School of Rock Bottom

11 years sober, I bring my experience as an in-rehab recovery coach & actor to explore addiction, alcoholism, recovery & mental health. You don’t need to lose everything or wait to hit a stereotypical ‘rock bottom’ to change — recovery begins when you can no longer ignore the pain. Featured in The Week’s Ultimate Podcast List of 2024, I know first-hand that rock bottom moments can be the greatest teacher & a springboard for a beautiful life. I interview people who’ve survived and thrived through adversity, offering insights and hard-earned lessons to show that there is hope and a way out.

School of Rock Bottom is a health podcast hosted by Oliver Mason, with 143 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Oliver Mason hosts School of Rock Bottom, a health show with 143 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  School of Rock Bottom

  "I Was a Boring Alcoholic!" Alcohol Addiction & Recovery. School of Rock Bottom 94: Tamsin

  Sep 28, 20261 hour

  What does alcoholism look like when nobody knows you have a problem? Tamsin spent nearly a decade drinking alone while building a successful career as a journalist, convinced that because she hadn't been arrested, lost her job or ended up in hospital, she couldn't be an alcoholic. She got sober in 2022, built a life in recovery, and then relapsed for one night in 2025 after putting her sobriety second. In this conversation, Tamsin opens up about hidden alcoholism, denial, addiction, relapse, shame, self-worth and why you don't need to hit rock bottom before asking for help. Tamsin describes what she calls being a "boring alcoholic": no dramatic arrests, car crashes or headline-making consequences, but a private addiction that increasingly controlled her life. She explains how alcohol became her way of managing anxiety, sleeping, socialising and feeling confident, while underneath it all she was struggling with self-worth. We talk about the moment she realised something wasn't right, sitting on a bus waiting for a shop to open so she could buy wine after finishing a night shift. Tamsin speaks candidly about her relapse in 2025 after almost three years sober. She explains what she means by "putting recovery second", how the same negative thoughts and patterns returned after one drink, and why having a recovery network around her helped her stop a one-night relapse from becoming something much bigger. We discuss relapse, the shame that can follow it, and the danger of believing that you've wasted your previous sobriety. Tamsin shares what it was like returning to recovery spaces after relapsing and how the tools she had built over nearly three years were still there when she needed them. We also explore relationships in recovery, including what it was like for Tamsin's partner to see her drunk for the first time. We talk about alcohol-free homes, boundaries and why protecting your recovery sometimes has to come before everything else. Another part of the conversation is alcohol delivery apps and how they can remove the barriers between craving and access. Tamsin explains how she secretly used delivery services during active addiction, while Oliver shares his experience of rapid alcohol delivery. Tamsin's message to anyone questioning their relationship with alcohol is simple: you do not need to call yourself an alcoholic, have a dramatic story or wait for your life to fall apart before you deserve help. If your drinking is making your life more negative, or you don't know what will happen once you take that first drink, that may be enough to start asking questions. Tamsin shares her experience openly online, helping people who don't recognise themselves in the stereotypical image of addiction. She has founded a sober and sober-curious book club, is an advisory director of a sober CIC, raises money for alcohol harm charities. Oliver is an ambassador for Alcohol Change UK, support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773e Sponsor - www.gavinsisters.co.uk and use promo code SCHOOLOFROCKBOTTOM for 10% off! Support us - https://buymeacoffee.com/olivermason1 Topics - 0:00 Trailer & Intro 3:00 I didn't have a "rock bottom" moment! 7:00 What is rock bottom? 9:30 Hidden addiction is more dangerous? 12:15 Smashing denial 16:15 Hanxiety, sleep and migraines 18:00 Alcohol, relationships and control 19:45 I never felt "part of" 23:30 What is an alcoholic? 26:30 Putting your recovery second 30:30 Can you relapse for 1 day?! 34:15 How relapse effects your partner 38:30 Does your partner drink? 42:30 Picking back up tools during a relapse 46:00 Alcohol doesn't work anymore! 48:00 Alcohol delivery apps 56:00 Everyone deserves help Follow Tamsin Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@soberjourno Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tamsinsoberjourno Follow Oliver https://linktr.ee/olivermason YouTube - https://youtu.be/nb0ql7PrGpM Spotify - https://tinyurl.com/5fv45axp Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3 #Alcoholism #AddictionRecovery #Sobriety

