End It For Good

In this deeply moving and ultimately uplifting episode, Christina Dent sits down with Pattie Vargas—a mother who has lived through the heartbreak of losing a son to overdose and the joy of watching her daughter find lasting recovery. Pattie shares her family’s journey with remarkable honesty, from years of struggle and loss to an unexpected turning point: discovering NET Recovery, a device designe...

What if Mississippi could lead the nation in turning the tide on addiction? In this episode, Christina Dent talks with Dr. Dan Edney, Mississippi’s State Health Officer and a physician specializing in addiction medicine. They dive into the quiet revolution taking place in our state—from expanding access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to legalizing fentanyl test strips to saturating communi...

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Carr McClain, a seasoned cardiovascular surgeon who has seen the human toll of failed drug policy in the ER as well as the OR. He helps us connect the dots between drug policy and the health of everyday people who pay the price. In this episode, we discuss: Dr. McClain’s early experiences as a medical school graduate, encountering the violence tied to the under...

Today's episode is a rebroadcast of a popular show we did with New York Times Bestselling author Johann Hari, on his research about drug markets and how drug prohibition incentivizes and rewards crime and violence. We're creating the very thing we're supposed to be fighting.  It's counter-intuitive, but the harder we crack down on the drug supply, the more crime we have seen and will continue to s...

Lisha Adcock is a hair stylist from Meridian, Mississippi, who became addicted to opioids after struggling with chronic pain. After years of chaos and draining her bank account to pay for pills, she had to find a way out. Kratom is a natural product made from the leaves of a tree in Asia. It has been used as a stimulant and pain reliever in that part of the world for hundreds of years, and has bec...

Dr. Jeffrey Singer is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute. He is the Founder of Valley Surgical Clinics, the largest and oldest private group surgical practice in Arizona. He has been in private practice as a general surgeon for more than 40 years. He is also a visiting fellow at the Goldwater Institute in Phoenix. Singer is a member of the Board of Scientific Advisors of the American Council on...

Jan Moore lost her only son to an overdose almost ten years ago, and her journey of healing led her to go back to school and become a licensed professional counselor who has worked with people struggling with addiction as well as their families since then. Today she shares her story as well as talks about Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Invitati...

In today's episode, Dr. Dan Ciccarone joins us to talk about the Three Waves of the opioid epidemic, what Harm Reduction is, what it isn't, and where we've gone wrong with it. Dr. Ciccarone has studied drugs and addiction for more than two decades, combining his passion for people's individual lives as a medical doctor and his interest in data as a researcher. He is the Justine Miner Professor in...

Christina Dent and Bryan Mauk discuss what the research actually says about different types of drug treatment and what helps more people recovery. Did you know that some mutual aid groups have their participants introduce themselves as "a competent person" rather than "an addict"? Does it make a difference in outcomes? What about sober living options for people on medication? We dive into this and...

Bryan Mauk's Friday nights in high school were spent making friends with people experiencing homelessness. During his college years, he drew 1/4 of his fellow students into the same ministry. Bryan has spent two decades working to serve and empower people who are often forgotten. He is a visionary and a builder who loves to cast big ideas and then execute them for maximum impact. His work has span...

Jordan Rogers built a career in brand marketing at Nike after recovering from heroin addiction and a year of incarceration 21 years ago. While he has gotten to work with some of the best athletes and artists in the world, his heart and passion stay close to the brokenhearted and those in addiction and incarceration. He tries to use his gift as a communicator to bring about change and freedom for t...

Jim Horton lost his only child, Zachary, to an overdose five years ago. His work today with the Zachary Horton Foundation helps individuals and families never face addiction alone. We talk about what he's learned since his son's death and what he wishes he had known before Zachary died. Jim is full of love, compassion, and joy in spite of heartbreaking loss. He brings ideas and hope to families wh...

Jesse MacLaughlin the State Policy and Advocacy Director at Reason for Hope, a national suicide prevention non-profit. He's also a former Republican state representative, elected at just 24 years old. Jesse shares his journey from being a "tough on drugs" advocate to having his own experience with psychedelics that began his journey of healing from depression, and what triggered his passion to mak...

