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Living Free

The Living Free Crew

Talk on substance misuse, alcoholism and other addictions. Information on support groups is given.

news & politics

All Episodes

Gamblers Anonymous - Yvonne and Kathy

Living Free ·

2019/03/14

Yvonne and Kathy are compulsive gamblers who shared the same problem, once they started gambling they had no desire to stop, regardless of the consequences. Although they had very different lives and started using different forms of gambling they each realized that they couldn’t continue gambling without losing everything.Yvonne hasn’t gambled for 17 years now but remembers that through lying, cheating and stealing her gambling eventually led to prison. Fortunately she had found Gamblers Anonymous

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Al-Anon Family Groups – Helen and Kristie

Living Free ·

2019/03/07

Helen and Kristie both grew up with an alcoholic dad and a co-dependent mum but it was their mum that had the most profound influence over their adult lives.Finding Al-Anon Family Groups allowed Helen and Kristie to learn how to detach from their mum with love, to exercise their freedom of choice and to enjoy their lives.If someone else's drinking is causing you a problem then you can phone the Al-Anon Family Groups helpline on 1300 252 666 or go online at www.al-anon.org.au.

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Narcotics Anonymous - John

Living Free ·

2019/02/28

John grew up in a pretty normal family but got into alcohol and dope in his early teens, hating the taste but loving the effect alcohol had in helping to fit in. He was in youth detention but it wasn’t till he was in and out of the adult justice system that he got a taste for heroin, then speed and amphetamines. John went through rehab many times and found out about Narcotics Anonymous but didn’t really take recovery seriously until after he had been clean for a couple of years and was a single

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Amanda and Sheryn

Living Free ·

2019/02/21

Amanda started drinking at 16 years old and progressed quickly to daily drinking at 18 when she moved out of home. Her worsening alcoholism affected her employment and relationships but she still found it difficult to stop drinking. Reaching her rock bottom in her thirties Amanda found Alcoholics Anonymous in rehab but it has taken her multiple attempts at quitting alcohol over 9 years in and out of AA. She now feels more comfortable as a member of AA.Sheryn also started drinking in her mid-teens

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Gamblers Anonymous - Alison and Ian

Living Free ·

2019/02/14

Alison and Ian are compulsive gamblers who shared the same problem, once they started gambling they had no desire to stop, regardless of the consequences. Although they had very different lives and used different forms of gambling they each realized that they couldn’t continue gambling without losing everything.Ian started gambling on sport and racing in his mid-teens and continued till he had nothing 22 years later. Alison started gambling on the pokies in her mid-forties after her kids had left

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Al-Anon Family Groups – Kate and Judy

Living Free ·

2019/02/07

Kate and Judy had quite different backgrounds but found that alcoholism in their family members directly affected their lives.Finding Al-Anon Family Groups allowed Kate and Judy to learn how to get honest with themselves and to exercise their freedom of choice and to enjoy their lives.If someone else's drinking is causing you a problem then you can phone the Al-Anon Family Groups helpline on 1300 252 666 or go online at www.al-anon.org.au.

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Guns in Family Violence Special - Jacqui

Living Free ·

2018/12/27

Content Warning This podcast contains comments about family violence that may be distressing to some listeners. If this raises questions or causes distress please call 1800respect.org.au (1800 737 732) or safesteps (1800 015 188).Jacqui grew up in Melbourne, where she studied Law and worked as a lawyer, including on the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence. She won a Sir John Monash Scholarship and was able to complete a Master of Law in New York and get admitted to the New York Bar

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Alcoholics Anonymous - John

Living Free ·

2018/12/20

John grew up in a family surrounded by alcoholism. Being the youngest kid by a long way he felt a little different and found alcohol when he was 15 years old. It had an immediate effect and became part of John’s daily life, so he eventually lost interest in school. He went on to maintain his drinking whilst married and working but eventually it all collapsed around him. Alcoholics Anonymous enabled John to stop drinking and start living again but it wasn’t until he depended on a higher power and

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Gamblers Anonymous - Elizabeth and Adam

Living Free ·

2018/12/13

Elizabeth and Adam are compulsive gamblers who shared the same problem, once they started gambling they had no desire to stop, regardless of the consequences. Although they had very different lives and used different forms of gambling they each realized that they couldn’t continue gambling without losing everything.Coming to Gamblers Anonymous they found people just like them, who actually cared about their wellbeing, like a real family really. They found that abstaining completely enabled them to

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Al-Anon Family Groups - Emily and Juanita

Living Free ·

2018/12/06

Emily and Juanita both grew up with an alcoholic parent and it shaped their lives. “No one escapes without scars” sums up the psychological effect alcoholism can have on each family. Until you understand how alcoholism the family disease works you think that you can beat it, effectively wasting your life.Finding Al-Anon Family Groups allowed Emily and Juanita to learn how to get honest with themselves, to exercise their freedom of choice and to enjoy their lives.If someone else's drinking is causing

