On today’s episode of The Addicted Mind Podcast, Duane speaks with Dr. Joseph Volpicelli, a world-renowned scientist clinician whose research led to the discovery of naltrexone (a drug that treats alcohol addiction) among many other discoveries related to addiction treatment.   Today, he talks about how naltrexone can help someone struggling with alcohol addiction reduce their cravings. With the help of naltrexone as one of the tools in their toolkit of recovery, people can now start to build a meaningful, purposeful life. They also talk about the importance of the other component: not just the medical intervention, but also the psychosocial interventions for recovery. Dr. Volpicelli has been interested in addiction treatment and research for 40 years now. Such interest started when he was a medical student working with individuals who were returning from Vietnam who had developed an alcohol addiction. Many of them were using opiates but when they came back to the United States, they started drinking more alcohol.  For a long time, he has been interested in the relationship between stress, alcohol drinking, and opiates, and has taken that observation into the laboratory working with rats. What he found out was that the ability to control trauma had a very profound effect in terms of one's ability to fight something like cancer. When you're exposed to uncontrollable trauma, your brain releases endogenous endorphins and endogenous morphine-like molecules that help kill the pain. The problem with addiction is that the behavior makes you feel better temporarily but it sows the seeds for the next episode when you’ll need to use alcohol or drugs again, thereby creating an addictive cycle. Dr. Volpicelli discovered how naltrexone helps moderate the highs and lows and, therefore, helps break that addictive cycle. This then gives a person a chance to find other things in life and gives them a sense of purpose and social connectedness. In this episode, you will hear: How Dr. Volpicelli got interested in addiction treatment Trauma and its effects on physical or behavioral disorders How stress is related to alcohol addiction Withdrawal from your own endogenous opiates The endorphin effect that happens in addiction How naltrexone breaks the addictive cycle Understanding the logical brain vs. the emotional brain The BRENDA Approach to enhance adherence Key Quotes: [04:06] - “The ability to control the trauma had a very profound effect in terms of one's ability to fight something like cancer.” [08:05] - “When you're exposed to uncontrollable trauma, your brain releases endogenous endorphins and endogenous morphine-like molecules that help kill the pain.” [09:24] - “A lot of times when people have a very stressful week, on the weekends, they just feel like sitting on a couch eating potato chips, and for some folks when they drink, it helps improve their mood… that's probably withdrawal from your own endogenous opiates.” [10:53] - "The problem with addiction is that the behavior, drinking alcohol or any other behavior, makes you feel better temporarily. But it sows the seeds for the next episode where you need to use the drug again. And so it creates an addictive cycle." [13:58] - “The naltrexone helps moderate the highs and lows so it helps break that addictive cycle.” [15:33] - “By breaking that cycle, the medicine then gives a person a chance to find other things in life to give them a sense of purpose and social connectedness.” [23:24] - "Rather than fight our emotional brain, it's important to understand how it works." [25:55] - "We like to do something purposeful and meaningful in our lives. And people who establish that have much less risk of going back to relapse." Supporting Resources: https://volpicellicenter.com  Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer...

On today's episode, Duane speaks with Howard Lipp about the recovery he experienced after coming up against a wall that he couldn't move. He also shares about the experience he had in rehab that led him to do some work with psychedelics. This enabled him to transcend and find a way out of his suffering and pain. Howard jumped into the world of recovery in 2002 after hitting a wall with drugs and alcohol which he describes as impenetrable. He later realized he had a callous on his forehead from running into the same wall for such a long time without realizing it. Although he wasn't actively suicidal, he no longer wanted to live the way he was living. Therefore, he went through a Pavlovian conditioning program that worked for a while. The problem was that it didn't solve the internal conflict he had within him: his feelings of worthlessness and all the pain he carried from his past of abuse and bullying.  Howard went through most of his life believing there was something foundationally wrong with him. It was easy to grab evidence from his experience as a child and from the fact that he needed something outside of himself to feel okay in his skin. The only thing that shut that up was alcohol. It worked well. The problem is, eventually every substance will fail. Howard went to a treatment center and had the most unusual experience after being awake for 21 days. Then, he didn't move for three days and had no detox symptoms or medications applied to his body.  Today, Howard talks about the out-of-body experience he had at this treatment center. He also shares his first experience with plant-based medicine and how it broke through something within him. He felt an immediate connection to the presence of a great mystery of spirit.  He later realized that his addiction was not to a substance but to his thinking. He believed every single thought he had and that the thinker was him rather than the construct itself. He also started to see how his experience had informed his beliefs.  