The Addicted Mind Podcast

You could be suffering from chronic stress without knowing it. Alternatively, you might know it but are just so used to it that you think it’s normal. Well, it’s not normal. You have to act on it before it takes a toll on your health and happiness.We have many different stressors in life. The human alarm is in the brain but we are wired to ignore it because we're wired for fight or flight. Humans evolved but, like other creatures, we used to live in caves or under trees. We had to know where the bears and wolves were. We had to be on guard against predators. As humans moved into cities and suburbs, most of us didn't have those worries but our brains haven't caught up. The alarm system hasn't evolved. It still sends chemicals throughout the body that lead to chronic stress. Chronic stress has various symptoms, including weight loss, weight gain, sugar cravings, salt cravings, disrupted sleep, fatigue, and muscle tension. Some people escape into alcohol, drugs, pornography, video games, work, or just about anything else to distract their brains from stress and pretend it isn’t happening. We just can’t tolerate it.On today’s episode, Duane speaks with Jennifer Love, the co-author of When Crisis Strikes: Five Steps to Heal Your Brain, Body, and Life From Chronic Stress. The book has outlined five steps to help people heal from life’s chronic stressors. If you have a crisis that comes up, you can walk through these steps. The more you do so, the better you're going to get at it and the more resilient you're going to become. Over time, you will have less stress. Jennifer is a board-certified psychiatrist in Addiction Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine and is a diplomat of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Board of Addiction Medicine. She is an award-winning researcher and international speaker who focuses on stress and the brain. In this episode, you will hear: Writing the book, When Crisis Strikes and why Jennifer wrote a book about chronic stress What chronic stress is The Crisis Response System: what’s going on in the body when we’re under unconscious stress 5 steps to get you through chronic stress and become a better version of yourself How COVID has impacted chronic stress Key Quotes:[04:43] - “‘Your health doesn't freeze. Your dad's health doesn't freeze. Your divorce process or your unhappy marriage doesn't freeze. Nothing freezes in COVID except the economy."[15:16] - “We gain weight. We have disrupted sleep, or sugar cravings, salt cravings, fatigue, and muscle tension. It all comes out physically because our brains are now in survival mode.”[17:26] - “The fuel in life is stress.”[22:43] - “You can't really treat that stress when you're in the middle of it.”[27:23] - “We have to get the brain away from the alarm enough that we can focus on the things that will actually get us through the crisis until that alarm turns off.”[28:59] - “Some people escape into alcohol, drugs, pornography, video games, work. It's just anything to distract my brain from this. I need to pretend this isn't happening. I can't tolerate it.”[42:30] - “Our beliefs are firmly rooted in who we are.”[48:53] - “We still have the ability to rise. We have that within us and crisis makes us feel we do not. And hope is what teaches us that we do.”Supporting Resources:Book: https://www.amazon.com/When-Crisis-Strikes-Chronic-Stress/dp/0806540818 Episode 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.