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  School of Rock Bottom

  Can You Control Your Thoughts? School of Rock Bottom Thought #50: Oliver Mason

  Sep 21, 20269 min

  What if the thought “Life is shit. What’s the point?” isn’t the truth, but simply a thought? In this next School of Rock Bottom Thought Series, Oliver Mason explores self-pity, addiction, recovery, intrusive thoughts, anxiety and the search for purpose. I share how I learned to stop identifying with every thought my brain produced, challenge the stories that kept me trapped, and recognise the evidence that recovery was actually changing my life. From standing on a train platform with an intrusive thought to discovering the unexpected power of a gratitude list, this is a conversation about finding meaning when your mind is telling you there is none. In active addiction, “Life is shit. What’s the point?” can feel less like a passing thought and more like an undeniable fact. I explain how that same thought can still appear in recovery, even when I am completely clean and sober. The difference is what happens next. Rather than seeing myself as my thoughts, I describe seeing myself as the awareness of those thoughts. That small gap between having a thought and reacting to it became a game changer. I explore how this perspective helped me challenge anxiety, rumination and the tendency to turn one frightening thought into an entire story about myself. I also share a powerful example of experiencing an intrusive thought on a train platform and immediately spiralling into anxiety and self-diagnosis. The thought itself wasn't necessarily the problem. My reaction to it was. For me, recovery has increasingly been about recognising that while I may not have complete control over what enters my mind, I can develop far more choice over how I respond. The conversation then moves into one of the most important questions in recovery: what gives your life a point? I remember calling a mentor during early recovery and saying, “Life is shit. What’s the point?” Instead of joining me in the self-pity, my mentor challenged me to find something on my gratitude list that proved the thought wasn't true. What I discovered was surprisingly simple. I had spent time with my godson and watched a film. But within those ordinary moments was something much bigger: I was someone's godfather. I had a young person in my life who looked up to me. Suddenly, my life had purpose. That experience changed the way I viewed gratitude. What had once felt like meaningless box-ticking became evidence that my life was changing. The things on my gratitude list were things that were possible because I was sober. I also explore the idea that recovery isn't simply about removing alcohol or drugs. The energy, drive and intensity that once went into addiction doesn't necessarily disappear. It can be redirected towards purpose, creativity, relationships, service and building a completely different life. Listen or watch THE FULL EPISODE YouTube - https://tinyurl.com/bdc5dvfc Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3Z0Pr1r Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3 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 ambassador 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 #RelapsePrevention #RecoveryIsPossible

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  School of Rock Bottom

  "Ketamine Addiction Was Destroying My Life!" Addiction Recovery. School of Rock Bottom 93: Rick Keane

  Sep 14, 202659 min

  Rick Keane was known as the fixer in Ibiza. If you needed a comedy act booked for Ibiza Rocks, a luxury yacht arranged or almost anything else sorted, Rick was the man who could make it happen. But behind the scenes, his life was slowly falling apart. Ketamine addiction, criminality, secrecy and denial eventually led him into residential rehab — twice. After six months in treatment, a period of recovery and a five month relapse, Rick had to start again. Now approaching 18 months in recovery, he's a barber, works in a homeless project and gives back at the rehab that helped save his life. Rick opens up about the reality of ketamine addiction and what life looked like when he could no longer control his use. He talks honestly about secrecy, lies, control, ego and losing control through drugs. Rick explains how ketamine initially gave him an escape from his thoughts and relief from emotional pain. We explore how his use progressed, the culture surrounding ketamine in Ibiza, tolerance, K-holes and why what initially felt like freedom became another form of captivity. Rick describes the physical consequences of ketamine, including severe ketamine cramps, bladder problems and a large hole in his nose. We discuss ketamine-induced bladder damage, why symptoms can develop quickly for some people and how people can continue taking the drug even after being warned about potentially permanent consequences. We go back to Rick's childhood and explore control, confrontation, people pleasing, seeking excitement, criminality, abandonment and the need for validation. We discuss why recovery isn't simply about stopping the substance — it's also about understanding the person underneath the addiction. Rick talks about his six months in residential treatment, initially entering rehab without really wanting recovery, and the moment something began to change. He explains how treatment helped him discover a different life, retrain as a barber and find purpose through helping others. We also talk about publicly funded drug and alcohol treatment in the UK, asking for help, residential treatment and aftercare, and why you don't necessarily have to feel completely ready before entering treatment. Rick is incredibly honest about relapse. He explains how a relationship became part of a much bigger build-up, why he initially wanted to blame somebody else, and what he discovered when he looked honestly at the months leading up to his relapse. Rick shares what the 12-step programme has given him, including the importance of Step Five, honesty, accountability and being able to speak openly about the things that previously crippled his life. Rick's story shows that recovery isn't about becoming perfect. It's about understanding yourself, taking responsibility and continuing to move forward when things don't go according to plan. Oliver is an ambassador for Alcohol Change UK, support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773e Sponsor - www.gavinsisters.co.uk and promo code SCHOOLOFROCKBOTTOM for 10% off! Support us: PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypal Topics - 0:00 Trailer & Intro 3:00 A rock bottom moment 5:30 Rock bottoms in recovery? 7:30 HARD life lessons in treatment centre 10:30 Excitement & control 12:15 Stealing 14:00 Rick's life is a contradiction 16:00 Sobriety leads to clarity 18:00 Getting addicted to ketamine 22:30 The consequences of ketamine 28:20 Why is ketamine use on the rise? 31:30 How addiction is progressive 33:15 The K Hole stopped 34:15 Doing a geographical 36:15 NHS alcohol and drug treatment 40:00 Emotions in early recovery 45:15 Dating in early recovery 48:16 Coming back from relapse 51:00 Finding purpose and a new direction 53:15 Step 5 & relapse Follow Rick Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rick_keane27 Follow Oliver - https://linktr.ee/olivermason YouTube -https://tinyurl.com/3u2aftj6 Spotify - https://tinyurl.com/ycxywcby Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3 #KetamineAddiction #AddictionRecovery #Recovery

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  School of Rock Bottom

  Are You Addicted to Attention? School of Rock Bottom Thought #49: Georgina Baillie

  Sep 7, 20267 min

  What happens when the attention you once craved becomes the very thing that destroys you? In this next thought, I revisit a conversation with Georgina Baillie as she opens up about cocaine addiction, sex work, eating disorders, validation, and the desperate search for love and self-worth that took her from feeling invisible to living a life that spiralled completely out of control. At 19, male attention felt like power. After years of feeling invisible, suddenly men wanted her, bought her things and made her feel important. But underneath that newfound confidence was an eating disorder, a growing dependence on drugs and what Georgina now describes as an addiction to validation and attention. What began as a search for acceptance eventually became something far darker. Georgina describes how her cocaine addiction led her into sex work because she needed drugs. At the height of her addiction, she would even bypass the money and ask for cocaine instead. Her story raises difficult questions about the relationship between addiction, sex, validation and self-worth. What happens when we become dependent on other people to tell us that we matter? And how do we rebuild a sense of identity when the things we once believed gave us value begin to disappear? Georgina also takes us to her first true rock bottom in 2017, when she was 31 and was assaulted by a pimp, leaving burst blood vessels across her face. But even that moment was part of a much longer journey towards understanding just how unwell she had become. Now approaching 40, she reflects on how dramatically her understanding of herself has changed. The looks, attention and status that once seemed like everything have become almost irrelevant compared with the things she now considers genuinely important. Listen or watch THE FULL EPISODE YouTube - https://tinyurl.com/y9htydau Spotify - https://tinyurl.com/4a6353rp Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3 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 ambassador 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 Georgina Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/georgielondonart 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 #Addiction #MentalHealth #Recovery

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  School of Rock Bottom

  "I Used to Drink Vodka for Breakfast!" Addiction & Recovery. School of Rock Bottom 92: Ruth Harris

  Aug 31, 202657 min

  Ruth Harris used to drink vodka for breakfast. She survived years of addiction, repeated attempts to get clean and sober, domestic violence and some of the darkest moments of her life. Eight years later, she is a recovering addict, entrepreneur and TEDx speaker who has dedicated her life to challenging the stigma around addiction and helping people understand recovery. Ruth takes us inside her lowest moments that finally changed everything: waking up surrounded by drug paraphernalia, completely alone, consumed by shame and feeling that she would rather not be here than continue living that way. Ruth explains why a rock bottom moment was not necessarily the most catastrophic thing that happened to her, but the moment she experienced what she describes as spiritual bankruptcy. She had tried recovery before. She had stopped and started, made promises and relapsed. This time, something finally shifted. We go back to Ruth’s childhood to understand what was happening underneath the addiction long before she picked up a drink or a drug. She describes feeling uncomfortable in her own skin, feeling like an alien around other people and becoming dependent on validation, intense relationships and being liked. She also reveals how controlling food became another way of trying to manage feelings she didn't know how to process. Ruth speaks candidly about her relationship with alcohol, cocaine, crack, opiates and prescription drugs, and explains why she never really had a single drug of choice. We explore what substances initially gave her: confidence, connection, freedom from fear, guilt and shame, and the feeling that she had finally found somewhere she belonged. We then examine how that search for connection ultimately became isolation. We discuss relapse in detail, including why Ruth repeatedly believed she could eventually drink normally and how she grieved alcohol and drugs almost like losing a relationship. She explains the moment she realised the substance itself wasn't the entire problem and that she had to confront her thinking, identity and behaviour. Ruth also opens up about living with ADHD and bipolar disorder alongside addiction. She describes a mind that felt like a washing machine, constantly telling her she wasn't good enough. We explore self-medication, neurodiversity and the complicated relationship between ADHD, mental health and addiction. Ruth explains why isolation was so destructive for her and why community became such a powerful part of her recovery. She talks openly about the role the 12 Steps, meetings, spirituality, prayer, meditation and other people played in helping her rebuild her life. Then comes the plot twist: resilience and the unexpected strengths that can emerge from addiction and recovery. Ruth believes the determination, creativity, obsession and ability to solve problems that once fuelled her addiction can be redirected into something extraordinary in recovery. Support here: https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773e SPONSOR - www.gavinsisters.co.uk promo code SCHOOLOFROCKBOTTOM for 10% off! Support us: https://buymeacoffee.com/olivermason1 Or via PayPal - https://www.paypal.me/olivermason1paypal Topics - 0:00 Trailer & Intro 2:30 A rock bottom moment 5:20 Is there a spiritual rock bottom? 9:05 Codependency 11:50 The relationship of drugs & food 14:35 Alcohol, coke and crack 17:30 When does relapse start? 18:10 Addiction, bipolar & ADHD 27:00 Relapse 29:20 Thinking was the problem 31:30 Looking for LOVE 32:35 Why the 12 steps helped Ruth 36:50 Becoming nothing to become everything 38:20 Letting go 43:10 Humility & recovery 45:05 Transforming the energy of addiction 48:50 Hardships shape resilience 53:20 Hold your head high! Follow Ruth Website - https://www.ruthharrismethod.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fromhightodry Ted Talk - https://tinyurl.com/4cxzwy6s Follow Oliver https://linktr.ee/olivermason YouTube - https://tinyurl.com/49ht6efa Apple - https://tinyurl.com/y3n2chk3

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on School of Rock Bottom. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.