Miracle Mansion Podcast by Broadway Lodge

Dean's Over 4 Years Clean & Sober

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0100

After more than 25 years of alcohol and drug use, Dean arrived at Broadway Lodge in December 2021 ready for change. Now over four years clean and sober, he reflects on the turning points that shaped his recovery.

In this episode, Dean sits down with Markkus, Director of Therapy & Aftercare at Broadway Lodge, to talk openly about his teenage years, the challenges that led him to treatment and his experience at Broadway Lodge. He also shares what life looks like today and the progress he’s worked hard to build.

This is an honest and powerful conversation about recovery and long-term change.

It was a pleasure to catch up with Dean and hear about his recovery journey so far. We are really grateful to him for coming back and bravely sharing his experience of recovery – a big thank you to Dean!

Please note – this episode contains explicit language.

All Miracle Mansion Podcast episodes are available to listen to and download on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. You can also watch all published episodes on YouTube – subscribe to our channel here to be one of the first to see latest episodes!

Kelly's clean from ketamine and thriving

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0100

Kelly joins Markkus, Director of Treatment & Aftercare at Broadway Lodge, on her two-year clean anniversary (February 2026). After staying at Broadway Lodge in 2024 for ketamine addiction, Kelly has remained clean and sober, from ketamine, other drugs and alcohol, ever since.

In this episode, Kelly reflects on life after university in 2013, when nights out on the rave scene led to experimenting with ketamine and other drugs. What began as fun escalated, and before long she found herself crossing a line, where fun turned into a ketamine obsession, and a life without substances felt unimaginable. This came despite the painful physical health challenges she was experiencing as a result of regular ketamine use.

Kelly shares her journey through treatment at Broadway Lodge, her decision to embrace abstinence, and the work she’s done to build a fulfilling life in recovery. Today, she still enjoys raving, but now does so clean and sober. She also talks about all of the recovery activities and projects she’s involved with that continue to help her thrive.

It was a pleasure to reconnect with Kelly and hear how positive she feels in her recovery. She also discusses co-founding The K-Hold, a new ketamine-specific support group in Bristol, launched in March 2026.

A big thank you to Kelly for courageously sharing her experience of addiction and recovery so far.

Please note – this episode contains explicit language and details and descriptions of drug use.

Waseem’s episode – clean from drugs after decades of heroin & crack cocaine addiction

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Now 14 months in recovery from drug addiction, Waseem courageously shares details about his past and addiction to heroin and crack cocaine since the 1990's.

He talks about being a 'dry drunk', relapse, relationships being his downfall and the changes he experienced while staying at Broadway Lodge to get clean and sober.

Thank you to Waseem for being open, honest and sharing details of your recovery journey on our podcast.

Watch the video version of this episode on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/9Mc_8s-ItoI

Warning: This podcast episode includes details of illicit drug use and is not suitable for children.

Jamie's journey to recovery after a life of crime and drug addiction

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 16:00:00 +0100

Jamie has returned to Broadway Lodge, clean and sober, to record this powerful episode in which he candidly shares his journey of addiction and prison sentences and how a six-month stay at Broadway Lodge marked the beginning of a profound personal transformation. He reflects on how he struggled to live life as others seemed to, favouring the structure that jail gave him.

Jamie opens up about his early life and the emergence of addictive behaviours that eventually led to his dependence on crack cocaine and heroin. He also speaks about why he ended up in prison for so many years and how the therapeutic treatment at Broadway Lodge has enabled him to turn his life around.

The changes Jamie has made during and since his treatment have been remarkable. Not only is he thriving in recovery and helping others, but his family is also experiencing the positive impact of his transformation.

We are deeply grateful to Jamie for sharing his story with such honesty and courage, offering hope and inspiration to those who may be struggling with addiction themselves, demonstrating that an enjoyable life clean from drugs after active addiction, really is possible.

We apologise for the audio quality of this episode.

Alex’s story: Clean from heroin & crack cocaine since 1999

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000

From heroin user at just 14 years old to devoted husband, father and businessman with over 25 years clean time.

Alex was just 17 when he was admitted Broadway Lodge on 8th February 1997, addicted to heroin and crack cocaine. He talks about the years leading up to treatment, his relapse and how his recovery journey has gone since his clean date in 1999.

You’ll hear about Alex’s first 9 years in recovery where he felt like the grim reaper was living inside of him, despite a number of achievements and successes in his 20’s, and how he managed to turn this around.

