The Alcohol 'Problem' Podcast

James Morris
  • 4.5 (22)
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES

The Alcohol Problem Podcast aims to explore the nature of problem drinking with Dr James Morris and a range of guests. One to one support for your drinking is available with Dr James Morris at www.drjamesmorris.com Sign up to receive new episodes to your inbox at subscribepage.io/fD3Gv2. 

  1. Alcohol-Related Liver Disease: treatment and recovery with Lesley & Dr Ashwin Dhanda

    4D AGO

    Alcohol-Related Liver Disease: treatment and recovery with Lesley & Dr Ashwin Dhanda

    In this episode we discuss alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD), what it is, its treatment, and hear Lesley's experience as a survivor of ARLD and transplant. Lesley was a patient of Dr Ashwin Dhanda, a liver specialist, and both provide their insights into the condition and how society should do more to raise awareness of and prevent alcohol-related harm and ARLD. Ashwin Dhanda is Professor of Liver Medicine at the University of Plymouth and a liver specialist at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. He leads a programme of research around stigma in alcohol-related liver disease including identifying causes of stigma and how it affects people and designing interventions to tackle it. Lesley was diagnosed with ARLD in December 2019, which led to a liver transplant in December 2019. She is part of a liver support group supporting other patients and working as a patient representative with Ashwin on a research project around stigma in alcohol related liver disease and helping the research team design interventions to tackle it from a patient/peer perspective. Support the show If you are interested in one-to-one support for your drinking with Dr James Morris, contact him at DrJamesMorris.com Sign up to receive new episodes to your inbox here. For more episodes visit https://alcoholpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ Follow us on Instagram

    38 min
  2. In conversation with Nathan Joseph

    12/14/2025

    In conversation with Nathan Joseph

    In this episode I speak to Nathan Joseph, an online fitness coach and author of The LCA method recipe book.  Nathan discusses his own personal journey through battling mental health issues, and how alcohol has played both positive and negative roles in his life. In Nathan's experience, alcohol use has been a big part of his social life and important memories, but also a barrier to his fitness and wellbeing. Nathan talks with openness about his own experience and passion for helping others without judging people for their choices.  Nathan posts regularly on Instagram, offers online fitness coaching and his recipe book can be purchased here.  Support the show If you are interested in one-to-one support for your drinking with Dr James Morris, contact him at DrJamesMorris.com Sign up to receive new episodes to your inbox here. For more episodes visit https://alcoholpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ Follow us on Instagram

    49 min
  3. Drink spiking, methanol poisoning & young people's drinking with Dr Gabriel Caluzzi

    10/28/2025

    Drink spiking, methanol poisoning & young people's drinking with Dr Gabriel Caluzzi

    In this episode I talk to Dr Gabriel Caluzzi about drink spiking, methanol poisoning & young people's drinking.  Dr Caluzzi is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research at La Trobe University. His interests include youth and gendered drinking practices, and he recently co-authored the book “Young People, Alcohol, and Risk: A Culture of Caution”. For further reading on drink spiking, see: Burrell A, Woodhams J, Gregory P, et al. Spiking prevalence and motivation: A review of the literature: National Crime Agency, 2023.Caluzzi G, Wilson I, Riordan B, et al. Alcohol and legitimate victimhood: Analysing Reddit posts to understand perceptions of alcohol’s role in drink spiking and sexual violence. International Journal of Drug Policy 2025;138:104743. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104743For further reading on youth drinking, see: Vashishtha R, Pennay A, Dietze P, et al. Trends in Adolescent Drinking Across 39 High-Income Countries: Exploring the Timing and Magnitude of Decline. European Journal of Public Health 2020:1-8. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckaa193Caluzzi G, Livingston M, Holmes J, et al. Declining drinking among adolescents: Are we seeing a denormalisation of drinking and a normalisation of non-drinking? Addiction 2022;117(5):1204-12. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15611 Support the show If you are interested in one-to-one support for your drinking with Dr James Morris, contact him at DrJamesMorris.com Sign up to receive new episodes to your inbox here. For more episodes visit https://alcoholpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ Follow us on Instagram

    32 min
  4. The stigma of alcohol dependence with Prof. Georg Schomerus

    09/13/2025

    The stigma of alcohol dependence with Prof. Georg Schomerus

    In this episode I talk to Prof. Georg Schomerus, Professor and Chair at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig. Prof Schomerus is a leading academic in the field of stigma towards alcohol and mental health problems. We discuss the nature of stigma towards alcohol problems, what drives stigma, how it relates to social behaviours and wider world events, and what can be done to challenge stigma.  Support the show If you are interested in one-to-one support for your drinking with Dr James Morris, contact him at DrJamesMorris.com Sign up to receive new episodes to your inbox here. For more episodes visit https://alcoholpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ Follow us on Instagram

    53 min
  5. In conversation with Aunee Bhogaita

    07/29/2025

    In conversation with Aunee Bhogaita

    In this episode, Aunee Bhogaita, shares her lived experience of alcohol problems and recovery. Aunee is a South Asian woman who has empowered herself through her experiences of sexual abuse, domestic abuse and alcohol addiction in order to challenge stigma and taboo surrounding these issues and help others. We discuss her early experiences of trauma as laying the foundations for her alcohol problems, her life story, her challenges and successes, and her recovery journey.  Please note: This episode includes mention of sexual abuse, domestic abuse and mental health difficulties including suicide attempts. It does not go into detail about these events but listener discretion is advised. Note from the host Dr James Morris: Aunee describes her past traumatic experiences with inspiring openness and bravery. It is one of the most powerful lived experience accounts I have heard, and Aunee beautifully demonstrates how recovery is possible and how it exists as a fundamentally a human experience. I am hugely grateful to have had her on the show for this episode, she is a truly inspiring individual.  Support the show If you are interested in one-to-one support for your drinking with Dr James Morris, contact him at DrJamesMorris.com Sign up to receive new episodes to your inbox here. For more episodes visit https://alcoholpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ Follow us on Instagram

