The Addicted Mind Podcast

On today’s episode of The Addicted Mind Podcast, Duane talks to hip-hop artist Chris Hamilton (aka “ILL TONE”) about the struggle of addiction and the joy of recovery.He struggled with social anxiety and wrestling with his sexual identity while amongst conservatives on Vancouver Island. He found hip hop after getting expelled from school and identified with the fact that they talked about struggle.Duane and Chris talk about the fellowship and the validating aspect of group therapy. To be able to speak honestly, as Chris says, frees you from feeling like a monster. It helps to know that you are not alone.He started on cocaine around age 15, even though he had previously told himself that he would never do that. After his third car accident at 19, he felt so bad about it that he decided to commit himself to a residential treatment. He relapsed with weed in the parking lot after getting out of the treatment facility. Before long, he’d returned back to using daily.Over time, he started binging on the weekend instead of using every day, which freed up some time for him to focus on building his skills, finishing school, and working on his future in music. His music has been helpful, but Chris talks about how his group is the most important aspect to his recovery. Having access to a bunch of people who understand the struggle and can offer in-person support is the most helpful tool in his belt.Chris’ addiction prevented him from being able to feel and enjoy his life fully. Chris says to grow your network. It doesn’t matter what your problem is, you can find people that are going through what you are. And these people will support you and help you to overcome your addiction.Support 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.

On today’s episode of The Addicted Mind Podcast, Duane talks to author Marques Marchand about addiction, dual diagnoses, and understanding your past.Christmas 2009, Marques was working at a restaurant and woke up with flu-like symptoms. He hit rock bottom a year later, and decided to quit everything cold, right after Thanksgiving. He struggled to keep friendships and work, and eventually he snapped. From 2006-2010, he sought mental health advice from therapists.Calming The Addicted Mind - 6 Day Mindfulness Email Seriestheaddictedmind.com/mindfulnessHis recovery process was long and arduous. Besides going to the ER every couple of weeks and racking up thousands of dollars of debt, he also discovered he was an alcoholic and had bipolar disorder type II. Now with a few different medications, the help of the 12-step programs, and better health practices, Marques has been able to free himself from the ups and downs of his addictive behavior.Join The Addicted Mind Podcast Facebook Group>>>Sometime in his 30s, while working as a concierge in San Francisco, Marques started writing and it took off. He originally started by just telling his story in Junk Knowledge, but he hasn’t been able to satiate the writing bug since. He loves the idea of working through his shame and helping other people to work through recovery by sharing his own story.Episode Linktheaddictedmind.com/107Marques is about to publish his third book, which is not about addiction, but rather about his time working in the hotel industry. He describes his time leading up to COVID and how that affected his industry. He works a full time job working for his uncle’s business, but now he also has a lot of time to help people in his neighborhood. The one thing he’d like to tell listeners is that the beginning of a healthy, successful life is to first reach out. “Don’t be afraid to be a fool for your life,” Marques says. Someone is going to want to listen to you and help. There are so many people going through the same thing. Take a chance on yourself for your own recovery.Support 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.