Addiction is a response to pain and trauma. Reaching out and making yourself vulnerable is challenging when you've been traumatized. You may not trust people and you may not trust the process. So what needs to be done to discharge the trauma off your body and break free from the symptoms – addiction being one of them?In this episode, Duane talks with Mike Govoni, an integrative holistic recovery coach who specializes in healing not only addiction but trauma as well. He has extensive experience in helping addicts overcome trauma and free themselves from addiction, a path that he has walked personally. Mike was traumatized in utero, which led to his early-onset illness in long-term recovery. This set him up for addiction. As a result of childhood trauma, pain, and suffering, Mike escaped through alcohol and drugs at an early age. He smoked his first joint at 11. By the time he was 18 years old, he got addicted to oxycontin – the first substance that took his soul out of him. He had always thought it was under control until he finally had to reach out for help. When he was hit with depression, his mom brought him to a 12-step meeting which was his first exposure to life in recovery. At that point, he got sober and has been for about 16 years now.Interestingly, he never knew he was suffering from unprocessed unhealed trauma. It took the universe to conspire for his awakening and for him to have a mystical experience that led to profound healing. That's what led him on the journey to what he does today.Today, Mike and Duane are going to have an in-depth conversation about trauma, early trauma, how it hides in the body, and how we can begin to process through that trauma to be able to release it, find freedom, and be our authentic selves.In this episode, you will hear: Mike’s entry into addiction and where his childhood trauma came from How addiction is related to trauma What keeps people from seeking help Why trauma starts in utero What trauma really means and how it’s been programmed in the subconscious How our nervous system can help discharge the trauma The role of others in the process of healing yourself Key Quotes:[07:18] - “Addiction is a response to pain and trauma. And reaching out and making yourself vulnerable is challenging when you've been traumatized.”[07:58] - "If you look at the work of Stanislav Grof, who is a well-known psychotherapist, he talked about birth as the first real trauma." [09:28] - "Trauma is really misunderstood. There's a lot of different definitions of trauma."[10:52] - “You can be in long-term recovery, and still be suffering from the symptoms of trauma.”[13:23] - “Many of us have traumas that we have suppressed and repressed so much that it's below consciousness.”[27:11] - “The nervous system naturally knows how to move through the cycle and discharge the trauma."[32:56] - “When you're stuck in survival mode, you don't have access to your creativity or have access to the full potential of who you are."[33:25] - “It's no wonder why people in addiction isolate and don't have access to this social engagement system. We're social primates. We are built for connection. We are built for touch.”Supporting Resources:The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der KolkEpisode 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.

You’ve probably heard of someone who’s suffered from chronic pain, gone to doctors, ran all the tests necessary, and surprisingly, none of the doctors could actually diagnose the problem. Andrew Hahn, Founder of Life Centered Therapy, joins today’s episode to explain how chronic pain, limiting beliefs, and even addictions are not physical in nature, but energetic. Hahn is a licensed clinical psychologist who received his A.B. Magna Cum Laude in Social Studies/Psychology from Harvard University and his Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Hahnemann University. He is certified by Helen Palmer to teach the Enneagram and has also been a faculty member in the graduate Counseling Programs at Lesley University and Northeastern University. On this episode, Andrew talks about regressions, past lives, and changing our internalized narrative. He shares how our symptoms and suffering are an invitation for awareness, integrations, and mastery of experiences that we have yet been unable to handle.Part of the conversation covers how every kind of suffering is something that couldn't be handled and taken in stride. Whether you call it chronic pain, fibromyalgia, autoimmune disease, depression, anxiety, addiction, bad relationships – it's something that couldn't be handled and integrated. Trauma is subjective. It's something that can't be handled. And so, people need to be free of their reactivity. Every symptom you have is, on the surface, awful – but on a soul level, it's a clue to what it is that couldn't be handled and integrated. That includes addiction. In order to heal, one has to master what couldn't be handled and integrated and then change his or her narrative. Once you’ve conquered that, you transcend it. Then you're not in that piece of suffering anymore. In this episode, you will hear: The beginnings of Life Centered Therapy The concept of pain and where it’s coming from Healing from pain and trauma through a shift of perspective Understanding your story of betrayal How changing your narrative leads to growth and healing The reason for chronic pain that can’t be explained even by doctors The positive emotional charge behind addiction as well as anticipatory fears Key Quotes:[11:10] - “Everything you suffer about is something that couldn't be handled and taken in stride. “[11:42] - “Trauma is subjective. It's just simply something that can't be handled.”[13:02] - "What is healing? – mastering what couldn't be handled and integrated."[14:12] - “The shift is from being identified with the one who is traumatized to identifying with the one who is holding or hosting or witnessing the one who is traumatized, which is who we really are.”[24:28] - “Every discomfort is a narrative that couldn't be handled, and anything you can't handle has an exact associated discomfort, becomes the discomfort, and the world's changed.”[26:09] - "Find what you're suffering about. Drop, whatever you think it is. Scan your body. Find the sensation. Bring all your awareness to such a degree there that you become that sensation from the inside-out."[37:30] - "The thing you think is an accident and fate, you unconsciously create without awareness because that sensation acts like a magnet."Supporting Resources:www.lifecenteredtherapy.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.

