PT576 – Rethinking Addiction and Treatment Models: Is the Recovery Community Ready for Psychedelics?, with Dan Ronken, LPC, LAC

In this episode, Joe interviews Dan Ronken: licensed professional counselor and addiction counselor with a private practice in Boulder, CO, called Inclusion Recovery, and lead trainer and facilitator for the Integrative Psychiatry Institute (IPI).

He tells his story of going from a sponsored BMX racer to three stints in rehab before the age of 14, and what he's learned from his experiences in recovery over the years: that there is a wide range of what 'in recovery' actually means, that abstinence-only and 12-step models don't work for many, that connection and community – and consistency in both – are enormous parts of what actually leads to overcoming an addiction, and more. As recovery communities cautiously begin to talk about psychedelics, he highlights the importance of nuance in understanding addiction, the need for open-mindedness toward new therapeutic approaches, and the need for diverse support networks that welcome discussions around psychedelics.

He talks about:

• Inducing alcohol cravings before an intramuscular ketamine shot as a way of using neuroplasticity to rewire the brain's relationship with alcohol
• How Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, benefitted greatly from LSD in the 50s, and how Ronken originally scoffed at such a concept
• The growing visibility of psychedelics in popular media, as seen in shows like "Loudermilk" and "Ted Lasso"
• The benefits of sober communities coming together for active and healthy activities

and more!

For links, head to the show notes page.