Flourishing After Addiction with Carl Erik Fisher

Sign up for my newsletter and immediately receive my free guide to the many pathways to recovery, as well as regular updates on new interviews, material, and other writings.  What if self itself is a habit? In this episode, psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr. Jud Brewer explores how struggles like addiction, anxiety, and even identity can be understood as habit loops shaped by reward and reinforcement. Drawing from neuroscience, contemplative practice, and clinical work, Jud offers a practical approach to unwinding those loops and reducing suffering.Jud is a colleague I deeply respect: someone who’s helped me quite a lot to better understand contemplative science within the framework of addiction medicine. We don’t agree about everything, as you’ll hear in this conversation, but overall, I look up to him as a kindred spirit and as someone who’s sincerely committed to reducing the suffering of addiction with rigor and integrity.In this episode, Jud builds on that framework to further discuss how explain how awareness rather than willpower is the key to enduring change. We discuss how habits form, why “selfing” can become addictive, and how to actually practice letting go. We take on big questions about agency and choice, challenge common models of addiction, and explore how those topics inform an exploration of what it means to flourish.Jud Brewer, MD, PhD (“Dr. Jud”), is a New York Times best-selling author and a leading authority on habit change and the science of self-mastery. With over 25 years of mindfulness training combined with scientific research, he serves as the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center and as a professor at Brown University. Jud has developed innovative mindfulness programs—both in-person and app-based—for smoking cessation, emotional eating, and anxiety. He has trained U.S. Olympic athletes, coaches, and foreign government ministers. His work has been featured on “60 Minutes,” TED, The New York Times, and more. He also co-founded Mindshift Recovery, a nonprofit aiding those suffering from addiction, and College Journey.AI, which helps high school students navigate the stress of college applications. He is the author of The Craving Mind (Yale University Press, 2017), the New York Times bestseller Unwinding Anxiety (Avery/Penguin Random House, 2021), and The Hunger Habit (Avery/Penguin Random House, 2024). For more information, visit www.drjud.com.Check out my Substack posts for more links to Jud's work and our previous conversation. Sign up for my newsletter and immediately receive my own free guide to the many pathways to recovery, as well as regular updates on new interviews, material, and other writings. 

Sign up for my newsletter and immediately receive my free guide to the many pathways to recovery, as well as regular updates on new interviews, material, and other writings. Nearly two decades ago, Owen Flanagan stood before the Society for Philosophy and Psychology, ready to open up about something uncharacteristically personal. Unlike his typical scholarly talks on consciousness and philosophy of mind, he was about to tell the distinguished group about his lived experience with addiction and recovery. He wanted to describe what it was like to exist as the “sick hollow vessel” he had become, and how he barely survived. Today, sober for 18 years, and an internationally acclaimed philosopher, Owen has become one of our leading voices on the philosophy of addiction. He has an important new book out: "What Is It Like to Be an Addict?"—sharing the title of that groundbreaking 2008 presentation where he first publicly disclosed his addiction history.I’ve been reading Owen’s work since my days as an undergrad, when a research tech in my lab thrust one of his books in my hands and implored me to read him, and it’s been such a pleasure to connect with Owen about his work on addiction. This is a great book: he combines personal reflections with his philosophical expertise to propose a new, integrated model for understanding substance addiction. Drawing on his deep knowledge of philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience, he challenges oversimplified addiction narratives and offers what he calls an "ecumenical" approach—arguing that substance addictions are far more heterogeneous than we often recognize, with diverse causes, neural profiles, and lived experiences. His interdisciplinary work across neuroscience and philosophy perfectly positions him to explain these nuanced issues.In this conversation, we explore the spectrum of "powerlessness" in addiction and the finer points of self-control, especially problems with traditional explanations of willpower. Owen critiques the usual stories about dopamine's role in addiction, especially the way mainstream scientists have sacrificed their intellectual integrity to present an oversimplified story about how the dopamine system works. We also discuss behavioral additions like sex, shopping, and video games, considering how their validity is assessed in light of those considerations about neurobiology. From Owen’s perspective as an ethicist, he considers how to connect morality and virtue to addiction recovery without reinforcing stigma. And throughout, we talk about his own recovery process, including how it evolved over time and what he’s working on today.Check out my Substack posts for more links to Owen's work and our previous conversation. Sign up for my newsletter and immediately receive my own free guide to the many pathways to recovery, as well as regular updates on new interviews, material, and other writings. 

