The Adversity Advantage with Doug Bopst

Today’s guest is one of the world’s leading experts on the neuroscience of addiction and recovery. Anna Lembke MD is Chief of the Stanford Medicine Dual Diagnosis clinic and Professor and Medical Director of Addiction Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Lembke has testified before Congress and consulted with governors and senators from Kentucky to Missouri to Nevada. You may also recognize her from her appearance on the hit Netflix movie “The Social Dilemma.” Aside from this, Anna has also written two books: “Drug Dealer MD” and her latest book, The New York Times bestseller “Dopamine Nation.”    Our conversation covers an array of important topics to help highlight the REAL connection between science, addiction, and recovery. Anna explains the neuroscience of addiction and how it affects the brain and decision-making. We get into how to prevent addiction, what to do if you are addicted and the different recovery options. Our convo gets into the subject of relapse including why so many fall back into their addictive behaviors even after sustained abstinence. We chat about how to thrive in early recovery and how to prevent relapse. We also cover how technological advances have impacted the current epidemic and discuss hidden addictions that you may be unaware of. Anna shares how she helps her patients with anxiety and depression and why using drugs to treat such things can actually backfire. Our discussion gets into current hot topics like the opioid epidemic, cannabis use and advice for parents when they have a loved one who’s struggling.    Connect with Doug:   Instagram: www.instagram.com   Twitter: www.twitter.com/dougbopst   Facebook: www.facebook.com/dougbopst   More on Earth Echo Foods/Cacao Bliss:   www.earthechofoods.com/dougbopst   Use Promo code "Doug" at checkout to receive 15% off your order   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is Mike Johnson. You may recognize Mike from his appearance on Season 15 of The Bachelorette or perhaps from Season 6 of Bachelor in Paradise. You have also listened to his new hit podcast “Talking it Out.” I must say what most intrigued me about Mike wasn’t his reality television career, it was his backstory and how well he articulates the exact steps he used to get him out of one of the darkest moments in his life which we can all relate to.   Mike quickly faced some unforeseen adversity as a kid as he was sexually abused and what came to follow was years and years of turmoil as he found himself becoming a bit of a rebel as he burglarized homes as a teenager and had unhealthy relationships with women. Mike then joined the Airforce and worked as an IT specialist for years before becoming a financial advisor    This is where things took a bad turn for him. Although financially, he was crushing it,  a relationship that ended with a woman that he was madly in love with broke his heart and led him down a path of self-sabotage, misery and depression. Mike’s path out of this rut was largely due to his obsession with personal development and self-discovery. He began working on his identity, his mindset, reading books, being of service to others, and exercising.    Today, Mike shares it all. He will walk you through step by step as to how exactly he transformed himself from someone that was completely heartbroken and hopeless to starring on one of the biggest reality shows that have ever existed. We also chat about a universal formula that can work for anyone who is struggling to get out of a rut and get motivated again. Mike highlights the process of being on the Bachelorette and our convo also gets into financial planning and Mike gives some of his top tips to become financially fit. We also discuss why adopting a lifestyle around something is much more important than having discipline and more!    Connect with Mike:   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike_johnson/   Podcast: https://bachelornation.com/pages/talking-it-out/   Connect with Doug:   Instagram: www.instagram.com/dougbopst   Twitter: www.twitter.com/dougbopst   Facebook: www.facebook.com/dougbopst   Sponsors for Today’s show:   Earth Echo Foods/Island Bliss:   Click here to receive 15% off your order of Island Bliss   Or go to earthechofoods.com and use Promo code "Doug" at checkout to receive 15% off your order   Organifi/Immunity:   Receive 20% off your order by going to:   www.organifi.com/doug Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest on the show is Cheryl Burke. You might recognize her from reoccurring role as a professional dancer on Dancing With the Stars which she will make her 24th appearance on in just a few weeks.   What really inspires me about Cheryl is her recovery journey and her willingness to share so openly. She has gone through and overcome a lot. The trauma started by witnessing her parents divorce and being molested all before she entered Elementary school. This led to more debauchery as she found herself in and out of toxic relationships, not going to college and developing unhealthy habits around things such as alcohol. With all that said, there has been one constant in her life and that’s been her ability to dance. Her talents in dance led her to landing her spot on Dancing with the Stars roughly 15 years ago. Cheryl has won 2 mirror balls and was the first female professional to win on the show.   Cheryl’s journey with alcohol, unfortunately, stayed with her throughout most of this process which included drinking before going on television.  3 years ago it all changed for her when she decided to get sober after her Father passed away. She was able to strong-arm her way through sobriety until this past summer when she hit a crossroads that led her to join the 12 step community to further her recovery journey.    Today we talk about it all. Cheryl opens up about what happened that made her enter AA after 2 1/2 years of sobriety and how it has helped her. We get into her back story and what led her to use alcohol as a way to numb the pain. Cheryl shares why even reaching the pinnacle of her career as a dancer left her feeling lonely and miserable.   