We’d like to send our sincere thanks to Alex for bravely sharing his personal story of addiction and life in recovery since treatment and his generous support at our 50th anniversary reunion in 2024. We are very grateful.

A chat with Alice

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 08:00:00 +0100

In this episode, Alice opens up about how an ‘internal monster’ was developing alongside her during a privileged and idyllic childhood. Alice took her education and care of her ponies very seriously but explains how perfectionism had a negative impact on her wellbeing growing up.

During college, while she was very driven academically, Alice enjoyed the feeling of being slightly rebellious, going to parties with friends, drinking and using drugs with everyone else and having a great time. Drinking and using drugs for Alice grew progressively over ten years from the age of 17 and she talks about the lead up to her stay at Broadway Lodge for addiction treatment.

Hear how life has changed for the better since her stay at Broadway Lodge and what new interests and exciting pursuits Alice has been engaging in.

We are so grateful to Alice for coming in and being so open and honest about her recovery story. Thank you Alice!

A chat with Ruby

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 12:00:00 +0100

Ruby began addiction treatment at Broadway Lodge for alcoholism in summer 2019 having just turned 26 years old. In this episode, Ruby openly talks to Markkus about her school-age years in the lead up to discovering mind altering substances and a traumatic event that resulted in escalating alcohol and drug abuse.

Markkus describes Ruby as a ‘go getter’, always picking herself up from failed relationships and job losses. In her mid-twenties, she realised that if she could get the professional help she needed to sort out her emotions and to stop the drinking and drug use, she would have a chance at living a happy and successful life.

You will hear how Ruby’s life has changed since her stay at Broadway Lodge. Later in this episode, she shares her valuable tips and advice for anyone who is going to embark on their own journey into recovery and passes on her wisdom about what she has learned through her experience.

We are so grateful to Ruby for making time to come in and courageously sharing her story of addiction and recovery. We are all wishing her the very best of luck with her university studies and ongoing recovery journey.

A chat with Terry

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 09:00:00 +0100

Terry came to Broadway Lodge in September 2012 for a detoxification after 20 years of alcohol and drug misuse and has been clean and sober ever since.

In this episode, Terry outlines how he felt as a child and how his experiences at school affected his inner voice and shaped how he felt about himself, leading to a desire to try substances to change this feeling and to gain acceptance. Terry talks about the way his addiction manifested and how his life and career has excelled since getting into recovery, overcoming addiction and deep-rooted self-hatred.

Terry is a true inspiration showing that recovery is possible and we wish him all the best of luck with his exciting future plans.

A chat with Sarah

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 11:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Markkus (Head of Treatment & Counselling), discusses life before, during and after Broadway Lodge with former client Sarah, who stayed with us for 6 months for alcohol addiction during the coronavirus pandemic.

Sarah reflects on her younger years before her alcohol addiction and explains the reasons she gave for drinking and what led her to stay at Broadway Lodge. Sarah has a relatable story and shows that a break from work and home life to get professional help for addiction and dealing with emotions, thoughts and mental well-being can be one of the best things you can do, regardless of how daunting the prospect feels.

We are really grateful to Sarah for travelling all the way from Sheffield to North Somerset to record this episode and for bravely sharing personal details of her addiction and recovery. Thank you Sarah!

A chat with Ben

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 11:00:00 +0100

When Ben came into treatment at Broadway Lodge for cocaine addiction in July 2019, he said he did it as a way to try and get his wife back because she had left him a few weeks before and told him he needs help. As Ben settled in, with a small amount of willingness to listen to what staff had to say, his mindset and approach to treatment began to shift and he started to take it a lot more seriously. He completed four weeks treatment at Broadway Lodge and not only has he applied what he has learned to his life, but also to his business which he has turned around too.

In this episode, Ben talks about his treatment during his short stay with us, people pleasing and how he managed early recovery. He also discusses his relationships with loved ones, how he turned his business around using inspiration from what he learnt at Broadway Lodge and his fears around socialising without drinking again.

We have a huge amount of thanks and appreciation to Ben for returning to Broadway Lodge to bravely share his experience of the damage that cocaine addiction had on his life, his family and his business and how just a four week stay with professional support enabled him to turn everything around.

We apologise for the sound quality in this episode, unfortunately there was a settings error when recording the audio but we hope you are still able to listen comfortably.

A chat with Katie

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0100

In this episode, Katie talks openly to Markkus, our Head of Treatment & Counselling, about her life before and during active drug addiction, as well as her life in recovery since treatment at Broadway Lodge over eight years ago.

