The Addicted Mind Podcast

We're in the worst phase of human history where people are so stressed out, so afraid of judgment, and tentative as it relates to saying anything these days because of this “cancel culture” society. We have lost an enormous amount of substance and the ability to effectively communicate our thoughts and emotions verbally, vocally, and physically because we’re afraid of the ramifications. But if we can just get back to our basics and start talking to each other as humans, we're going to be in a much better situation. On today's episode, Duane speaks with keynote speaker and performance coach Brett Lavender about language communication and being the master of our own mind.  Brett is the Founder and CEO of Persuasive Lion, a speaking, training, and coaching practice based on The Lost Languages program that teaches people valuable techniques of persuasive verbal & non-verbal communication to help people lead better and exceed their personal and professional goals.Brett’s father was killed right after his 6th birthday, and at 19, his mother died of liver cancer. He ended up in a very precarious situation with the couple who took him under their care and wasted all the money his mom had left him. At 21, Brett ended up 100% on his own. Soon after, he started studying humans, and how they would react to his behaviors. Over decades of self-education, Brett trained hundreds of speakers and communicators. And then it dawned on him how he could also use this to train civilians, who are not speakers, performers, or professionals, but just real humans, who need a better grasp on how to communicate with their boss, their employees, their co-workers, or their family. As he went through this process, he became very aware that we, as humans, are lost in terms of communication, thus, the concept of the lost languages. In this episode, you will hear: The difference between persuasion and manipulation How humans are forced to communicate with one another The concept of the lost languages The three quadrants of the human brain The value of speaking from an upturn to a downturn Why nonverbal is more important than verbal Self-talk is the most important of the lost languages How we have lost an enormous amount of substance Key Quotes:[02:01] - “There's a very fine line between persuasion and manipulation. They're very closely related behaviors. However, the intention is different.”[04:55] - “The only interaction that different species of life have in the natural world is to kill or be killed. Yet we're living in a very unnatural melting pot of all different species of human, forced to communicate with one another.”[17:06] - “Somewhere in our evolution, we have consistently lost the ability to communicate effectively interpersonally. It's getting worse and worse and worse and it's a downward spiral.”[27:54] - ​​"Nonverbal is way more important than verbal… Communication is not an easy thing, especially if you're uncomfortable."[31:41] - "How we train ourselves to react to situations is going to effectively create a different reaction from our audience."[33:42] "This is something that people who are struggling with addiction suffer from – not being able to expose themselves and communicate authentically and be real."[37:44] - "It's not about how you feel. It's about how you feel, about how you feel."[49:40] - "The most valuable conversations that we will ever have with anyone in our lives are the conversations that we have with ourselves."Supporting Resources:https://www.thepersuasivelion.com/ 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/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode, Duane speaks with Shahjehan Khan, a voiceover artist, actor, and musician based in Boston. He is the host of the King of the World podcast, which explores his life as a Pakistani American Muslim in the post-9/11 era, 20 years later. Shahjehan shares how he weaved his struggle with addiction to cannabis, how all of that came together for him, and how he got into recovery. Son of Pakistani American immigrants, Shahjehan grew up as an average American young person in the suburbs of Massachusetts. When 9/11 happened, he remembers being a senior in high school, sitting in a calculus class. At that time, he was already a struggling teenager, which also marked the beginnings of heavy substance use. By the time he got to college, he dropped out after a year, came home, and had his first suicide attempt. He was then introduced to AA, but it really didn’t resonate with him. He had a relapse a year after he joined a band. Until he realized he had to make that change. Now eleven years sober, Shahjehan found therapy to be the one thing that has helped him through his recovery journey. During the pandemic, he also found a community of recovering folks he could relate with.It also made him realize it was okay to be a multifaceted person. At the time, he felt like there were a bunch of little pieces that never felt like a cohesive whole. When he was first approached to tell his story, he didn't want to tell another 9/11-centered Muslim story because he was sick of it. Then he realized