Anorexia isn't just about body image, social media and even control. Today, I welcome anorexia survivor Sophie Anderson who was hospitalised for months aged 12 for anorexia and is now 15 years in recovery! Today we uncover the hidden truths, damaging myths & misconceptions about anorexia and find recovery in the connections to addiction, trauma, family dynamics, genetics, emotional pain and finding the joy in food and who you really are. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, with 5-20% of those affected dying from medical complications or suicide. On average, individuals may be unwell for 8 years before recovery, with 20% remaining chronically unwell. But this certainly isn’t solely a story of struggle-it’s a journey of finding strength, purpose and a wonderful life. Nearly half of those who battle anorexia make a full recovery, and this episode proves that healing is possible. Please share with anyone struggling. More on Sophie - Sophie is a social and political activist working in international development and youth mental health, whose rock bottom came at just 12 years old when she was hospitalised for Anorexia. Eventually achieving a full recovery, Sophie went on to study Politics and International Relations at the University of Bristol where she earned the Politics’ Prize for best academic performance in the year and cemented her dedication to affecting wide-scale social change. She is proud to have recently provided opening remarks for a parliamentary roundtable on youth mental health/services with the Minister for Mental Health. 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://bit.ly/3kSucAs Topics - 0:00 Intro 3:55 Sophie's rock bottom 8:05 When did Sophie realise it was anorexia? 10:05 Was Sophie aware of it escalating as a child? 13:35 Anorexia felt safe and it numbed emotions 16:35 Sophie's view of anorexia 22:05 Myths and misconceptions 29:35 Why anorexia is like addiction 33:20 Do people with anorexia like food? 36:55 Sophie's recovery journey & healing 45:15 ADHD 48:05 Sophie's relationship with food now Sophie received support from: Eating Matters (Norwich), Cruise Bereavement (National) & The Bridge (Bristol). Follow Sophie Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sophiee.anderson Follow Oliver Instagram - https://bit.ly/3IemHLY Facebook - http://bit.ly/3w8S1Gx TikTok - https://bit.ly/3YGLsYm LinkedIn - http://bit.ly/3kp4ymC Threads - https://bit.ly/3svw7yL X - http://bit.ly/3GQYj2l Please subscribe, follow, like, leave a review and comment! YouTube - https://bit.ly/4jbvZdo Spotify - https://bit.ly/4air4TL Apple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQ Lastly, if you are interested in performing arts and incredible stories and journeys you must check out Matthew Jones' excellent podcast 'Life After Jazz Hands' here - https://bit.ly/4iQ7Nxa #AnorexiaRecovery #MentalHealthAwareness #EatingDisordersHelp

Thinking about doing Dry January or even a dry 2025? Maybe you're sober curious or your drinking has become problematic? Either way, this episode is for you! Sober Dave needs little introduction... Sober Dave, a trauma-informed alcohol recovery specialist, speaker, and host of the Top 10 podcast One for the Road & has amassed a following of over 140k on Instagram alone. Dave shares his incredible journey from 40 years of alcohol addiction to nearly 6 years of sobriety. He reveals the moment that changed everything, how a simple text became his turning point, and the habits and community support that helped him rebuild his life. Dave shares what is really means to be sober, what to say when someone asks why you don't drink, we talk zero alcohol beers and we even compare Drunk Dave to Sober Dave! 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://bit.ly/3kSucAs Topics - 0:00 Intro 3:15 Dave's rock bottom 5:15 Why Dave had had enough and decided to stop drinking 9:15 Early sobriety inspires hope that it will keep getting better 10:05 How Dave stayed stopped 13:15 Using Dry January as a platform 16:15 Dave's progression from weekend drinker to 1LTR of vodka a day 20:15 What does is mean to be SOBER? 23:10 Dry drunk & cross addiction 27:30 Step 1 & 12? 29:15 Staying grounded whilst being so well known 33:30 Zero beer?! 37:45 What to say when people say why aren't you drinking? 41:40 Is SOBER DAVE allowed to relapse?! 43:15 Drunk Dave VS Sober Dave 49:15 Romanatising death and what Dave really wants on his gravestone Follow Sober Dave Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/soberdave Website - https://www.soberdave.co.uk Podcast - Search "One For The Road" on all platforms Follow Oliver Instagram - https://bit.ly/3IemHLY Facebook - http://bit.ly/3w8S1Gx TikTok - https://bit.ly/3YGLsYm LinkedIn - http://bit.ly/3kp4ymC Threads - https://bit.ly/3svw7yL X - http://bit.ly/3GQYj2l Please subscribe, follow, like, leave a review and comment! YouTube - https://bit.ly/3VSPOw9 Spotify - https://bit.ly/402S5Hs Apple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQ

Do Dry Jan with @alcoholchangeuk here -

https://alcoholchange.org.uk/help-and-support/managing-your-drinking/dry-january

Lastly, if you are interested in performing arts and incredible stories and journeys you must check out Matthew Jones' excellent podcast 'Life After Jazz Hands' here - https://bit.ly/4iQ7Nxa #SoberLiving #DryJanuary #AlcoholRecovery

Thought 5: Andy Jeffery on Healing Childhood Trauma & PTSD. Author Andy Jeffery shares his extraordinary journey of overcoming childhood abuse, severe PTSD, and alcoholism. In this powerful thought, he reveals how equine therapy, acceptance, and even forgiveness became the foundation of his healing. Despite enduring unimaginable pain, Andy's story is a remarkable testament to the human capacity for transformation and growth. Today, he is one of the most peaceful and loving individuals I’ve ever met. This is a story of hope for anyone struggling—proof that healing is possible, no matter how difficult the past. 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. Follow Andy and get his book - Website - https://bit.ly/3oIl4jK Watch or listen to the FULL episode here: (School of Rock Bottom Ep5) Spotify - http://bit.ly/40FMSDw Apple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQ YouTube - https://bit.ly/3ZDreyl 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://bit.ly/3kSucAs #PTSDRecovery #HealingFromTrauma #OvercomingAbuse

Gab Stone is an entrepreneur and talent agent whose skyrocketing career managing Olympic athletes came crashing down in one of the UK’s most infamous gambling stories.