You could be raised by parents who are very nice people and they may not have any drinking or drug use issues. They could be super religious. But that doesn’t guarantee it’s going to save you from drug addiction or alcoholism. It's perfectly acceptable to ask for prayers if somebody is sick. But what happens when you do a repeated bad behavior that you can't seem to control?As children, we don’t really have the power to change our environment that has been created by adults. We have been taught to be fundamentally flawed and that we are all sinners. And sometimes, when our brains have been wired that way, it naturally brings feelings of guilt, shame, and pain – that the only way to numb those is resorting to addiction. On today’s episode, Duane talks to Arlina Allen, host of The One Day at a Time podcast and creator of the Sober Life School. Arlina Allen has been sober since 1994 after living a wild life of drugs, alcohol, and sex. Her tagline at the time was – “If it was in a bottle, a bag or blue jeans, I was doing it!” Alina had quite a rough childhood. She started seeing a shrink at age 9, drinking at age 10, and started smoking weed in junior high. Her parents got divorced when she was young, and she was sexually abused by their neighbor. Growing up, she only had two feelings: guilty and wrong – and she used addiction as her way out of pain. Eventually, this left her feeling lost, full of self-loathing, demoralized, and hopeless. Then she finally reached out to some sober friends who offered her a little bit of hope and safety to be able to look inward.Today, Arlina shares her understanding of how our own natural tendency for negativity and confirmation bias creates a painful feedback loop of continued self-loathing and continued pain, and finally, how reaching out to others can help change that process so we can unpack our baggage, see things more clearly with compassion, and begin to make the changes we want.In this episode, you will hear: How the shame spiral keeps going Understanding confirmation bias, negativity bias, and the brain’s default network What prompted her to finally make that switch to the other side How part of the AA’s 12-step program allows you to unload all of your baggage The role of community in addiction recovery Key Quotes:[07:11] - “In childhood, we develop these beliefs about who we are, it's like the subconscious mind. It's how we operate from it's like a computer's operating system. We then operate from that presupposition about who we think we are, and what we deserve, and what we're capable of. [07:36] - “Confirmation bias meaning I've made a decision about who I was and what I was worth. And then my subconscious mind then looks for information to support my belief.”[08:16] - "The default mode network is like a thermostat, where you don't get too high, and you don't get too low. We live within this comfort zone."[15:54] - “We do have a negativity bias where we're looking for the problem so that we can solve it so that we can survive. But what we don't realize is that we are forgetting about our assets. We're forgetting to focus on the thousand things that go right every day.”[21:08] - "I just didn't see a way out. I was so self-centered but incapable of self-examination."[25:45] - “The how of recovery is honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness.”[31:54] - “There is no doing this alone because our minds are compromised. And so we need an outside objective, compassionate, third-party perspective on what's going on.”Supporting Resources:Arlina’s Self-Esteem Course: https://www.selfesteemcourse.com/The One Day at a Time: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-one-day-at-a-time-podcast/id1453590397 Sober Life School: https://www.soberlifeschool.com/ Episode 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.