he could frame it in a coming-of-age way, being able to show the parallels of his own personal struggles with what was happening in his outer world post 9/11.The King of the World podcast is shining light on the American Muslim experience. And seeing the impact it had on him and the people he interviewed is also important for us to understand and grow as a society. In this episode, you will hear: Shahjehan’s addiction and recovery journey His experience the next day after 9/11 The moment he decided he needed change Experiencing a relapse being in a band  Finding the right method of recovery for yourself Why he stopped attending meetings and focused on therapy The impact of the King of the World podcast on other people His recovery process Key Quotes:[11:28] - "Doing the podcast in itself was an act of realizing that it's okay to be this multifaceted person... there were all these little pieces that never felt like a cohesive whole."[11:40] - "A lot of people in early recovery feel like fragmented people.. it's that process of that exploration."[14:43] - "9/11 made it so that we would always be responsible for something we never did." [21:09] - "We're starting to finally become a voice for people in a way but it's this complicated thing where I myself inside, I'm sort of using that as a crutch almost."[26:43] - "It's not that it just happened overnight. It is a continuous process for sure."[27:30] - "You're so used to being that 'other' in the room that you almost welcome it in a way."[43:12] - “You should always be redefining success for yourself.”[48:18] - "Find one person that you can be brutally honest with... and that can hear you out. And that's where the healing can start."If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it.Supporting Resources:King of the World PodcastImmigrantly Podcastwww.shahjehankhan.com 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/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The stigma of addiction is so bad that people who are struggling with it choose to hide it. However, addiction is not the real problem, but rather the symptom of all these underlying hurts, pains, and suffering. Today’s episode is a replay of an interview with David Poses, who recently passed away, in honor of his life and legacy. A writer, speaker, and activist, David was a tireless advocate for all who struggled with mental health or addiction issues. David is the author of The Weight of Air: A Story About the Lies of Addiction and the Truth of Recovery. David struggled with addiction, which he chose to hide for a long time. After trying to find a treatment that worked for him, he soon discovered buprenorphine, an opioid used to treat opioid-use disorders, which also saved his life from heroin. David also realized that being sober only means abstaining from whatever it is you’re addicted to, while recovery happens only when you’ve healed the wounds that led you to addiction in the first place.That being said, there are different ways to treat addiction, and so, ultimately, you have to find one that works for you. In this episode, you will hear: Resorting to heroin due to depression but it was also heroin that caused his depression Why AA wasn’t the right solution for him Finding the treatment and recovery method that works for us How opioids affect the brain Two medications that have been proven to dramatically reduce your risk of death, relapse, and overdose How buprenorphine saved David’s life Achieving recovery through healing the wounds that led you to addiction The stigma of addiction  Key Quotes:[13:58] - "For every kind of vice or addiction, your neurotransmitters rewire, and they seek out the next hit. There’s the idea that sobriety gets easier with time and your brain heals in time and things go back to normal... But there have been a lot of studies about opioids that show that it doesn't necessarily go back."[21:12] - "There are two medications that are proven to dramatically reduce your risk of death, relapse, and overdose: methadone and buprenorphine. All other forms of treatment or medications do not, and many others actually do the exact opposite."[21:31] - “Any kind of abstinence-based treatment, whether it's forced or voluntary, increases your risk of overdose because you come out of it, you have no tolerance, and that's when people die.”[23:10] - "Addiction has been so siloed off away from medicine for so long. Even with doctors, I tell the doctor the history and they assume I'm in there looking for drugs."[35:03] - "If sobriety is I'm not taking drugs anymore or abstinence. Recovery is healing the wounds that led you to drugs in the first place."[39:09] - "The stigma of addiction is so bad that I was seriously contemplating suicide."[41:02] - "Addiction is not the problem. Addiction is definitely a problem but drugs are a form of self-medication."