Part of the work we do to treat addiction is to work through the other preexisting conditions and environmental factors that could contribute to addictive behavior. Those who suffer from a co-morbid condition will notice that addiction recovery is much harder to treat without also addressing the other condition. Recently, we have more insight than ever before how Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) plays a role in sex addiction in particular. Today, our guest is Dr. John Sealy, who has been an advocate and forerunner in how ADD and Addiction influence one another. As we learn more and more about the treatment of ADD, we can also change how we treat sex addiction.Dr. Sealy is passionate about ensuring that people get the help they need. He does not treat addiction as a single issue but looks at the whole patient to assess the care they need. Due to the inherent stigma and shame that many sufferers carry around Sex Addiction, it has historically been difficult for these people to receive treatment. Dr. Sealy is working to change that. We are excited to bring to you today all the latest research, methodology, and new insight that will be liberating for many in the recovery process. This will be an episode that is helpful and encouraging to those who are in recovery. Help and hope are available for you.More to learn in this episode: How our understanding and controversy of Sex Addiction has changed since the study was pioneered. Understanding the diagnosis of Sexual Addiction. The co-morbid conditions that we see playing a major role in Sex Addiction recovery. How the unique cognitive hallmarks of ADD make it a likely co-morbid condition for addiction. ResourcesWork with Dr. Sealy: https://novusmindfullife.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is value in your struggles. But also part of working through your struggles is the ability to ask for help and find a community that has the capacity to support you. On today’s episode, Duane speaks with Dane Ensley, the founder of Reconstruction Unlimited, a mental health coaching agency that designs therapeutic ecosystems for clients. Dane has worked as a coach for the world's leading interventionists and has traveled the world working with a broad spectrum of clients. Dane's encouraging attitude, patience, and understanding allowed him to carve a very distinct path in the wellness industry. His core belief is that good things can be born from struggle. He also believes that everything good that has ever happened to him was a direct result of him helping someone else. Hear more of Dane's own recovery story and how we can turn our struggles into positive change. In this episode, you will hear: The man box that we’re taught as men Finding value in the struggles Seeking out healthy challenges to grow from The importance of solitude Finding your community Developing the muscle to ask for help Subscribe and ReviewHave you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.Supporting Resources:Reconstruction Unlimitedhttps://www.reconstructionunlimited.com/ Instagram: @reconstructionunlimited and @daneensleyNovusMindfulLife.comEpisode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s so easy to get lost in the mundanity of life that we lose sight of each present moment. But what if we just focused on today, and make each day our Day One?On today’s episode, Duane speaks with J.D. Frost, author of the book, Life Ledger: How to Build a System to Reach Your Goals, where he dives into the concept of Day One, the power of writing, and how keeping a daily ledger of your life helps you gain the clarity that you need to help you reach your goals. J.D. Frost is an accountant and the co-founder and CEO of Croft and Frost, a husband, and a father of three girls. J.D. started drinking at 19 years old and became an alcoholic. In January 2018, his family finally did an intervention for him – something he’s now super grateful for. In this episode, you will hear: The concept of day one To accomplish anything, you must write something down. How to get the habit of writing started Auditing your day through a daily ledger Accountability is a reminder of what you want. Subscribe and ReviewHave you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.Supporting Resources:NovusMindfulLife.comhttps://www.croftandfrost.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdfrost.today/ Life Ledgerhttps://www.amazon.com/Life-Ledger-Build-System-Reach/dp/1637583893 The Everyday Hero Manifesto by Robin Sharmahttps://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Hero-Manifesto-Robin-Sharma/dp/1443465356 Episode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you found out earlier on in your youth that you actually have a genetic propensity toward addiction, would you have made decisions a lot differently? Addiction is a bio-psycho-social model, but we don't really look at the bio part of it. Sometimes, we have to look at the physiology of things to understand addiction better. And there has to be a paradigm shift in thinking about how we operate and exist in this world. On today’s episode, Duane speaks with Dr. Evelyn Higgins about genes and biomarkers, how they influence our behavior, how they play out in addiction, and why knowing about this part of ourselves is an important step in addiction treatment and recovery. Dr. Evelyn Higgins is the founder and CEO of Wired For Addiction and a recognized international expert in the epidemiology of addiction. With 34 years in clinical practice, Dr. Higgins has spent over 16 years dedicated to research and development in the science of addiction recovery, and she finds herself at the nexus of epigenetics, neuroscience, and addiction. In this episode, you will hear: What it means to look at errors in genetic coding Epigenetics and aberrant behaviors Why addiction is not a moral flaw, but a disease The first step is getting objective information. The common genetic markers of addiction How seeing addiction from a biological perspective impacts the families Subscribe and ReviewHave you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.Supporting Resources:Wired For AddictionDr. Higgins’ TEDTalk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XNk8tNsaco NovusMindfulLife.comEpisode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are thousands of women who are drinking and suffering in silence. And when we're dealing with our internal struggles, we feel alone. There’s pain and misery attached to that. How are we then able to provide a safe space for women to follow down a path to recovery and give them the kind of support they need?  