02/03/2026
Two days at the Addiction Professionals Conference – and what an experience it was.
This was my first time attending, and I genuinely didn’t know what to expect.
I left feeling inspired, challenged, emotional, hopeful… and very proud to be working in this field.
Some talks made me cry.
Some made me laugh.
A few managed to do both within the same ten minutes.
There were so many powerful speakers and conversations that it wouldn’t be fair to single out just one here — the depth of knowledge, honesty and courage in that room was something special.
What struck me most was this:
The compassion in the discussions
The willingness to explore difficult topics
The courage to challenge systems
And the reminder that addiction work is never “just clinical” — it’s deeply human
The venue was warm, welcoming and beautifully organised.
The food was gorgeous (always important!) and the atmosphere was kind, open and thoughtful.
I also loved seeing the creativity in the poster presentations — congratulations to the poster winner 👏 (photo below). It was inspiring to see such innovation and commitment to improving practice.
And for anyone who was there… yes, I was the one who asked during the AI discussion whether the watches came in anything other than black — preferably pink, or with a bit of bling.
The room erupted.
Worth it. Because if we’re going to integrate technology into care, we might as well make it human… and maybe even stylish.
Thank you to Addiction Professionals and the Royal College of General Practitioners for creating a space that blends science, policy, lived experience and heart.
Grateful to be in rooms like this. Grateful to be learning. Grateful to be building work that bridges clinical credibility and real-world compassion.
Onwards. 💫