[47:12] - "With any physical or psychological thing, we identify the source of pain, and we treat it so you can heal. With addiction, we explicitly tell you to ignore the source of pain because it's an excuse."If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it.Supporting Resources:GoFundMe campaign to support David Poses’ familyhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/we-love-you-david-posesand-love-your-family The Weight of Air: A Story About the Lies of Addiction and the Truth of Recoveryhttps://davidposes.com/the-weight-of-air 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/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A lot of people are oblivious to recurring issues they encounter in life when those are actually the result of some unresolved childhood trauma manifesting in different ways. Whether it’s addiction, alcoholism, a toxic romantic relationship, a dysfunctional family, people-pleasing, impulsiveness, or you’re struggling with saying no – all these can be telltale signs of an inner wound that needs to be healed.In this episode, Duane speaks with Andrea Ashley, host of The Adult Child Podcast, about her own journey of recovery and how she went deeper in recovery when she started to deal with her adult child issues. Andrea shares what it took her to finally find some deeper healing purpose and meaning in her life.Andrea grew up in an alcoholic home and was the only child of an alcoholic mom and alcoholic dad. She turned to drugs and alcohol at 12 and became the focus of the family for the next seven years. She got sent to rehab for the first time in eighth grade. For seven years, she was in and out of rehabs and boarding schools. It did work in saving her family because her mom stopped drinking as much and her parents stopped fighting as much since they had to come together to deal with the nightmare that she was. At 19, Andrea got sober. But that was only the beginning of yet another journey through a deeper recovery of healing her adult child. Seven years sober, she found herself in a toxic relationship. Dating for less than a month and she reacted as if her life was over. She became a non-functioning human. But she had an aha moment realizing that her feeling wasn’t actually connected to the heartbreak but it was rooted in her childhood.  Nine years sober, she found herself again in another toxic relationship that was associated with feelings of shame and powerlessness. When that relationship ended, she knew she had to treat it just as seriously as her alcoholism. It has been four years and the transformation has been mind-blowing. Her journey to healing her unresolved childhood pain led Andrea to launch the Adult Child Podcast, which now impacts thousands of people who are also dealing with their own adult children.In this episode, you will hear: The concept of the adult child Her journey recovering from toxic relationships Andrea’s childhood memories of having alcoholic parents The manifestations of complex trauma Addiction to excitement Finding a therapist that can help you Healing the little “t” trauma Embracing the pain Key Quotes:[18:17] - "As soon as I decided I like the guy, my peace of mind would just be hijacked in a second… and I had no idea that I was suffering from complex trauma."[20:49] - "Complex trauma doesn't have to be like big events, but recurring incidents. It doesn't even have to be big, but just a parent being hypercritical of you over and over."[24:16] - "Our template for relationship and love is developed during childhood."[24:37] - "One of the characteristics of an adult child is that we become addicted to excitement."[29:04] - “The core wound is all of this faulty programming that occurred during childhood.”[39:30] - “We don't grow unless we're in pain... I can get sober and never feel pain again. But it's not really presenting very many opportunities for growth."[41:46] - "There's nothing shameful or embarrassing about growing up in a dysfunctional family. Change is possible and you don't have to do it alone."If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it.Supporting Resources:The Adult Child PodcastAdult Children of Alcoholics/Dysfunctional FamiliesThe Addictions Institute with Stephanie BrownThe ACA laundry list - the 14 common characteristics of an adult childEpisode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of The Addicted Mind Podcast, Duane speaks with Constance Scharff, co-author of Rock to Recovery: Music as a Catalyst for Human Transformation, and author of the award-winning poetry book, Meeting God at Midnight. They talk about other things you can do in your life to bring about recovery and create a meaningful, joyful life, specifically, through using music, meditation, and breathing to help heal from addiction and trauma. Constance has a Ph.D. in transformative studies where she studies the nature of change and how the change occurs in an individual. Having been sober for more than 23 years now, Constance saw how people coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan weren't getting sober and a lot of them were killing themselves. At that time, Constance was suicidally sober. And so, she thought there has to be a better treatment. She then changed the direction of her graduate studies and devoted her life to finding a better treatment – and there is! Constance went through a very significant early childhood trauma and she used