Recovery is not one size fits all. It is also not a one-and-done situation. Rather, recovery is a process and a journey. When someone gets sober and begins recovery, they are just starting to walk down the path of healing. Many of their previous feelings and temptations may continue to come up. However, they are gradually learning the tools they need to stay on their new path. Shelby John is passionate about helping people who are in this stage of recovery. She is the host of the Confident Sober Women podcast and the founder of the Facebook group by the same name. Shelby particularly loves to work with women who struggle with substances by helping them control their minds and bodies and build confidence, using everything she has learned in her own recovery. In this episode, you will hear: Shelby’s mental health and addiction story. What being self-centered really means. The problem with hiding and inauthenticity in our culture. The eye-opening moment for Shelby in her alcoholism. Why we can’t fight addiction by trying harder on our own. How Shelby helps others who are walking through recovery. How trauma is relative and can lead to addiction no matter what it looks like. What generational trauma is. The link between anxiety and not understanding your core values. How to determine your values and make decisions that align with them. Key Quotes:[4:56] - “I didn't have a lot of reasons why I didn't feel comfortable within myself. I mean I had some… trauma in my childhood but not like what I viewed as to be very extreme. And so I spent a lot of time thinking, ‘What's wrong with you? Why don't you feel good enough? You have all this life... you've got this boyfriend and these parents and you go to school.’ But yet I still felt really kind of dark on the inside.”[9:15] - “I was immediately like, ‘I'm not self-centered. What are you talking about? I can't stand myself.’ And what I came to learn, was taught that self-centeredness isn't what I think about myself but how often. And I learned that I thought about myself all the time… When was I gonna drink, when was the next time I was going to drink, when was I going to act out in this way, when was I going to have to lie, when was I gonna have to lie about the lie?”[18:57] - “There was a lot of things that didn't happen to me. I've never had a DUI. I've never been in trouble other than that… My marriage stayed intact. I have three beautiful teenagers… As I was told early on, when I started working through some step work... you know, my list of transgressions or whatever might not have been that long, but it's… still pretty big, what was on there. So I needed that, I needed that powerful statement right in my face for me to kind of get it because I was a little stubborn and it was helpful. And it's helpful for me to look back to remind myself where I came from.”[31:31] - “A lot of people don't reach out for help because they feel like they shouldn't have problems, like, they feel like they shouldn't be anxious or they shouldn't be depressed and they judge themselves and then all that shame comes up. And then they don't reach out for help and they don't get support and they have to turn to these isolative ways to cope: alcohol, drugs, sex… gambling, whatever it is to try and just numb that out, get that away.”[35:20] - “Our backgrounds or our upbringings or our situations, maybe even your stress… it doesn't excuse you lashing out at your child and acting a fool, but it sure does help explain it.”Supporting Resources:NovusMindfulLife.comShelby’s websiteConfident Sober Women Facebook groupConfident Sober Women podcastEpisode 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.

Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. That cliche is true even (and sometimes especially) when dealing with addiction.Today’s guest is a prime example. David Poses is the author of The Weight of Air: A Story About the Lies of Addiction and the Truth of Recovery. In this memoir, David covers his heroin addiction and how he used buprenorphine to help him overcome it. Throughout the show, David is sharing about the struggles he encountered when trying to find treatment. Many methods that were common at the time weren’t working for him until he finally found a doctor that would prescribe him buprenorphine. That is what saved his life from heroin. Based on his experience, David has amazing insight into addiction treatment and some of the real issues surrounding how it is viewed today. Tune in to hear it all.In this episode, you will hear: How David’s struggle with depression led him to seek out heroin. One of the biggest misunderstandings of mental health. Why we need to find the recovery method that works for us. The unique way opioids affect our brains. When heroin started becoming problematic for David. How he started looking at alternative treatments. What methadone is. David’s journey through meeting his wife, having their daughter, and relapsing. How buprenorphine saved his life. Why addiction isn’t the real problem but what leads people to self-medicate is. Key Quotes:[5:36] - “If you sprained