On The Mend – Details, episodes & analysis

This week’s guest is Johann Hari, whose books and TED Talks on depression, anxiety, and addiction have reached millions of people.

His 2015 talk Everything You Think You Know About Addiction Is Wrong had a huge impact on Matt, changing how he thought about his own recovery.

Matt then devoured Johann’s first book Chasing The Scream which looked at the war on drugs, through the story of Billie Holiday. While writing this book, Johann travelled the world to find out how different countries and cultures are dealing with addiction. Because, when it comes to treatment, prevention and enforcement, some countries have got it nailed... and some really haven't. In fact, many countries (including the UK) have got a lot to learn when it comes to our attitudes towards drugs and addiction.

This conversation dives into Billie Holiday’s story and the legacy of Harry J Anslinger’s war on drugs; the importance of connection and compassion in addiction recovery; and what we can learn from innovations in countries like Portugal and Switzerland, and, at the community level, in Vancouver.

(01:10) Johann’s funeral song (a surprising choice, but perhaps not for Busted fans)

(02:44) The impact of Johann’s Ted Talk on Matt

(04:45) Johann’s motivation for researching addiction

(08:43) The Rat Park experiment and the importance of connection

(13:26) The U.S. vs. Billie Holiday and what this story teaches us about the war on drugs

(27:36) Addiction treatment in the prison system

(32:32) Shame and stigma in addiction (and the importance of looking at multiple factors)

(43:40) The impact of junk values in contemporary society

(51:00) Looking for, and fixating on, negative feedback

(53:36) The different approach to addiction in Portugal 

(59:07) Andrew Sullivan, gay marriage, and important cultural change

(01:01:59) Decriminalisation vs. legalisation and the Swiss approach to addiction

(01:06:22) The power of ordinary people in cultural change

(01:07:54) What we can learn from Vancouver (Bud Osborn and Philip Owen)

(01:14:24) Concluding thoughts from Johann and Matt

Related links:

Johann’s books

The film adaptation of Chasing The Scream: The United States vs, Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit

Bruce K Alexander’s Rat Park experiment

Joe Arpaio’s Tent City

Dr Vincent J Felitti

Dr Gabor Maté 

Professor Tim Kasser’s The High Price of Materialism and his experiment with Nathan Duncan

Portugal’s Dr João Goulão

Virtually Normal by Andrew Sullivan

Former President of Switzerland Ruth Dreifuss

The Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users: VANDU

Former Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen

NHS: Getting Help for Drug Addiction

This week, Matt is opening up about a topic that makes many of us uncomfortable… love!
Matt and his wife, broadcaster Emma Willis, have been going strong for 20 years. They’ve been through high, lows and all sorts of addiction-related battles. If anything, they’ve come out of the other side stronger. 
Since Matt and Emma began hosting the UK Series of Love Is Blind, the pair have been asked the same question by countless people: what’s the secret to their happy marriage?
If you want the honest, raw answer, then listen up. Matt has thought long and hard about this, and today he’s sharing his secret to a long-lasting, successful relationship. He’s also stepping out of his comfort zone to shed truth on the long, often tricky, journey he’s been on to learn to love himself.
Love Is Blind UK is out now on Netflix.
If you’ve been watching already, let Matt know if you’re enjoying!
(0:00) Intro
(0:16) Daily gratitude 
(3:16) Using Journal app to document growth
(4:03) Struggling with daily affirmations
(5:00) Talking about love
(5:43) Matt never believed in love as a kid
(6:53) What’s the secret to Matt and Emma’s relationship?
(7:54) What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger
(8:29) The people you love will change
(9:55) Relationships are not 50:50 
(11:13) You can’t love while you’re dealing with addiction 
(12:20) The route of a strong relationship is honesty 
(17:13) Relationships are never perfect 
(17:39) Learning to love yourself 
(19:38) Treat yourself how you treat others
(20:15) How therapy has unlocked self-love
(24:02) Being at peace with your past self
(25:23) Reacting to triggers 
(25:56) Lessons from elderly people (what’s important about life?)
(27:08) Lessons from Johann Hari (the opposite of addiction is connection)
(29:00) How does Matt feel today?
(29:23) Outro
Related links:
Johann Hari’s Ted Talk: Everything You Know About Addiction Is WrongChasing The Scream by Johann Hari

Matt meets Andy Ramage, a footballer who became a commodities broker, when injury ended his career. 

