Have you ever walked past someone sleeping rough, visibly unwell, clearly addicted to drugs, and written them off without a second thought?

Today, I'm joined by Charlotte Seaman to explore one of most confronting addiction stories you will hear. From heroin and crack addiction to prison, psychosis, sex work, assault and homelessness, Charlotte’s journey shows the brutal reality of severe drug addiction and the possibility of recovery when all hope feels lost. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, trauma, or relapse, this conversation may be the one that unlocks a door.

Charlotte was born into a loving home, yet by the age of 11 she was already using drugs and being arrested. At 13, following a sexual assault, her life escalated rapidly into violence, incarceration, and heavy substance use. What followed was an 18-year descent through crack, heroin, injecting, snowballing, repeated prison sentences, homelessness, and eventually a full psychotic breakdown. This episode shows what it really looks like when drugs take everything.

Together, Oliver and Charlotte explore the link between childhood trauma and self-medication, how addiction progresses when left untreated, and why mixing stimulants and depressants can become so compelling and so dangerous. Charlotte speaks openly about using heroin then methodone during pregnancy under medical supervision, smoking spice in prison, living on the streets, and the shame and guilt that followed her for years. This is an honest conversation about accountability, consequences, and forgiveness in recovery.

Most importantly, this episode is about how Charlotte finally got clean and sober, the role recovery programmes played in saving her life, and what it means to rebuild after nearly two decades lost to addiction. Now over a year clean, Charlotte has become a recovery advocate with more than 100,000 followers online and has been recognised with a High Sheriff Award for turning her life around. Her story challenges stereotypes and offers hope to those who feel they have gone too far to ever come back.

This is a difficult but deeply hopeful episode about responsibility and redemption without clichés. If you believe addiction is a moral failing, this conversation may change your mind. If you’re struggling right now, it may remind you that recovery is possible — even after everything has fallen apart.

Oliver is an ambassador for Alcohol Change UK, support here - https://tinyurl.com/5dt5773e

Thank you to Gavin Sisters for sponsoring this episode! Visit -

www.gavinsisters.co.uk use promo code SCHOOLOFROCKBOTTOM for 10% off!

Podcasting is an expensive passion. To help me keep going, I'd really appreciate it if you could buy me a coffee, thank you!

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Topics -

0:00 Trailer & Intro

4:00 A rock bottom moment

5:10 Alcohol and drugs from 11

7:45 Not feeling good enough

8:45 Charlotte goes off the rails

10:30 The aftermath of sexual assault

11:30 Charlotte goes to prison

12:35 Why did Charlotte commit assault and self-forgiveness?

16:30 Smoking spice in prison

18:00 Escalation to snowballs

20:00 Living on the streets

22:00 Using methadone during pregnancy

25:15 Methadone & Heroin withdrawal

28:30 Unmanageable & powerless

30:30 The internal snap

33:00 Addiction leaves me vulnerable

34:00 Why sharing rock bottom moments saves lives!

36:15 How Charlotte found recovery

39:00 Are you in recovery if you take Methadone?

41:50 The 12 steps saved my life

43:00 Recovery is more powerful than addiction

44:15 Can ANYONE addicted to drugs make it back?!

46:30 Abstince from EVERYTHING?!

48:15 TikTok is Step 12?

49:15 Charlotte wins The Sheriff Award

51:45 An emotional but hopeful end

Follow Charlotte

Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@charlottesrecovering

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/charlotteseaman11

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https://linktr.ee/olivermason

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