This Is Powerful With Paul Sculfor

Welcome back to the show. This episode kicks off season 6, and for the next six episodes we are focusing on mental fitness in Britain’s construction industry. Historically, these working environments are not conducive to men being able to speak openly about mental health or wellbeing and as stats currently stand, construction workers are nearly four times more likely to die by suicide than the national average.
Our first guest in our tradesmen series is Paul the Painter, a salt of the Earth man with more than a few strings to his bow. Sober now for nearly 19 years, Paul speaks openly and articulately about living with anxiety and the journey he’s been on since accepting and understanding his OCD diagnosis. 
Paul speaks with generous honesty about his many careers: first as a panel beater, later working as a train ticket collector, moving from photography with his own exhibit in London, then a cabbie, and now a painter /decorator. This is an important listen particularly for those who know someone who works in construction either on a building site or as a sole trader.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/
Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 
Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!
Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor

We are about to kick off the sixth season of award-nominated podcast This Is Powerful with Paul Sculfor. If you have been with us before, welcome back! If you are new here, you are very welcome and you have found us at the start of season six, so there are already eighty episodes for you to check out.
 For season six, we have something very constructive in store for you. We are focusing on the mental fitness around Britain’s building sites because quite frankly, these haven’t been the types of environments that are particularly welcoming for vulnerability or personal growth historically.
But - the guests we are welcoming into the studio this summer have been brave enough to break this cycle. By facing their challenges head on, working through them, and mentoring others, these tradesmen have learned to express and even rescue themselves. 
The first episode of the new season will be out on the 25th of June.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/
Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 
Listen to all of our episodes on your favourite podcast platform:
https://podfollow.com/1756874279
Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!
Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor

Over the past year and a half on This is Powerful, we’ve had some brutally honest conversations about addiction, recovery, resilience and about all that comes in between. These kinds of conversations aren’t usually had or heard, but they probably should be.
This is a collection of the most powerful clips from our top ten episodes: voices you’ll recognise, stories you can’t forget, and reflections that land just as hard as they did the first time you heard them. You’ll hear from inspiring spirits who’ve faced life’s challenges head-on, and have come out on the other side. 
If you’ve been with us from the start, think of this as a chance to revisit the moments that mattered. And if you’re new here, you are about to get a crash course in what This is Powerful is all about.
This is the final episode in Season five. We will take a short break then will be back with you in a few weeks with a great new season, focusing on guests who work in the building and contractor trade. 
80 episodes in, our mission remains the same: to help people better understand addiction, including what they can and can’t control, through honest conversations with real people who have experienced it firsthand.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/
Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 
Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!
Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor

Behind the scenes of many addiction treatment support organisations are devoted souls who give their lives and careers in aid of helping families who are struggling with the addiction of a loved one. Today’s guest talks about overcoming shame, setting firm boundaries and the rehab myth within a family setting.
Vivienne Evans is the Chief Executive of Adfam, the national organisation for children and families affected by someone else’s substance misuse.  Adfam advocates for support for these family members, trains practitioners to work with them, and provides support services. Vivienne has a long history of leadership roles within the public and charity sectors, has a background in drug and alcohol education and prevention within young people and families, and specialises in substance misuse policy and practice.

Adfam mission statement:
Adfam is the leading families and addiction charity in England. We are here for all the millions of people affected by someone else’s drinking or drug use. These people are children, parents, friends, partners, siblings and grandparents. Coping with someone you love experiencing these problems can cause physical, mental, emotional, social and financial distress. Substance use or gambling are often just one part of the story – so many also suffer mental ill health, domestic abuse and financial problems.
They may be afraid to speak out so they are hidden in plain sight. Adfam gives them a voice. More than five million people are affected in this country and we know how tough it can be, so we want to make their lives better. Our vision at Adfam is that family members affected by substance use or gambling are heard, valued and have access to support

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/
Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 
Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!
Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor 
Adfam: https://adfam.org.uk
Adfam support services: https://adfam.org.uk/find-support/
Adfam guidance around dealing with a family member or loved one’s substance use in video: https://adfam.org.uk/video-support/, and written form: https://adfam.org.uk/for-families/.
Adfam social media pages:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/adfam
https://www.facebook.com/AdfamUK
https://www.instagram.com/adfamuk

He knew that what he was doing was wrong but he couldn’t stop until a life-changing incident set his life on a new course.
22-year-old Jack from Dagenham in Essex joins us today. Working in the building maintenance industry, he has over a year's recovery under his belt.  Starting with ketamine use from age 16, then moving through other drugs and alcohol, Jack’s story could have ended in tragedy. Thankfully Jack is still with us today, talking about what led him down a very dark path. In the hopes of helping other young people, Jack speaks courageously, honestly and with great clarity about the grip his addictions had on him and how he managed to free himself.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, there are plenty of resources on the Stride Foundation website: https://stridefoundation.com/
Watch all our episodes on YouTube @thisispowerfulwithpaulsculfor 
Follow us on social media for more insights, behind-the-scenes moments, and community discussions. Share your thoughts and connect with us @this_ispowerful on Instagram and YouTube. We’d love to hear from you!
Find Paul on Instagram @paulsculfor