Katie shares how she remembers never feeling happy as a child and sought ways to escape so would occupy herself with art, writing or reading. Once she was a little older, she became very curious about trying drugs and alcohol to see if they could change how she felt. By the age of 15, Katie was introduced to various drugs including ecstasy, LSD, crack cocaine and heroin. She talks about leaving home at a young age, how her drug use became problematic really quickly, her relationships in addiction and how she eventually found residential treatment at Broadway Lodge for treatment.

We are very grateful to Katie for bravely sharing her story of addiction and recovery, it was an absolute pleasure welcoming her back to Broadway Lodge to record this episode. We are wish her all the best of luck with her future courses and on-going recovery journey.

You can find all of the Miracle Mansion Podcast episodes in video format on our YouTube channel Broadway Lodge - YouTube and on our website Podcast Episodes Archives - Broadway Lodge

A chat with Jack

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Jack began his treatment at Broadway Lodge at age 24, staying in 2020 and spending Christmas, New Year and his 25th birthday with us. He returned to Broadway Lodge two years afterwards, clean and sober, to record this podcast with our Head of Treatment & Counselling, Markkus.

Regular recreational use of drugs began at school age. For Jack, the drug use spiralled into addiction following the sudden death of a loved one and for a number of years, he used anything he could to escape from the pain of grief. In this episode, Jack courageously shares the details of his life leading up to the point where he asks for help with his addiction, as well as what his stay at Broadway Lodge was like and how life has changed since. Today, Jack is leading a happy life, clean and sober with aspirations and a plan for his career. Listen all the way through to let Jack take you on his own journey and hear his top tips for recovery.

We are very grateful to Jack for making the trip to Weston-super-Mare and for bravely sharing his personal story and allowing us to publish it to the world. He demonstrates that recovery is possible with the right support and we wish him every success with the future.

A chat with Stephen

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 15:00:00 +0000

Stephen experienced a childhood that was absent of parents and full of trauma, neglect and fear. He was a child missing the safety and security of a mother. In this Miracle Mansion Podcast episode, Stephen opens up about the negative belief system that he inherently developed and details moments in his life that led to an addiction to heroin and crack cocaine and how he got to a point of having a complete lack of respect for himself and anyone else. Now, clean and sober for four years, Stephen’s captivating and honest first-hand account of life inside and outside of active addiction is both sad and hopeful. Listen until the end to hear what Stephen advises people need to do to get the most out of treatment at Broadway Lodge and his tips for recovery.

We’d like to send enormous thanks and gratitude to Stephen for speaking with Markkus about his story and for allowing us to publish this episode. We hope that it inspires others who are in active addiction to have some hope that life without using alcohol and drugs to fix feelings is possible. You can become the person you were always meant to be with the right support and when you’re ready.

A chat with Laura

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Laura had a happy childhood and alcohol became a normal staple in her everyday life in the later years of secondary school education. It was something she enjoyed. Laura drank most days without consequences initially but later, in her early 20’s, symptoms of alcohol dependency began to creep in.

In this podcast episode, Laura courageously talks through how she navigated work, university, relationships and travelling with alcohol addiction and an eating disorder. She describes the years where alcohol dependency and bulimia progressed to a point where she became particularly poorly prior to reaching out to get help. She talks about her time at Broadway Lodge and what she has been focusing on in her recovery since addiction treatment. In addition, Markkus explains how a relationship Laura had with another peer (Pete), helped to make a fundamental change in how Broadway Lodge deal with romantic relationships in treatment.

A huge thank you to Laura for coming in to share her story in this podcast episode and for allowing us to share it with all of the Mirale Mansion Podcast listeners, we are very grateful.

All Miracle Mansion Podcast episodes are available to listen to and download on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. You can also watch the videos of all published episodes on our website at www.broadwaylodge.org.uk and also on YouTube – subscribe to our channel to be one of the first to see latest episodes!

https://www.youtube.com/@broadwaylodge9765

A chat with Andy

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 01:00:00 +0000

Andy first experienced residential treatment for addiction in his home city of Manchester in 2017. Following a relapse, his loved ones recommended Broadway Lodge where he could have more intensive treatment for a longer duration. Andy immersed himself in the programme, completed treatment and decided to live into a dry house in Bristol to continue to focus on his recovery. He has remained clean and sober ever since Broadway Lodge and is now sponsoring others, helping to guide them through their early recovery using the wisdom he has acquired through his own experience.

In this episode, Andy talks with Markkus in detail about how he has been navigating recovery since completing treatment: what he has learned, how he has managed the relocation from north to south and what tools have helped him in his recovery so far.

We’d like to give Andy our sincere thanks and gratitude for supporting the podcast, for the precious time given to come back to Broadway Lodge to record the episode, for being so willing and honest and for allowing us to share it.

All of the Miracle Mansion Podcast episodes are available to listen to/download on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Pocket Casts. You can also watch all published episodes on YouTube and on our website at www.broadwaylodge.org.uk. If you want to be one of the first to watch the latest episodes, subscribe to our YouTube channel! Thank you.

A chat with Michele

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 02:00:00 +0000

Michele stayed at Broadway Lodge in 2021 and is now over 15 months sober.

During her time in treatment, Michele realised that she’s always had an addictive trait which showed in her early teens with different behaviours including a cleaning obsession – to the point where she would bathe in Dettol and drink bleach. Later, alcohol became the priority over everything else and the addiction eventually led her to giving up on life. It was at her rock bottom that she came into Broadway Lodge and in this episode she discusses her mental health, time in treatment and how life has been in recovery.

Trigger warning: Michele touches on self-harm and suicidal thoughts in this podcast.

We’d like to thank Michele for taking the time to courageously share details of her childhood, mental health and adult life in addiction and recovery. She demonstrates that recovery is possible and we are so grateful to her for recording this podcast episode.

Please note: We sincerely apologise for the sound problem in this episode – a microphone issue was discovered after the recording! We hope that you are still able to comfortably listen.

You can watch the video version on the Broadway Lodge YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/N81a_1FbsyA

A chat with David

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

In this episode, former Broadway Lodge client, David, recounts his childhood in the 1960’s and 70’s, growing up with an alcoholic mother and surrounded by criminal behaviour. By the age of 13, David started abusing substances and was later introduced to heroin in his early 20’s. Carrying around childhood trauma, David would go through periods of clean time in prison before relapsing again.

Today he is over 4 years clean since his stay at Broadway Lodge and he kindly shares his story with warmth and honesty. We’d like to thank David for bravely detailing his life in addiction to give others hope and inspiration that recovery is possible.

A chat with William

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 09:00:00 +0100

In this podcast episode, William Pryor, great-great-grandson of arguably the most famous biologist, Charles Darwin, recounts memories of his colourful life in addiction back in the 60’s and 70’s. Growing up in an ‘intellectual elite’ family, William felt different. During school years he began smoking cannabis which escalated into opiate and cocaine use during his university education at one of the most exclusive educational institutions in the UK – Trinity College Cambridge. At age 35, William began his recovery journey from alcohol and drugs at Broadway Lodge. He was in fact our patient number 10 back in 1974, being one of the very first people to receive addiction treatment at Broadway Lodge!

We’d like to share our heartfelt gratitude to William for coming in and sharing details of his interesting life and showing that long-term recovery really is possible! You’re an inspiration William.

If you would like to find out more about William’s life his autobiography titled ‘Survival of the Coolest’ is available to purchase online.

You can watch the video version of this podcast episode on the Broadway Lodge YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzakmAUb7Z2OhCVIFus4zWA

A chat with Carla

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 09:00:00 +0100

Carla stayed at Broadway Lodge in summer 2020. Born into addiction in the family, Carla began using drugs at age 11 and struggled with addiction to drugs and alcohol throughout her teens and into adulthood. Prior to her treatment at Broadway Lodge she was staying in a secure psychiatric unit and touches on this difficult time. She talks about addiction in the family as well as the suicide of two of her closest loved ones and how she is navigating recovery since treatment at Broadway Lodge.

Thank you Carla for being so honest and brave to open up and provide the world with an insight into your life and giving hope to others who are struggling.

You can watch the video version on the Broadway Lodge YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzakmAUb7Z2OhCVIFus4zWA

In conversation with Broadway Lodge CEO, David

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 11:00:00 +0100

Head of Treatment and Counselling at Broadway Lodge, Markkus Trew, speaks to Chief Executive Officer David Sweetnam. David joined Broadway Lodge nine months ago after working in hospital settings. He discusses how he felt upon joining, his experience of leading a rehab and his vision for the future.

Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/

Vicky's addiction treatment experience with dual diagnosis

Fri, 20 Mar 2020 14:00:00 +0000

Vicky talks to Markkus Trew (Head of Treatment & Counselling) and bravely shares her journey through six months of rehabilitation at Broadway Lodge and outlines how her thinking and behaviour has changed as a result of the therapeutic work completed whilst in rehabilitation. Her addiction existed alongside complex mental health conditions, including Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD).

Music: https://www.purple-planet.com/