While Andy's career was a success, something was missing. He felt broken. And so ten years ago, he embarked on a journey to transform his life.

Andy realised that alcohol was impacting how he felt, and his ability to get things done. So, he set his sights on a 90 days booze-free challenge. And he’s never looked back.

If you need a bit of motivation right now, whatever challenge you want to take on, Andy’s the man for the occasion.

Related links:

Andy’s website (with free resources and coaching workshops)

Andy’s books: Let’s Do This & The 28 Day Alcohol-Free Challenge

The Alcohol-Free Advantage Podcast with Andy Ramage

The Dryy App

Dryy Fest

NHS Alcohol Support Services

Nick Littlehales’ Sleep 

BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits

(01:23) Andy’s move from football into broking

(05:40) Andy’s definition of “middle-lane drinking”

(08:42) Wanting to try alcohol-free (and the social pressure around drinking)

(14:37) Andy's diagnosis of coronary artery calcification

(16:32) Living optimally alcohol-free - the health benefits

(20:46) Matt’s experience of people asking him about their own drinking

(21:58) Andy’s advice for starting an alcohol-free journey (moving past the excuses)

(25:33) The effect that middle lane drinking has on your sleep, performance and health

(31:00) What’s going on in your brain (chasing that dopamine spike

(34:32) Relationships with people who aren’t alcohol-free

(37:57) The red wine myth (resveratrol) and “magic grannies”

(40:34) Socialising, alcohol-free drinks, and Dryy Fest (46:57) Studying in later life

(48:22) Willpower and motivational psychology

(49:48) Andy’s advice for building exercise habits (and core values)

(54:40) The stages of change and accepting that you will slip up

(58:14) Matt’s outro 

Matt is braving it for a solo episode this week! He’s stepping out of his comfort zone for a candid chat about a big part of any addict’s recovery: mental health.

It’s a topic lots of our listeners have been asking Matt to open up about. So today, he’s breaking down the day-to-day practices that have helped him the most – and can help you too.

Some of these habits Matt developed early on in his recovery journey. Others he’s only beginning to see the potential of today.

From a beginner’s introduction to meditation, to the power of a freezing cold shower (just hear us out!), to the number one way to start your day, we hope that everyone can take something away from this conversation. 

(00:00) Introduction 

(02:29) Start everyday with gratitude

(07:00) What I do for my mental health

(08:45) An introduction to meditation  

(14:14) Relaxation with binaural beats 

(16:03) Getting dopamine from cold water therapy

(21:20) Get moving everyday

(23:00) Changing my relationship with my past self

(24:00) The power of therapy

(27:47) Follow evidence over self belief 

Matt Willis returns for a second series of On The Mend. His first guest is Vicky Pattison, a Jungle Queen, whose feet haven’t touched the ground since she first appeared on our screens in 2011. 

Geordie Shore was a baptism by fire, at a time when reality television was “a bit like the Wild West”. Vicky was only in her early 20s, she was unprepared for the spotlight, and she created a caricature of herself to hide the vulnerable person struggling inside.

But since then, Vicky has put in the work. She’s learned what makes her tick, the tools which help her anxiety, and how to navigate her own relationship with alcohol, and her father’s alcoholism. 

Vicky was determined to become the best version of herself, she seized the opportunity to change public opinion on I’m A Celebrity… And she wants to inspire the next generation of women to never dim their sparkle, and go after exactly what they want. 

This interview was recorded in March 2024, a few months after Vicky had returned from an endurance mission in the Arctic Circle, raising funds for Comic Relief. 

Related links: NACOA (The National Association for Children of Alcoholics)

NHS Alcohol Support Services

Vicky Pattison: Alcohol, Dad and Me (Channel 4)

Matt Willis: Fighting Addiction (BBC)

Snow Going Back: Comic Relief v the Arctic  (BBC)

The Secret to Happy: How to build resilience, banish self-doubt and live the life you deserve (Vicky’s book)

Vicky Pattison: The Secret To (podcast)

Matt Willis is joined by podcaster, charity founder and cancer activist, Lauren Mahon (and her dog, Ray).

