://bit.ly/3NuVwzU

Apple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQ

About 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 ambassadors for Alcohol Change UK and you can access support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773e

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/olivermason1

Or via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypal

Follow Oliver

Instagram - https://tinyurl.com/2vt29sjv

Facebook - https://tinyurl.com/34cwz59r

TikTok - https://tinyurl.com/ujw4vxn9

LinkedIn - https://tinyurl.com/yuemhnd7

Threads - https://tinyurl.com/yk7vdeah

X - https://tinyurl.com/3u5mnpds

#AddictionRecovery

#Sobriety

#MentalHealth

If you think you’re in control of your drinking, listen to this. Today I sit down with Leanne Bayliss, who went from cocaine and alcohol addiction to raising a disabled child alone while rebuilding her life sober. This is not a journey about one period of struggle. It’s about what happens when you hit bottom repeatedly, and the moment you realise it’s live or die.

Leanne speaks about the reality of addiction, from early coping mechanisms like bulimia to a life dominated by alcohol, cocaine and dependency on anything that could either elevate or sedate her mind. Diagnosed later in life with ADHD, she explains how substances became both escape and survival, creating a cycle that felt impossible to break. What emerges is not a neat narrative, but a deeply human one—messy, confronting and recognisable.

At the centre of this episode is a moment that changes everything. An attempt on her life that becomes the turning point. Not because everything suddenly gets better, but because it forces a decision. Stay or go. Live or die. From that point, recovery begins...not as a single choice, but as a daily commitment.

The conversation moves into territory many avoid. Motherhood in addiction. Raising a child through over 100 medical procedures while battling alcohol dependence. The guilt, the denial, the rationalisation, and the quiet moments no one sees. Leanne doesn’t sanitise any of it. She articulates something many people feel but rarely admit: the internal conflict between love for your child and the pull of addiction.

There’s also a clear, grounded discussion about sobriety itself. Labels like “alcoholic”, the role of trauma, and the uncomfortable truth that there is no single path to recovery. Both Oliver and Leanne challenge rigid thinking in the recovery space, making it clear that what matters is not how you get sober, but that you do.

They explore the neurological side too. ADHD, dopamine regulation, and why substances like alcohol and cocaine can feel like solutions rather than problems—until they aren’t. It’s a nuanced look at addiction that goes beyond willpower and into wiring, environment and lived experience.

They talk about risk. The idea that you might have another drink in you, but not another recovery.

This isn’t a journey wrapped in clichés or easy answers. It’s about responsibility, awareness, and doing the work - especially when no one is watching.

Leanne is the author of the upcoming books From Cocaine to Rice Cakes and Single Mom Syndrome, where she shares unfiltered truths about sobriety, motherhood, and choosing yourself. Leanne is 5 years clean and sober.

Oliver is an ambassador for Alcohol Change UK, support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773e

Sponsor -

www.gavinsisters.co.uk promo code SCHOOLOFROCKBOTTOM for 10% off!

Support the podcast -

https://buymeacoffee.com/olivermason1

https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypal

Topics -

0:00 Trailer & Intro

2:55 A rock bottom moment

4:25 Navigating multiple challenges

6:25 Addiction would have killed me

8:40 Using everything to feel better

12:40 Why alcohol stopped bulimia

15:15 Why Leanne wanted to use drugs and alcohol

16:45 Gaining insight along the bumpy road to recovery

18:55 Wanting to destroy rather than fix

20:15 Alcoholic at 16?

23:55 Use recovery labels to empower you!

26:40 Are you really powerless?

28:25 Be careful where you get your advice

30:55 Cocaine, alcohol & ADHD

35:10 Being a sober mum is better

39:40 We love taking hostages

41:10 Being triggered by morning drinking

43:10 Can I control my drinking now?

45:30 Helping those who are depressed

50:40 How Leanne got clean and sober

53:55 Why recovery is different for everyone

57:55 Why helping others helps you

59:55 From cocaine to rice cakes

Follow Leanne

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/soberlittlemotherred

Follow Oliver

https://linktr.ee/olivermason

WATCH on YouTube - https://tinyurl.com/32r6ppec

Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3

#AddictionRecovery

#AlcoholRecovery

#RecoveryPodcast

Addiction doesn’t care what the substance is.