We discuss her comeback journey and what types of things have helped her transform the pain into purpose. Cheryl chats about why it was crucial for her to open up emotionally and how it has led to massive growth for herself and her marriage. She opens up about her struggles with body dysmorphia and of course we also get into Dancing With The Stars including why this season will be different for Cheryl and more!    Connect with Cheryl:   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylburke/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/CherylBurke   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialCherylBurke   Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pretty-messed-up/id1531477609   Connect with Doug:   Instagram: www.instagram.com   Twitter: www.twitter.com/dougbopst   Facebook: www.facebook.com/dougbopst   More on Earth Echo Foods/Cacao Bliss:   www.earthechofoods.com/dougbopst   Use Promo code "Doug" at checkout to receive 15% off your order   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode is going to focus on developing self awareness, healing trauma, boundaries, breaking free from old toxic patterns and creating new healthy ones. To do that, I have 3 of the best healing experts on the planet to provide insights on these subjects so that you can heal from your past and become your absolute best. You will hear parts of 3 previously released episodes with Dr. Nicole LePera, Dr. Shefali and Gabby Bernstein. The first part will feature a section from my previous chat with clinical psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Nicole LePera aka The Holistic Psychologist. You will hear us chat about why therapy alone won’t heal you and why you might get stressed or anxious for no reason. We also discuss self-awareness, understanding what trauma actually is and how to rewire your brain with healthy patterns and behaviors. We also get into buzzwords such as ego, boundaries, triggered, and more… In this next section, you will hear from clinical psychologist and NY Times best-selling author Dr. Shefali. We will discuss her best practices for healing including a step-by-step process on how to develop self-awareness around unhealthy patterns and create new healthy ones. Dr. Shefali explains how to actually know if you are healing. We also chat about boundaries, how to get get out of the victim mindset, and more.  The final part will feature a section from a previous episode with thought leader, personal development powerhouse, and NY Times best-selling author Gabby Bernstein. We discuss different parts of Gabby’s story including some of her more recent struggles and how she overcame them. Gabby and I chat bout how she deals with uncertainty and our convo also dovetails into a step-by-step process on how to shift negative thinking and create new belief systems. We also discuss how to align with your highest self and what you really must do to manifest what you want in life and more. Links to full episodes featured in this conversation: Dr. Nicole LePera Dr. Shefali Gabby Bernstein   Special thanks to this episodes sponsors: Earth Echo Foods/Cacao Bliss: www.earthechofoods.com/dougbopst Use Promo code "Doug" at checkout to receive 15% off your order   BiOptimizers/Magnesium Breakthrough: Go to www.magbreakthrough.com/doug and use the code DOUG10 to save 10 percent when you try Magnesium Breakthrough.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is world-renowned gastroenterologist and neuroscientist Dr. Emeran Mayer. Dr. Mayer is a distinguished research professor in the Departments of Medicine, Physiology, and Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He has over 35 years of experience studying how the mind and gut interact and how it all pertains to health and disease. His work has been supported by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and has published over 370 peer-reviewed scientific articles. He has also written two books of his own including The Mind-Gut Connection and his newly released book the Gut Immune connection.   I felt like I could have spent all day talking with him as this subject is something that is extremely fascinating to me and it’s also very timely given the times we are in. Our conversation today is super informative and tactical and I can promise you that you will feel empowered to take action on your health after listening. We get into the nuts and bolts of it all. We discuss the mind-gut-immune system connection and why it is so important to take care of them all.   Dr. Mayer shares why chronic stress is one of the most destructive things for your brain, gut health, and immune system and how to fix it. We chat about what else is at the root cause of poor brain and gut health and immune function and you will find out why what you eat plays such a pivotal role in all of this.   He talks about what you can do to improve your gut health, brain health, and immune system and how to know if each of these is not functioning properly. Our convo also gets into probiotics and if in fact, they are actually useful as well as what you can do when your body begins to feel off balance. Of course, we get into how to know if all the systems are running smoothly if it’s ever too late to address your brain and gut health and so much more!   Connect with Dr. Emeran Mayer:   Website: https://emeranmayer.com/   Instagram: https://emeranmayer.com/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emeranamayer   Connect with Doug:   Instagram: www.instagram.com   Twitter: www.twitter.com/dougbopst   Facebook: www.facebook.com/dougbopst   More on Earth Echo Foods/Cacao Bliss:   www.earthechofoods.com/dougbopst   Use Promo code "Doug" at checkout to receive 15% off your order         Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever cheated on your partner? Or flirted with people that you didn’t like or using people for attention? Or perhaps you continue to bounce from relationship to relationship? Maybe you feel like you can’t be happy unless you’re getting attention or in a relationship?     