alcohol to dampen the trauma symptoms and make her feel better. She drank until she felt nothing. In sobriety, when she wasn't pouring alcohol on those feelings, and at a time when there wasn't any good trauma treatment, she was just plagued with trauma symptoms. She figured that the reason some people end up killing themselves was that sobriety doesn't feel good and there were no options. The treatment they were getting didn’t solve the problem. She soon realized that trauma is stored in the body, but once she was able to feel those feelings and release them, they longer had any hold over her.In this episode, you will hear: The goal of recovery The misunderstanding around addiction The role of trauma in addiction What are complementary therapies? Examples of complementary therapies Understanding the neurological component  The role of epigenetics in addiction Key Quotes:[03:25] "We get sober not to just get through life, but to really enjoy our lives and connect with other people and be part of our communities. The goal of recovery is connection."[05:51] "We assume that... if I remove alcohol, and alcohol is the problem, then I should get better... but they don't get better, they get worse."[08:46] "I really understood why the veterans would kill themselves because sobriety doesn't feel good and there are no other options. The treatment that you're getting doesn't solve the problem."[10:37] “Complementary therapies are about teaching us life skills that will serve us in our mental health and our recovery.”[13:23] “You don't have to be good to write music, play music, sing, write poetry, journal, craft, or act because the brain doesn't know the difference between skilled and unskilled. It only knows that you do it.”[19:44] "There are facts that are true... but how I relate to those facts is what makes all the difference."[32:29] “Trauma is stored in the body and when I can feel those feelings and release them, they no longer have a hold over me.”[43:27] “Each thing affects the mind and body in a different way. And so you want to keep poking the brain so that you don't over-focus because addiction is about obsession.”If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it.Supporting Resources:www.constancescharff.comRock to Recovery: Music as a Catalyst for Human TransformationMeeting God at MidnightInstagram: @constancescharffEpisode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode of The Addicted Mind Podcast, Duane speaks with Tricia Parido, an international master addictions coach and a recovery lifestyle enthusiast. Passionate about helping people attain sober lifestyles so they can live free and fulfilled, Tricia established the Turning Leaves Recovery Life and Wellness Coaching. Tricia has a 30-year story of addictions, negative attachments, and habits holding her hostage in life, and she also has a 25-year recovery journey because not everything was ready to recover at the same time. The last bit of her journey was getting rid of the alcohol and the benzodiazepines that really took her out.Tricia started drinking at 12 and as she got older, she became an open daily drinker. She worked hard to be a high-functioning alcoholic so she could keep her daily drinking. In her early 30s, Tricia developed a generalized anxiety disorder. The doctor prescribed Xanax for her anxiety and it worked. But there's that feedback loop in taking things like Xanax where you initially feel good immediately and then there’s that kickback effect that intensifies things and your anxiety gets worse. Sadly, that becomes so difficult to handle when you don’t have the skills to deal with it.At 43, Tricia found herself stuck in psychological addictions, dealing with eating disorders, people-pleasing, shopping addiction, and codependence. Being the control freak she is, she no longer had any control. Driven by curiosity about why those things were happening to her at that age, she decided to seek help.For the most part, education was a big part of her recovery. She got her psychology degree and went into an intensive coaching program accredited for addiction. She studied all things that were behavioral and chemical addiction in nature. Eventually, Tricia found coaching as a modality that fit her personality.In this episode, you will hear: Tricia’s addiction and recovery journey Finding a modality that fits your personality Creating and nurturing emotional intelligence  The locus of control theory How a recovery lifestyle works The power of changing your perspective Manifestation through action What stops people from putting their skills into practical application Understanding post-acute withdrawal The role of nutrition in your recovery Key Quotes:[06:24] - “We weren't taught emotional intelligence. We weren't taught impulse control, distress, tolerance, and emotion regulation.”[10:44] - "Anybody that's aspiring to be a practitioner, find the modality that speaks your language because you're going to help more people."[13:48] - “The substance isn't really the problem. Sure, it exacerbates them. But there's a reason it came about, to begin with. And it's different for everybody.”