Episode 19 - Mark Dempster

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The "Please Help..." That Started 30 Years Of Recovery  |
Listen UP Episode 19 - Mark Dempster

In Listen UP Episode 19, Harley Street therapist, traumatologist, author, and 30-year recovery veteran Mark Dempster shares how childhood attachment patterns hijack the brain's reward system years before first use, and why toxic shame is the one thing standing between suffering and getting help.

Mark Dempster unveils the single dopamine deficit that turns choice into compulsion — transforming the belief that you're too broken to be helped into the clearest reason why recovery is possible for anyone:

  • The specific pattern in early recovery that causes more relapses than any substance (confirmed across 30 years of clinical work)
  • The easy way to turn your inner critic into your most powerful asset
  • How to redirect the obsessive drive that fuelled addiction, into the thing that rebuilds everything
  • One hard truth about the addicted mind that clinical practice confirms — and few people hear until it's almost too late

...and uncovers the specific patterns behind sustainable, long-term recovery throughout.

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About the author

Eddie Clarke

In recovery personally, Eddie is the Outreach and Aftercare Manager for Abbeycare Group. Eddie also hosts our podcast, Listen UP.

Day to day, Eddie oversees our aftercare programme, and the assertive outreach and family teams in Abbeycare.

Each year, Eddie spearheads our annual Recovery Gathering, celebrating the achievements of Abbeycare graduates in person.

Last Updated: September 24, 2026