On this episode, Duane speaks with Casey Davidson about the topic of gray area drinking, what that means, what that looks like, and the benefits of being sober, curious, and maybe just taking a longer break from alcohol to see if that betters your life. Casey also shares her own personal story of doing that, how she realized alcohol was not what she needed, and how she was able to stop just trying to moderate her drinking and remove alcohol from her life. An ex-red wine girl turned life and sobriety coach, Casey helps women create lives they love without alcohol. She hosts The Hello Someday Podcast, created for gray area drinkers and sober curious women. Casey is passionate about helping women – who are doing all the things and then coming home and drinking to forget all the things – change their relationship with alcohol.  In this episode, you will hear: Casey’s journey through alcoholism and recovery The benefits of removing alcohol from your life What gray area drinking means Dealing with the stigma around going to AA What the sober curious movement is about Subscribe and ReviewHave you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.Supporting Resources:Website: https://hellosomedaycoaching.com/  The Hello Someday Podcasthttps://hellosomedaycoaching.com/podcast/ NovusMindfulLife.comEpisode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Addiction does not only impact the one addicted, it also affects their family and friends. It’s hard to see your loved one hurting and struggling. But you can’t help them heal with guilt and shame. There are tools and resources to help you help your loved one make a positive change. The goal is to help them feel safe, heard and seen, supported, and understood. On today’s episode, Duane talks with licensed clinical psychologist and research scientist Kenneth Carpenter, PhD. He is the co-author of The Beyond Addiction Workbook for Family and Friends: Evidence-Based Skills to Help a Loved One Make Positive Change. Ken is the Director of Training for the Center for Motivation and Change (CMC) and CMC: Foundation for Change. He has held academic and research science positions at New York-based universities and state agencies. If you have a loved one who might be bound by the chains of addiction, learn how you can foster an open communication with them and hopefully, bring lasting change. In this episode, you will hear: Motivation that comes from hope instead of pain What is motivational interviewing Understanding that ambivalence is part of the process How to set the tone of your conversations Practicing self-awareness and connecting to your values Using positive reinforcement to support the change process Subscribe and ReviewHave you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.Supporting Resources:https://cmcffc.org/ The Beyond Addiction Workbook for Family and Friendshttps://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Addiction-Workbook-Family-Friends/dp/1648480187 NovusMindfulLife.comEpisode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of us resonate with movies because we get to learn about the world through them. Making movies is hard enough. Now, imagine a documentary of someone making a movie during their rehab journey.  On today’s episode, Duane speaks with Jared Callahan about his new feature-length documentary. Clean Slate provides an immersive, veritate look into the world of recovery amid the biggest drug epidemic in American history. It follows two individuals Cassidy and Josh, as they attempt to make a short film during their recovery and rehab state. Jared is an award-winning director, producer, and founder of Emmy-nominated production company The People People Media Foundation. Based on a 95-acre farm in the San Francisco East Bay, they specialize in personal and unique stories that help give others a voice.  In making this documentary, Jared had to spend 18 months at a recovery facility that he got completely enveloped in their world. He hopes the film would move people the way he has been deeply touched by it. Hopefully, it will change how people view and treat addiction – giving more grace and developing more empathy for people struggling with it, instead of condemning them and stereotyping their condition like it’s a crime or a disease.  In this episode, you will hear: How Clean Slate came to be and why Jared accepted the project Lessons Jared learned about addiction and recovery while making this film The experience of being immersed in a recovery facility Battling the powerlessness of being a documentary filmmaker The process of making the film Understanding the different cultures in the world of recovery Subscribe and ReviewHave you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.Supporting Resources:www.peoplepeoplemedia.com NovusMindfulLife.comEpisode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