In this episode, you will hear: The belief that leads to a feeling of unworthiness Looking beyond the constructive self The self-flagellating false self that beats the crap out of us The belief that we’re separate from the Divine Why circumstances are not the challenge but the thinking mind is What happens when you use your mind as the guidance system for living The benefits of plant-based medicine in healing addiction and trauma Key Quotes: [03:13] - “You can't solve the problem with the thing that's causing the problem.” [04:50] - "We come from the realm of the great mystery, and land into a body and we're not received as this whole and complete being. Instead, we're given lots of reasons why we're not whole and complete." [12:28] - "As Michael Palin says, ‘If you really want to change your mind, you're going to have to address these false selves.’"  [16:25] - "Nobody is really suffering from an addiction to a substance and that is a known fact that it's a symptom." [23:16] - “Psychedelics bring you into the present moment and you can't run away.” [29:32] - “My suffering is not what's happening in the moment. It's the story I tell myself about it.” [42:02] - "The greatest lie we tell ourselves and our kids is that the value of a human being can be codified or quantified by anything of this world, our job, or money or all of that. But the essence of what we are can’t be measured." If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it. Supporting Resources: www.enaandhoward.com  Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Getting through the first two years of recovery can be extremely difficult. Just when you think you've gone as far as you can go, you realize you’re only at the beginning. You need to develop the skill set to master recovery and live your best life. On today’s episode, Duane speaks with Barry Lehman about achieving long-term recovery or recovery after the first two years of sobriety. They specifically talk about what that looks like and how we can gain mastery so we can live our best life and find joy and happiness in recovery.  Barry is a retired pastor and has been sober for 33 years now. While he was in ministry as a parish pastor, he discovered he was an alcoholic. He went into a treatment program and stayed in the ministry for another 11 years after getting sober. He also got his Doctor of Ministry in Counseling and got his license as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor which he has served as part-time for 28 years now. Through his recovery journey, Barry learned how to be healthy and he now hopes he can share his story with others. In his book, Mastering Recovery, Barry talks about long-term recovery. He realized that the nitty-gritty of staying sober for more than two years isn't talked about enough.  When you’re in recovery, everything changes drastically. You have to find out how to live again and that’s not easy. In your first two years of recovery, you learn how to go about normal life and enjoy various occasions without alcohol. However, once you hit the third year, you can’t just go on doing things you used to do and just try doing them sober. If that’s all you do, you’ll end up having lots of cravings as well as mental and emotional relapses.   In this episode, you will hear: Why Barry wrote the book Mastering Recovery What mastery really is Practice as the path to mastery How to do a personal inventory Trauma-informed treatment Finding meaning and purpose Building a recovery-positive list Key Quotes: [07:44] - “The real nitty-gritty down and dirty way of staying sober beyond two years isn't very often talked about.” [12:29] - “Getting better at something important to you. – that's what mastery is.” [12:56] - “That's the path of mastery, keep practicing… When you think you've come to the end, you're only just beginning.” [18:42] - “Trauma-informed treatment, while it’s a buzzword, it's also very real.” [20:25] "Learning about movement, learning about exercise, is a big step that many of us need to take at that two-year mark, if not before." [27:50] - "Even when you're angry and upset, or frustrated, you begin to learn how to deal with those. And that's part of the practice." [29:45] - "I got to have that awareness of myself and my world of who I am. That's long-term recovery." [31:42] - "If you're lucky enough to have good people around you, who have been through good treatment and good therapy, you'll be able to lay down the stepping stones that will keep you growing in that area." If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it. Supporting Resources: www.balehman.com Book: Mastering Recovery Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

On today's episode, Duane talks with Faith Elicia about her nine-year journey through an eating disorder. They discuss how she struggled several times to get help and how she finally found something that worked for her. They also talk about what helped her deal with not only her eating disorder but also with her anxiety, depression, and family history of addiction and family dysfunction. Faith's story provides a lot of hope that, even when you feel at your worst and like you can't go on, there's still hope out there.  Faith comes from an addictive household, being a child of an alcoholic. She used to believe that all dads yelled. She was scared of all fathers and generalized that all dads are mean. At 16, Faith saw her dad drunk for the first time, throwing a chair while she was hiding under the table. Then, he sought help and got sober for 30 years until his death three years ago. She also has a sister who found recovery in Narcotics Anonymous and another sister who found recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous. Although she was very familiar with the behaviors of addiction growing up, she wasn't aware that there was addiction in their house because of shame. Everything had to stay within the walls.  After she had her third child, Faith dealt with anxiety, panic, and agoraphobia. This was in the 80s and there wasn't really an understanding of anxiety disorders at that time. She couldn't tell anyone for fear they would lock her up in a psychiatric ward. Mental health just wasn't talked about like it is now. Understandably, Faith was petrified.  She was very afraid of drugs and alcohol. However, impulsive compulsive behavior can come out in other forms. Food became her way of coping and dealing with her internal chaos. Faith’s anxiety disorder turned into an eating disorder. It wasn't until she started to incorporate a mindfulness practice that things shifted for her. In this episode, you will hear: Growing up in a family with addictive behaviors Depression and anxiety during her third pregnancy How her anxiety disorder morphed into an eating disorder  Feeling guilt knowing her daughter also had an eating disorder Finding her home in Codependency Anonymous The shift that occurred when she joined the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program How she deals with the eating disorder voice that comes in Digging deeper into what’s really going on Key Quotes: [08:39] - “Addiction is a disease. It's a sickness.” [14:41] - ​​"It becomes all-consuming, weighing myself all day. It really took over." [16:26] - “It's very important for someone who thinks they have an eating disorder to seek help from someone who specializes in it and who really understands it." [19:00] - “No two eating disorders are the same. No two recoveries are the same. ... this is a process. It's a journey.” [19:21] - “This is a journey of self-awareness, self-discovery, retraining my thoughts filling that void that was always inside with self-care." [32:34] - "When the eating disorder voice is trying to distract me, it's from some feeling or situation that I don't want to deal with." If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it. Supporting Resources: Do You See What I See? by Faith Elicia The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz Codependency Anonymous Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

On today's episode, Duane speaks with Jan Winhall, the author of Treating Trauma and Addiction with the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model: A Bottom-Up Approach. Jan's book is a combination of over 40 years of working with trauma and addiction and reflecting on how to bring an embodied approach to addiction treatment.   We currently understand trauma and addiction from more of a top-down cognitive approach. For example, the DSM, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, sees it through a pathologizing lens. When Jan started her work, she was fresh out of graduate school where she got assigned to run a group for young women who were incest survivors. Early on, it taught her how to understand addiction through the nervous system.  As feminist therapists, they were very curious about using new models because they felt the current models were misogynistic. Instead of helping women feel empowered, they did the opposite. They were shocked to see how these women who were viewed as victims of violence were actually being pathologized, getting admitted to hospitals, and being put on medications. This led to the basis of the Polyvagal model which asserted that their responses weren’t maladaptive; rather, their responses were adaptive in maladaptive environments. Today, Jan explains how our nervous system influences our behavioral choices and how we perceive the world and our situations. She also teaches how we can use the felt sense with the help of others to create a sense of safety in our lives. With that sense of safety, we will be able to choose more strategic behaviors that lead us to become our best selves.  In this episode, you will hear: How the dual system of the vagus nerve works The Polyvagal model explained What happens when the body gets stuck in freeze Other blended states in the nervous system How to develop felt sensing practices to heal from trauma How the state we’re in determines how we experience the world Key Quotes: [03:52] - "It was shocking to see how these women that I viewed as being victims of violence were really being pathologized." [06:49] - “All of these behavioral addictions and substance abuse stuff were ways that we're helping them to numb they kind of got that on some level.” [09:05] - "Our autonomic nervous system is the part of us that watches to see if we're safe. And if we don't feel safe enough, then we move into that flight-fight place in the sympathetic branch." [09:24] - “The dorsal branch of the vagus nerve simultaneously helps you and kicks in when you're in a big trouble by shutting everything down in the body.” [10:42] - “Our bodies have this way of protecting us when we really need to shut down. The problem is that we get stuck there.”  [12:40] - “You can see when someone gets triggered, the traumatic experience becomes as fresh as if it was happening right now.” [17:32] - “Through the practice of felt sensing, you're learning slowly, over time, how to feel safe enough in your body to connect with your feelings and let go of dissociating, and numbing, and being more and more and more present with yourself.” [21:32] - “To take responsibility, you have to be present and you have to be gentle with yourself.” [24:53] - "How we feel, how we experience the world is determined by what state we're in." If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it. Supporting Resources: https://janwinhall.com/ Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

On today’s episode, Duane speaks with Dr. Karol Darsa about how to recognize trauma as well as some of the first steps you need to take to deal with trauma. Karol is the author of the book, The Trauma Map: Five Steps to Reconnect With Yourself. She dives deep into how trauma impacts us in our everyday life as well as what we can do to deal with our traumatic histories so we can heal and feel better. If you have struggled with some trauma in your past, hopefully you will get a lot of insights from this episode as Karol shares her professional wisdom on recovering from trauma. A licensed psychologist for 23 years, Karol found herself repeating certain information over and over again. She realized what was really missing in a lot of people's minds was the understanding of what trauma is and what it does. Maybe they knew what trauma was but didn't understand that it could impact them to the degree that it was impacting them.  Many people think trauma only applies to people who have been to war or were sexually abused. They don't consider other things to be trauma. However, trauma can also result from smaller incidents when people didn't even realize they felt traumatized.  Hoping to explain the basics of trauma and how it works, Karol decided to write the book, The Trauma Map: Five Steps to Reconnect With Yourself. Karol also noticed an overarching characteristic of self-blame among her clients who were dealing with trauma. They were quick to judge themselves much more than they should. Therefore, Karol also wrote the book as a great tool for minimizing self-blame. In this episode, you will hear: What trauma is What the different types of trauma could look like Why the power of positive thinking sometimes backfires for people Recognizing relational trauma How trauma causes you to disconnect from your body Why people find it difficult to face painful situations Dismissing your feelings means a lack of self-acceptance How to eliminate self-blame Key Quotes: [03:49] - “What was really missing in a lot of people's minds is really the understanding of what trauma is, and what it does.” [04:57] - “The power of the positive thinking, sometimes that actually backfires for a lot of people.” [05:56] - “Many people think trauma means if you been to war, or maybe if you were sexually abused, but other than that, people don't consider other things as trauma.” [06:31] - “Trauma is a situation where it's so overwhelming that it makes you feel powerless, basically unable to cope.” [07:13] - “The most common trauma that people minimize is relational trauma.” [09:30] - "In the relational traumas, reactions don't function that way. People have to be able to look at their symptoms and recognize it." [13:50] - "We have a limited capacity to actually face painful situations. As human beings, we all are that way." [17:17] - "One of the problems of dismissing feelings or putting things away or dismissing our body is that we are ultimately not accepting who we are." If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it. Supporting Resources: The Trauma Map Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

We cannot overstate the impact this pandemic has had on our healthcare providers. When you think about all the stress and pressures these front-liners are going through day in and day out, you can see how a lot of aspects are playing in that are leading to clinical burnout and, ultimately, addiction. Yet, we need to recognize that this is just a part of a larger system that's going on in the individual. On this episode, Duane talks with clinical psychologist Michael Tkach as he shares about addiction and other issues that healthcare workers are facing during these COVID times. A clinical psychologist by training, Michael is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Behavioral Health Officer for Affinity Empowering, a technology-based solutions provider that supports overall health and wellness endeavors and that has also become a major provider of COVID-19 testing. Michael recently conducted research on medical care providers who are providing care to individuals diagnosed with terminal illnesses. What was highlighted in the research was a sense of powerlessness. These providers have no power to change the course of the etiology of the disease and they’re left with no other option but to simply manage the disease.  Michael was drawn into the mental health field after growing up in a neighborhood with a high prevalence of addiction as well as death by suicide. He eventually ended up at Hazelden Betty Ford for postdoctoral residency and then later came on staff there holding a variety of different roles.  Today, Michael shares his expertise and wisdom about addiction treatment and how we can help individuals struggling with addiction, especially our frontline healthcare workers who are working so hard to provide the best care they can under extremely difficult circumstances. If you're a healthcare worker out there struggling, please reach out for help so you can get the support you need.  In this episode, you will hear: Looking at addiction from a much larger scope Clinical burnout caused by a sense of powerlessness The perfect storm of many social supports not being there The lack of social support when people are looking to reduce stress and disengage How alcohol sales have increased during the pandemic The overlapping Venn diagram of prevalence between traumatic experiences and substance use Getting in-person support vs. virtual support Key Quotes: [05:23] - "The way that I approach addiction and addiction treatment is how all of those factors coalesce and come into a single point to affect the individual rather than trying to be reductionistic."  [09:26] - “When we start looking at what happened with COVID and how places were overwhelmed, what you started seeing is that clinical burnout that goes along with that feeling of helplessness.” [13:39] - "A lot of times, we think of addiction as a disease state that really thrives in isolation, people have shame. They hide it, they want to downplay how much they're using." [14:38] - “During the beginning of the pandemic, globally from April to June of 2020, alcohol sales increased over 34% to the year prior.” [18:15] - “There are those traumatic experiences where people are talking about loss, they're talking about those experiences and those pressures to keep going that leads towards burnout.” [18:25] - “There is this overlapping Venn diagram of prevalence between traumatic experiences and substance use." [23:53] - “As much as we love to think that therapy is therapy and supportive support, it is a different skill set to do it virtually than to do it in person.” If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it. Supporting Resources: Affinity Empowering Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider...

