Bottled Up: Help for families of alcoholics and those struggling with alcoholism
Episodes
Coping with Christmas
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Christmas is usually very difficult when you're having to deal with a drinker. The drinking may increase, the aggravation and stress may reach new lev...
Q&A 2 with Lou and John
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join Lou and John for a question and answer episode. Questions include: Is it possible to rebuild your relationship with your drinker? Are non-alcholi...
Motivation to change
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
People need motivation to stop drinking. But what motivates one person to quit alcohol, may not motivate another person. In this episode John and Lou ...
Assessing your drinking
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you have come to this podcast concerned about your drinking, or that of somebody else, well done! It's a difficult step to take and should be appla...
Is there a problem with alcohol?
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you think there is a problem with alcohol? It may be a question you are asking yourself, or somebody you know or live with is struggling with alcoh...
How to reduce your drinking
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many people want to reduce their drinking and there is no doubt that it will be beneficial to you in many ways. Whether you're living with an alcoholi...
Controlled Drinking - can it work?
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is for the family and friends of problem drinkers and also those who are concerned with their own drinking. Controlled drinking can be a ...
Q&A with Lou and John
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lou and John answer listeners questions and concerns. Topics answered include getting your social life back, how to ignore your drinker undermining yo...
Quick Take - The Reason I Stopped Drinking
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For John it was looking in the mirror and seeing what he had become which finally stopped him drinking.Please be very clear that, at Bottled Up we str...
An Alcoholic's Story
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we learn how an alcoholic may think and feel, and their struggles, as John talks openly about his many years addicted to alcohol. Of c...
Quick Take - Relapse during recovery
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Relapse can happen. But the alcoholic can learn from it and actually improve their chances of recovery.It took John two years to get sober. Here he ta...
Recovery - what next?
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Lou and John talk about the complicated road of recovery. The alcoholic has stopped drinking. This is a big moment. It is hopefully th...
Quick Take - The big stick in an Intervention
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When encouraging change there needs to be carrot and stick. The Intervention is the ultimate stick. There have to be consequences for the alcoholic if...
Staging an Intervention
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are you considering staging an intervention? Then it is important to plan the intervention properly. There is a lot to consider and if done correctly ...
Quick Take - Tools for talking
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Talking to an alcoholic about your concerns and the problems they are causing is often very difficult. Using our S.H.A.R.E. tool you can create an inv...
Make a plan for change – use S.H.A.R.E.
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Creating change when living with an alcoholic can be very difficult. With the S.H.A.R.E. tool you can make a plan by assessing your Safety, Health, Am...
Quick Take - There are no rules when making decisions living with an alcoholic
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Living with an alcoholic can often seem impossible. There can be expectations we, or others, put upon us, which can do you harm because you feel you h...
A parent's experience living with an alcoholic
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As a parent, living with an alcoholic is extremely difficult. You're constantly on edge, protecting your children and trying to hold a family together...
Quick Take - Dinner Is In The Bin...
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You might not actually decide to throw dinner in the bin! But it's indicative of setting boundaries to create changes in behaviour. Change in an alcoh...
Strategies for change - L.O.V.E.
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If there is no reason or incentive to change, alcoholics will continue to drink. In this essential episode Lou and John talk through four strategies b...
Quick Take - You make the decisions, not alcohol
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Don't let alcohol make the decisions. You can make decisions which bring back who you really are, in doing so, you will create positive change for you...
The hidden struggles - Lou's life with an alcoholic
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this moving episode, you may well recognise much of Lou's story in your own life – the pain, heartache, disappointment, frustration, anger a...
Quick Take - You're Not Powerless
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Empower yourself. Know that you are not powerless. You are not helpless. Whilst you can't make a person change, you can take control of the circumstan...
Empower Yourself
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Empower yourself when living with an alcoholic. Take control by emotionally detaching, establishing clear expectations and consequences. These actions...
Quick Take - Breaking Point?
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Your body and mind may be telling you, you have had had enough. Emotions and their physical symptoms are signs you need to look after yourself and you...
Part 2 - Surviving the emotional rollercoaster
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Living with an alcoholic sometimes seems impossible. You will experience so many different emotions, hope, anxiety, anger, and depression. Join Lou an...
Quick Take - Use anger as fuel for change
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You will get angry, it's natural and it's legitimate. You must not be hard on yourself if you do get angry, it's what you do with that anger that matt...
Part 1 - Surviving the emotional rollercoaster
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Living with an alcoholic is very difficult and sometimes feels impossible. You must not feel bad about yourself, but it is likely you may experience s...
Quick Take - Embrace Change
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When you make changes that benefit you, it can prompt changes in your drinker. Lead the dance, don't follow.For more information on the service Bottle...
Take Care of Yourself
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When living with an alcoholic you're so concerned about helping your drinker, it doesn't always occur to you that you also need help. You must take ca...
Quick Take - Talk about it
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many people don't talk about their situation of living with an alcoholic. By talking to other people, we get rid of the stigma. You are not at fault. ...
Is it my fault?
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Living with an alcoholic is extremely stressful. Not only are you having to cope with the alcoholic's behaviour, you can also feel very guilty. You ca...
Quick Take - The Patience of a Saint
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Living with an alcoholic can seem impossible. All your natural, and completely justified, reactions to their behaviour don't seem to work. Why? Becaus...
Struggling with an alcoholic - STOP doing these things
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is essential for anybody living with an alcoholic. Lou and John talk about four things you must stop doing to make your life with an alco...
Quick Take - A Friend Like Me
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Shortly after getting sober, John had a breakthrough. It was the road to recovery – recovery from alcoholism and recovering who he really was.F...
Hope - for you and the alcoholic
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hope can sometimes seem very far away, or so close that the thought of it sometimes seems to good to be true. But there is hope, real hope. It is ther...
Quick Take - Alcohol is the missing piece of the jigsaw
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alcohol is the missing piece of the jigsaw for many alcoholics. In this clip from episode 3, John talks about how alcohol gave him "liquid personality...
Why can't alcoholics recognise the problem?
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this fascinating episode, join John and Lou for a kitchen table conversation as they talk about the key subject, "Why can't alcoholics recognise th...
Quick Take - Checklist for making your decision to stay or leave an alcoholic
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Deciding to stay with, or leave, your alcoholic partner is a big decision. In this clip from episode two, here is the checklist you will want to consi...
Should I stay? Or should I go?
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Please note, if you are under any threat, go. Seek help and advice, and remove yourself from a dangerous situation. Safety first.In this episode of ki...
Quick Take "They're not there" - Alcohol creates an absence in your relationship - living with an alcoholic
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this clip from Episode 2 "Is my partner an alcoholic or am I making a fuss?", John and Lou discuss the effect of alcohol on a relationship. If your...
Is my partner an alcoholic or am I making a fuss?
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join John and Lou for a kitchen table conversation as they consider one of the fundamental questions of problem drinking - assessing whether your part...
Meet your hosts John and Lou
06 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
John and Lou are here to help you change your life. In this short episode they talk a little about their experiences with problem drinkers and alcohol...