In conversation with Chris BarnesIn conversation with Chris Barnes
The Alcohol 'Problem' Podcast
Dr James Morris talks with veteran and researcher Chris Barnes about army drinking culture, his long struggle with alcohol and cocaine, and how he reached 18 months without alcohol. The conversation also looks at stigma in services, mental health, and the potential role of psychedelics in supporting recovery.
35:52•7 Aug 2026
From Army Drinking Culture to 18 Months Sober: Chris Barnes’ Story
Episode Overview
- Alcohol use in the British Army is heavily normalised, with binge drinking often treated as a badge of honour as long as performance standards are met.
- Veterans may turn to alcohol for boredom, stress relief and to manage anxiety or trauma, which can continue and escalate after leaving service.
- Data suggest a high proportion of veterans in treatment present with alcohol problems and often have more complex needs than non-veterans.
- Blocking access to mental health support because someone is still drinking can trap people, as alcohol may be the only thing helping them cope in the short term.
- For Chris, a psychedelic clinical trial with ayahuasca helped him address deep self-hatred, support long-term abstinence and rebuild life without alcohol.
“"If you're asking me to remain abstinent while I'm seeking support, it's like you're asking me to stop treading water so you can teach me to swim."”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation between Dr James Morris and researcher-veteran Chris Barnes gives a raw, honest look at how heavy drinking can become woven into military life, and what it takes to step away. Chris shares how he joined the British Army at 17 as a non-drinker, only to find a culture where being told to "drink your own body weight in booze" felt almost like an order.
He talks through years of binge drinking fuelled first by boredom, then by stress and trauma, including a tour in Afghanistan searching for IEDs with a metal detector. As long as fitness tests were passed, he explains, "the alcohol wasn't seen as an issue." Life after leaving the regular army brought new problems: civilian adjustment, failed relationships, cocaine use, court appearances and a social circle centred on the pub.
Chris now researches stigma and shares data showing how often veterans seek support for alcohol, how complex their needs can be, and how being refused mental health help because of drinking "is like you're asking me to stop treading water so you can teach me to swim." He also talks about taking part in a psychedelic clinical trial in Peru, how ayahuasca helped him face long-standing self-hatred, and why he’s now 18 months alcohol-free, even getting married without a drink and not feeling like he missed out.
Chris describes realising that the "common denominator" in the chaos was himself, and how repeated attempts to control his drinking with rules—weekend-only, water-between-drinks—"just didn't work." The episode is especially relevant for veterans, their families, and professionals working in alcohol and mental health. The tone stays conversational and grounded, mixing personal stories with research evidence and gentle humour.
If you're curious about military drinking culture, stigma in services or different routes into recovery, this one might give you plenty to think about. What parts of Chris’s story sound most familiar to you?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.