On today’s episode of The Addicted Mind Podcast, Duane sits down with Tracy Kenela about “calming the chaos” and creating peace and calm in our lives.Therapist and podcast host, Tracy discusses how she came to start studying “overwhelm” as a psychological concept. An expert in chaos, Tracy explains how chaotic factors contribute to our being overwhelmed.Calming The Addicted Mind - 6 Day Mindfulness Email Seriestheaddictedmind.com/mindfulnessTraci breaks down the different kinds of shock and responses that may manifest when our brain confronts chaos. It seems as though people get addicted to chaos or the absence of chaos. These things really just distract people from addressing the issues that matter.If you’ve grown up in chaos, it’s possible you’re reenacting chaos as a means of coping with trauma. Tracy and Duane both urge people in this case to seek counseling because they can break the cycle of chaos if they really want to.There is a phenomenon of victimhood in chaos addiction, too. People tend to self-create this chaos to get the right kind of attention or reactions from people around them. This is different from legitimate chaos (like the kind that just shows up in your life), but you still will need to respond to the chaos. Having a strategy to respond to chaos could save your life.Join The Addicted Mind Podcast Facebook Group>>>Tracy then briefly talks about how she would go about treating someone who may need help dealing with the chaos in their lives. She will validate the chaos first and then offer ways to “calm the shock.” This part is rather physical, honestly. She may offer ice or a heat pack—some people even respond to particularly strong smells. Anything to help counteract the shock.She uses some motivational interviewing, but most of her work uses the trans-theoretical model. This model helps her to figure out at what point they’re at in regards to changing their behavior and moving away from the chaos. She then encourages her patients to take steps toward control. Even a small step like working on daily mindfulness can help you make huge gains in your focus and productivity.Episode Linktheaddictedmind.com/106What does coping with the chaos look like? It’s usually slower, Tracy says. Taking slow, deliberate steps. Taking deep breaths and moving slowly—these things will help you to become more mindful.If you think you’re dealing with chaos, the first step is to talk to a professional to get help with relaxation tools and mindfulness practices.Support 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.

On today’s episode of The Addicted Mind Podcast, Duane sits down with Dr. Robb Kelly to discuss alcohol and opioid addiction.Educated at Oxford, he drank through most of school. He was fired from his job as a police officer, which made him realize that his drinking was problematic. Unfortunately for Robb, it would take him losing everything to finally course correct.Robb realized that the alcoholic mind preys on you. Toward his own story, he talks about committing suicide four times, two of which his heart actually stopped.Calming The Addicted Mind - 6 Day Mindfulness Email Seriestheaddictedmind.com/mindfulnessAt his most broken moment, he started crying and realized that he couldn’t get over the alcohol on his own. He knew there was something different, which got him interested in neuroscience.He knows that he was born with the addictive brain, and he has to be careful about his relationships as a result.Join The Addicted Mind Podcast Facebook Group>>>Robb talks about how his brain is wired differently, and the key to his success was realizing that. He started to notice the symptoms of alcoholism when he would buy a bottle and he immediately felt better. “For the alcoholic, the brain is telling them that they need alcohol to survive,” Robb says.In his research, Robb found that we can change the way that we think. The neuroplasticity of the brain allows us to redirect our thoughts. We can literally change the direction of our most damning thoughts.Robb also damns the medical research community for not prioritizing treatment of the disease. He says there’s no money in it and so the disease persists.Moving to neuro-linguistic programming, Robb explains the role it plays in the addict’s mind. Back in the tribal days, Robb explains, a primal feeling used to wake cavemen up. But now, we don’t really listen to that feeling because we are driven by fear.If you think you can’t do something, Robb says, someone put that there. And it’s not true. If you can’t visualize it, you can’t make it happen. You have to manipulate your brain to break down those barriers. “I don’t say ‘impossible’—I say, ‘I’m possible.’”We don’t see ourselves as others see us, Robb argues, and if we did, we’d be able to do anything. You have to actually believe that your mindset is important. And stop living in fear.Episode Linktheaddictedmind.com/105Toward the end, Robb shares a story about visiting his friend and famed chef, Gordon Ramsay. At one point after dinner, Ramsay turned to Robb and asked, “do you know why I’m the best chef in the world?” Robb answered: “because you’re a damned good cook?” Ramsay replied, “because I tell everybody.”There is so much importance in finding the people who live the life you want. They will inspire and propel you forward. Even through tragedy and difficulty, Duane says, it’s all in the mindset. And in the end, Robb says, you need to just take the first step.Support 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.

On today’s episode of The Addicted Mind Podcast, Duane talks with Daniel Snyder about decriminalizing drugs, the opioid crisis, and dealing with addiction.Based in Vancouver, Daniel describes working through the opioid epidemic in British Columbia. He shares some stories that demonstrate that addiction is a hidden thing for many people; that is, it’s not always as visible as the media would have you believe.Calming The Addicted Mind - 6 Day Mindfulness Email Seriestheaddictedmind.com/mindfulnessHe does believe that recovery is a process, which includes setbacks. Daniel initially believed that every relapse was a complete failure, but he soon figured out how to change his thinking around the recovery process. A friend asked him a pressing question that pushed him to realize he can learn through recovery. Overcoming the stigma of “once an addict, always an addict” was key.In Canada, there is an in-depth data evaluation process for fentanyl. They are offering guidance even in the midst of COVID for people struggling with addiction, but fentanyl has all but “saturated” the drug supply at large. Daniel was fortunate enough to have gone through his addiction behind closed doors.Join The Addicted Mind Podcast Facebook Group>>>Duane and Daniel also discuss how people struggling through addiction actually need to be connected to people to be successful. The intervention method of breaking addiction is dismally effective because it pits people against the last people in the world that they could still be connected with.Moving on to the politics of drug enforcement, Daniel discusses how people under addiction struggles are not free to just “decide” to get their act together, as the legality of it would suggest.Episode Linktheaddictedmind.com/104Daniel explains that many of the now-antiquated ideas around drugs that informed initial federal policy are backwards. The criminalization of drug use was not born out of a compassion for people struggling with addiction. He advocates for reform that would consider this.The grim reality, he says, is that people ultimately die as a result of doing business with the drug dealer. It seems counterintuitive, Daniel explains, because we still look at drug use as criminal. In Mexico, a black market for alcohol popped up after the government shut down liquor stores in the wake of COVID. That market killed 100 people in a month from alcohol poisoning.There is also a fear attached to what a world with legalized drugs would look like. Daniel argues that ultimately it would reduce crime, it would reduce death, and it would reduce cost to the public in the health and human services sphere. People are now looking at the potential benefits that legalization could offer.If we can meet people where they’re at, we could actually save lives, Daniel posits.Support 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.

On today’s episode of The Addicted Mind Podcast, Duane talks Georgia-based counselor Eddie Capparucci about his personal experience with addiction and how to fight off sex and porn addiction. He also talks about the impact of fears of abandonment and how that drives sexually destructive behavior.Calming The Addicted Mind - 6 Day Mindfulness Email Seriestheaddictedmind.com/mindfulnessJumping into the idea of the inner child, Eddie explains that children make up for not being seen by creating new realities in their mind. Playing out fantasies in their heads is part of how they cope with abandonment. He never realized that because of that pain, he was using women.Join The Addicted Mind Podcast Facebook Group>>>After you get through the period of regret, Eddie says, you experience a kind of euphoria in understanding what the problem is. Eddie walked away from two marriages because he felt that his infidelity couldn’t be fixed. Soon after, he sought therapy and began to understand his abandonment issues.Eddie also discusses his idea of the “inner child.” It provides insight into why people engage in addictive behaviors. By identifying the core emotional triggers, you can take control.He names nine different kinds in his Inner Child model: The Bored Child The Unaffirmed Child The Unnoticed Child The Emotionally Void Child The Lack-of-Control Child The Entitled Child The Inferior-Weak Child The Stressed Child The Sexually Early/Stimulated/Abused Child Most people identify with three of four of these kids. Some people identify with all nine of them. The goal here is to identify the triggers associated with your inner child.Moving onto treatment, Eddie talks about how you need to produce mindfulness. Once you’ve identified your triggers, you can start to apply them to situations moving forward that activate your inner child.People with sex and porn addictions are trying to comfort the inner child. It’s easier to feel sexual arousal, Duane says, than to feel depression or isolation.Episode Linktheaddictedmind.com/103Eddie is concerned about how the ease of access to porn will affect the next generation. He believes that young boys are going to be taught that objectification is normalized and even encouraged.When you understand your own trauma, you can move forward. You’re no longer stuck as a “bad person.” But people have to hit the point where they do want change in their lives. And someone actually interested in the sex industry only gets there because their self worth has already been eroded. It’s tough because most people don’t really want to look back and look their pain in the face. They don’t want to spend time thinking about how they were hurt in their childhood. But ultimately — there’s a benefit to doing this work. You can change your life. There are a ton of resources you can tap into and you can finish strong.Support 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.