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Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous - Steph and Hannah

Living Free ·

2018/11/29

Steph grew up in a family that had suffered food deprivation during the European war and having plenty of food was important. Migrating to Australia with little English just reinforced her low self-confidence and fears and promoted her to feel like an outsider. Food played a big role as Steph’s comforter and allowed her to suppress her feelings. Coming into Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous as a last resort over 10 years ago changed Steph’s life. She discovered that she wasn’t a bad person, she was

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Narcotics Anonymous - Grant and Neil

Living Free ·

2018/11/22

Grant grew up in a country town and his family was ostracised by the local community. Primary school was a living hell with dyslexia and he was also bullied relentlessly. He and his brothers started using alcohol and drugs early and he began stealing from family and friends. When his parents split Grant moved high schools and got into a gang using acid, speed and alcohol and became a violent bully himself. He left school at 15 and was more successful at work, eventually getting married and having a

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Barb and Jo

Living Free ·

2018/11/15

Barb had a happy childhood in Ireland but developed an eating disorder when her parents split-up in her early teens. She kept it hidden from her family and friends and married in her early 20’s. Barb’s marriage failed in her early 30’s and she started drinking and it progressively got worse. In her early 40’s she married again and moved to Australia and managed to overcome her bulimia with the help of a counsellor, but this just exacerbated her drinking. Eventually her husband advised her to seek

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Gamblers Anonymous - Graham

Living Free ·

2018/11/08

Graham is a compulsive gambler who has managed to overcome his gambling obsession, one day at a time, with the help of Gamblers Anonymous. Growing up in a fairly normal home Graham began to struggle in his mid-teens, went on to teacher’s college but found that he couldn’t control the kids in class. This led to his drinking and eventually to Alcoholics Anonymous where he was able to recover and stay sober. Graham started playing the pokies and found that he was hooked immediately. As he says,

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Al-Anon Family Groups - Maya

Living Free ·

2018/11/01

Maya grew up with an active alcoholic dad and her parents divorced when she was in her early teens. Her mum was in Al-Anon for a few years but Maya thought that without her father around that her life would improve. Maya’s low self-esteem caused her to try and over achieve and whilst recovering from a dancing injury she found spirituality helped her connect. Some years later as relationships continued to be problematic, Maya went to Al-Anon to deal with the unresolved and confusing feelings she had

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Jane

Living Free ·

2018/10/25

Jane grew up in a dysfunctional family, mum was a drinker and dad was a sober alcoholic who they split up before she was 10 years old. Jane spent time with each parent, was introduced to Al-Anon and Alateen by her dad but that wasn’t for her. She left home around 16yo and got involved with alcohol and drugs and after years of crazy living in the local music scene eventually found her way into Alcoholics Anonymous and recovery.Jane met and helped her band member Peter Fraser into Narcotics

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Mike and Tim

Living Free ·

2018/10/18

Content Warning ** This podcast includes mention of attempted suicide.**Mike and Tim both grew up in normal families but suffered dislocation as their families had to move about for work or safety.Mike grew up in a war-torn region of Europe and was forced to escape his native country as a refugee, first to Germany and then to Australia. In each move he was considered an outsider and bullied and this served to reinforce the trauma he had already experienced. Mike started drinking in his mid-teens,

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Bipolar Support Groups - Sue and Todd

Living Free ·

2018/10/11

Content Warning This podcast contains comments about suicidal thoughts and mental health/illness that may be distressing to some listeners. If this raises questions or causes distress please call Lifeline (13 11 14) or Beyond Blue (1300 224 636) *Suicidal Thoughts & Mental Health* contactSue had a great family and was good academically at school but had a bit of a behaviour problem. She started drinking with her peers around 13 years old, moved on to smoking some dope in her early 20’s and went on

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Al-Anon Family Groups - Chris and Mark

Living Free ·

2018/10/04

Christine grew up in a pretty normal family but found out that her uncle was an alcoholic and her aunt was in Al-Anon Family Groups. She had a normal teenage life and met and married her husband in her early twenties. His drinking was no different to Christine’s other friends and nothing suggested that he would become an alcoholic. With two toddlers she found that her husband’s drinking was becoming a problem as it seemed more important than the family? Chris tried to find out as much as possible

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Narcotics Anonymous - Emma and Kiandra

Living Free ·

2018/09/27

Emma grew up with a dad who was a sailor and absent for long periods. Her siblings were pretty successful but she felt like she didn’t fit in and was picked on as a kid. Emma’s sister started her drinking as an 8 year old and she progressed to pot at 13 and drugs at 15. A friend gave her heroin at 17 to lose weight and she was hooked from the start. Emma got involved in violent relationships and had a child at 20 and twins a few years later. She got onto ice and had her children removed as she was

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