Addiction2Recovery

And we are back! After 9 months without publishing an episode, due to the busyness of life (listen for exciting news) and kids and careers, time got away from us. This episode will give you all an update on where we have been and what we have been doing, as well as give some hints as to future episodes! Thank you all for being such loyal listeners and for reaching out! We are so excited to be back...

Following our episodes highlighting US Weekly's "The Missing Issue", this episode will dive deeper into the why and how behind co-occurring disorders. Often thought of as the which-came-first "The Chicken or the Egg", it is challenging to understand which-came-first, the mental health diagnosis or the substance use disorder. Ultimately, however, how much does it matter? Th...

In this episode, we will discuss the remainder of The Missing Issue, US Weekly's homage to Co-Occurring Disorders, made possible by partnership with The Harris Project. Matthew Perry, Mac Miller, Cooper Noriega, Pete Davidson, Avicii, Aaron Carter and Demi Lovato's stories will be honored, as they each suffered from, lost their battle to, or live and thrive with not only a highly publici...

US Magazine released "The Missing Issue" special edition in March 2025, highlighting the other side of the story of celebrity substance use articles. Past articles where celebrities had either died of an overdose or had done something 'news worthy'. In this edition, however, the rest of the story is discussed, the 'why' behind the use- their co-occurring mental health...

Tusi, originally getting its name from the synthetic compound 2C-B, also has been called 'pink cocaine' gets its name, as expected, from its distinctive pink color. This party drug, however, contains very little, if any, 2C-B or cocaine, rather, it is a cocktail of many other substances. The most common components are ketamine (and its precursor), MDMA, caffeine, meth, and, to add anothe...

You do NOT want to miss this episode! Every parent who suffers from the disease of addiction has guilt and shame surrounding their kids, but what do kids think? We have the absolute HONOR of having Josh's oldest son, Ben, on today. The episode will start with Josh describing his parenting before his use started, while he was using (and the 2 years he was completely absent), and now in recover...

We are back! In this episode, we will dive into trauma and healing as Josh interviews Heather about her new book, Trauma's Worth. Although this is Heather's memoir, it also dives into her thought process as she healed from her trauma's Heather uses her story to give hope to others and to shed light on the different ways we cope with trauma and the importance of healing from it with...

Josh welcomes Scott, our resident AA/NA expert, back to discuss steps 4 and 5. In Step 4, members are asked to make a fearless and moral inventory. Scott helps explain what it means to be fearless, what a moral inventory may look like, and why sponsors are particularly important in this step. In step 5, members are asked to "Admit to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nat...

There are many ways licitly (legally) and illicitly (illegally) medications (drugs) are used and abused. In this episode, we will review the various ways one can take and use medications and drugs as well as the differences between them from the physiological standpoint. In other words, why do the effects happen faster when used one way vs using another way. For questions, comments, episode recomm...

Scott joins Josh for this episode to continue the discussion about AA and the 12 Steps. An important part of the AA program is support, not just at meetings but also with those who have gone through the process, know the program, and have sustained recovery. Sponsors are a very important part of recovery for many people, and Scott, who has been a sponsor to many on their recovery journeys, discuss...

Although we discussed the history of AA back in episode 67, this episode will give an overview of each of the 12 steps. We will have a discussion on how we each view each step and how the 12 steps can be applied to not only those in recovery or seeking recovery, but also for all people, as a guidebook of sorts for how we all should live our lives.  For questions, comments, episode recommendations...

We are joined today by Alicia House, Executive Director of Steve Rummler Hope Network, an organization focused on overdose prevention, education and advocacy. From naloxone access points to distribution of fentanyl test strips to naloxone trainings to the creation of Steve's Law in Minnesota (in short, this law provides immunity to those who call 911 who are also using substances, for another...

We are excited for Conroy Scott to join us on this episode. Scott experimented with many substances when he was younger, a natural fit as a very talented musician, this love he eventually gave up in order to find and maintain sobriety. That was just the first choice he made in his story that saved his life. He had to emotionally let go of many things from his past stating, "I don't want...