Juliana Mercer is a nonprofit leader with over 20 years of experience serving the veteran population. She’s a Marine Corps veteran who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. She is also a survivor of personal and military trauma who found healing and transformation through psilocybin-assisted therapy, an FDA-designated breakthrough therapy. Currently, she is the Director of Veteran Advocacy & Publi...

Adam Marr is the Director of Operations and a founding member at Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition (VMHLC), a coalition of partner organizations that aims to prevent suicide and deaths of despair among Veterans and Americans through increased access to safe and affordable psychedelic-assisted therapy. Adam is also a US Army Veteran, a best-selling author, a former management consultant ex...

Melissa Lavasani is the Founder & CEO of Psychedelic Medicine Coalition. She was a healthy, happy wife and mother, pregnant with her second child, when she was overcome with debilitating depression that continued after her son was born. For several years Melissa tried to keep functioning even though she was struggling against suicidal thoughts.  Melissa shares her story as someone who had neve...

If you have a loved one who is struggling with addiction, you should tune in to this week's episode of the EFG Podcast!    Our guest, Laurie MacDougall, talks with Christina about the CRAFT method for interacting with loved ones who are dealing with an addiction. Laurie works for Allies in Recovery, which provides step-by-step tips on how to apply the CRAFT method in your everyday life.   Laurie t...

Have you ever wanted to share your story of triumph over hardship, but were worried about regretting it later? If so, you need to tune into this insightful episode with guest Meghann Perry.    Meghann shares her recovery story, and talks about her work helping people share their own stories in a healthy and effective way. Christina and Meghann also emphasize the importance of treating your story w...

Join us for Episode 64, as Christina chats with Christi Berrong-Barber about her journey with her son, who has struggled with an addiction to drugs for many years. Christi opens up about how she has been able to maintain a relationship with her son through the chaos of addiction, and shares many insightful and encouraging words for those who may be in a similar position. Christi also talks about t...

If you've seen Christina Dent's TEDx Talk or heard the story of End It For Good's beginning, you've heard of Joanne, the mother who once struggled with addiction and ultimately changed Christina's life. In today's episode, Joanne Shedd shares her story in her own words. From the years she struggled to the beautiful life she's building with her son, Beckham, she lets us in on her world and her jour...

In this episode, Christina is joined by George Wood, founder of The Timothy Initiative and author of The Uncovery. George’s story is that of a life radically changed by Jesus, and he is dedicated to changing the way the world views recovery. Christina and George discuss what we have misunderstood about addiction and recovery, the importance of authentic connection with others during recovery, and...

Retired Judge Mary Beth O'Conner and Christina talk about her remarkable journey From Junkie to Judge, as told in her memoir. There are many paths to recovery, and Mary Beth and Christina discuss the importance of seeing people in recovery as individuals, and allowing them to create their own recovery plan. Philosophy and meeting format vary greatly between recovery programs, and there is no one p...

Christina talks with Jeffery Harvey, the Clinic Director at Jackson Comprehensive Treatment Center. Jeffery grew up in a religious household but developed a substance use disorder after suffering abuse as a child. Although today Jeffery works to provide as many pathways to recovery as possible for those struggling with addiction, he didn't always support this approach. Jeffery shares his own story...

Dr. Branden Henry's story is included in Christina Dent's new book,  Curious: A Foster Mom's Discovery of an Unexpected Solution to Drugs and Addiction . He joins us on the podcast today to unpack ideas that didn't make it into the book, including why so much addiction treatment is unhelpful. It fails to address three drivers of addiction that we dive into on today's episode. Dr. Henry also shares...

Will Morgan's story is highlighted in Christina Dent's new book, Curious: A Foster Mom's Discovery of an Unexpected Solution to Drugs and Addiction. On this episode, we talk to Will as well as his wife, Sarah, hearing her journey of supporting Will through his years-long journey with chronic pain and prescription opioids. They offer a window into the other side of the war on prescription opioids -...