your ankle and it's all kind of sympathy and we know that, you know, you're not going to be able to will that pain away or snap out of it, you know, you go to the hospital and get the crutches and whatever. With emotional pain, you know, people tell you, you know, “Calm down, snap out of it, don't you want to be happy?” That doesn't matter. I mean, that kind of stuff just made me feel so much worse.” [13:23] - “I'm a big supporter of 12 step groups because they offer support and community. But I also understand that it, you know, addiction, disease, our physical bodies, our brain, our neurobiology is complex and we don't understand everything, but having a support community, I think can be really crucial for healing. But at the same time, it has its limitations… There's a lot of options out there and there's a lot of ways to get sober and there's a lot of ways to get recovery, or even if sobriety, as they say, is not your purpose, you have to find what works for you.”[18:33] - “I hated the lying. I hated the nonstop risks. I hated not knowing what I was doing.”[24:14] - “Yeah, I was ashamed. And... addiction has been so siloed off away from, you know, medicine for so long. That, you know, even with doctors, even today, like I tell a doctor that you know, I have a history of whatever and, you know, they assume that like I'm in there looking for drugs.”[28:35] - “So Ruby and I walked to the drugstore and picked up the refill and we're on our way home. And I just knew that this was not gonna end well. And we got back home and I brought her up to the bathroom with me and I opened the Percocet and I just was like looking at her and I flushed them.”[33:57] - “The idea that craving is, you know, we're not talking about ice cream here. So it was like, your foot’s chopped off, you're craving morphine, you're drowning underwater, you're craving oxygen. So, you know, it's that kind of craving.”[42:04] - “If you're at a point in your life where you're, you know, sticking needles in your arm, like, something's not right. Addiction is not the problem. You know, addiction is definitely a problem. But like, we're self-medicating, drugs are a form of self-medication.”   Supporting Resources:NovusMindfulLife.comDavid’s websiteThe Weight of AirDavid on TwitterDavid on InstagramDavid on FacebookEpisode 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.

When we’ve had trauma in our life, we can get really disconnected from our emotions. We don’t know how to express them or how to use them. Often, we turn to the only thing that we think will work: a substance or behavior that helps us escape or avoid those emotions.However, what if we tried something different? Journaling has grown in popularity over the past few years. People have found its power as a method of getting their emotions down onto a page and helping them see their lives a little differently. Today’s guest used journaling in this exact way to help her recover from addiction. Harriet Hunter is the author of the daily devotional book Miracles of Recovery. Today, Harriet is sharing her compelling story of moving out of addiction, experiencing incredible loss, and continuing to move forward despite it all. Join our conversation to hear more. In this episode, you will hear: Harriet’s hardships in childhood that led to her addiction. When and how she began recovery and got sober. Her tumultuous relationship with her daughter. How writing helped her get and stay sober. How she has taken her grief and used it to help others. How journaling can help anybody change their perspective. Key Quotes:[4:56] - “Marijuana was my love of choice, though… it just did for me what I could not do for myself. And that is absolutely take me away.”[8:20] - “I was a high-functioning drunk. I could entertain 40 people, keep smiling, but I never could remember the next day who was there or what happened.”[10:26] - “I got sober in 1999 and I never looked back because I did all my relapsing in that 30-year run.” [18:12] - “I learned now, if I hadn’t learned which I had with my husband, that I am powerless. But you know, God was with me every day. And AA saved my life.”[26:30] - “We have found out collectively that something happens to the brain. It sees it and hears it in a much more intentional, focused way than just talking. I found out that when I write, I can't get away from myself. I have to slow my brain down.”[31:32] - “One of the ways I ask women to write their gratitudes is not to just put a word at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, happy, sad, whatever. No, no, you have to be able to see what it is you feel. If you don't see it, then it's not real.”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.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:NovusMindfulLife.comJournaling with a PurposeMiracles of Recovery: Daily Meditations of Hope, Courage, and FaithEpisode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com9zXov7o76D1d1WeRh9p0Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-addicted-mind-podcast/donations 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.

Hiding--many addicts do it. It’s what keeps them locked in prisons of guilt and shame. It’s how they convince even themselves that they don’t have a problem. It’s the very thing that prevents them from getting the help that they so desperately need.Today’s guest, Wanja Joy, has experience with hiding. She hid her alcohol addiction from everyone in her life. Even after she reached out for help and started seeing a therapist, she hid her struggle with alcohol from him.However, today she is the host of Wanja on Air: Actions in Recovery. On her podcast, she shares her story of struggling with alcohol and how she used it to cover up. She tells how she eventually overcame her guilt, shame, and perfectionism and reached out for help. Wanja changed her life and now brings that change to others. Wanja is just a genuine spirit who wants to bring joy to other people, so tune in to hear our incredible conversation about her story of recovery.In this episode, you will hear: All about Wanja’s childhood and how perfectionism began brewing in her at a very young age. How addiction can start in our minds. When and how Wanja first began to realize she has an issue with alcohol. Her struggle with hiding her addiction. When she first started being honest and asked for help. The intense drive that pushed her forward her entire life. The tools she learned in rehab that helped her begin to abstain from alcohol. When she decided to share her story with others. What her podcast and coaching are all about. Key Quotes:[04:05] - “My mom is a teacher and I'm her daughter, and we weren't given an option to do things like reading. It was not an option to have good grades. Those things were not optional. So when I ended up in the height of my disease, I realized that I was actually brewing perfectionism from a very young age.”[05:33] - “Way before I picked up a substance, I did have a disease of perception... it was all made in my mind and it started really young.”[08:29] - “And in my mind, when growing up and everything else in between, I just thought alcohol is a liquid and you could have it or leave it. But at some point, for me, I was obsessive about it. And I knew that wasn’t normal. So my choice was, at the time with this mind of mine that plants a seed and blows it up, I'm just going to hide it.”[13:01] - “I was in such denial that I actually believed my own lies.”[19:24] - “But somehow I had this mind that was made up that I needed to do certain things at certain times. And I felt like I was being delayed because now I'm setting my degree later than I wanted to and so I have to catch up.”[30:17] - “I was really vigilant about feeding my alcoholism. So now I started feeding my recovery at the same rate. It started being beautiful but it wasn’t at the beginning.”[36:25] - “So many times I think so many of us can get lost that we don't realize we're like everybody else. We all have these fears and insecurities and shame and sometimes trauma. And if we share our story, I think it helps so many more people and to mitigate that suffering.”[42:15] - “We can get addicted to stress without even knowing, to a core belief without even knowing.”Supporting Resources:NovusMindfulLife.comWanja on AiR (Actions in Recovery) podcastBook a free call with WanjaEpisode 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.

Addiction is often the result of pain in our early years of life. Whether it’s passed down through genetics or an attempt to escape the pain, many addicts can point to a hard childhood as the source of their addiction. This is why it’s so important to recognize our family patterns and root out the disease of addiction while we still can. Today’s guest, Kate Russell, grew up in just such an unhealthy environment. She was physically abused as a child and was raised by an alcoholic mother. However, she now holds amazing compassion as a result of having worked through her trauma and eventual addiction.Kate is now the author of Down The Rabbit Hole, a memoir of abuse, addiction, and recovery. Getting to read her book, hear her story, and then talk to her on the other side of it all was amazing. Kate inspired me and I think she will do the same for all of you. Tune in to hear all about her book and how she not only endured but grew through her difficult life experiences.In this episode, you will hear: The “God voice” that helped Kate get through the abuse she endured in her childhood. The way abuse got so deeply embedded into her that she began to abuse her sister. When she first began to see the parallel between her, her mom, and addiction. Where the term “rabbit hole” in the title of her book came from. How she became addicted to marijuana and alcohol. The hole that’s left in our hearts when we heal from an addiction. Kate’s journey towards sobriety. How recovery looks different than she expected. How she has developed such compassion for herself and her parents. Why it’s so important to feel all of your feelings and let yourself cry sometimes. Key Quotes:[04:38] - “That’s really what the book ended up being about, for me, was the mind... it’s just how our minds work. Not just addicts, but just how the mind works.” [16:17] - “So ‘Down a Rabbit Hole’ refers to falling down into triggered thinking. So triggered thinking is when we revert back into a helpless childhood, that helplessness we felt in our childhood.”[20:28] - “The drugs... aren’t very successful at covering up that that deeper level of pain or loneliness or depression or whatever it is. And then you start to realize, ‘Oh, wait, this isn't quite working anymore.’”[23:06] - “I was always reaching out for help but wasn’t always met with the results I would have hoped.”[26:25] - “That’s what I think recovery is. It’s just like slowly unpeeling the onion.”[28:19] “When I got sober, there's a pink cloud, if you will call it… life is… different, but everything’s the same. I had the same job, same apartment, same car, but I was sober… everything was new and different.”[30:01] - “The addictive mind is fear: a fear to change. It's fear. You are set in your ways.”[32:28] - “It's always when you get to the other side, you always look back and go, ‘It wasn't that bad.’ Or, ‘You know what, it was hard at times. It was. But I got through it. And if I can get through it, so can you.’” Supporting Resources:NovusMindfulLife.comKateRussellAuthor.comDown the Rabbit HoleEpisode 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.