[14:46] - “The alcohol, the marijuana, whatever it is, it's an external locus of control. You are relying on something outside of yourself to bring you peace, joy, comfort, relief, value, validity, and worthiness.”[20:57] - “We have to learn how to live for ourselves first without feeling guilty, selfish, punished or restricted.”[23:19] - “​​If you don't like the way you're perceiving your life, it's up to you to change your perception.”[26:39] - “​​Manifestation is an action word – it requires you to do something. You must get up off your couch to manifest anything.”If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it.Supporting Resources:https://www.triciaparido.comhttps://www.turningleavesrecovery.comEpisode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode of The Addicted Mind Podcast, Duane speaks with Serge Prengel, the author of The Proactive Twelve Steps for Mindful Recovery. They dive deep into the process of change and this concept of the virtuous cycle that creates a positive feedback loop in our lives so we can make the strategic change and create a meaningful life that feels good and is purposeful. Serge is a therapist who's big on experiential or somatic psychotherapy. He believes that everybody is very different and every situation is very different. Serge talks about how you can be proactive in your approach, and over time, gradually step out of feeling stuck and powerless so you can enjoy a balanced and happy life. Serge has had a long-term dialogue with the 12 Steps for the past 30 years, which he discovered through friends who were in recovery. He always admired the power of the 12-step culture, the idea of having a common path, and the community it has created. He admires the system where people can have peer support and they can pull themselves together out of something that would feel like a morass.That being said, Serge also had a problem with the 12 Step’s concept of reliance on divine intervention or higher power. However, at the same time, he sees that something is working. This led him to a path of going deeper into the dialogue around the 12-Step to get a better understanding of what works. Then he would be able to translate it so other people can understand it better and be able to follow the path more effectively.In this episode, you will hear: A more generalized concept of healing His definition of trauma Building the tools through practice The importance of group work The inner power instead of the higher power How the felt sense experience functions as a guide The virtuous cycle of trauma healing The power of the mindful pause How the change starts to manifest itself Key Quotes:[09:55] - “It's impossible to be a human being, without having had some situations and some experiences, which are beyond their capacity to digest at the time.”[11:27] - “In the moment of being confronted with trauma as an individual, you're exactly in the position where you're disempowered, where you are with the least access to your capacities. And so it takes practical tools to actually overcome these kinds of moments.”[12:08] - “We're different people when different parts of the nervous system are in gear. And so, you cannot build the tools when you're activated."[18:24] - “The inner experience of being saved by God is an inner experience that actually can be also experienced by people who don't believe in God, and that's progressively connecting to that sense of higher power.”[24:31] - “Being more connected to ourselves is the healing, and the healing enables us to be more connected to ourselves. This is how we hit that virtuous cycle. And then the vicious cycle is that progressive cycle of disconnection.”[25:34] - "When you're in the midst of trauma, you cannot have access to that simplicity. What feels obvious when you're out of it does not feel obvious when you're in it."[27:17] - "That mindful pause becomes the DNA of the process because it's something that moment by moment helps you orient but is also something that helps you stay and be progressively more able to accept."[32:59] - "Look for kindred spirits who are willing to engage in a process of healing together."If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it.Supporting Resources:The Proactive Twelve Steps for Mindful RecoveryEpisode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode, Duane speaks with author Benjamin Boyce about his addiction story and how the war on drugs impacted his ability to better his life and live a meaningful life. The discussion dives deep into the war on drugs, how it can exacerbate the problems of addiction, and its impact on our society as a whole.  