If you answered yes, you MAY classify as being a sex or love addict. But don’t worry, the conversation today will help you better understand if you really are one and what you can do about it.   Today’s guest is Brianne Davis. Brianne is an actress. She’s a podcast host. She’s an author. But, her real claim to fame is that she is a recovering sex and love addict. Her addiction to love began when she felt a euphoric rush after cheating on her 8th-grade boyfriend and quickly evolved into years of debauchery. She has been sober from sex and love for nearly 12 years and ironically her then-boyfriend and now husband was the one to help her find some local meetings to start her transformation.   We unpack it all today. Brianne shares her incredible story of overcoming love and sex addiction and the convo gets into who Brianne was in her past compared to who she is today. We discuss what it actually feels like to be a sex and love addict, what’s underneath all of it, and her response to those that think love addiction is an illusion. Brianne and I chat about the differences between sex and love addiction and how to know if you would classify as an addict, this actually might surprise you. We get into attention-seeking and social media and the role it plays in all of this as well as how she currently sets boundaries and handles her relationships of today including her marriage. Of course, we chat about how to do the work without going to meetings, if you should date during this process and how to have healthy relationships moving forward. Brianne opens up about the moment she knew her love was real and so much more!   Connect with Brianne:   Website: https://briannedavis.com/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebriannedavis/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBrianneDavis   Connect with Doug:   Instagram: www.instagram.com   Twitter: www.twitter.com/dougbopst   Facebook: www.facebook.com/dougbopst   Join Marisa Peer's 21-day abundance challenge by clicking here:   www.marisapeer.com/DOUG   Use promo code “Doug” at checkout to receive 25% off.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Could you ever dream of living to 100? How about 150 or even 200? My guest today Sergey Young is on a mission to help you do just that. As a matter of fact, he wants to help ONE BILLION people live to 100. Sergey is a chemical engineer turned venture capitalist who founded the Longevity Vision Fund. His fund invests in companies that are making groundbreaking products, technologies and developments in the longevity space. Combine this with his passion for research and science and you get his book “The Science and Technology of Growing Young” which was released earlier this week. It’s an absolute game-changer. Filled with tools, tips, and tactics to help you live longer, healthier and happier his book is a must-read. When living longer gets mentioned there is a lot of pushback because of things like money, quality of life, and people’s level of happiness. If someone isn’t happy when they are 40, how can they be happy at 95? There is a lot of truth to that. This is why I am excited to share this episode with you today as we address just that. While living past 100 can definitely be very exciting, the focus of our convo today revolves around what you can do in real time to improve all facets of your health. Our discussion gets into Sergey’s backstory and what inspired his obsession with longevity, health, and aging. We get in-depth about his research on longevity and chat about things that take years off of your life and things that extend your life. He unveils the 5 longevity buckets that you must pay attention to live healthier, happier and longer. Sergey shares some shocking stuff about longevity including why and how your psychological age influences your physical age. We chat about nutrition, fasting, movement, and mental health and why they are so pivotal to reversing your biological age. Of course, Sergey debunks the common obstacles that people think about when they think about living longer and our convo also dovetails into the enticing subject of technology and which ones you can take advantage of right now as well as the one's you can look forward to that might help you live to see age 150 or 200. Buy Sergey's book "The Science and Technology of Growing Young" https://sergeyyoung.com/book Connect with Sergey here Connect with Doug here           Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By now I am sure you have heard of Jake and Logan Paul and how they are taking the sport of boxing to a whole new level. As you know, I have the utmost respect for anyone who puts themselves out there to achieve what they want in life and this is no different. With that said, Jake will face by far his toughest opponent yet, former UFC champion Tyron Woodley this Sunday. Tyron is a seasoned striker and much more experienced than any of the others that Jake has defeated. How does he prep for this? How does he take his training to the next level?   Insert Anthony “Pretty Boy” Taylor who is also today’s guest. Anthony is an up-and-coming fighter and has won his last five fights. He is Jake’s full time sparring and training partner and they have a special relationship. A relationship so special that Jake gave Anthony an opportunity of a lifetime to fight boxer and “Love Island” star, Tommy Fury as an undercard fight the same night that Jake fights Woodley. To make things even more interesting, Taylor has a story of his own. Anthony is a former stripper turned fighter and hit rock bottom just a few years ago after losing a boxing match. He found himself on the verge of homelessness and was experiencing thoughts of suicide. With the help of a mentor and coach, he was able to revamp his mindset, get back on his feet and win a few fights.    Our conversation today gets into it all. Anthony shares his comeback story and how he made different choices and revamped his mindset to get to where he is today. We talk in depth about his incredible relationship with Jake Paul including how they met, what it’s like training with him, and lessons he has learned from Jake. Anthony reveals who he thinks will win this Sunday and what’s next for him whether he wins or not and so much more!    