When we go through extreme pain, it’s easy to feel like we’re all alone. We doubt that anybody has felt the level of pain that we are currently experiencing. Life begins to feel hopeless and we start believing that there is just no reason to carry on.However, there is always some good ahead. Think of the countless stories of those who have survived unimaginable circumstances and lived to tell about it. If we will just do what we can at the moment, taking as few steps as we can muster, and keep our eyes locked on the amazing things to come, we, too, can endure any trial. Today I am speaking with Steve Melen, the author of Killing Graces. Steve carries a resiliency and a hope for getting through the hard stuff in life that is inspiring. During our conversation, we discuss his journey through stomach cancer, addiction, and survival. Steve is an amazing example of someone who has gone through extreme struggle and pain and made it out to the other side. His story is both riveting and hopeful, so tune in to hear it all for yourself.In this episode, you will hear: The story of how Steve found out he had stomach cancer and how he endured all of his treatments. How he got addicted to opiates. When he first realized he had a real problem with opiate addiction. How he began to get off of the pain meds. How being a father gave him the strength to push through withdrawal. His attempts at getting back to a sense of normalcy. The emotional pain he was holding inside and how he worked through it. The patterns of numbing he fell into. How therapy helped him finally heal. Where the idea for Killer Graces came from. How he came up with that title for his book. Key Quotes:[09:16] - “Everyone... thought the worst was going to happen and so they weren’t going to stop me from numbing my pain.”[13:21] - “So, I left the hospital and said, ‘Now I'm just going to… fight this. I'm going to go through this battle of detox and I'm going to take it on. And I did and I didn't realize how hard it was. It was the hardest thing I've ever done.’”[16:55] - “If I didn't have her I don't know where I would have gone. I would have probably found some other purpose. But at that point… that’s what I had. I needed… not… to have her be 15, 14 years old like she is now and be like, ‘Oh, I don't really remember,’ or just look at pictures of me. I did not want that to be the case.”[17:23] “When you're in all of that pain, just focus on that: this is where I am going, this is what I am doing, this is how I'm going to go.”[17:35] “The focus has to go off of yourself.”[30:07] “I hope no one goes through this. But we all have family, children, parents, relatives going through these things. And it's going to be hard. Something's going to be hard for you at some point.”[32:51] “You just said, ‘I'll just do the next step. I'll just do the next thing in front of me. I'll just keep doing it, one little thing at a time.’ And really, that's all you need to do and you'll get there.”[35:49] “Have faith in yourself that you can do more than you think you can… face it and do what is suggested and what you feel is right... Try to make progress, as little as the progress can be.Supporting Resources:Steve’s website: https://stevemelen.com/Killer Graces: https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Graces-power-breakthrough-living/dp/1735165719/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=killer+graces&qid=1614194588&sr=8-1NovusMindfulLife.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.