[TW//Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Alcoholism]

Today I welcome actor Kai Owen who is a popular and familiar face on the British stage and television, appearing in numerous shows on major UK television channels. Kai is best known for his roles in the hugely popular UK continuing drama series Hollyoaks playing the role of Pete Buchanan and as Rhys Williams in the smash hit series Torchwood.

Kai had an idyllic childhood growing up in the heart of Snowdonia in Wales surrounded by inspiring, hard working, working class alpha males whilst his mum worked three jobs. He comes from a drinking town with many pubs where people would finish work on a Friday and drink all weekend. It felt like there was never an option not to drink - that at 16 you leave school, 17 you learn to drive and 18 you go to the pubs. Kai did this for many years and became a way of managing anxiety, leading to his rock bottom, which serves as a catalyst for completely changing his lifestyle. A compelling story on how his drinking slowly destroyed his life, how he stays "stopped" and the incredible benefits and joys of a sober lifestyle. Since his rock bottom, the only way has been up and he's never looked back.

0:00 Intro
3:19 Kai's rock bottom
7:40 The effects of not sharing your problems
10:55 How the alpha male environment shapes your way of coping with anxiety
14:00 The start of drinking
17:08 Kai's time at drama school and going into work
22:33 Mental health, alcohol and medication
25:38 Addiction is a progressive illness
30:12 Making better choices
34:20 Changing the culture of going out
40:40 How good mental health benefits your loved ones
44:30 Dealing with feelings of anxiety and vunerability
49:48 Inspiration to reach out for help

If you are struggling with alcohol please contact your nearest NHS alcohol service -

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/find-...

This Podcast is not for profit but my goal is to break even. To help me make more please donate here. Thank you!

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About this podcast -
Welcome to the School Of Rock Bottom Podcast with Oliver Mason. I work as an actor, voice-over artist, Performing Arts School Principal and a Mental Health Coach. It's these careers and passions combined that have inspired this podcast!

People working in the entertainment and performing arts industry are twice as likely to experience depression, are up to 15x more likely to suffer from anxiety and those working across all the creative industries are 3x more likely to suffer a mental health problem.

In this podcast, we invite creatives who have lived through a rock bottom but have survived! These stories need to be heard to help others realise that no matter how bad things seem there is hope and always a way out.

#torchwood
#alcoholism
#anxiety