In this engaging discussion, Ryan Hampton, a recovery advocate and author, shares insights from his campaign for Nevada's state assembly and his new book, 'Fentanyl Nation.' He tackles the challenges within the overdose crisis and drug policy, emphasizing the toxic politics surrounding addiction. Ryan highlights the intertwined issues of homelessness and addiction, critiquing misrepresentations in public narratives. His perspective on fostering compassionate, fact-based advocacy and civic engagement resonates powerfully amidst today's polarized climate.

Jessica Hoppe's brand-new memoir, First in the Family: A Story of Survival, Recovery, and the American Dream, is a tremendous exploration of addiction, intergenerational trauma, and the complex allure of the American Dream. I had the great pleasure of reading this book in advance copy and I’m so happy to be able to help spread the word and wholeheartedly endorse the book now. Don’t take my word for it. Leslie Jamison: “fierce and wise.” Javier Zamora: “raw and brilliant.” Kiese Laymon: “Art at its best.”In our interview, Jessica jumps right into her recovery experience, sharing how she confronted her addiction and how she works her recovery today. We discuss the great dangers inherent in the pursuit of exceptionalism, reflecting on how these ideals contributed to her substance use. Jessica calls the American Dream "the ultimate gateway drug," and we talk about the pressures that pushed her to self-medicate in a society that often values success over humanity. We speak about her experiences as a person of color in 12-step recovery, including encountering racism and white supremacy in the rooms, and her thoughts about how mutual help practices and traditions need to evolve. Just like Jessica’s work, this interview is heartfelt, passionate, thought-provoking, and beautifully articulated. Check it out. Jessica Hoppe is a Honduran Ecuadorian writer based in New York City. She has been featured on ABC News and HBOMax Pa'lante! and her work has appeared in the Latino Book Review, The New York Times, Vogue, Paper Magazine, and elsewhere. Jessica is a board member of Time of Butterflies, a non-profit supporting families through domestic abuse recovery, and an organizer with the Central American Writer's group.Her debut memoir First in the Family is available today!In this episode: - Hanif Abdurraqib - Tommy Orange  - The Wellbriety Movement – which “provides culturally based healing for the next seven generations of Indigenous people. Mission: Disseminate culturally based principles, values, and teachings to support healthy community development and servant leadership, and to support healing from alcohol, substance abuse, co-occurring disorders, and intergenerational trauma.”  - the book, The Red Road to WellbrietySign up for my newsletter and immediately receive my own free guide to the many pathways to recovery, as well as regular updates on new interviews, material, and other writings.

Join me on Sunday, September 8th, at 12 PM Eastern Time (9 AM Pacific) for From Recovering to Flourishing: A Foundational Workshop.Before spending three years in a Buddhist monastery and becoming a 3rd grade teacher, Laura Burges was exploring the world of alcohol and drugs, from opium dens in Afghanistan to a tent in Juneau, Alaska. After near-death experiences—such as blacking out and crawling through the snow—she realized she needed a spiritual solution to her addiction. This realization led her to deeply commit to Soto Zen practice. However, as she writes, "Buddhism did not cure my alcoholism." For her, something more was needed.Now a lay entrusted dharma teacher in the Soto Zen tradition, Ryuko Laura Burges has a new book, The Zen Way of Recovery. In our interview, we discuss her journey, the challenges she faced, and Buddhist understandings of addiction. We explore working with the self, addressing everyday addictions like doomscrolling, and finding the balance between sticking with your path versus seeking other teachings. We also touch on the concepts of tanha (thirst/craving), shenpa (sticky, afflictive emotions), radical responsibility, and the paramitas, which are moral practices essential for recovery.Ryuko Laura Burges, a lay entrusted dharma teacher in the Soto Zen tradition, teaches classes, lectures, and leads retreats in Northern California. Her latest book from Shambhala Publications is The Zen Way of Recovery, an Illuminated Path Out of the Darkness of Addiction. She lives in San Francisco.In this episode: - Meditation in Recovery program at San Francisco Zen Center (hybrid/online twice a month) - that group’s very good, free publication: 9 Essays: Buddhism & The 12 Step Model of Recovery Laura’s books: - Buddhist Stories for Kids: Jataka Tales of Kindness, Friendship, and Forgiveness  - Zen for Kids - The Zen Way of Recovery: An Illuminated Path Out of the Darkness of AddictionSign up for my newsletter and immediately receive my own free guide to the many pathways to recovery, as well as regular updates on new interviews, material, and other writings.