Connect with Anthony:   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthony_prettyboy/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/anthony_foreal   Connect with Doug:   Instagram: www.instagram.com   Twitter: www.twitter.com/dougbopst   Facebook: www.facebook.com/dougbopst   More on Earth Echo Foods/Cacao Bliss:   www.earthechofoods.com/dougbopst   Use Promo code "Doug" at checkout to receive 15% off your order     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of my favorite conversations to have on the show are those that amplify incredible stories of recovery and hope. Jen Cutting has one of the wildest and most inspirational stories I have ever come across. Today Jen has been sober for nearly 4 years, is a recovery warrior, and works closely with the prison system to help other women. This would have seemed nearly impossible not long ago as Jen has been incarcerated multiple times for drug-fueled felony charges. In fact, she even had and raised her daughter while she was in prison. Today she will walk you through her shocking and moving journey that is filled with many highs and many lows.  Shortly after high school Jen met a man that was nearly 10 years older than her and that relationship gave her a taste of what manipulation, addiction and artificial love felt like. After breaking it off with him, she used his credit card to buy a plane ticket and move to Florida where she quickly got a job as an exotic dancer at a local strip club. On her 21st birthday she was introduced to cocaine, and that’s where things took a turn for the worst, as it quickly turned into a lifestyle. It got so bad, that she moved back to Staten Island before her 22nd birthday. While she thought it could be a catalyst to help her get her life back together it actually had the opposite effect. She met another man, began to strip at another local club and  was prescribed Vicodin after an injury. Jen was prescribed Vicodin for months and months after her initial script and found herself in the depths of opiate addiction. After her doctor left, she was forced to get her fix illegally. So, she found men at the club who could get her pills and eventually this lead to her trying and shooting heroin. The debauchery continued and she and her then-boyfriend were caught stealing to support their heroin habit. She was arrested on a grand larceny charge and sentenced to prison. She gets out and catches another grand larceny charge and ends up in a diversion program where she was able to kick the opiate addiction for good. Shortly after her release, she fell in love and became pregnant. After violating her parole, she found herself back in prison again but this time she was facing a much bigger challenge as she was pregnant and her due date was during her incarceration. She had and raised her daughter in prison. You would think that after all of this, Jen would finally throw in the towel. Well, she didn’t. She was arrested for selling meth and found herself incarcerated once again. To make things even worse, she lost custody of her daughter.  Today, she has full custody, has been sober for nearly 4 years, and is giving back by helping others in recovery and in the prison system. She is here to tell you the story of how this all happened and more.    Connect with Jen here Connect with Doug here   Join Marisa Peer's 21-day abundance challenge by clicking here: www.marisapeer.com/DOUG Use promo code “Doug” at checkout to receive 25% off.        Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode welcomes Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, a leading technology executive and entrepreneur, board member, and investor with twenty-five years of experience in founding and helping to scale companies, including Google, Amazon, and Yodlee. Most recently, she served as president of StubHub, which sold in 2020 for $4+ billion right before the pandemic and thrived under her leadership. She has been profiled in Fortune, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and The New York Times, among others. She has been named one of Elle’s Power Women, one of the Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company, and one of the Top 100 People in the Valley by Business Insider among many other accolades.    Our discussion today center’s around several topics that many struggles with failure, risk taking, and changing direction. If you listen to this episode in full, I guarantee you that you will feel more confident when facing these challenges. We chat about Sukhinder’s unexpected and abrupt departure from StubHub and how she handled that and used it as an opportunity for growth.   Sukhinder and I get into the in’s and out’s of all things risk-taking including why you must take them, how to know if it’s the right one and how to do it the right way. She also talks about why proximity and protecting the downside are CRUCIAL when taking chances.   We also chat about the different types of failures that you will experience in life, how to plan for them, overcome them and why you can actually learn and grow more from unplanned setbacks.   Sukhinder unveils what must happen in order for someone to make the choice to take action and make a change and if she thinks that some of us are wired to be bigger risk-takers.    Our convo also gets into how to surround yourself with the right people, common risk taking myths and how to become fulfilled and impactful long term.    Buy Sukhinder's book "Choose Possibility: Take Risks and Thrive (Even When You Fail)   https://www.choosepossibility.com/   Connect with Sukhinder:    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sukhinders   Twitter: https://twitter.com/sukhindersingh   Connect with Doug:   Instagram: www.instagram.com   Twitter: www.twitter.com/dougbopst   Facebook: www.facebook.com/dougbopst   More on Earth Echo Foods/Cacao Bliss:   www.earthechofoods.com/dougbopst   Use Promo code "Doug" at checkout to receive 15% off your order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices