The Two Roads Travelled Podcast is about raising awareness about the impact of alcohol misuse on families, educating everyone about alcohol addiction, discussing news and views to change perceptions and judgements. Changing and influencing social norms. Opening the conversation outside of the immediate issue and into society. There are no limits of discussion that we wouldn't take part in and encourage others to do the same. Alcoholism needs to be an education to others.

Two Roads Travelled Podcast Episodes:

The podcast is released every two weeks on a Sunday, series four will be our last series for the time being whilst we take a break. The latest and last podcast is episode 32. Episode 32 we talk to Harry who we spoke to in our first ever episode, it seems like a good idea to end series four finding out how his sobriety is going and the challenges many face in recovery. It was released on 15th November 2020. This will be the last of our podcast episodes for the time being, we're taking a break. See you then!

Series 4

This is the last episode in series four. In this episode we chat to Harry who we interviewed in episode one, to see how his sobriety is going and to discuss what happens when you stop the drink and begin to live a normal life. We have loved doing all the episodes and this will be no different.

Episode 29 is about bullying, fitting in and sometimes peer pressure. Jane shares her story of wanting to fit in at school, and whilst she was never pressured into drinking, it was something that she became to rely upon when things got tough later in life.

Episode 26 is out! It's a really great conversation around codependency. A topic that a lot of family members of a loved one's drinking struggle with. We focus on the drinker just as they focus on the alcohol. Lisa Boucher an author, recovering alcoholics and registered nurse shares her views.

This is the second to last episode in series four. In episode 30 we chat to Elliot about his experience with his Dad's alcoholism, and we talk about broken relationships. Many family members will struggle to forgive and find compassion, we find out what happened with Elliot and his Dad,

Jane Scanlan joins Paula and Jo to talk about her bullying at school and how she decided to be in the "cool girls" gang,  Soon after she started drinking, which she used as a coping strategy later in life. 

Episode 25 out first episode back after our usual break, we decided to cover the very important topic of resentment. Felt by a lot of family members. Jordan shares his story of his Dad's drinking and the impact it''s had on him as an adult. How his resentment showed itse;f and more.

In this episode we talk to Christine about her experiences with alcohol and a chance meeting with a man on a bridge that awoke her spirituality. That experience was enough to set Christine on a new path, find out how.

Episode 27 is now live! It's a really interesting episode on drink spiking. Dawn tells us about her experience on Dragon's Den and her creation, as well as the most common way to spike drinks. Not to mention the people that are most likely to spike them. Tune in now to find out. 

Series 3

Episode 24 is the last in the series. We speak to Lori Bruton about people pleasing, so many of us do it and often to your own detriment. Compromising your own wants and needs. Unfortunately there was a technical issue so it cuts off before the end, but plenty to learn!

This is our second to last episode for series 3, we chat to Jenny Hardman about alcohol misuse and domestic abuse. It's one of our longest podcast episodes as there is so much to say. We were lucky to have Jenny share so openly ,I hope you enjoy the episode.

In Episode 22 Paula and I chat to Dylis about her experiences living with a parent that drank too much, how she had to become a "strong" woman yet underneath it all quite vulnerable.  

Yay, we've managed to get the podcast episode sorted. So this one is all about mental health and alcohol misuse, how it has impacted on Suzannah's life. She shares how Emotional Freedom Technique and EMDR have helped her.

What an episode we have for you, Nicole shares some of herpersonal experiences of living with a parent that drank too much. We look at how differently she perceived the situation, to that of her brothers. Paula and I can also reflect on how differently we saw things. 

It's just Paula and Jo in this episode, they share their experiences as the daughters of a drinker, how they both perceived the situation differently and how they've both learnt a lot about the other's experience. Join us in this very insightful episode.

Episode 18 is all about alcohol misuse and mental health. The two are intrinsincally linked so we wanted to speak with someone that knows about both. Natasha, a mental health nurse joins us to share her knowledge and experience of dual diagnosis and more!

We're back! It's series 3 and in this episode we're talking to Amy & Gaye from the Human Story Theatre, a charity set up to portray real life stories in the form of plays, with a Q & A panel at th end. We talk about "Dry" their play on alcohol misuse. 

Series 2

This is the last episode of series 2! We can't believe how well it's been received and how much we're enjoying it. This episode is about the gap between social and dependent drinking, We talk to Paul Silva who coaches men and women in addiction recovery and in life transitions.