Benjamin is the author of Dr. Junkie: One Man's Story of Addiction and Crime That Will Challenge Everything You Know About the War on Drugs and the host of The Dr. Junkie Show.Benjamin was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (now part of the autism spectrum). Studies in the last 5-10 years have shown that people with Asperger's or on the autism spectrum that use marijuana or other cannabis products show reduced social anxiety. However, he realized that criminality showed up right behind it because he had to hide the marijuana and not tell people about it. For him, becoming the bad guy was just self-fulfilling. Like most of us, Benjamin grew up misinformed about drugs. It was misinformation that exploded into a lifestyle of crime and punishment. Benjamin was told he was a criminal so once he ran out of money, it was easy to start stealing stuff. He ended up shooting mainline injecting heroin and cocaine for four or five years. Then this “war on drugs” that has put him in the system just made things worse. He went to prison in 2004 and spent some time in the largest walled prison on earth. Once out of prison, he found a loophole in the system’s full-time employment requirement by going to college. So he got a Bachelor's and a Master's and then he worked through getting his Ph.D. Benjamin is now teaching at Denver University and the University of Colorado. The latter has a recent program where they now teach degree classes to people in prison.The zero-tolerance that the system has put in place is an antithesis of the help people need. When really, the goal is to get people in life, not just in a consistent loop of use.In this episode, you will hear: Benjamin’s addiction and recovery journey The roots of the war on drugs Survival mode vs. healing mode How we can become role models to our kids Having a strong support network Defining your own recovery Key Quotes:[07:14] - "Lots of studies nowadays, in the last 5-10 years, have shown that people with Asperger's or on the autism spectrum that use marijuana or other cannabis products show reduced social anxiety."[11:11] - “It increases the likelihood of overdose when somebody gets out because you're taking them at a moment of trauma, doubling that trauma, putting them in a hole and making sure they know the people around you don't care."[13:38] - “We’ve built the war on drugs to make sure a victory looks like making sure the price of street drugs goes up tomorrow.”[18:05] - "There's a way to do this that leans into our humanity. But I think we've also got to keep it in the confines and the framework of what our culture demands."[20:51] - "Why are we spending all of this effort and energy fighting a 100-year old war that is largely against our own citizens who could all be, instead of costing us money, paying taxes, running businesses, and having productive lives?"[21:41] - “There are other ways to achieve those same states that we use drugs to get to. You get preoccupied chasing the drug when you're in an addiction loop. But if you can put that aside for a day or a week or a month or a year, the wound starts to heal.”If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it.Supporting Resources:Dr. Junkie: One Man's Story of Addiction and Crime That Will Challenge Everything You Know About the War on DrugsThe Dr. Junkie ShowEpisode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode of The Addicted Mind Podcast, Duane talks with Paul Schulte, the author of We Agnostics: How William James, Father of American Psychology, Advanced A Spiritual Solution to Addiction: How a Venerated Harvard Doctor Inspired the 12 Step Movement. Paul is going to talk about Williams James's philosophy, what he brought to addiction treatment and addiction care, and how his work strongly influenced the work of Bill Wilson, founder of the 12-step program, Alcoholics Anonymous.He talks about how William James was able to articulate the theme he saw in human change – something that has been talked about in religious circles and spirituality for over 3,000 years. It’s the theme of a person who is lost, feels broken, and ultimately is able to find serenity and calmness. With a degree in drug and alcohol addiction counseling, Paul did an internship at the UCLA School of Medicine. There, he was drawn into what was going on with the different types of treatment and the influences of the 12-step movement. He came across William James’ Book, The Varieties of Religious Experience, which has had a tremendous influence on American life. Paul very much resonated with William’s experiences, how he had developed all of his ideas about the unconscious, and where these urges to suddenly stop what seems like a chronic behavior comes from in humans.William questions what causes these transformations in humans. Way before Freud developed his idea of the subconscious, William was one of the early pioneers of the subconscious and the desire to move towards a new form of regeneration of the human spirit coming from the subconscious.In this episode, you will hear: How Paul resonated with William James The universality of the human condition The 3 marks of the soul-sick The two-fold mark of a spiritual experience Why William James says we are all agnostic How Bill W. adopted the idea of William James Beautiful analogies in William’s book that describes the human experience and its similarities to the 12-step movement Dealing with chaotic emotions and purging fear  Not excusing the behavior but forgiving it The sense of regeneration Key Quotes:[06:19] - “William James was on to something about the obsession of the mind. But certainly, the spiritual element of trying to get cleaned up. That was a very big quantum leap in the understanding of addiction.”