Alcoholism, Drugs and Codependency| How The Swinging Scene Once Wasn't Just a Storyline

My Sister Died After Spending £1,500 A Month On Alcohol Delivery | Now Im Campaigning for Change

Alex’s sister died after spending around £1,500 a month on alcohol deliveries. Now, she’s campaigning for change. In this episode of the Sober Seat, Alex shares the heartbreaking story of losing her sister to alcohol addiction and how easy access to home alcohol delivery became part of that devastating reality . What might sound like an isolated tragedy is anything but. Across the UK, thousands of families are affected by alcohol harm, and the rapid growth of on demand delivery has raised difficult questions about consumer safety and accountability. Alex also discusses her work with Alcohol Change UK and the organisation’s End the Delivery Trap campaign, which calls for stronger protections to reduce alcohol related harm and encourage more responsible delivery practices. This is a conversation about addiction, grief, public health, family, recovery, and advocacy, but also about turning personal loss into meaningful action. Alex’s story highlights a wider issue affecting communities across the country and why she believes change is urgently needed. Topics covered: alcohol addiction, alcohol delivery, alcoholism, grief, family loss, sobriety, recovery, addiction awareness, public health, campaigning, Alcohol Change UK, End the Delivery Trap, UK alcohol policy, and alcohol harm. If you've ever wondered why some people can't "just stop drinking", or you've watched someone you love become trapped by alcohol addiction, this episode is for you. Alex's story is heartbreaking, but it isn't rare. It shines a light on a growing issue affecting families across the UK and asks difficult questions about the role of instant alcohol delivery, public health, and the systems surrounding addiction. Whether you're sober, sober curious, supporting someone in recovery, or simply want to better understand the realities of alcohol harm, this conversation offers compassion, insight, and a powerful call for change. So, get comfy. Pull up a chair. Come sit with us. This is The Sober Seat. 🎧✨ New episodes every Wednesday at 8PM. Make sure you follow The Sober Seat and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. Find us on socials: @aish_thesoberseat @thesoberseatpod END THE DELIVERY TRAP campaign -

Alcoholism, Drugs and Codependency| How The Swinging Scene Once Wasn't Just a Storyline

In Part Two of this episode, Bernadette opens up about the blurred line between fiction and lived experience. What once became material for storytelling was, at one point, the reality she was surviving inside. Behind the parties, relationships and chaos was something far darker: emotional dependency, addiction, dissociation and a growing loss of self. What looked exciting from the outside slowly became survival disguised as freedom. This episode explores: • Alcohol and drug use as coping mechanisms • Codependency and toxic relationship dynamics • Dissociation and emotional numbness • The psychological link between trauma and addiction • Losing identity through survival mode • Rock bottom, treatment and the moment everything stopped feeling sustainable • Turning lived experience into storytelling, honesty and recovery Bernadette reflects on the environments she normalised, the patterns she mistook for connection, and the difficult process of separating survival from identity. Because sometimes the hardest part isn’t hitting rock bottom. It’s realising how long you called it home. This conversation sheds light on the quieter, often invisible side of addiction, the part that starts long before anyone notices there’s a problem. If you’ve ever felt disconnected from yourself, stuck in cycle of Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, Or Toxic Codependent relationships you can’t explain. Like you’ve been surviving more than living, desperate to get Sober. this episode is for you. So, get comfy. Pull up a chair. Come sit with us. This is The Sober Seat 🎧✨ New episodes every Wednesday at 8PM. Make sure you follow The Sober Seat and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. Where to find us on Socials @aish_thesoberseat @thesoberseatpod @bernadettefrancis_

Alcohol, Drugs & Toxic Men | How Dissociation and Survival Mode Turned an Addict Into an Author