Gab takes us behind the scenes of his high-pressure life during the London 2012 Olympics, where he managed 22 athletes, 13 of whom medaled, while privately battling a gambling addiction that eventually led to financial ruin and prison.

Now, nearly ten years into recovery, Gab opens up about rebuilding his life, finding purpose, and the urgent need for better awareness around gambling addiction. He speaks with brutal honesty about the shame, the relapses, and the surprising parallels between gambling and substance addiction.

This isn’t just a story about gambling—it’s about the human condition, resilience, and finding purpose and self worth after addiction. Tune in for a powerful conversation that challenges perceptions, inspires hope, and sheds light on an often-hidden crisis.

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://bit.ly/3kSucAs

Topics -
0:00 Intro
3:15 Gab's rock bottom
5:50 Why gambling is like drugs & alcohol
8:20 How the behaviour of a gambling addiction mirrors substances
19:20 The neuroscience of gambling addiction
26:30 Poor mental health prior to addiction?
29:00 Using dreams
31:00 Powerless over gambling?
33:20 Withdrawal from gambling?
37:00 Gab's consequences and prison sentence
47:45 Celebrating recovery

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

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

Follow Oliver
Instagram - https://bit.ly/3IemHLY
Facebook - http://bit.ly/3w8S1Gx
TikTok - https://bit.ly/3YGLsYm
LinkedIn - http://bit.ly/3kp4ymC
Threads - https://bit.ly/3svw7yL
X - http://bit.ly/3GQYj2l

Please subscribe, follow, like, leave a review and comment!
YouTube - https://bit.ly/4fbqqZe
Spotify - https://bit.ly/41yG9OJ
Apple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQ

#GamblingRecovery #BreakingTheStigma #AddictionAwareness

[TW//References to suicide & sexual abuse] Former actor Maike Mullender's life is a powerful story of resilience and self-discovery. In this extremely frank conversation, she opens up about the devastating loss of her father to suicide, a shocking and traumatic family secret, and the unanswered questions that haunted her past.

She takes us through the mental health battles, the perfectionism, and dissociation that defined her childhood. But it doesn’t end there – Maike shares her brave journey through therapy, embracing uncertainty, and discovering inner peace.

From finding healing through yoga and meditation to accepting the complexities of her past, Maike's story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. If you’ve ever struggled with accepting the past, trauma, self-worth, or finding your path forward, this episode is for you.

More -
Maike initially trained as an actor and performed on stage and TV. Her credits include North Square, The King and Us, Holby City, the Royal, Always & Everyone and Coronation Street, as well as The Gate Theatre and the Royal Exchange, Manchester. After becoming frustrated with the sporadic nature of the work, she retrained as a Relate Couple and Young Peoples Counsellor, going on to work for Relate. She volunteers for Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) & last year she wrote a book about her experience of growing up with a father with undiagnosed mental health issues who went on to take his own life. Her book: The Confession: A Journey to Acceptance was published in 2023. She now works as a yoga teacher & for The LUNA foundation.

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://bit.ly/3kSucAs

Topics -
0:00 Intro
3:30 Maike's rock bottom
8:30 Shocking moments in childhood
12:00 Childhood coping mechanisms ALL
14:45 Using adult relationships to fix childhood ones
15:50 Searching for answers
23:15 When not knowing can be OK
28:30 Forgiveness Vs acceptance
31:40 Dealing with doubt now
34:40 Yoga as therapy
39:30 Ongoing healing & working as a therapist
44:10 How to move through childhood trauma

Further support -
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide - 0300 111 5065 Hub of hope - https://hubofhope.co.uk Samaritans -116 123 NAPAC – 0808 801 0331

Follow Maike
Facebook - https://bit.ly/3ZtQGJT
LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/4fDHY1b
Website -https://www.maikemullenders.com
Book - https://amzn.to/3VbvEwW

Follow Oliver
Instagram - https://bit.ly/3IemHLY
Facebook - http://bit.ly/3w8S1Gx
TikTok - https://bit.ly/3YGLsYm
LinkedIn - http://bit.ly/3kp4ymC
Threads - https://bit.ly/3svw7yL
X - http://bit.ly/3GQYj2l

Please subscribe, follow, like, leave a review and comment!
YouTube - https://bit.ly/4fTWGB9
Spotify - https://bit.ly/4fTvJhc
Apple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQ

#TraumaRecovery
#MentalHealthJourney
#acceptance

Thought 3: Living with Bipolar Disorder and Alcoholism – Mark Lockyer's Recovery Journey. In this powerful third episode of "Quick Lessons," actor Mark Lockyer shares his deeply personal journey through untreated bipolar disorder and alcoholism. From the chaos of undiagnosed mental illness to the hope of long-term recovery, Mark reveals the challenges, turning points, and lessons he’s learned along the way offering insights into the reality of living with bipolar disorder, the grip of addiction, and the resilience it takes to rebuild your life. 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. Watch or listen to the FULL episode here: (School of Rock Bottom Ep3) Youtube - https://bit.ly/4fZrO1S Spotify - https://bit.ly/3FiXuzA Apple - https://apple.co/3PajZvQ 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://bit.ly/3kSucAs #RecoveryJourney #AddictionRecovery #BipolarDisorder