Advertise on podcast: Believe in People: Addiction, Recovery & Stigma

K-HOLE: The Ketamine Documentary K-HOLE is a ketamine documentary produced by Inspired Youth in partnership with Believe in People, exploring ketamine addiction, ketamine bladder damage, substance misuse, trauma, recovery, treatment and the impact ketamine is having on individuals, families and communities. Hosted by Matthew Butler, K-HOLE travels across Northern England, bringing together lived experience, families, clinicians and frontline professionals to explore the realities of ketamine use and the need for earlier recognition, harm reduction and effective support. 🎤 Featuring Finley Worthington — Ketamine addiction, severe bladder harm and recovery. Amber Currah — Addiction, motherhood and lasting physical harm. Mark Gregory — Addiction, relapse and residential rehabilitation. Adam Kennedy — Lived experience and specialist ketamine support. Kerry Truman — A mother's experience of her daughter's ketamine addiction. Louise Haley — Supporting a friend through addiction. Matthew Simms — Ketamine-related bladder damage and urological harm. Josephine Moore — Residential rehabilitation and complex needs. Julie Ashley — Physical harm, healthcare awareness and earlier recognition. Peter Furlong — Ketamine harm reduction and non-judgemental support. James Mawhinney — The impact of addiction on families and loved ones. Natalie Scholes — Specialist ketamine treatment and emerging need. 🎬 Credits Host: Matthew Butler Director: Kev Curran Project Manager: Paul Haley Drone Cinematography: Kev Jackson Audio Production: Liam Powers Believe in People Producer: Robbie Lawson Created by Inspired Youth in partnership with Believe in People, with support from Hull City Council Public Health Team and funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside. 🔗 Watch K-HOLE & find support, resources and information: believeinpeoplepodcast.com/k-hole 🔎 Topics: Ketamine addiction • Ketamine bladder damage • Ketamine recovery • Ketamine treatment • Substance misuse • Trauma • Harm reduction • Lived experience MUSIC CREDITS “Aura Cinematic” | Liam Powers [KOTB] Licensed directly by Liam Powers to Inspired Youth. “Ket Mist” | Liam Powers [KOTB] Licensed directly by Liam Powers to Inspired Youth. “Last Light” | Theatre Of Delays Steve Bolch • BMI • IPI: 00370587737 • Bensound #202604258573 “Stellar Sway” | Theatre Of Delays Steve Bolch • BMI • IPI: 00370587737 • Bensound #202604258573 “The Universe’s Embrace” | Tungsten Stars Kennoniah Dean Bellile • BMI • IPI: 1198693982 • Bensound #202604258573 “Recursive Dreamscapes” | Theatre Of Delays Steve Bolch • BMI • IPI: 00370587737 • Bensound #202604258573 “I Don’t Know” | Solemn Slade Zachary James Sprowls • ASCAP • IPI: 675560614 • Bensound #202604258573 “A Kind Heart” | Roger Gabaldà BMI • IPI: 387766986 • Bensound #202604258573 “Tales” | Ester Bensound #202604258573 “Impressionism” | Roman Senyk BMI • IPI: 1166427646 • Bensound #202604258573 “Polaris” | Roman Senyk BMI • IPI: 1166427646 • Bensound #202604258573 “Part Of Me” | Andy Bird Bensound #202604258573 “Lost Ballet” | AM Sound Bensound #20500690 “K HOLE INTRO” | KOTB Written by Liam Powers • Courtesy of Enemy Lines Records • Licensed to Inspired Youth. “BRINK” | KOTB Written by Liam Powers • Courtesy of Enemy Lines Records • Licensed to Inspired Youth. 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

Recorded live at The Forward Trust’s National Unity Day, former England and Arsenal captain Tony Adams joins Believe in People to reflect on alcohol addiction, Euro ’96 and almost 30 years in recovery. Tony takes us behind the public success to reveal the reality of his addiction - from blackouts and a 44-day drinking bender to the moment he finally surrendered on 16 August 1996. He explores 12-step recovery, grief and stigma, and explains why, despite everything he achieved on the football pitch, recovery remains the greatest medal he has ever won. And we put the ultimate question to Tony: what if Gareth Southgate had scored that penalty? Could England winning Euro ’96 have changed the course of his 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

In this special live edition of Believe in People, we're celebrating a podcast first. For the very first time, we took the podcast to the stage, recording live in front of more than 500 audience members at the DDN Conference, one of the UK's largest events dedicated to drugs, alcohol and recovery. Joining us for her third appearance on Believe in People, Michelle Heaton reflects on more than five years of recovery from alcohol and cocaine addiction. She speaks openly about the progression of addiction, the impact of early surgical menopause, motherhood, shame, treatment, fellowship, and rebuilding life in recovery. Michelle also shares the moment that changed everything, how peer support helped save her life, and why recovery is about far more than simply stopping drinking or using drugs. Following the live interview, we've also included the audience Q&A, where audience members put their own questions to Michelle, leading to honest, emotional and thought-provoking discussions about recovery, stigma, parenting, menopause and hope. Whether you're in recovery yourself, supporting a loved one, working in health and social care, or simply interested in real stories of change, we hope you enjoy this special live episode. Topics that Matt and Michelle discuss incldue: pop fame versus what addiction looks like in real life “food noise”, dieting, stimulants and the long build-up of addictive behaviour early surgical menopause, health scares and the slide into alcohol dependence and cocaine addiction why hospital stays and getting caught do not stop compulsive use punishment, self-hate and feeling at peace with dying the moment visible recovery makes help feel possible letting go of the fantasy of drinking normally recovery friendships, separating your life from your fellowship, learning to say no women’s stigma, motherhood shame and fear of losing children rehab and detox versus long-term support in AA and CA menopause, hormones, HRT access and being misdiagnosed triggers and finding joy without substances Search terms: addiction recovery podcast UK, Michelle Heaton podcast, alcohol addiction recovery, cocaine addiction recovery, women in recovery, lived experience stories, peer support, trauma and recovery, recovery community, 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, 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 behaviour If 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.uk Search 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: @soberasamotherfocused About Kaitlin Reeve Kaitlin 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 Terms addiction 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 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, 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. McCoy 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

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 Addict 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, anonymous recovery, addiction stigma, social media and addiction, dopamine and addiction, peer support, trauma and recovery, 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 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 Copeland Dr 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 #believeinpeopleextra 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

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 #believeinpeopleextra 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, 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