America is in the midst of a new drug crisis. Earlier this year, the CDC reported a staggering 107,000 overdose deaths in 2021. That's one every five minutes. It's up almost 15% from 2020 and nearly 70% of those deaths involved fentanyl.  On today's episode, Duane speaks with Sam Quinones who has been sounding the alarm for years. A journalist and storyteller, Sam is a former LA Times reporter and author of four acclaimed books of narrative nonfiction, including New York Times bestseller and National Book Critics Circle Award winner, Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic. She’s also the author of the National Book Critics Circle Award finalist, The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth, which captures the devastation of this new epidemic of synthetic drugs, but at the same time, offers a lot of hope. Duane and Sam explore the root of this whole opioid crisis and the need for us, as a society, to embrace recovery without anonymity, no more euphemisms, and no more hiding. We all have to get out of the shame that comes with addiction. We’re also living in a culture of addictive stuff where fast food, sugars, and pornography are legal. All this boils down to social change that is best achieved in small ways and small daily efforts – and it all starts with you! In this episode, you will hear: The supply of synthetic drugs in Mexico How his book focuses on the message of hope in the midst of the opioid era Dr. Lou Ortenzio’s story of addiction and recovery Getting rid of the anonymity and euphemisms How we’re living in a culture of addictive stuff Becoming a master of your own fate What you can do on an individual level Subscribe and ReviewHave you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.Supporting Resources:https://samquinones.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samquinonesjournalist Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samquinones_author/ Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemichttps://www.amazon.com/Dreamland-YA-Americas-Opiate-Epidemic/dp/1547601310 The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Methhttps://www.amazon.com/Least-Us-Tales-America-Fentanyl-ebook/dp/B0932RRNVL?ref_=ast_sto_dp NovusMindfulLife.comEpisode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do we break the stigma around addiction and mental health support for people of color? It’s important that different communities are able to change that narrative so everyone is provided the adequate support they need. On today’s episode, Duane speaks with Jessica Dueñas who shares her story of addiction, recovery, and using her voice to help other people find their way out of pain. Jessica started with binge eating in her bedroom as a Latina girl growing up in New York City. By the time she got to college, her addiction had morphed into alcoholism. Years later, she was awarded Teacher of the Year in Kentucky but was still drinking a fifth of bourbon a day – a secret she had to hide from her peers, friends, and students. When she found her boyfriend lifeless from a drug overdose in his apartment, Jessica got out of control and deeper into her addiction, nearly dying herself in the months after his passing. Ultimately, she found recovery and has been sober since November 2020. Listen in as Jessica shares her story to help break the stigma of addiction and mental health treatment. Through her platform, Bottomless to Sober, she shares stories of people's recovery and continues to break the stigma of addiction.  In this episode, you will hear: Drinking through the pain and pressure to be perfect as an immigrant The decision to step forward and speak up about her story What it was like for her to bring mental health issues into the light Breaking the stigma around mental health support for people of color Specific issues people of color face when getting treatment The importance of cultural competence in mental health care The power of sharing your story to help others Subscribe and ReviewHave you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.Supporting Resources:https://www.bottomlesstosober.com/ NovusMindfulLife.comThe Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolkhttps://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748 Episode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is it that a lot of successful people, even superstars, and athletes, end up in a downward spiral of depression? Usually, what's missing is a spiritual component of life. On today’s episode, Duane speaks with Adam Jablin, a best-selling author, inspirational keynote speaker, transformational life coach, and spiritual and recovery mentor.  Adam is passionate about helping people break through any traumas and old addictions or harmful patterns, and ignite the hero that lives within them so they can accomplish their goals and realize the things pulling them back. Adam is also the author of the book, Lotsaholic: From a Sick to Sober Superman. Adam grew up in a culture where he had to do more to be more. Growing up as a fat kid made him feel insecure. But while he was able to make everyone like him through his humor, he was still broken inside. He thought all the drugs and alcohol filled the void initially, until those didn’t work. Living in denial, Adam eventually realized there is a higher power – greater than him and any of us – that’s around us all the time, nurturing us and healing our wounds. In this episode, you will hear: How Adam got into addiction Living in a culture of “more is more” and learning that less is more Why you can’t get more of spirituality, but you can enhance it Healthy spirituality vs. unhealthy spirituality Breaking through the armor that protects your traumas to be healed Subscribe and ReviewHave you subscribed to our podcast? We’d love for you to subscribe if you haven’t yet. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.Supporting Resources:https://adamjablin.com/ Lotsaholic: From a Sick to Sober Superman by Adam Jablinhttps://www.amazon.com/Lotsaholic-Sober-Superman-Adam-Jablin/dp/0998829900Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamjablin/ NovusMindfulLife.comEpisode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices