Busting Addiction and Its Myths

In this podcast, we discuss how denial allows addiction and alcoholism to have their way in families who don’t recognise the predator in their midst. We learn that: Denial is born of innocence. How is one to know what is addictive behaviour and what is not unless we are educated? People often turn to professionals not qualified to diagnose addiction as the cause of mental disorders such as depress...

In this podcast, we discuss why “Just Say No” was a well-intentioned but naïve idea. We learn that: Science shows that addiction and/or alcoholism are brain disorders that cause affected people to lose the power of choice. Therefore “Just Say No” only works in the very early going, say as a teenager who actually listens to his parents before he becomes addicted. There is astounding and definitive...

In this podcast, we learn about the challenge and power of letting go. We learn that: The household affected by addiction or alcoholism is ruled by fear, shame, and judgment. Resentment plays its own insidious role, as well. It does not have to be that way, but too few families, especially mums and wives, know the way out of their self-imposed prison. They have not yet learned that it is indeed po...

In this podcast, we discuss the proven fact that anyone can recover. We learn that: Waiting for an addict to hit bottom before they decide to get help could be as good as a death sentence. Intervention must be considered in some form, whether by a professional or by a well-organised group of family and friends. For those unfamiliar with the thought process of an alcoholic or addict who is unsure o...

In this podcast, Bruno J. discusses what it was like and what happened to wake him out of a self-induced state of mindlessness. We learn that: No matter how high we end up flying, alcohol and drugs will bring us down so hard; we won’t know what hit us. Denial is hardwired into our psyches; recall I did not tell my shrink that I was drinking, even though I saw her every week for nine months. It rea...

In this podcast, Bruno J. discusses what life was like and what happened to make him realise there was hope of living a better, as opposed to a horrible life. We learn that: For many of us, we try to keep up appearances despite the emptiness and despair inside of us. That leads us to lead a double life until that act blows up when addiction or alcoholism takes over and we lose our material positio...

In this podcast, we describe the status, sources and effects of (mostly) illegal or diverted substances our audience might be familiar with. We learn that: Of the nineteen drugs/substances discussed, only alcohol and (to some extent) marijuana are up and up legal. The vast majority of drugs that are used or abused are strictly made and taken to get high, period. There is no legal use for drugs lik...

In this podcast, we discuss the myths and the facts surrounding the disease of addiction. We learn that: The addiction crisis in the USA is deadlier than ever and has claimed over 107,000 lives by overdose in 2021 alone, and the trend is discouraging so far in 2022. Addiction is loaded with stigma, ignorance and prejudice which keeps people from seeking help and limits access to resources needed t...

In this podcast, we share the story of Johnny, an example of true grit and strength of character. We learn that: If you happen to be lucky enough to be a recovering, (as opposed to active) alcoholic, you can overcome almost any obstacle if you put your sobriety first. Those who put personal development and spiritual values ahead of material gain will find that material success will follow quite na...

In this podcast, we discuss the development of public programs to reduce the risks of overdose from the most dangerous designer drug on the streets: Fentanyl. We learn that: The US authorities at the federal and state level are finally waking up to the threat of the designer drug of the day: Fentanyl and its analogues. Medical education and training on substance use disorders needs to be substanti...

In this podcast, we discuss the development of synthetic illicit drugs of abuse and how they are revolutionising the industry, making these drugs harder to detect, more powerful and easier to distribute. We learn that: Drug cartels and China-based suppliers are transforming the entire illicit drug industry from plant-based to synthetic. Synthetic psycho-active drugs are exponentially more potent,...

In this podcast, we discuss and assess the strengths and weaknesses of different levels of intervention. We learn that: The vast majority of families who live with an addict or alcoholic in their midst do not seek help for themselves or for their loved ones, despite having to live with the chaos and desperation that addiction imposes on a family. A family intervention, absent a professional, requi...

In this podcast, we discuss the role of anger in our lives and of the many disguises it uses to erode confidence and peace. We learn that: Anger never travels alone and is therefore accompanied by other emotions such as fear and hurt, common in addictive and co-dependent relationships. Anger comes in so many disguises, it’s hard to identify it as the underlying cause of unhelpful behaviours such a...

In this podcast on faulty thinking, common among caregivers of addicts and alcoholics, we discuss the main symptoms of cognitive disorder which leads to depression. We learn that: Dr David Burns’ research proves that how you feel is shaped much more by how you think rather than it is by your circumstances. What this says is that caregivers need to examine the faulty thinking that could result in d...

In this podcast, we discuss the ways in which family members can educate themselves and support initiatives that will de-stigmatize addictive disorders. We learn that: Family members must not buy into the myth that an alcoholic or addict has to hit bottom before they will accept help. Believing that dangerous myth could take years to play out and could result in death or jail, or somewhere in betw...

In this podcast, we discuss the sources of chronic pain in families with addiction. We learn that: Chronic pain is more likely to occur in families with an addiction problem in the home. That is because of the extra burden of stressors imposed by dysfunctions and (according to Dr John Sarno) by suppressed rage. Science has shown that chronic pain is as much a brain disorder as it is a physical pro...

In this podcast, we discuss the intersection of addiction and financial insecurity. We learn that: Free spending and addiction go hand in hand. A life of chaos and compulsion will include financial insecurity. As a society, we are closer to the edge than we think. Almost half of us cannot afford to miss even one paycheck. If we do not see addiction and financial insecurity as related and in crisis...

In this podcast, we discuss the concept of uniqueness. We learn that: It is an illusion since we are 99.9% exactly the same and only 0.1% different. We are far more alike as humans than we are different. It describes a state of mind where no one else matters; we are the centre of the universe, exactly what addicts and alcoholics believe. Accountability goes out the window. Our actions may hurt oth...

In this podcast, we discuss the value of Group Therapy and learn that it is a powerful tool. We learn that Group Therapy: Is an indispensable part of the treatment process, as it gets people to open up in ways that are not possible otherwise, even in one-on-one settings. Creates a powerful sense of belonging to clients who have heretofore felt only isolation from normal society. Gives them an oppo...

In this podcast, we discuss the signs and effects of compulsive spending and debting. We learn that compulsive spending and debting: Are addictions much like any other – repetitive behaviour that causes harm, and that does not stop unless arrested by another force. Reveal themselves in many different ways, usually by some form of vagueness and denial. Are fundamentally spiritual problems that requ...

In this podcast, we discuss the pros and cons of legalising the recreational use of marijuana. We learn that: Despite the economic and taxation lift that is evident in the sale of marijuana, the health costs far outweigh the benefits. The data supporting decreased marijuana use among teens due to legalisation is thin. Marijuana use is highest in states that have legalised its recreational use. Alt...

In this podcast, we answer the question “Is recovery from active alcoholism possible?” We learn that: There is little, if any, doubt that recovery from even the most profound state of addiction or alcoholism is not only possible, but probable given certain conditions. The best way to look at relapse prevention, given that relapse is what families fear most, is to learn that a change in thinking is...

In this podcast, we discuss the reality vs. the myths of what it takes to get an alcoholic or addict to ask for help. We learn that: Among the most dangerous myths is the notion that an addict or alcoholic will not seek help until they are ready. Another dangerous myth is the idea that addicts/alcoholics have to hit bottom before they are ready. We are asking the wrong questions. What we should as...

In this podcast, we discuss that there are many myths surrounding addiction and alcoholism, some of them dangerous. We learn that: Alcoholism by any count is the single biggest drug problem in the US and we dare say around the globe. One of the most damaging myths is to allow the addict or alcoholic to hit bottom before they are ready to accept help. This attitude can kill, for some addicts drop t...

In this podcast, we discuss the deadly impact of drugs, especially opioids, and what a family can do to help themselves and help society reverse the trend that has taken over 100,000 lives in just one year. We learn that: There is indeed an epidemic of drug abuse that will continue to take 100,000 lives by overdose unless we unite and take action to reverse course. Synthetic opioids, primarily fen...