James Dashwood - Addiction, coping mechanisms and the quest for connection

A Life Less Ordinary with Sophie Elwes

Head of Wellbeing at leading employee wellbeing platform, Better Space, James Dashwood is a father, a husband, and a recovering alcoholic.

Sober for seven years he has been on a journey of introspection where he’s learned so much about himself, about addiction and about what it means to be content.
He shares his story about growing up and how he recognises that he used external things to soothe internal pain. James is remarkably candid in reflecting about how he sees himself, his desire to control others, and to connect, for which he recognises he used alcohol to do so.
He talks about AA and the 12 step programme and why it's been transformative for him. We speak about expectations, how releasing them can improve relationships and about why he believes addiction is a spiritual matter.
James talks about his experience of depression and anxiety and how, often the things that help the most such as talking to others, seem like the hardest thing to do at the time and he shares some of his tools that help him.
We talk about success and how its traditionally measured, and how we both recognise that contentment, over happiness, is something to strive for.
And we chat about the importance of taking responsibility and of the power of perception, in Shakespeare's words: 'There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.'
We also mention a few books during the episode:
Nothing Special: Living Zen by Charlotte Joko Beck

Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl
The Choice by Edith Egar
Solve for Happy by Mo Gawdat
Find Sophie on Instagram and find out more about BetterSpace here.