We are honored to be joined in this episode by Kateri Coyhis, the director of Wellbriety. Wellbriety, and its overarching White Bison, focuses on 'going beyond being just sober--- it is whole-person wellness" focused on inclusion and universal human teachings. Wellbriety focuses on integration of the Native American culture (or through inclusivity any human idea of culture) into preventi...

Benzodiazepines ('benzos'), part of the sedative hypnotic class of drugs, are widely prescribed medications. They are, however, also a widely desired drug of abuse. Xanax, Valium, Ativan, and Klonopin (generic names respectively: alprazolam, diazepam, lorazepam, clonazepam) are the most commonly desired benzos, with xanax leading the pack due to its fast onset of action and high potency....

On the last MOUD episode, we discussed Methadone (a full agonist opioid treatment for OUD) and Naltrexone (an antagonist treatment for OUD). In this episode, we will discuss Buprenorphine, which is a partial agonist opioid treatment for OUD. Buprenorphine, the sublingual name brands of Suboxone and Subutex and the injectable name brand of Sublocade, is becoming a mainstay of treatment for OUD. We...

Treatment Court, also and formerly known as Drug Court, is a well-researched method for preventing recidivism (the revolving door of persons in and out of correctional institutions). Today we are joined by Aleesha Ward, the Treatment Court Coordinator for St. Louis County, MN. She will describe who can, and should, be involved in a treatment court, the team-based approached used in treatment court...

After many requests, we are going to start diving into the different medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). We will start with the basic 101 level overview of these medications, whereas future episodes will be much more detailed and nuanced. In this episode, methadone and naltrexone will be discussed. We will discuss how and why they work as MOUD as well as a few of the things that make each...

Medication assisted treatment (MAT) has been a concept in medicine and society for around 300 years despite its seemingly recent debut with the rise of the opioid epidemic. This episode will kick off the next series we will embark on, MAT and MOUD (medications for opioid use disorder). We will discuss when the concept of MAT first originated and how it has evolved from a "magic elixir" t...

We will conclude our meth series with a fairly common, albeit not talked about enough, topic- Meth Psychosis. This psychosis encompasses many of the same symptoms as schizophrenia- hallucinations/delusions/paranoia/etc., and many of the risk factors do overlap. We will review these risk factors, as well as others, and discuss how patients present and can progress. Finally, we will talk about the l...

WARNING- This episode may be TRIGGERING! This episode will educate all listeners on all things using meth. We will review common slang/street names for meth as well as for getting high on meth. This then evolves into the various routes for use of meth and explains [most/all of] the terminology associated.  For questions, comments, episode recommendations or requests or to learn more, email us at:...

In this episode, we will bring you a variety of methamphetamine facts [and opinions!] We will start with some of the ways people who use (or have used) meth are judged and stigmatized against, then transition into some of the short- and long-term effects of the drug. Next, we will review Desoxyn, legal meth, and how and why it may be prescribed and what that may mean for a person prescribed it lon...

On part 2 of our meth series, we go way back to the beginning, from 1887 when Romanian chemist, Lazar Edeleanu, developed the 'first meth' (phenylisopropylamine) to the "new meth" P2P (phenyl-e-propranone). We will discuss how and why the first meth was produced, then explain how the rural clandestine meth labs operated and produced the 'old meth', and, finally, talk...

Many people have assumptions about a person who uses meth, what meth is, and what it does to the body. In this new series, Methamphetamine 101, we will dive deeper into these, and other topics, surrounding this very stigmatized substance. In Part 1, we'll overview the "meth look" and the whys behind it (and debunk some un or part truths) as well as touch on some of the 'basics....

The golf world was shaken when recent PGA tour winner, Greyson Murray, ended his own life on May 24, 2024. To honor him and his family and their amazing words honoring the love Greyson had, in this episode we will discuss how to love a loved one in the midst of their disease of addiction or who is struggling with severe mental illness. Pam Lanhart, a mother of a son who lost his life to an uninten...