On today’s episode of The Addicted Mind Podcast, Duane talks with author Benjamin Hardy about his personal experience with addiction and the chaos that comes along with it. Benjamin describes the process overcoming his own addictions involved going through a “redemptive process,” which involved forgiving his father and rebuilding the relationship there. With trauma, you’re always looking in the rear-view mirror, but you need to make meaning going forward. Meaning is not going to strike you—you have to make it yourself. The beauty of this is that you can change the meaning of your past, Benjamin says. It’s key to have empathy for your old self.Calming The Addicted Mind - 6 Day Mindfulness Email Seriestheaddictedmind.com/mindfulnessBenjamin also talks about how writing about your trauma can really help. Turning away from the past, you can have hope for the future. Without a hope for the future, Benjamin says, the present becomes meaningless. You can also choose to ascribe a meaning to your past. We call it “meaning-making,” Benjamin says. Part of becoming emotionally-developed includes this idea of choosing the meaning of your past.Join The Addicted Mind Podcast Facebook Group>>>He shares a story about how you can actively work to a solution for something that didn’t go exactly how you planned instead of snapping to a quick decision. You can choose to frame it in a new way instead of being defined by a failure. Choosing the meaning going forward can change how you store that forever. In his story, Benjamin points to the fact that he was vulnerable enough to share his feelings with the people in question as part of the process.Episode Linktheaddictedmind.com/102Moving onto his book, Benjamin unpacks the idea that your personality is going to change, and that you have the power to choose who you want to be in the future. Your personality is just how you consistently show up. It’s crucial to have your identity based on who you actually want to be in the future. The same courage that moves you to say “I need help” is the courage it takes to tell people who you want to be in the future. It takes courage, as Benjamin says, because it’s uncertain. You’ll realize you might be rejected, but that you also need to do some “rejecting” to get you where you ultimately want to be. When you are open and honest, nothing is hiding anymore.Support 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.

On today’s episode of The Addicted Mind Podcast, Duane talks with Andrew P. about the concept of cognitive bias and how this process works in the middle of addiction. Andrew also talks about his own journey with addiction in light cognitive bias.Calming The Addicted Mind - 6 Day Mindfulness Email Series theaddictedmind.com/mindfulnessAlongside his medical practice, Andrew ran a psychotherapy practice for 15 years before becoming addicted to alcohol and opiates. After hitting rock bottom, Andrew’s friends brought him to a 12-step program and a light went off that allowed for him. Being able to see that other people were able to get themselves out of the pit was huge. It’s crucial to understand that there’s nothing wrong with you, but that the symptoms of addiction are common.Cognitive bias, or our natural inclination to make information match what we already believe, was the research focus for Andrew for many years. He found that people with addictions distort information to the extremes using a very intense form of cognitive bias. In other words, addiction amplifies the effects of cognitive bias.Join The Addicted Mind Podcast Facebook Group>>>Being able to recognize cognitive bias at all can help the addict, because it challenges you to think about the way that you’re thinking: metacognition or plain mindfulness. People ultimately want to know the why; they want to know why they think the way they do, and why their brain works the way it does.Andrew encourages people to be open-minded, which he recognizes is difficult. Creating a list of feedback from other people can help to defeat cognitive bias. The empty chair technique works to try to visualize the situation if you don’t have someone in arm’s reach to offer feedback. There are techniques you can actually use to challenge your cognitive biases, which can help you to overcome your addiction.Andrew wants everyone to know that all are capable of a lasting recovery if they only accept the help that is out there.Episode Linktheaddictedmind.com/101Andrew breaks down three prominent forms of cognitive bias that The attentional bias, or the bias that’s attached to our attention. The optimism bias, where we cling to the belief that things will end up okay, despite all evidence pointing to your own destruction. The recall bias, in which the addict recalls what they want to believe. They forget the bad stuff and recall the bad days as something rosy-glassed.  Support 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.