    53 min
  6. The psychology of alcohol use and addiction with Prof. Roy Baumeister

    06/12/2025

    The psychology of alcohol use and addiction with Prof. Roy Baumeister

    In this episode, we talk to Prof. Roy Baumeister about the psychology of alcohol use and addiction. We cover topics such as why people drink, the effects of alcohol, the role of emotions such as guilt, and how self-control works.  Prof Baumeister is one of the most eminent living psychologists with over 40 books and 700 scientific publications. His book "Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength" (with John Tierney) was a New York Times bestseller. Show notes Should alcohol research say more about the pleasure of alcohol use? A recent article published in the journal of Addiction prompted a range of responses and further comment.  In discussing whether harmful effects of alcohol use are over-estimated, I mention studies using Mendelian Randomization. One of the studies in East Asian populations where genetic 'flushing' effects have been used to test whether risks of alcohol consumption providing evidence for there being no protective effects of moderate drinking. A recent meta-analysis looked at how different quality studies appear to account for different findings around low level alcohol consumption, thus explaining the supposed 'health benefits' of low consumption.   Support the show If you are interested in one-to-one support for your drinking with Dr James Morris, contact him at DrJamesMorris.com Sign up to receive new episodes to your inbox here. For more episodes visit https://alcoholpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ Follow us on Instagram

    41 min
  7. 'Change resistant drinkers'? The blue light approach with Mark Holmes & Mike Ward

    04/17/2025

    'Change resistant drinkers'? The blue light approach with Mark Holmes & Mike Ward

    In this episode we talk to Mark Holmes and Mike Ward about the Blue Light approach, which aims to challenge the belief that nothing can be done with drinkers who may be deemed as 'not wanting to change'.  The Blue Light approach aims to show there are a range of positive strategies that can be used to manage risk, reduce harm and promote change. We discuss the ideas and myths behind 'change resistant drinkers', and explore what approaches and strategies are most effective when working with people with severe alcohol problems who are not currently engaging in alcohol treatment or other support.  Mike Ward is from a Social Work background but has worked most of his career in the alcohol and drug field.  He is the co-author of the Blue Light Manual on Working with Change Resistant Drinkers but also other practical guides including Safeguarding Vulnerable Dependent Drinkers.  He is the author of over thirty serious case reviews about individuals with alcohol and/or drug use disorders. Mark Holmes. BSc, RMN, SPMH has been a mental health nurse for over 30 years.  Mark was being twice awarded Nursing Times Awards; The Mental Health Nurse of the Year in 2012 and LTC Team of the year 2016. He also works as an associate for Alcohol Change UK co-authoring the Blue Light Project and has had over 20 publications. He currently sits on UK alcohol clinical guidelines expert group, and Alcohol Care Teams Steering group (ACTION).  Details of the Blue Light approach can be found here. It is an initiative to develop alternative approaches and care pathways for drinkers who are not in contact with treatment services, but who have complex needs. It challenges the belief that only drinkers who show clear motivation to change can be helped, and sets out positive strategies that can be used with this client group. The Blue Light manual sets out these strategies in detail and offers a fundamental positive message that change is possible. It contains: Tools for understanding why individuals may not engageRisk assessment tools which are appropriate for drinkersHarm reduction techniques workers can useAdvice on crucial nutritional approaches which can reduce alcohol-related harmQuestions to help non-clinicians identify where individuals may be at risk of serious health problemsManagement frameworksGuidance on legal frameworks Support the show If you are interested in one-to-one support for your drinking with Dr James Morris, contact him at DrJamesMorris.com Sign up to receive new episodes to your inbox here. For more episodes visit https://alcoholpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ Follow us on Instagram

    47 min
  8. Culture, politics & drinking with Dr James Nicholls

    01/10/2025

    Culture, politics & drinking with Dr James Nicholls

    In this episode we talk to Dr James Nicholls about how drinking came to be such a significant part of many modern cultures. We discuss how alcohol use and problems have evolved over recent centuries, and how this reflects various political and social pressures. This includes how drinking escalated with the development of alcohol production, and how laws, consumers and attitudes have shaped drinking practices to the current day. Dr James Nicholls is a Senior Lecturer in Public Health at Stirling University and author of The Politics of Alcohol. He has worked in alcohol and drug research and policy for over 20 years, including former roles as CEO of Transform and Director of Policy at Alcohol Change UK.  Support the show If you are interested in one-to-one support for your drinking with Dr James Morris, contact him at DrJamesMorris.com Sign up to receive new episodes to your inbox here. For more episodes visit https://alcoholpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ Follow us on Instagram

    56 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

The Alcohol Problem Podcast aims to explore the nature of problem drinking with Dr James Morris and a range of guests. One to one support for your drinking is available with Dr James Morris at www.drjamesmorris.com Sign up to receive new episodes to your inbox at subscribepage.io/fD3Gv2. 

Information

  • Creator
    James Morris
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Alcohol 'Problem' Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Alcohol 'Problem' Podcast

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