Entrepreneurs and high-performing individuals are highly persistent and driven. Oftentimes, they are in control as they push themselves to success. They look really good on the outside. However, when they have an undercurrent of hurt and pain that is never expressed or paid attention to, they’re also likely to numb out from the pain through alcohol, drugs, sex, or something else. Let’s add to that the fact that drinking is pretty normalized in Canada, the US, and Western Europe. It’s even more normalized in many businesses as their way of closing deals. Unfortunately, we need to understand the progressive nature of this disease. On today’s episode, Duane speaks with David Greer, an entrepreneur, author, and coach who shares about his own recovery journey, specifically from the perspective of being a successful entrepreneur.  David was a high-functioning alcoholic who had a difficult time recognizing that he had an issue with alcohol. For decades, he was in denial because he had it all together on the outside. His moment of clarity came to him one evening while sailing on the Mediterranean under the stars. He feels that his higher power touched him at that very moment. David has been in recovery for over 12 years now. For the last six years, he has been a business coach and a facilitator of strategic planning who works exclusively with entrepreneurs. He decided to break his anonymity from the 12-step program and come out publicly to help other entrepreneurs who are running successful businesses and also struggling with alcohol or addiction so they can move to the next level. In this episode, you will hear: Drinking being normalized in certain cultures and in business Sailing through the Mediterranean Sea The moment David’s higher power touched him Hiring a coach on his 50th birthday David’s three biggest fears His breakthrough moment of admitting he was an alcoholic The #1 characteristic of entrepreneurs Why self-care is very critical as entrepreneurs Hiring a coach versus a consultant Navigating through challenging social situations when you’re early in recovery Key Quotes: [06:16] - “Drinking is normalized in Canada, in the U.S., and Western Europe. But then, in a business context, in many cases, I think it's even more normalized like it's the lubricant to close deals.” [08:43] - "I was in denial for decades because I just had a massive capacity to drink and not show a lot of adverse effects." [22:40] - "The bottom line is I don't like negative feelings... and my three biggest fears are I'm not good enough... it's my fault...and who do you think you are – to deserve a great life?" [26:08] - "I'm uncomfortable with crying because that wasn't allowed in the household that I grew up in." [27:59] - "People ask me, like, what's the number one characteristic of entrepreneurs? And my response to that is persistence." [29:04] - “There's three parts to your life… when you're setting goals for yourself for the year or the quarter – career/finances, business; your life, your relationships, your significant other, your family; and then in the middle is yourself.” [31:20] - "There's a whole myth that to build a successful business, you have to be a workaholic." If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it. Supporting Resources: www.coachdjgreer.com David’s book: Wind in Your Sails: Vital Strategies That Accelerate Your Entrepreneurial Growth Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

On today's episode, Duane speaks with spiritual leader and author Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati. In her book Hollywood to the Himalayas, she shares the journey of her transformation from trauma and abuse to healing and freedom. Her hope is to bring people into the natural state of freedom, peace, and joy and, ultimately, free people from suffering, pain, and addiction. Although Sadhvi has written other books on her teachings, she reveals that this was the first time she shared her actual full story – uncensored, raw, deep, vulnerable, honest, and genuine. She decided to write the book after seeing how critical it is to bridge spirituality and humanity at this time when too many people are in the throes of human struggle, including addiction. Sadhvi grew up in Hollywood. She lived a privileged life, had access to the best education, and graduated from Stanford University. And yet, as everyone with addiction understands, something was bubbling beneath the surface.  At an early age, Sadhvi dealt with sexual abuse and abandonment and, as a result, was yearning for love and approval. While she was succeeding beautifully in every external way, inside she felt like she had done something wrong and there was something wrong with her. Addiction became her go-to stress response and it never occurred to her that she could be free. At the age of 25, Sadhvi went to India and had an extraordinary spiritual awakening experience. It was unexpected, unanticipated, and unsought for on any conscious level. From that moment on, she knew she was one with all of the Divine creation and the rest of her life began.  