[10:09] - “I had this thing in me, this weird soul-sickness in the way before I picked up my first drink."[14:20] - “That feeling of self-loathing, and alienation and fear, which are basically the three marks of that soul sick.”[14:39] - “The mark of a spiritual experience is twofold. One, life gets bigger. And number two, we feel like we belong and that there's a union with other people.”[23:26] - “We're not falling apart, when we think we're falling apart, we're actually falling together.”[27:05] - “It's from this sense of destitution, that we rebuild ourselves, and when all the shams and all the lies of dishonesty are peeled away."[30:50] - "We don't go around excusing behavior. We forgive the behavior."[33:57] - “The fundamental point of helping others is self-forgetfulness, and the more that we engage in self-forgetfulness, the better off we are going to be because we get away from that oppressive ego, which wants to reassert itself.”If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it.Supporting Resources:We Agnostics: How William James, Father of American Psychology, Advanced A Spiritual Solution to Addiction: How a Venerated Harvard Doctor Inspired the 12 Step MovementThe Varieties Of Religious Experience: A Study In Human NatureThe Big BookEpisode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s episode, Duane speaks with Michael Anthony, author of Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood Trauma. When you have a history of childhood trauma, there are things that you just have to unlearn and reframe. But to do that, you have to bring awareness to it. When Michael was four years old, his mother, who was a drug addict and alcoholic, cut off his right index finger. His mother was a victim of abuse and his stepfather was highly abusive. Michael was in and out of the hospital multiple times. For the majority of his childhood, he was homeless and deeply in poverty. By the time he was 12 years old, he had lived with 30 different families. They were always getting bounced around, getting evicted, or getting their water and heat turned off.Michael got high for the first time when he was 12 and drunk when he was 13. At 15 years old, he was expelled from school for selling drugs. He was put into the last chance program and still did not graduate high school on time. Michael thought money was the solution to abuse, homelessness, and poverty. So he decided to chase money – legally. He worked really hard and ended up getting a job with a Fortune 10 company at 20 years old. With no high school diploma and no college education, he started making six figures but his life got so much worse. Heading into 26 years old, he found himself being 350 pounds, smoking two packs a day, drinking himself to sleep, and then attempting suicide for the second time. Money was supposed to solve the problem but he was done. When he woke up the next morning and went to the bathroom, he looked at himself in the mirror and asked himself, “What are you willing to do to have the life that you want to have?” The answer was no excuses, just results. 11 years later, Michael is here talking about his journey. He has done a tremendous amount of work – every modality of therapy, coaching, reading books, and going to seminars. He has dived deep into understanding himself and now has over 30 trauma-informed certifications.In this episode, you will hear: Michael’s journey through addiction and recovery Why being homeless was one of the greatest things that happened to him Why people with trauma lie to therapists The identity crisis Understanding the biology and physiology behind your body’s response The crux of self and putting rational meaning to your behavioral patterns The worst-case scenario and the power of changing your energy What mindset really is Key Quotes:[11:25] - “When you come from a very traumatic background, the opportunity for you to discover who you are is literally stolen from you.”[15:02] - “The key to life is to do what you want to do, and not do what you don't want to do.”[17:55] - “Indecision is a decision. You have to get off the fence about your life. Then you have to put yourself in this position to operate in a way that feels true for you." [22:46] - “When you stop tying your identity to the end goal of everything that you're trying to do in your life, but instead just into the day to day moments in the way that you operate with the effort and energy that you put in, that failure becomes less burdensome."[24:54] - “The longer you wait to be you, the more painful it's going to be to tear the band-aid off.”[25:36] - “The worst-case scenario is death. Outside of that, that means you have an opportunity.”[27:13] - “What you think becomes what you speak, what you speak becomes your actions, and your actions become your reality.”[33:09] - “If you look for joy, you will find it. And if you look for the pain, it'll be there too."Supporting Resources:Think Unbroken: Understanding and Overcoming Childhood TraumaEpisode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.