
The Night John Robins Knew He Had to Quit Drinking
From On The Mend by High Performance
June 1, 2026 · 53 min · Season 3 · Episode 45
About this episode
John Robins shares his journey of overcoming alcohol addiction and the tools he uses for recovery.
Award-winning comedian and broadcaster John Robins tackles the fundamental question: are alcoholics born or made? In this episode, John opens up about his 20-year struggle with chronic alcohol use, the childhood signs that hid in plain sight, and why every "moderation spreadsheet" failed until he accepted that one drink was the real problem. The conversation moves past the "why" of addiction to focus entirely on the "how" of recovery. John shares the exact moment a podcast changed everything, the reality of rock bottom, and how he uses a toolkit of 12-step meetings, meditation, and running to build new neural pathways. It’s a raw, deeply honest look at the daily practice of sobriety and the liberating truth that you can only ever get one day sober in a day. This episode covers the following themes: Addiction, Acceptance, Denial, Moderation, and Recovery. John's book Thirst: Twelve Drinks that Changed My Life is out now: https://amzn.eu/d/0ahkSNch Need Support? Samaritans: Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.org Narcotics Anonymous: na.org Alcoholics Anonymous: alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk Mental Health Mates: mentalhealthmates.co.uk Shout: https: giveusashout.org IAPT…
People in this episode
Host: High Performance
Guest: John Robins
Topics covered
- Addiction
- Recovery
- Sobriety
- Mental Health
- Acceptance
Keywords
- alcoholism
- sobriety
- recovery
- addiction
- mental health
- 12-step meetings
- meditation
- running
Sponsors
Better Help, Postcode Lottery
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Samaritans, Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, Mental Health Mates, Shout, IAPT
Books & works: Thirst: Twelve Drinks that Changed My Life
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