Hi everyone, I'm Eddy from Bristol but originally born and bred in Joburg. CPRC trained through U-ACT in 2022. Recovery coach, peer recovery specialist, and facilitator. And have been doing all sorts of weird and wonderful things in the recovery space, which has slowed down a bit at the moment but I'm Looking forward to reconnecting with the community, with some of the old faces and the new and seeing how the London Recovery Coaching Campus has evolved, and also hopefully being able to be more actively involved here again, anyway hope you all are well 👍🏻💪🏻😄

Ask Me Tomorrow Someone asks me a question. A normal question. A question I absolutely know the answer to. And immediately my brain reacts like I’ve been selected for jury service against my will. Not because I don’t know. Not because I wasn’t listening. Not because I don’t understand. The problem is that while you’re waiting for one answer, my brain has already generated several. Some of them are useful. Some of them are related. Some of them are memories. Some of them are observations. One of them is a conversation from 2007 that has absolutely no business being here but has shown up anyway. So now I have a choice. I can either stand there silently trying to sort the pile. Or I can start talking and hope the correct answer emerges before I accidentally explain the entire history of civilisation. This is where things get interesting. Because if you ask me a question and I immediately look away, stare at the floor, inspect a random object, or suddenly become fascinated by a stain on the wall, there’s a decent chance I’m actually listening harder. If I look directly at you the whole time, now I’ve got two jobs. Listen. And look like I’m listening. Unfortunately those are not always the same thing. So while you’re talking, part of my brain is wondering: Am I making enough eye contact? Too much eye contact? Why am I thinking about eye contact? Do normal people know how much eye contact they’re doing or do they just free-style it? And now I’ve missed the last bit of the question because apparently I’ve become a part-time eye contact administrator. Then comes the answer. Or what starts out looking like an answer. Halfway through explaining it, I realise something. Then another thing. Then a connection I hadn’t spotted thirty seconds earlier. Then I accidentally answer a completely different question that nobody asked but somehow is relevant. At least I think it’s relevant. Apparently this is ADHD. Which would have been useful information about thirty five years ago.

Stress management is a vital component of addiction recovery, mental health stability, and overall well-being. Chronic stress can increase cravings, impair emotional regulation, and trigger relapse by activating the body’s “fight-or-flight” response and elevating stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. To reduce these risks, a holistic and personalized approach to stress management is essential. Effective strategies include mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing, grounding exercises, and progressive muscle relaxation to calm the nervous system and improve emotional balance. Regular physical activity, restorative sleep, balanced nutrition, and healthy daily routines help stabilize mood, strengthen resilience, and support both physical and mental health. Creative hobbies, time in nature, and mind-body practices such as yoga or tai chi also provide healthy outlets for stress relief. The importance of building a safe and supportive environment is strongly emphasized. Setting healthy boundaries, identifying personal triggers, expressing emotions openly, and maintaining strong connections with peers, family, counselors, or support groups can reduce isolation and improve coping skills. Professional guidance and therapy further support long-term recovery by helping individuals develop personalized stress-management tools. Ultimately, consistent self-care, emotional awareness, and healthy lifestyle habits are key to protecting sobriety, improving mental clarity, strengthening physical health, and fostering long-term emotional resilience.

How much should I charge for coaching ? Money Shadow and self worth. Very greatful for this class. Exploring the Value of Coaching: Money, Lived Experience, and the Prison of the System Welcome to another Tuesday Community of Practice (CoP) session for the MAUNi London Recovery Coaching Campus. This container is designed for individuals transitioning their lived experience into a professional private coaching practice. In this deeply authentic and vulnerable session, facilitator David Collins leads a transformative discussion about self-worth, the economics of coaching, and systemic dependency. Key topics covered in this class: - The Psychology of Money and Earning: The group engages in a candid conversation about their personal relationships with money and the psychological barriers to charging for their time. David contrasts his £650 per 90-minute Harley Street consulting rate with standard UK minimum wage and South African consulting rates to challenge the group's perception of value. Manto, joining from South Africa, shares his internal struggle with asking to be paid for his expertise after a long career in the public sector and coming from a background where helping was always done for free. - Academic Qualifications vs. Lived Experience: The class debates the real-world value of having "letters after your name" versus having practical, lived experience. While formal education provides valid methodologies, participants like Michelle note that clients often prefer working with coaches who have real-life understanding and practical solutions over those who only hold academic credentials. The group reframes recovery coaching as the professionalisation of "indigenous wisdom" and natural human connection. - The System as a "Prison": A powerful metaphor emerges comparing government systems, such as the UK's Universal Credit or safe public sector salaries, to a prison. The group discusses how these systems create an environment where individuals stay trapped due to the safety of familiarity, ultimately suppressing their drive to go out into the world and realize their full earning potential. Marcus highlights how grassroots lived-experience organizations often find themselves strangled or co-opted by these very same council systems.