Brian Pennie, PhD

Former heroin addict turned doctor who’s on a mission to show people that change is possible | PhD in Psychology and Neuroscience | Speaker | Author | Lecturer

[Brian Pennie, PhD @PennieBrian]

I spoke at Cloverhill Prison on mental health.

What struck me: not how different people are, but how familiar it all feels.

Shame. Anger. Regret. Fear. We think there’s an “us” and “them.”

There isn’t.

Just different choices…

Not a different kind of human being.

[Brian Pennie, PhD @PennieBrian]

Prison doesn’t rehabilitate…

It makes people worse.

But we keep sending people there anyway.

Bob Cullen - who served 10 years and is now doing a Master’s in criminology - explains why ⬇️

[Brian Pennie, PhD @PennieBrian]

Interview: https://t.co/9wAhr1Cu2s

[Brian Pennie, PhD @PennieBrian]

Addiction is often not the primary problem, but a response to deeper pain.

Dr Gabor Maté uncovers the childhood trauma behind Dr Brian Pennie’s 15-year heroin addiction.

Full interview in comments.

[Brian Pennie, PhD @PennieBrian]

Born violent.

Or learned?

Love to hear your thoughts.

[Brian Pennie, PhD @PennieBrian]

Link to interview: https://t.co/Je4yaXWZ8H

[Brian Pennie, PhD @PennieBrian]

“My nickname was Outcast.”

Bullying can leave scars far beyond childhood.

Robert Cullen shares how rejection shaped who he became.

Bob spent 10 years in prison for violent crime but is now doing a Masters in Criminology.

Full interview in the comments.

[Brian Pennie, PhD @PennieBrian]

“Violence became my currency — it was how I bought respect when I felt worthless.”

That’s a quote from Robert Cullen who spent 10 years in prison for violent crime, but is now doing a Masters in Criminology. Click here to listen: https://t.co/Je4yaXWZ8H

[Brian Pennie, PhD @PennieBrian]

Gabor Maté offers a striking lens on Ireland’s relationship with alcohol: that addiction often emerges not from weakness, but from unresolved pain.

He points to the impact of colonial oppression, institutional betrayal, family harshness, and the normalisation of alcohol.

[RTÉ One @RTEOne]

"Addiction thrives in secrecy and lies."

A gripping three-part documentary that dives deep into the science of addiction and recovery - whether it's phones, alcohol, gambling, or hard drugs.

#Hooked : How Addiction Hijacks Your Brain | Starts tonight at 9.35pm

[RTÉ One @RTEOne]

"I'm an addict... I have the tendencies to act and behave in ways that are very obsessive. And that can either be a curse or it can be a gift."

Brian Pennie chats to Chris Connolly about finding solace in fitness after battling a drug addiction.

#Hooked | Continues Wednesday at 9.35pm

[RTÉ One @RTEOne]

"I wish I could take away the pain that they experienced."

Brian Pennie speaks to his brother James about how his addiction affected his family.

#Hooked | Wednesday at 9.35pm

[RTÉ One @RTEOne]

"I've never felt comfortable blaming Mike's death for my behaviour... a lot of this behaviour is on me."

Spencer Matthews discusses his problem relationship with alcohol and how he realised his daily drinking had to stop on #Hooked | Tonight at 9.35pm

[RTÉ One @RTEOne]

"People used to run away from me. I want people to run with me now" 🏃❤️

#Hooked | Continues tonight at 9.35pm

[RTÉ One @RTEOne]

"People are a product of their environment."

In this final episode, Brian meets the duo behind the Talking Bollox podcast, Calvin O’Brien and Terence Power.

They give insight into the peer pressure that men can feel when it comes to drugs and alcohol, as well as insights from their many conversations about addiction on their hit podcast.

#Hooked | Wednesday at 9.35pm

[Independent Dublin @DublinIndo]

https://t.co/ixr0akA6Il

Dr Brian Pennie lifts the lid on what addictions, from your phone to alcohol and cocaine do to the brain in new RTÉ documentary ‘Hooked’.

Read more on Independent Dublin.

[Coolmine @CoolmineTC]

Hooked: How Addiction Hijacks Your Brain airs its first episode this Wednesday at 9:35pm on RTE One. In what promises to be an insightful and informative documentary, Dr. Brian Pennie discusses the science of addiction and its effects on the user.

Coolmine is heavily feature ...

[RTÉ One @RTEOne]

“He suffered on his own because of the shame and stigma of gambling.”

Pete and Sadie Keogh speaking to Brian Pennie about their son Lewis.

If you have been affected by the issues raised on tonight’s show, visit https://t.co/FFqrwlTfjq.

#Hooked

[Richard Roche @RRocheNeuro]

Nice to see a few familiar faces from @MUpsychdept and @MUPsychSoc in episode 1 of Brian Pennie's #Hooked on @RTEOne tonight

[RSVP Magazine @RSVPMagazine]

Dr Brian Pennie: 'I was a heroin addict for 15 years and drugs were symptom of an underlying problem'
https://t.co/UgnT2VfXgN