In this next quick thought, I revisit a conversation with Gab Stone, as we strip back the illusion that gambling is somehow different to alcohol or drugs. What you’ll hear might challenge everything you think you know. The same patterns, the same brain chemistry, the same spiral. If you’ve ever told yourself “this isn’t as bad” or “I can control it,” this conversation will hit hard. Because underneath it all, addiction is addiction—and the cost is always the same.

We explore the striking parallels between gambling addiction and substance addiction, breaking down the myth that behavioural addictions are somehow less serious. From the early days of harmless fun to the slow creep into obsession, the conversation reveals how quickly things escalate—and how difficult it becomes to step back. The chase to break even, the illusion of control, and the belief that one more hit, one more bet, might fix everything.

There’s a raw honesty here about the mental gymnastics addicts perform. The idea that the problem isn’t the behaviour itself, but the losses. The belief that a “miracle” is just one more gamble away. And the terrifying moment when logic disappears, even in the face of clear consequences. Whether it’s sitting in a clinic or hearing a doctor’s warning, the pull to go back remains just as strong.

We also touch on the neuroscience—dopamine, anticipation, and why gambling can be even more addictive than substances. The unpredictability, the constant cycle of hope and loss, and how the brain becomes wired to chase both. It’s not just about winning. In many cases, it’s the losing that hooks you deeper.

Listen or watch THE FULL EPISODE

YouTube - https://bit.ly/4fbqqZe

Spotify - https://bit.ly/41yG9OJ

Apple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQ

About 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.

For further support Gab recommends the following -

National Problem Gambling Clinic -

https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/services/addictions/national-gambling-clinic

GamCare -

https://www.gamcare.org.uk

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

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/olivermason1

Or via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypal

Follow Gab

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gabstone9

Follow Oliver

Instagram - https://tinyurl.com/2vt29sjv

Facebook - https://tinyurl.com/34cwz59r

TikTok - https://tinyurl.com/ujw4vxn9

LinkedIn - https://tinyurl.com/yuemhnd7

Threads - https://tinyurl.com/yk7vdeah

X - https://tinyurl.com/3u5mnpds

#GamblingRecovery #BreakingTheStigma #AddictionAwareness

What if addiction isn’t really about drugs - but about the feeling that you never truly belonged anywhere? Today, I sit down with Kyle Hall, whose story moves from growing up in an alcoholic home to crystal meth addiction, psychosis, and eight years of relapse before finally finding a way out.

Kyle describes being a kid who didn’t fit in anywhere—not with the popular crowd, not even with the “weird kids.” That quiet disconnection, and the inability to express who he really was, became the foundation for everything that followed.

What starts as food, pornography, and alcohol slowly escalates into something far darker, as he searches for identity, confidence, and escape in all the wrong places.

We break down the progression most people never see. How drinking turns into drugs. How curiosity becomes dependency. And how, step by step, he ends up in a world of chemsex, isolation, and eventually injecting crystal meth—not as one reckless decision, but as a series of small ones that compound over time.

From there, things unravel fast. Days without sleep. Paranoia. Hallucinations. A complete break from reality where he believes people are coming to kill him. And even then, the instinct is still the same—to drink, to use, to escape.

But even at rock bottom, there are moments that cut through.

One of them happens in an Uber, when a driver says something he never forgets: “You never finish alcohol. Alcohol finishes you.”

Kyle speaks openly about eight years of trying to get sober and failing, and what finally changed when it stuck. Not a new method. Not a new environment. But a moment of complete surrender—and a decision to actually live the recovery he’d been around for years.

We also explore the shift into spirituality. From rejecting faith completely to finding Jesus that gave him forgiveness, direction, and a way to rebuild.

By the end, this isn’t a clean redemption story. It’s something more honest. A life rebuilt from chaos—now channelled into The Spiritual Pharmacy & Late Night Sober Cafe, sober community spaces designed to give people what he never had: connection, purpose, and somewhere to belong.