In this episode, you will hear: Sadhvi’s journey through addiction and spiritual awakening Letting go of pain and the identification with pain Practicing to keep the mind on track How we become slaves to our thoughts What forgiveness means The two arcs of the book, Hollywood to the Himalayas Key Quotes: [03:18] - “It seems so critical today that we bridge spirituality and humanity.” [16:02] - “The dilemma with using psychedelics to get there is you have to just keep using them, which of course does not benefit anyone when you substitute awakening for addiction, and instead of freedom, you end up a slave.”  [18:10] - “What to do comes really naturally once you have an experience of who you are. The dilemma for so many of us is we don't know who we are and so we don't know what to do.” [20:03] - “The most extraordinary lesson has been that our freedom is our highest goal… and the question always is – is this pain, is this grudge, is this identity – is it worth my freedom?” [20:43] - “We act like thoughts run the show. We act like we are slaves and the thoughts are the master.” [23:46] - “Forgiveness says regardless of what you have done to me, regardless of what your anger, ignorance, fear, confusion, your patterns, regardless of what those made you do to me, I still deserve to be free. That is my birthright.” [26:55] - “Regardless of how stuck you feel, you can be free. You have that veto power." [29:10] - “You're not your body any more than you are your car. Your car is a vehicle that takes you places. Your body is a vehicle. It's what the soul is using on this particular leg of the karmic journey, but you're not the body." If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it. Supporting Resources: Hollywood to Himalayas: A Journey of Healing and Transformation Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

On today’s episode, Duane speaks with Michelle Chalfant, host of The Adult Chair Podcast, about being our best selves by sitting in the adult chair and how our adult self can help us navigate all parts of our trauma, inner child, and ego. Michelle gives practical advice that can help you move forward in your life in a way that will create meaning and purpose.  A therapist and coach, Michelle currently does coaching certification and workshops based on the Adult Chair Model, which was a culmination and combination of several teachers she has worked with over the last 25 years. The Adult Chair Model is a manual for life. It helps you learn how to feel your emotions, something that many of us have not been taught to do well. Michelle says that a lot of us know how to be physically healthy and have a good understanding of that. However, when it comes to emotional health, humans aren't great at it. Learning how to live as a healthy adult is the touchstone of The Adult Chair Model. When you begin to live with compassion, boundaries, and empowerment, and when you’re connected to your emotions instead of reacting to them, you become an emotionally healthy adult and the most authentic version of yourself. Growing up, Michelle was part of an Italian family and was raised with alcoholism all around her.  She recalls moments in college when she felt unhappy and even had suicidal thoughts. As her way of escaping from pain, she resorted to three things: smoking pot, drinking, and overeating.  After consulting a psychiatrist, she got diagnosed with depression and was given four days’ worth of medication. Three days later, she stopped taking the meds and decided to find another way to heal herself.  In this episode, you will hear: Her addiction and recovery journey from depression Turning towards the pain and learning how to feel your emotions How to become friends with your emotions Your body as your navigation system Checking in with your inner child Key Quotes: [03:20] - “The Adult Chair Model is a manual for life.” [03:40] - “A lot of us know to be physically healthy… but when it comes to emotional health, humans aren't great at that.” [14:46] - “You can only take people as far as you've gone.” [15:29] - "It's pausing life temporarily and then you hit play again the moment all the effects wear off, and all of a sudden, you're back in it and the pain is right there again. You have to turn toward the pain." [15:48] - “You've got to get to know your pain and we have to learn how to feel our emotions. And that is something human beings are not taught well how to do.” [19:20] - “You've got to go in there and let those feelings come through." [22:30] - “I found that I had to become friends with my emotions.” [26:54] - "When we tune into the body, we realize it's a navigation system for us and it tells us when we're off, when we're on, when we're okay, and when we're not okay." If you really enjoyed this episode, we’ve created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at www.theaddictedmind.com to download it. Supporting Resources: https://theadultchair.com/ The Adult Chair Podcast Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.