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Losing Everything and Rebuilding a Life - My Journey with Alcohol and ADHD
Guest: Cliff Sewell — mindset coach, ultramarathon runner and author
Trigger Warning
This episode deals with alcoholism, ADHD and suicidal thoughts. Please take care and bear that in mind before listening.
Episode Description
Cliff Sewell grew up in working-class northern England, built a highly successful recruitment business, became a millionaire, and spent years manufacturing every waking moment around one question: can I get to a pub? He was in the pub from 11 in the morning until 11 at night. He was constantly pretending to be somebody else.
From the outside, he had everything. Inside, he was searching for something he couldn’t name. The business eventually collapsed. The money went. He found himself on a park bench waiting for the phone call that would tell him whether he’d lost everything he’d built. He reached the darkest point a man can reach.
In this conversation, Cliff talks about when he first realised he was an alcoholic, what drove the drinking, the long road to sobriety, the suicidal thoughts that came with losing everything, and what it took to come back from that place. He also talks about a late ADHD diagnosis that reframed much of his story, becoming an ultramarathon runner in his 50s, and the mindset coaching work he now does with individuals and organisations.
This is an honest conversation that goes to some dark places. It is also one of genuine hope.
Timestamps
01:01 Trigger Warning — Alcoholism, ADHD, Suicidal Thoughts
01:39 Torque Ten — Quickfire Questions with Cliff
04:57 When Did He First Realise He Was an Alcoholic?
07:42 Everybody Thought He Had It All
09:39 Cash, Success and the Drinking That Came With It
10:30 Constantly Pretending to Be Somebody Else
13:22 On the Park Bench — Waiting for the Call
15:05 Carrying On Drinking After the Business Survived — Then Losing It
17:16 When He Wasn’t Rich Anymore
17:52 The Sobriety Journey — Where It Began
20:14 The Really Dark Place — Suicidal Thoughts
21:49 Coming Out the Other Side — Being Cautious About Talking
22:52 His Daughter — Living Together Through the Dark Times
24:19 Nobody Sets Out for Things to Go Wrong
27:07 99% of Days He Doesn’t Think About Drinking
28:38 Starting to Run — Typical Cliff, Going All In
29:59 The 100K Goal — Getting to 84K
32:35 Mindset Coaching — Making It Affordable and Accessible
34:16 The Noise of Self-Help and What Actually Works
37:11 It’s Not Just One Thing — Building Habits That Last
37:31 The Real Benefits Beyond the Physical
38:18 Dom’s Closing Reflection
Resources
If this episode has raised issues for you, the following organisations can help:
Samaritans — free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 116 123
Alcoholics Anonymous UK: 0800 9177 650 — alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
You can find Cliff at
Cliff Sewell | High Performance & Success Coach
Cliff Sewell (@cliff_sewell) • Instagram photos and videos
The Magical Mindset Podcast with Cliff Sewell | Podcast on Spotify
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Original music composed and used with permission from Alex Tilley
Video Editing for Socials assistance provided by Lily O'Connor
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