This week on The Sober Seat Pod, in Part One of a Two Part Episode. Bernadette Francis shares the reality behind alcohol, drugs, and toxic relationships, and how years spent in survival mode slowly blurred into addiction, dissociation, and emotional shutdown. What looked like a fast-paced, party-filled lifestyle on the outside was actually a cycle of coping, numbing, and trying to survive internal chaos. She opens up about how dissociation became a normal state of being, how substance use fitted into that pattern, and how toxic relationships reinforced it all. This episode explores how addiction is often not the starting point, but a response to emotional overwhelm, trauma patterns, and survival mechanisms that go unrecognised for years. We also follow the turning point, the slow awareness that something had to change, and how that same lived experience eventually became the foundation for finding voice, identity, and becoming an author. In this episode, we cover: • Dissociation and emotional numbness as survival responses • Alcohol and drug use as coping mechanisms • Toxic relationship patterns and emotional dependency • Living in survival mode and losing sense of identity • The hidden link between trauma and addiction • The shift from self-destruction to self-awareness • How lived experience can be transformed into purpose and storytelling This conversation sheds light on the quieter, often invisible side of addiction, the part that starts long before anyone notices there’s a problem. If you’ve ever felt disconnected from yourself, stuck in cycles you can’t explain, or like you’ve been surviving more than living, this episode is for you. So, get comfy. Pull up a chair. Come sit with us. This is The Sober Seat 🎧✨ New episodes every Wednesday at 8PM. Make sure you follow The Sober Seat and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode. Where to find us on Socials @aish_thesoberseat @thesoberseatpod @bernadettefrancis_

Alcohol Alternative Spirals Into A Kratom Addiction | 12 Bottle a Day Feel Free Addiction

This week on The Sober Seat Podcast, Jasmine shares the truth behind her experience with Feel Free Tonic — the viral “wellness” drink containing kratom that she says quickly turned from a sobriety aid into a hidden addiction. What started as a small blue bottle sold in gas stations and wellness stores became something she relied on every single day. From withdrawals and secrecy to isolation and dependency, Jasmine opens up about how quickly something marketed as “natural” began taking over her life. In this episode, we unpack the growing controversy surrounding Feel Free, the wider conversations around kratom addiction, and why more people online are speaking out about their experiences. This conversation explores the reality of addiction that doesn’t always look dangerous from the outside, the stigma surrounding “legal” substances, and how easily wellness culture can blur the lines between healing and dependency. We talk about: • Feel Free Tonic and kratom explained • Hidden addiction and dependency • Withdrawal, secrecy, and isolation • Sobriety and substance replacement • Wellness culture and addiction concerns • Recovery, honesty, and finding hope again If you’ve seen the little blue bottles online or in your local convenience store, this is a conversation you need to hear. So, pull up a chair & come sit with us. 🪑✨ This is The Sober Seat. New episodes every Wednesday at 7PM 🎙️

Drug Addiction & Psychosis | The Cocaine, Alcohol & Stripper Lifestyle Behind It All

This week on The Sober Seat Pod, Alice shares the reality behind the party lifestyle, the stripping industry, and the dangerous cycle of cocaine and alcohol addiction that slowly led her into self-destruction. What looked glamorous from the outside was masking chaos behind closed doors. From normalising heavy partying and substance use within nightlife culture to losing herself completely in addiction, Alice opens up about the emotional toll, the isolation, and the moment she realised something had to change. This episode is an honest conversation about addiction, survival, shame, recovery, and rebuilding your identity after rock bottom. In this episode, we cover: • The reality behind the glamour of the stripping industry • How partying culture normalised cocaine and alcohol misuse • Addiction, escapism, and emotional numbness • The impact addiction had on mental health and self-worth • Shame, secrecy, and living a double life • Hitting rock bottom and choosing sobriety • Healing, recovery, and rebuilding life after addiction This conversation shines a light on the parts of addiction people rarely talk about openly, especially within industries where substance use becomes part of the culture. If you’re struggling with cocaine addiction, alcohol dependency, party lifestyle burnout, or navigating your own recovery journey, this episode is for you. So, get comfy. Pull up a Chair. Come Sit with us. This is The Sober Seat 🎧✨ New episodes every Wednesday at 7PM Make sure you drop The Sober Seat a follow and turn your notifications on so you never miss an episode. Where to find us on Socials ⬇️⬇️⬇️ @aish_thesoberseat @thesoberseatpod @findingwonderland3