TAM+ EP 60: Rewiring Your Recovery: The Power of a Growth Mindset

Mar 13, 2025

Discover how a growth mindset can revolutionize your recovery journey. The discussion focuses on overcoming self-doubt and viewing setbacks as learning opportunities rather than failures. By embracing neuroplasticity, you can develop healthier habits and reshape your approach to challenges. Practical steps are provided to enhance self-talk, reframe difficulties, and use relapses as valuable insights. This shift in perspective not only supports mental health but also empowers lasting change.

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Embracing a Growth Mindset in Recovery

00:00 • 19min

Dopamine Nation

Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

Anna Lembke, MD

In 'Dopamine Nation,' Dr. Anna Lembke delves into the scientific discoveries that explain why overindulgence in high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli leads to pain. The book combines personal narratives from her clinical practice with the latest psychology research to illustrate how to find contentment and connectedness by keeping dopamine in check. Lembke discusses the impact of modern addictions, such as those related to smartphones, food, and other behaviors, and provides strategies for managing consumption and transforming lives. The book emphasizes the importance of balancing the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery[1][3][5].

Mindset

The New Psychology of Success

Carol S. Dweck

In this book, Carol S. Dweck introduces the concept of two mindsets: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. People with a fixed mindset believe their abilities are static, while those with a growth mindset believe their abilities can be developed through effort and learning. Dweck shows how these mindsets influence success in school, work, sports, and personal relationships. She also discusses how to adopt a deeper, truer growth mindset, and how this can transform individual and organizational cultures. The book emphasizes the importance of perseverance, learning from failures, and embracing challenges as key components of the growth mindset[1][2][5].

The willpower instinct

How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It

Kelly McGonigal

In 'The Willpower Instinct,' Kelly McGonigal explains the science behind self-control and provides practical strategies to enhance willpower. The book is based on her 10-week course at Stanford University and covers topics such as the physiology of self-control, the role of stress and dopamine, and techniques like meditation and breathing exercises to improve willpower. McGonigal breaks down willpower into three categories: 'I will' (doing things that improve your life), 'I won’t' (avoiding things that undermine your health and happiness), and 'I want' (focusing on long-term goals). The book offers experiments and challenges to help readers apply the theories in their daily lives and improve their overall health, happiness, and productivity.

The Brain That Changes Itself

Norman Doidge

This book challenges the traditional view that the brain is fixed and unchangeable. Norman Doidge presents case studies and scientific research that demonstrate the brain's ability to reorganize itself in response to injury, learning, and experience. The book covers various aspects of neuroplasticity, including recovery from brain damage, treatment of mental disorders, and the impact of culture and education on brain development. Doidge's work highlights the potential for brain change and its implications for human nature and potential.

Have you ever thought, "I've tried recovery before and failed—why try again?" or "This is just who I am"? These beliefs might be the biggest barrier to lasting recovery.

In this solo episode, licensed therapist Duane Osterlind shares how a growth mindset can transform your recovery journey. Drawing from Dr. Carol Dweck's research, Duane explains how viewing your abilities and capacity for recovery as things that can grow and change (rather than fixed traits) makes all the difference.

Recovery is rarely a straight path. For many, it's a series of hopeful starts followed by setbacks. Each relapse can make doubt grow louder: "Maybe I'm not strong enough," or "Maybe I'll always be this way." These thoughts aren't just discouraging—they actively harm recovery.

When we believe change isn’t possible, we avoid challenges, give up easily, and see effort as pointless. This mindset isn’t just psychological—it impacts physical health, increases stress, and perpetuates addiction.

But there is another way. A growth mindset recognizes that your brain is neuroplastic—able to form new pathways throughout life. The same neuroplasticity that allowed addiction to take hold can help you build healthier habits. Through this lens, relapse becomes valuable data, not failure, offering insights about triggers and strategies for meaningful change.

Duane shares practical steps to build this mindset, like becoming aware of your self-talk, reframing challenges, embracing "the power of yet," and celebrating effort over outcomes. Recovery becomes about resilience and growth, not perfection.

Ready to change your approach?

Download the free growth mindset worksheet in the show notes.

Download The Worksheet

Join The Addicted Mind Plus Community for more support.

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Key Topics:

The difference between fixed mindset and growth mindset in recovery
How neuroplasticity makes lasting change possible in addiction
Viewing relapses as learning opportunities rather than failures
Practical techniques to develop a growth mindset in recovery
The importance of celebrating effort over perfect outcomes
How seeking feedback strengthens your recovery journey
Finding inspiration in others who have successfully changed

Episode Timestamps:

[00:00:54] Introduction to growth mindset in addiction recovery

[00:04:21] The research behind mindset theory and Dr. Carol Dweck's work

[00:07:00] Understanding brain neuroplasticity in addiction and recovery

[00:09:39] Actionable steps to develop a growth mindset in recovery

[00:12:31] The power of adding "yet" to negative self-statements

[00:14:05] The importance of seeking constructive feedback

[00:16:00] Closing thoughts: "Becoming is better than being"

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