This is a milestone for the Flourishing After Addiction podcast: our first repeat guest! I wanted to have Ryan Hampton back on the pod for a quick hit: to discuss the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the controversial bankruptcy settlement involving Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family. As you may know, the Court rejected the settlement involving Purdue, which shielded members of the Sackler family from lawsuits. I thought there was no one better than Ryan to help us understand this ruling and the broader implications. Tune in for a bite-sized breakdown, and Ryan’s thoughts on what this means about the political landscape regarding addiction policy today.Ryan Hampton is a prominent advocate on addiction issues, from community-based organizing focused on the overdose crisis to national activities, such as helping to release the first-ever U.S. Surgeon General’s report on addiction. An alumnus of the Clinton White House, had an up-and-coming career in politics until the early 2000s, when he became addicted to OxyContin, then heroin. He entered recovery in 2015 and has written three books since then, Unsettled: How the Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Failed the Victims of the American Overdose Crisis, American Fix: Inside the Opioid Addiction Crisis - and How to End It, and the upcoming Fentanyl Nation: Toxic Politics and America's Failed War on Drugs. Fentanyl Nation comes out on September 24. Preorder it today so you don’t miss it! I highly recommend it, and I’ll have Ryan back on the show to talk about it in more depth after it comes out.Otherwise, you can find Ryan at his website, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. He also works with The Recovery Advocacy Project (RAP), a network of people and organizations across the country advocating for addiction recovery policies.And, listen to my first conversation with Ryan here!Sign up for my newsletter and immediately receive my own free guide to the many pathways to recovery, as well as regular updates on new interviews, material, and other writings. 

Carrie Wilkens is a psychologist with over 25 years of experience in the practice and dissemination of evidence-based treatments for substance use and post-traumatic stress. She and her team at the Center for Motivation and Change have developed the Invitation to Change approach for families and loved ones of people struggling with substance use, as well as the professionals who support them. This is a change model that has been used in group, family, and individual work, including by counselors, first responders, and a wide range of other professionals who help people change.Head over to my Substack page to read  detailed show notes about this interview with Dr. Wilkens, including more information about the principles underlying this approach and lessons for anyone interested in helping others to change.Sign up for my newsletter and immediately receive my own free guide to the many pathways to recovery, as well as regular updates on new interviews, material, and other writings. 

One of the great gifts of being out in the world talking about addiction and recovery is I get to meet so many fascinating and talented people working on these issues. This is one of my deepest motivations for writing and speaking about my own experience; to connect with other values-aligned writers and thinkers. One wonderful recent example is the fantastic writer Laura Cathcart Robbins, our guest on this latest episode of the Flourishing After Addiction podcast. Laura is the author of Stash, My Life In Hiding, which hits a balance I love in addiction memoirs: simultaneously an insightful exploration of the phenomenon and a fun romp. We talk about her experience of addiction and of entering recovery, especially: “doctor shopping,” the use of prescription drugs (especially sedatives), divorce, and parenthood. The problems with treatment programs, rehab romances, boundaries and being honest with oneself. The process of writing about her addiction, journaling, inner work, her experience in publishing, reclaiming “Quit Lit,” the lack of representation in addiction memoirs, and her motivation to tell stories like her own. And, the way she makes sense of her recovery framework today.Laura Cathcart Robbins is the best-selling author of the Atria/Simon & Schuster memoir, Stash, My Life In Hiding, and host of the popular podcast, The Only One In The Room. She has been active for many years as a speaker and school trustee and is credited for creating The Buckley School’s nationally recognized committee on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice. Her recent articles on the subjects of race, recovery, and divorce have garnered her worldwide acclaim. She is a 2022 TEDx Speaker, and LA Moth StorySlam winner. Currently, she sits on the advisory boards of the San Diego Writer’s Festival and the Outliers HQ podcast Festival. Find out more about her on her website, or you can look for her on Facebook, on Instagram, on Tiktok, and follow her on X Sign up for my newsletter and immediately receive my own free guide to the many pathways to recovery, as well as regular updates on new interviews, material, and other writings.