On today’s episode of The Addicted Mind Podcast, Duane sits down with father, husband, sales executive, speaker, and author Kyle Dean Houston. They speak about being in the throes of addiction, despairing for hope, staring down your own doom, and ultimately persevering through recovery.Calming The Addicted Mind - 6 Day Mindfulness Email Seriestheaddictedmind.com/mindfulnessKyle openly describes trying methamphetamines and quickly spiraling into a needle-using meth user. At rock bottom, Kyle was overcome with depression and tried to overdose, but failed. He talks about spending months in county jail trying to learn to make the right decisions. Making and breaking promises to his family, Kyle eventually realized that he was powerless over his own actions and he couldn’t continue to live that way. Coming to grips with the role that the brain plays in your addiction was crucial during this time.Join The Addicted Mind Podcast Facebook Group>>>The moment that really changed everything was when he realized he could have a purpose for his life. Being alone in jail put Kyle in the position to finally start thinking about what he could actually do to change his life. His relationship with God and the spiritual goes back to his childhood, but in the moments alone in jail, his understanding of the spiritual really opened up. He began to see the full weight of his own ability to take control of his life. It struck him like a hammer, he says. He says that in the jail cell, he never felt so alone.Episode Linktheaddictedmind.com/100In transitioning out of prison, Kyle was institutionalized and he was scared to death. He knew that people were aware of his problems, his PTSD, and he felt prison would’ve been better. But only five months later, he met his future-wife, who would go on to be his rock and cornerstone. Kyle credits her for virtually all of his success. That, and his intense drive to accomplish what he sets out to do.Support 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.

On today’s episode of The Addicted Mind Podcast, Duane interviews Erika Flint about hypnosis, hypnotherapy, and how the two can help you to overcome mental blocks in your life.Formerly a software engineer, Erika loves the idea of reprogramming, even your mind. Her recent book, Can You Be a Hypnotist? shows how virtually anyone who wants to be a hypnotist can become one. She tries to subvert the idea that all hypnotists are stage hypnotists. There is a more practical kind of hypnosis that can help you with your mental health.Calming The Addicted Mind - 6 Day Mindfulness Email Seriestheaddictedmind.com/mindfulnessThough her job was great on paper, it ultimately wasn’t fulfilling. After going through her struggles with alcohol, she hit her rock bottom. Seeking meaning, she found hypnosis was useful in battling demons and fighting off addictions. Now, she spends her time helping people to get their lives back, to love their lives fundamentally.Join The Addicted Mind Podcast Facebook Group>>>Interestingly, people are regularly entering into hypnosis, whether they know it or not. The goal of Erika’s work is to get people to enter that state intentionally to achieve some specific purpose. Hypnosis helps to cut through the conscious mind into the unconscious mind. It helps to target beliefs and values to get to the source of particular behaviors. Hypnosis can help to identify “limiting beliefs” and uproot them, dismantling unhealthy thoughts and behaviors in the process.Episode Linktheaddictedmind.com/99Because hypnosis is an “opt-in” experience, it cannot be done in covert. There has to be a willingness on the part of both people in order to be successful. Because so many of the decisions we make are based on convictions in the subconscious, hypnosis tries to get to those baked in prejudices to free up the conscious mind. And contrary to popular belief, it all happens very quickly.Erika’s style, called “insight hypnosis” is directed at coming to moments of insight. The goal is for her clients to have massive “aha” moments and generate great results in just one session. Erika mentions her concept of “bad data,” which is basically bad or misinformed perspectives and attitudes that can be corrected by illuminating truths through insight hypnosis.Support 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.