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 -

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/olivermason1

Or via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypal

Topics -

0:00 Trailer & Intro

3:00 A rock bottom moment that lasted months

6:45 A drug induced psychosis

16:45 Using food and cigarettes before drugs

20:20 Porn obsession

22:30 Falling in love with alcohol

24:45 Struggling with sexuality

27:00 From alcohol to injecting crystal meth

32:20 Breaking the relapse cycle

36:45 Doing The 12 Steps

39:15 Finding a spiritual solution?

42:15 Kyle's sober events & spaces

Follow Kyle

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kylehallartist

https://www.instagram.com/spiritualpharma

Buy tickets

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/theenergyxchangecic

Follow Oliver

Instagram - https://tinyurl.com/2vt29sjv

Facebook - https://tinyurl.com/34cwz59r

TikTok - https://tinyurl.com/ujw4vxn9

LinkedIn - https://tinyurl.com/yuemhnd7

Threads - https://tinyurl.com/yk7vdeah

X - https://tinyurl.com/3u5mnpds

Please subscribe, follow, like, leave a review and comment!

YouTube - https://youtu.be/3XD8otGW9pM

Spotify - https://tinyurl.com/yv6f57w8

Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3

#AddictionRecovery

#RockBottom

#SobrietyJourney

Addiction is a liar. It convinces you that a drink or a drug will make you feel better — but that promise is one of the most dangerous lies in recovery.

In this week’s quick thought, Oliver Mason explores why “feeling better now” is addiction’s most powerful trick, how relapse works, and why short-term relief always comes at a long-term cost.

It’s a bit like a toxic ex who comes back promising things will be different — offering comfort, care, even hope — only for the cycle of harm to return later, often worse than before. Like someone who broke your nose, then has the audacity to say, “I’ll make you feel better.”

Listen or watch THE FULL EPISODE

Spotify - https://bit.ly/3RmMvu8

YouTube - https://bit.ly/3NuVwzU

Apple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQ

About 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 ambassadors for Alcohol Change UK and you can access support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773e

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/olivermason1

Or via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypal

Follow Oliver

Instagram - https://tinyurl.com/2vt29sjv

Facebook - https://tinyurl.com/34cwz59r

TikTok - https://tinyurl.com/ujw4vxn9

LinkedIn - https://tinyurl.com/yuemhnd7

Threads - https://tinyurl.com/yk7vdeah

X - https://tinyurl.com/3u5mnpds

#AddictionRecovery

#Sobriety

#MentalHealth

The rock bottom myth can be dangerous because it sells the idea that everyone has to to wait for one dramatic, Hollywood moment. But what if it’s actually a slow burn… gradually losing yourself without even realising? Today I sit down with Emily Horwood to look at the reality of alcohol addiction, sobriety, relapse, and recovery. From blackouts as a parent, mixing alcohol and coke, to building a thriving sober community, this is a conversation about what it really takes to change your life.

Emily is a former teacher, single mum, and psychology student who is now three years sober and helping others find connection beyond alcohol. Emily opens up about the slow burn of addiction, describing her rock bottom not as one explosive moment but as years spent “crawling along the bottom,” culminating in a terrifying blackout where she couldn’t remember putting her children to bed. It’s a stark reminder that suffering doesn’t always look dramatic from the outside.

We explore the dangerous myths around what an “alcoholic” looks like, and why so many people delay getting help because their lives appear functional. Emily shares how societal drinking culture, particularly in her twenties, normalised behaviours that would later become deeply destructive, and how an abusive relationship compounded her loss of identity and self-worth.

The conversation moves into recovery, beginning with one message that changed everything. Emily reflects on reaching out for help, attending her first meeting, and why desperation became the turning point. From 12-step programmes to online communities, sober curiosity, and building her own support networks, this episode highlights that there is no single path to recovery, only the one that works for you.

They also speak candidly about relapse, the “yet” concept, and how quickly addiction can take hold again. Emily’s description of returning to drinking after 18 months sober is a sobering insight into the reality of addiction, and why ongoing connection and self-awareness are essential.

Beyond sobriety, this episode is about growth. Emily shares how recovery has reshaped her identity, challenging long-held beliefs about who she was and uncovering a deeper sense of self. They discuss post-traumatic growth, the power of connection, and why building a meaningful life is about more than just removing alcohol.

Emily also talks about creating Sober Walkers, a growing community built on connection and accountability, and her new project, The Connection Couch, which brings people together for real, honest conversations about recovery and growth in an increasingly disconnected world.

If you’ve ever thought your drinking “isn’t bad enough,” this episode is a reminder that you don’t need to wait for things to fall apart. Change is possible, and it starts with being curious enough to ask the question.

Support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773e

https://womensaid.org.uk

https://refuge.org.uk

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

www.gavinsisters.co.uk

use promo code SCHOOLOFROCKBOTTOM for 10% off!

Topics -

0:00 Trailer & Intro

3:15 A rock bottom moment

5:15 My rock bottom wasn't dramatic

9:20 Drink, coke, fun and chaos

12:20 An abusive relationship drives addiction

15:15 What are the 'YETS' in recovery?

19:30 What Emily tried first to get sober

22:20 What lies did addiction tell you?

25:45 Only functioning on the outside

27:45 How many meetings should you try?

30:40 AA IS NOT THE ONLY WAY!

35:15 Finding a sponsor and being of service

37:30 I couldn't accept I am alcoholic & relapse

41:40 Quick fire questions!

49:45 Sober Walkers & The Connection Couch

54:30 Is my drinking bad enough yet!?

Follow Emily

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stepping_on_the_sober_train

https://www.instagram.com/theconnectioncouch

Follow Oliver

https://linktr.ee/olivermason

Watch or listen here -

YouTube - https://youtu.be/QGfL-OZDV5Q

Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3

#AddictionRecovery

#Sobriety

#Sober

In this next thought, I revisit a previous conversation with Martin John about cocaine addiction, denial and the reality of where the road can lead. After nearly four decades around cocaine, Martin estimates spending close to £2 million on drugs and the lifestyle that came with it. What follows is a brutally honest reflection on how casual use can quietly escalate, why so many people convince themselves it’s harmless, and the hard truth about what cocaine actually brings into people’s lives.

This is not about preaching or judging. It’s about lived experience. What starts as a “cheeky” line on a Friday night can slowly grow into something far bigger, often without the person realising it’s happening. Over time, the occasional gram becomes a weekly habit, the money disappears faster, and the consequences begin to show up in relationships, finances and mental health.

The conversation also explores the uncomfortable gap between how people see themselves when they’re using and what is actually happening around them. Many users still believe they are in control, still believe they are successful, still believe nothing has really changed. Yet behind the scenes the reality can look very different: missed payments, strained families, lies, secrecy and a growing dependence that quietly takes hold.

One of the most striking parts of this reflection is the blunt question: what does cocaine actually bring to the table? The answer offered here is simple. Nothing. No long-term gain, no real progress, and no success story that ends well for the user. Instead, the pattern often leads to the same place — confusion, loneliness and consequences that many never expected when they first started.

The clip also touches on the difficult role of honesty in recovery. When people finally reach out for help, sometimes what they need most is not sympathy but clarity. A direct conversation. A moment where the illusion breaks and the reality of the situation becomes impossible to ignore. For some people, that moment can become the turning point.

Recovery is possible. But the real work begins after the decision to stop. Maintaining change, rebuilding a life and staying honest with yourself is where the long-term challenge lies. That’s where support, community and purpose become essential.

Listen or watch THE FULL EPISODE

YouTube - https://bit.ly/3UUTRHL

Spotify - https://bit.ly/48Skd2I

Apple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQ

About 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 ambassadors for Alcohol Change UK and you can access support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773e

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/olivermason1

Or via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypal

Follow Martin John

Instagram -

https://www.instagram.com/martinjohngetclean

Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@martinjohngetclean

Website -

https://www.martinjohngetclean.com

Book -

https://amzn.to/3OfmcVs

Follow Oliver

Instagram - https://tinyurl.com/2vt29sjv

Facebook - https://tinyurl.com/34cwz59r

TikTok - https://tinyurl.com/ujw4vxn9

LinkedIn - https://tinyurl.com/yuemhnd7

Threads - https://tinyurl.com/yk7vdeah

X - https://tinyurl.com/3u5mnpds

#AddictionRecovery

#CocaineAddiction

#SchoolOfRockBottom