The Psychology of Fame, Addiction and Recovery with 90s Pop Star Kavana

What happens when fame arrives before you know who you are… and then disappears? In this episode of Psychology, Actually, I’m joined by 90s pop star Kavana (Anthony Kavanagh) to explore the psychology of fame, addiction, identity and recovery. We talk openly about the reality behind the spotlight - from chart success and public adoration to addiction, shame, and rebuilding a life when everything changes.Anthony shares his journey into sobriety, what recovery really looks like day-to-day, and how writing his memoir became part of that healing process. If you’ve ever wondered about the emotional cost of success, or what it takes to come back from rock bottom, this is a powerful and honest conversation. Check out Anthony Kavanagh's brilliant book, Pop Scars, a memoir on fame, addiction and the darker side of 90's pop: https://amzn.to/3O2R8fh This episode is sponsored by WriteUpp the online practice management software I use in my own practice. To grab a 30 day free trial & 30% off for 60 months for up to 6 users use code Marianne30 here: https://writeupp.com/?refid=142336 ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 Fame vs reality – what we don’t see 01:42 Writing a memoir during recovery 03:23 Pain vs humour in storytelling 05:23 Early life and first job 08:13 Getting discovered and becoming Kavana 10:38 First experiences of fame13:04 Identity, sexuality and performance 15:45 Pressure of maintaining a persona 20:54 When things started to shift 24:39 Losing momentum and public attention 26:14 Alcohol as coping 29:01 Hollywood years and escape 31:06 Addiction, denial and rock bottom 33:41 Loss of control and blackouts 37:17 Loose Women interview experience 39:01 4 years sober – what recovery looks like 41:00 Daily practices and staying well 42:42 Being sober in social spaces 44:30 Rebuilding identity without alcohol 47:39 Life now, creativity and future plans Links: 📲 Connect with Anthony Kavanagh here: https://www.instagram.com/kavana_real/ 🫶 To join my podcast membership to get early access to episodes and / or exclusive weekly content head to: https://the-aspiring-psychologist.captivate.fm/support or to the Apple Podcasts App: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-aspiring-psychologist-podcast/id1605628278 or to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOwjrIP_jatiqlAivJE2mgQ/join 📚 To check out The Clinical Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3jOplx0 📖 To check out The Aspiring Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3CP2N97 💡 To check out or join the aspiring psychologist membership for just £30 per month head to: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/membership 🖥️ Check out my short courses for aspiring psychologists and mental health professionals here: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/online-courses Ask Marianne your most pressing psychology career question and she will send you a FREE bespoke reply! Grab your free psychology success guide here and fill in the most pressing concern box: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk (scroll to the bottom of the page) ✍️ Get your FREE Supervision Shaping Tool now: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/free-resources 📱Connect socially with Marianne and check out ways to work with her, including the Aspiring Psychologist Book, Clinical Psychologist book and The Aspiring Psychologist Membership on her Link tree: https://linktr.ee/drmariannetrent 💬 To join my free Facebook group and discuss your thoughts on this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aspiringpsychologistcommunity Like, Comment, Subscribe & get involved: If you enjoy the podcast, please do subscribe and rate and review episodes. Hashtags: #aspiringpsychologist #dclinpsy #psychology #assistantpsychologist #psychologycareers #podcast #psychologypodcast #clinicalpsychologist #mentalhealth #traineeclinicalpsychologist #clinicalpsychology #drmariannetrent #mentalhealthprofessional #gettingqualified #mentalhealthprofessionals #traineepwp #mdt #qualifiedpsychologist #traineepsychologist #aspiringpsychologists #wellbeing Mentioned in this episode: Sponsored by WriteUpp Tap to Pay This episode is sponsored by WriteUpp. Their Tap to Pay app turns your smartphone into a card reader, helping private practitioners take secure payments without additional hardware. Use code MARIANNE30 for a free 30-day trial and 30% off your first 6 months at this link: https://writeupp.com/?refid=142336