Living Free

Alison comes on the show for a second time and shares an insight into her poker machine addiction and her recovery through Gamblers Anonymous. Now over four years without gambling she shares her experience and how her attraction to excitement led her seek out pokies and develop an obsession with gambling. If you’re having trouble with gambling, or have a friend or family member that does, then may...

The Residents for Victoria Street Drug Solutions Incorporated (RVSDS) is a group of Yarra residents who successfully advocated for a Medically Supervised Injection Centre (MSIC) to be trialled within the Victoria Street, Richmond precinct to address the high levels of public drug taking, unacceptable rates of overdoses and fatalities, and the associated drug dealing, crime and risk to public healt...

Tanya and Leigh are Peer Support Workers at for Doors Wide Open - a peer-led community support service that assists individuals and families impacted by Alcohol and other Drugs (AOD). DWO also offer support for people impacted by homelessness or rough sleeping. Tanya and Leigh share their lived experience of being helped by Doors Wide Open to break their addiction to methamphetamine (ice) and to g...

Jane was on the show in February 2021 and comes back nearly two years later to discuss how Alcoholics Anonymous meetings have continued to help her to recover and return to a normal life without dependence on alcohol. Jane talks about rebuilding trust with her family and friends, being clear-eyed and on the ball at work and helping other alcoholics trying to recover from alcoholism in the fellowsh...

Claudineia Wong is a group facilitator at SMART Recovery Australia. SMART Recovery is an international organisation that assists people in recovery from addictive  behaviours through group meetings based on the principles of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. In this episode Neia discusses the role of the group meetings in helping people to cope with urges, maintain motivation to recover from their prob...

Brenden shares his gambling journey and insight into his pokies addiction and his recovery through Gamblers Anonymous. Now three and a half years without gambling he shares his insight into how his early behaviour, anxiety and attraction to excitement led him seek out pokies and gamble obsessively for 13 years. If you’re having trouble with gambling, or have a friend or family member that does, th...

Carmen grew up in Germany in a family where there was alcohol abuse and violence. In her adult life, she developed a compulsion to control her eating and fell into a pattern of food restriction followed by bingeing. Carmen found herself preoccupied with food and when she realised it had become a problem began to look for help. A therapist's advice to eat in moderation did not work for her but thro...

Rhonda started life in Ontario, Canada, but as a young child moved with her alcoholic father and three siblings, without their mother, to another province, Alberta. Here she grew up with a father whose neglectful behaviour forced Rhonda and her siblings to fend for themselves. Rhonda took refuge in school and benefitted from the care of teachers who noticed her and gave her opportunities. As an ad...

Claude grew up in an immigrant family and always felt a bit of an outsider. His dad didn’t drink excessively but he suffered years of physical violence and subsequently depression because of his father’s rage. Claude sought out alcohol at and early age and started using drugs as well as a teenager. He left school early and did an apprenticeship, but his drug and alcohol use severely impacted his w...

Steve has been off the punt for about 4 years thanks to help from Gamblers Anonymous and talks about how he was introduced to underage drinking and gambling in his mid-teens with his friends.  He talks about his first bet being a win and then he was hooked, trying to recreate that buzz of winning. Gambling strengthened his relationship with his friends, and later he sought out friends who enjoyed...

April Long has lived experience of family members with alcoholism and other addictions. For many members of her family this has led to interactions with the criminal justice system. As CEO of SMART Recovery Australia, April is committed to building an organisation that gives people the tools to address their own problematic behaviours, allowing them to make positive changes for themselves, their f...

Mike grew up in a household in which emotions were suppressed. Mike attributes this to the intergenerational effects of alcoholism and the dysfunctional ways in which his parents responded to life's challenges. A medical professional recommended that Mike attend an Al-Anon meeting and there he discovered a much wider range of emotional expression than he had previously been exposed to. Over the ye...