In this episode of Flourishing After Addiction, I had the honor of speaking with Bruce Alexander, a towering figure in the field of addiction theory. As regular Rat Park readers will know, I named this newsletter after Bruce’s iconic experiment in the 1970s, honoring not just that experiment, but also the decades of contributions he’s made since to the broader understanding of addiction as a deeply human phenomenon. Now that Bruce is in his 80s, he’s said he won’t be doing much more writing and public speaking, so I’m especially grateful to have the chance to talk about the most important lessons of his work. We focus on his recent publication, "My Final Academic Article on Addiction," in which he distills his over fifty years of insights. We discuss what Bruce identifies as the greatest threats addiction poses to modern society. We explore the theoretical stagnation in understanding addiction, the limitations of medicalizing addiction, and the subtle yet pervasive remnants of irrational thinking that hinder our approach to addressing mass addiction. Alexander argues against the notion that we can simply 'therapize' our way out of the problem, urging for a deeper examination of how society contributes to and can help resolve the crisis. Listen to the end for his take on what professionals and clinicians can do—and cannot do—to help us with the current crisis. Bruce Alexander has explored many corners of the addiction field for almost half a century. Beginning in 1970, he has counselled people with heroin addiction, conducted psychopharmacological research (the “Rat Park” experiments); ran field research on cocaine use for the World Health Organization; critically analyzed theories of addiction by ancient philosophers and modern researchers; and served on the Boards of Directors of NGOs in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. He has published three books, Peaceful Measures: Canada’s Way Out of the War on Drugs (University of Toronto Press, 1990), The Globalization of Addiction: A Study in Poverty of the Spirit (Oxford University Press, 2008), and A History of Psychology in Western Civilization (Cambridge University Press, 2015, co-author Curt Shelton). Since retiring from the university as Professor Emeritus in 2005, Alexander has spoken frequently in Canada, Europe, and the United States. He posts many of his recent speeches on his website, www.brucekalexander.com. He was awarded the Sterling Prize for Controversy in 2007.In this episode: - Bruce’s "My Final Academic Article on Addiction" - Naomi Klein, Doppelganger - Conspirituality: How New Age Conspiracy Theories Became a Health ThreatSign up for my newsletter and immediately receive my own free guide to the many pathways to recovery, as well as regular updates on new interviews, material, and other writings.

As a bonus for this special episode with the artist Erin Williams, author of What’s Wrong? Personal Histories of Chronic Pain and Bad Medicine, I got permission to post some of the illustrations from her new book, What’s Wrong? Personal Histories of Chronic Pain and Bad Medicine. Head over to my Substack page to see those. You won’t want to miss them.Erin Williams is the author and illustrator of ten books, including What's Wrong? Personal Histories of Chronic Pain and Bad Medicine, Commute: An Illustrated Memoir of Female Shame, How to Take Care and the Big Activity Book series (250k+ in print). Her writing and art have also been featured in publications including MoMA Magazine, Virginia Quarterly Review, and The Believer. She has over a decade of experience in healthcare, specifically data analysis and scientific research. She teaches illustration at Parsons School of Design and creative writing at Hunter College in New York City. You can find Erin on Instagram  and Twitter.