Lozza, as she likes to be called, talks to Matt about breaking the taboos around cancer, talking more openly about illnesses and death and how friends and family can really help in dark times.

They discuss her own breast cancer diagnosis, which she got aged 31, her activism, her overactive brain and why sometimes you just need to go to the cinema.

Lozza's podcast 'You Me And The Big C' can be found here, although she doesn't host it anymore, for reasons she discusses on the podcast.

It's a very open, honest and inspirational chat, and we hope that you will find it as powerful a listen, as we did recording it. (and apologies for the swears!)

If you have been effected by anything you've heard in today's episode, there are some links below for help and advice:

Macmillan Cancer Support

Good Grief Trust

NHS

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On our latest episode, Matt Willis visits Dr Rangan Chatterjee at his home for an in-depth chat about mental health and wellbeing. 

Rangan has practiced medicine for over 20 years and believes that good health is accessible to all of us. His goal is to change the way we look at illness and shares his learnings and expertise on his own podcast - 'Feel Better, Live More' - which Matt was a guest on previously. 

They discuss the feeling of shame, how powerful and negative it is, and what can be done to help people disassociate with that emotion. Dr Chatterjee also shares some simple tips for better mental health, as well as talking about the 'Four Pillars' that he lives by. 

Rangan's books are bestsellers, and his passion for making people feel better is so evident in the way he writes and speaks. In this episode, we cover addiction, mental health and mindfulness, and hope there are some good takeaways. 

If you are effected by any of the topics discussed today, here are some links which may be helpful: 

The Samaritans

AA

The NHS

Mind

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Matt welcomes author, entrepreneur motivational speaker and personal trainer Tyrone Brennand to the studio.

Tyrone is the founder of Be The Fittest, a personal training company in London, and has looked to exercise and yoga his whole life, to help him through hard times.

He talks to Matt about some of the darkest times in his life, growing up without a father figure, his passion for yoga and what he does week in, week out to stay healthy in mind and body. They also discuss his book and his tips for people wanting to try yoga for the first time.

If you have been effected by anything you have heard in this episode, there are some links to help and guidance below:

Samaritans

The Mind Charity (Mindfulness techniques)

Alcoholics Anonymous

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of On The Mend, Matt is joined by the journalist, presenter, author and podcaster Raphael Rowe.

Raphael was wrongly convicted of a crime in the late 1980s, and spent 12 years in prison. During that time, he never gave up trying to prove his innocence and never gave up hope, even in the darkest of times.

Since being acquitted and released, Raphael has gone on to work for the BBC as a reporter on Radio 4 and regularly appears on The One Show. He hosts 'Inside The World's Toughest Prisons' on Netflix and his own podcast, 'Second Chance'.

He talks to Matt about his time in prison (and in solitary confinement), how exercise and yoga helped him get through the days and how he eventually got the authorities to listen to his appeal.

His memoir 'Notorious' talks about some of his darkest times and questions the justice system in the UK, which he also touches on in this episode.

They also discuss hope and the power of having the mental strength to get through hard times.

You can hear more from Raphael on his own podcast, Second Chance

And you can read more about the Raphael Rowe Foundation, here

If you have been affected by anything you have heard in this episode, there are some links to organisations who might be able to help you below.

Samaritans

Talking Therapies

Drug Addicts Anonymous

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest is the TV and Radio presenter, Rylan Clark.

He joins Matt in the studio to talk about the brilliant highs and crushing lows he's experienced in his life recently. After exploding on to our TV screens in 2012, as a contestant on the X-Factor, Rylan has become one of the most recognisable personalities in the UK. Known for his high energy, laughter and fabulous teeth - he is hard to miss, whether on the TV, Radio or just walking down the street.

But a couple of years ago, Rylan went through a very difficult divorce, which left him feeling the lowest he had ever been. He didn't want to leave the house, or get out of bed, and he became very ill and turned to drink.

In this episode, he opens up to Matt about the highs and lows of fame, loneliness, going through that incredibly difficult time and how he has come through the other side.

Below are some helpful links for help and advice, if you have been affected by anything you have heard in this episode.

The Samaritans

Web Of Loneliness

Alcohol Support on the NHS website

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.