Rachel grew up in a family of musicians and spent a lot of her childhood travelling the country with her family for work. It resulted in her attending lots of different schools, and it eventually took its toll on her wellbeing.  Her dad and grandfather both drank, and alcohol played a big part in her family’s life. Rachel left home in her mid-teens to pursue a career in a band and alcohol was ever...

Robbert has been off the punt for 17 years thanks to help from Gamblers Anonymous and talks about how he was introduced to gambling in his late teens and early twenties around Sydney’s casinos and nightclubs.  He talks about his first big win and how he ploughed it all back into the pokies, plus more the next day. Robbert’s life deteriorated as he spent his weekly pay-packet on the pokies on payda...

Coming from a family affected across generations by substance abuse, and facing physical and emotional challenges, Robert experienced much unhappiness as a teenager and young adult. He has found recovery in the world-wide fellowship of Al-Anon. During the pandemic lockdowns, Robert began attending Al-Anon zoom meetings all over the world and through this global sharing of experience, strength and...

Dr Constance Scharff has both professional qualifications and personal recovery experience. Since completing her PhD in Transformative Studies, she has dedicated her life towards helping others with mental health, trauma, and addiction issues through evidence-based, holistic treatments and solutions.  Dr Scharff is an author, speaker, and advocate and specializes in radically transformative person...

Tyril Houghton is Chairperson of the board and Shane Thompson is a Peer Support Worker at for Doors Wide Open - a peer-led community support service that assists individuals and families impacted by Alcohol and other Drugs (AOD). DWO also offer support for people impacted by homelessness or rough sleeping. Tyril shares her lived experience of using education to break down the stigma associated wit...

Matt grew up in a good family, but his dad had been affected by his own father’s drinking and his mum compensated with enabling behaviour. He developed some bad habits at primary school and felt that he was missing out on material things in life. Matt started early to take money, cigarettes and alcohol from his home to share with other kids at school to gain acceptance. He got the taste for alcoho...

Mark grew up in a household in which his father drank too much and his mother tried to control her husband's behaviour. Naturally, in this situation, conflict ensued. In an attempt to hold his family together in the face of the conflict, Mark often found himself acting as peacemaker and go-between. In this episode, Mark discusses how he found support, first in Alateen where other teenagers shared...

Ange comes back onto the show after another 2 years in Gamblers Anonymous and talks about how she fell into gambling on social media games and how that affected her life. After realizing the impact of her secretive gambling on her husband and family she went to Gamblers Anonymous to address her compulsive gambling. Ange talks candidly about the need to be ready to stop gambling, about the fact tha...

JESS shares her lived experience of prescription drug addiction and as a peer support worker in Melbourne.   Jess also talks about the Rethink Addiction campaign that is aiming to help overcome the stigma and shame associated with addiction and encourage people seek help. Jess is two years into her recovery and is so proud of herself and who she is today. To find out more about Rethink Addiction,...

Gab grew up as the youngest in a loving family and had a normal childhood but suffered anxiety from a young age. Drinking started in her early teens, she didn’t like the taste but loved the effect. Gab was a blackout drunk from the start but didn’t see her drinking as any different from her friends. Her relationships were always centred around alcohol or addiction. Drinking progressed and eventual...

Dan talks about how he led a normal life as a kid but was bullied at school and didn’t have many friends. He remembers playing card games for coins with his family and his Nan betting on Kino but no real gambling influences. Dan didn’t like school much and in his late teens he and his friends were into horses and drinking so their university days were not very academic. In his early twenties Dan u...

In this episode of Living Free, our invited guest cancelled at the last minute and host, Ann, put out a call to listeners for a person willing to step in as a guest on the show. When Michael called in they had a conversation about the difficulties of recovery and relapse. The Living Free team would like to thank Michael for his willingness to speak on air without preparation and at such short noti...

Luke Anderson is a Youth Support Worker. He currently works with YSAS in a residential program to support young people aged 12-21 who are seeking to withdraw from alcohol and drugs. Luke speaks about the YSAS harm minismisation and early intervention approach to working with young people and the broad range of services that YSAS offers throughout Melbourne and regional Victoria. If you would like...