Episode 15 is about living with the uncertainty of a drinker. Looking at how this affects children and the affects it can have in adult life. In this episode we talk to Judith Quin, the daughter of an alcoholic. Judith transforms lives through liberating voices.  

It's episode 14 and time for the amazing Ryan McCormack, we'll be talking about the resilient child. Ryan works in the field of alcohol and drugs, supporting young people, young adults and families to make and sustain positive changes for themselves, their families and their community. 

It's episode 13  and we're chatting with Stacey Miller about alcohol in education. Stacey has 15 years professional and personal experience working in the field of substance misuse. Her passion is to be proactive rather than reactive in alcohol education.  Enjoy the episode!

It’s time for episode 12, it’s not uncommon for those that find themselves with an addiction to alcohol, getting addicted to other things. Why is that? Jo and Paula talk to CEO of EDAS, Dr Mindy Bartlett to find out more about addictive personality disorder.

For Episode 11 Jo and Paula will be talking with Dr Giles Croft and Sam Wilde on the person beneath the addiction. Sam and Dr Giles Croft are both coaches, they have a great amount of experience and Sam shares some of his own lived experience as the son of an alcoholic. 

In Episode 10 we'll be talking with Stephanie Chivers discussing vital and simple changes that can be made to support families that face a loved one with a drinking problem. Stephanie specialises in behaviour change and addictions as a 1-1 Practitioner and Group facilitator.

Welcome back to series 2, In episode 9 it seems like a good idea to talk about non-drinkers around this festive period. Not everyone is a drinker and it's the only drug they have to justify not using. We talk to Melissa who is now a non-drinker and coaches people to be empowered and make their own choices in life.

Series 1

This is the last episode in the series. We're very excited to be talking to Kieron James, an ex pub landlord and in recovery himself. The topic for today is Alcohol and Social Norms. Alcohol is trivialised too much and we need to change that. 

In episode 5  we have John McMahon with us talking about his experience and the addictive personality linked so closely to addiction and the way it affected him and people around him at the time. 

In episode 2 we'll be looking at addiction in prison. Jo and Paula are excited to welcome Greg who shares his story of his addiction whilst being in prison, after years of living with his father's alcoholism he began using drugs in his early teens and as a result by the time he was 16 Greg was opiate dependant. Also joining the conversation is Tania who works in a female prison as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Trauma Informed Care Lead. 

Episode 7 is around alcohol misuse in the workplace, the dangers, connection to mental health and what companies can do to support staff. We'll be talking with charlotte. who lives in Wales and has been supporting professionals to develop their practice within the substance misuse sector for the past 10 years.
There has been a change to the schedule, this week Jo and Paula are chatting to Joanna from the C3 Foundation Europe. the award winning charity. They'll be discussing The Sinclair Method (TSM), this is a medication assisted treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder. The medication is available from GP's and has been for quite some time, not that you'd know it!

In this episode Paula and Jo talk about alcohol misuse in general, what it is, what it looks like, the impact and guests Paul and Harry share their views. Paul is a social drinker and Harry is a recovering alcoholic. 

The trauma that families of drinkers face is complex and often undetected, many experience PTSD either first hand or second hand, often not being dealt with until later in life, if at all. Jane Evans (trauma expert) joins Jo and Paula to discuss these matters. 

In this episode Paula and Jo will be chatting to Kevin Hempstead from KH Counselling, Kevin is a humanistic counsellor with extensive experience in addiction, childhood sexual abuse and bereavement. We'll be discussing the impact of alcohol misuse on the families.  

This is the introduction episode (so if you're new here, have a listen to give you an insight into who we are). We're both experienced living with and being affected by alcohol and we had different ways of dealing with life and the complications it threw at us. Being at polar ends of our coping strategies, after many years we've come to the same agreement, alcohol needs to be discussed and put out there because it damages and kills. 

We can all play a part in changing perceptions and judgements around alcohol, it's misuse and those it impacts. 

The video below gives a brief insight into some of the issues that arise because of alcohol misuse. We discuss these topics in the podcast. In the meantime, you can look to educate others, challenge their thinking and actions. 

Be part of the movement #respectforalcohol. 

There are many organisations working tirelessly to change how we use and view alcohol, supporting those affected and changing policies in government. A big shout out to them too!

Thanks to Alcohol Change, Adfam and NACOA.

Adfam Alcohol Change NACOA