On The Mend
Matt Willis
Matt Willis talks to inspiring people from all walks of life, who have hit rock bottom, and finds out how they made it through to the other side.
Exploring his own drug and alcohol addiction, he digs deep into what recovery means, offering tips and tools and expert advice.
With honest, frank, relatable and free flowing conversation this podcast is personable as it is informative
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Top 10 On The Mend Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best On The Mend episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to On The Mend for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite On The Mend episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
08/14/23 • 44 min
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
Alcohol Support on the NHS website
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
08/07/23 • 59 min
In this episode Matt welcomes gambling addiction expert, Liz Karter, to the studio.
Liz's area of specialisation is gambling addiction. This includes all of its causes and consequences which she has found to be stress, depression, anxiety, relationship problems and sometimes trauma.
Liz has built an excellent reputation for helping women successfully overcome gambling addiction. She also works very successfully with men, too, and helps people overcome addictions to alcohol, drugs, digital devices and love relationships, including the complexities of online dating. She established her private practice, Level Ground, in 2010 and over the years has helped hundreds of people to live happier, healthier lives.
In this episode, Matt and Liz discuss the all-consuming power of gambling, how technology has made it easier than ever to gamble (and hide it) and the steps someone should take if they're wanting to quit.
Here are some links discussed in our episode - and others you may find useful:
Liz's Website
Liz's Book - Four Weeks To Freedom
NHS - gambling addiction help page
National Gambling Treatment Service
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
07/31/23 • 60 min
This week, Matt welcomes the DJ and author Fat Tony to the studio.
Tony has had an incredible career, spanning nearly four decades, he has had his say in paving the way for the UK’s current music scene.
He held a weekly show in New York, at The Palladium for Streve Rubell – during the height of Paradise Garage – AND is a regular at
Ministry of Sound and Glitterbox. As official DJ to the Beckhams and Versace – he is also one of the fashion scene’s go to performers.
Now 16 years sober, Tony discovered drugs when he was 18, and would convince himself that he couldn’t DJ unless he was high. He would sometimes go four or five nights straight without sleeping. He became so psychotic from his cocaine addiction that he believed creatures lived inside his gums. He also lost his teeth and became homeless.
In this episode we look back at Tony’s extraordinary life and career, how he faced his demons and what recovery means to him.
**Please be advised that this episode contains strong language and some content which listeners may find disturbing. If you are affected by anything you hear in the episode - there are links below to some organisations which may be able to help you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
07/24/23 • 50 min
This week, Matt is joined by journalist, columnist, writer and mental health ambassador, Bryony Gordon.
Bryony is full of life and joy and brings such positive energy with her wherever she goes - including this podcast!
But her life has not been without dark moments and in this episode she opens up about her alcohol addiction and how she got sober and came through the other side.
Bryony is the founder of Mental Health Mates - a peer support group for those who are struggling with their mental health and need to talk and walk. She talks to Matt about how this came about and how it has grown into something she could never have imagined.
They also discuss parenthood, friendships and the joys of Body Camp - which both Matt and Bryony have experienced and found invigorating.
We cover a lot of serious topics in this episode - and reference some organisations who offer help and advice. You can find links to those below - as well as some other websites you might find useful, if you have been effected by any of the things you have heard in this episode.
USEFUL LINKS
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What I Do For My Mental Health
On The Mend
06/12/24 • 29 min
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
On The Mend (COMING SOON)
On The Mend
07/13/23 • 1 min
On The Mend - a brand new podcast hosted by Matt Willis - launches soon!
Subscribe and follow now so you don't miss an episode...
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How To Deal With Criticism From Loved Ones
On The Mend
07/09/24 • 25 min
This week we're getting personal!
Matt is upping the vulnerability scale, as he lets the closest people in his life – colleagues, friends, and even his wife – fire a round of constructive criticism his way.
Getting feedback about your flaws is extremely scary. But it's a powerful way to identify the things you need to work on. And if Matt can do it, so can all of you listening!
Wherever you are in your addiction recovery journey, mental health journey, or general self development journey, this is a pitstop you'll want to take note of.
(0:00) Daily gratitude
(3:15) Criticism and feedback
(4:52) Becoming comfortable with criticism (learn to be vulnerable!)
(9:15) Learning to follow through
(11:10) Stop swearing so much!
(13:47) Passion being your strength and your flaw
(14:53) Criticism from my wife, Emma
(17:50) Advice from Jordan Stephens (Rizzle Kicks) on changing your environment
(19:30) How to work on your problems
(19:58) How to live honestly
(22:10) Holding your partner accountable
(24:32) outro
JOHANN HARI: rethinking the war on drugs
On The Mend
08/28/24 • 76 min
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
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
06/05/24 • 61 min
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)
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)
08/21/23 • 56 min
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.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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FAQ
How many episodes does On The Mend have?
On The Mend currently has 29 episodes available.
What topics does On The Mend cover?
The podcast is about Health & Fitness, Mental Health and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on On The Mend?
The episode title 'RAPHAEL ROWE: wrongful convictions, positivity after darkness and hope' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on On The Mend?
The average episode length on On The Mend is 48 minutes.
How often are episodes of On The Mend released?
Episodes of On The Mend are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of On The Mend?
The first episode of On The Mend was released on Jul 13, 2023.
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