Our guest on this episode of The Addicted Mind podcast is Nate Postlethwait, who joined us to share his recovery journey. Nate grew up in a very religious environment in a rural southern town, which had a profound impact on his childhood and his eventual recovery from the trauma he experienced and his resulting sex addiction. Sexual dysfunction was a generational issue with his family that was never properly handled, and he was the victim of multiple abusive encounters as a child, but it was not until his early 20’s that Nate realized that his compulsions were not typical. He came to understand that he was putting himself in physical danger due to his addiction which led him to feel tremendous shame. Acknowledging that he did not want his life to continue this way, he sought counsel and therapy within the religious community for several years, but he found that they were not equipped to address the biological roots of his trauma or addiction. In his first week at a treatment center, Nate felt that he had covered more ground toward recovery than he had during the past five years of religious counseling, and he immediately felt validated. His therapy there explained the biological reasons why he had been acting with such sexual compulsion and that he was not broken or weak. This therapy allowed him to shift his perspective, alleviate the shame, and reinstated boundaries that had never indeed been enforced. It provided his younger self with a voice to express the pain and hurt that he had been suppressing or trying to change through his addiction. By addressing the root of his trauma and addiction, he found that his desires were different, and he had the potential for positive self-care for the first time. Nate was able to build on the foundation that had been made during his time at the treatment center by taking a step back to evaluate his life and engage with himself to find who he was without these strongholds. He made a few drastic lifestyle changes and realized that he was still in need of therapy, so he began doing intensive EMDR sessions which allowed him to grow and continue the recovery journey. He is still in treatment, and as a part of his journey, he has started a blog and a podcast to discuss the “taboo” topics of male sexual abuse, heterosexuality, and homosexuality in the religious realm, PTSD, and EMDR. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-addicted-mind-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

On this episode of The Addicted Mind podcast, our guest is Marla Berger, a clinician in the field of experiential therapy, who joined us to talk about equine-assisted psychotherapy. Research and experience show that treatment centers, which incorporate some experiential treatment into their program, see their clients make more progress more quickly. Equine-assisted psychotherapy and other similar activities give clients an opportunity to apply the insights they have gained through their talk therapy sessions. During an equine session, an equine specialist and a clinician create a custom environment for the client or group of clients based on their needs and other environmental factors, and they facilitate the framework of the session. Clients then have the opportunity to interact (or not interact) with the horses or donkeys and ascribe meaning to what is happening. Animals are incredibly intuitive by nature because of their survival-driven need to be in tune with their environment, so they can sense in a client various emotions or behaviors and react out of their intuition. People are subconsciously going to interact with the animals in the same ways that they behave in other relationships, through the presence or absence of love, mutual respect, communication, and boundaries. By the clients recognizing how their behaviors or attitudes make the animals react, they can have revelations about their lives that they may have been oblivious to without this therapy. Equine therapy is a very promising tool for therapists, clinicians, and clients themselves that can aid in the recovery or healing process.   Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-addicted-mind-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

On this episode of The Addicted Mind, we are joined by Amy Emerson and Shannon Carlin of the Multidisciplinary Approach for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) research group. Amy and Shannon’s group has had 107 participants complete their MDMA-assisted PTSD therapy program in the last several years, with promising results. As you may know, PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) affects 7% of the US population who have experienced life-threatening events such as military combat, car accidents, natural disasters, or childhood abuse. Individuals with PTSD experience prolonged instability in their lives, perhaps resulting in hypervigilance, fear, difficulty sleeping, and lack of trust. MDMA, the active ingredient in ecstasy, allows participants to experience the opposite of their PTSD symptoms, ideally increasing trust and dampening fear. Participants go through 3 previous therapy visits to establish a baseline and get them familiar with the therapy process, then they have their first MDMA session, followed by 3 integrative sessions, their second MDMA session, 3 more integrative sessions, and then their final MDMA session and 3 integrative sessions. Overall, the therapy sessions span 12-15 weeks, and though the courses are quite intense, participants have found this method to be less invasive and retraumatizing than their previous experiences with talk therapy. During their MDMA sessions, participants will spend 8 hours with 2 therapists who will guide the participant to follow their inner process by listening to their internal healing intelligence. This could mean that the participant talks a lot or barely at all during the session, but the purpose of the subsequent integrative visits is to help the participant process what they experienced and develop the new perspectives that they may be feeling in terms of life in general, coping with their trauma, work, and relationships. The MAPS research group’s research has shown that 2 months after completing their last therapy session, 56% of participants no longer had PTSD, while 12 months after finishing their therapy, 68% no longer had PTSD. Participants have been pleasantly surprised by their results and healing, and therapists are observing the sessions and effects have been amazed at its effectiveness. To anyone who has been seeking help and been discouraged with your progress, Amy and Shannon want you to know that there is hope and research advances are providing new treatment options to the field faster than ever before. Keep seeking help until you find the right fit for you. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-addicted-mind-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Our guest on this episode of The Addicted Mind podcast is Brad Kammer, a therapist specializing in somatic psychotherapy to solve shock and developmental traumas. Brad’s interest in somatic psychotherapy began during his time as an aid worker working with Burmese refugees. He observed their healing rituals, which frequently involved physical actions such as singing, chanting, or performing, and while he was going through his own healing process from the secondary PTSD from his time with the Burmese people, he realized that talking through trauma is not always effective. By working through the complex traumas experienced during childhood or other traumatic events with the body, healing can be much more attainable. Additionally, using more natural and realistic relationship-focused alternatives to the typical therapy session involving closed shades, a locked door, and no interruptions make people much more likely to share openly and get to the root of their traumas. Whether we realize it or not, our psychobiological patterns are established early on, and these patterns impact how we will cope with unfortunate circumstances and make decisions throughout adolescence and adulthood. These patterns are mainly formed by our attachment or bonding circumstances with our caregivers when we are children, and we often find that patterns we developed out of the necessity for survival as children are actually getting in our way as adults and keep us from experiencing true freedom and joy. Brad uses the NARM (NeuroAffective Relational Model) to help individuals process their emotions from the top down (from thoughts and identity to emotional and physical aspects) and the bottom up (from the body to the thoughts and behaviors). He finds that clients often experience excitement and fear as the notice that their patterns are changing; excitement for the freedom they have found along with fear regarding the change and the potential loss of attachment, even if their attachment figure is no longer living. Therapy is a process, so results do not begin overnight, but with consistency and intentionality, therapy can provide the opportunity to reorganize and transform your life. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-addicted-mind-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Our guest on this episode of the Addicted Mind podcast is Lori Kandels, a therapist in the Bay area specializing in anxiety. Anxiety is often the result of trauma and can manifest as fear, stress, self-doubt, and persistent negative stories ruminating in the mind, and can sometimes lead to addictions as a way to escape. The repetition of these stress responses creates neural pathways in the brain that become a cycle that can be difficult to break and usually negatively impacts the individual’s metabolism, concentration, sleep patterns, and ability to relax. The key to understanding and treating anxiety is realizing that anxiety is only about the past or the future. With discipline and intention, anxiety can be overcome with practices such as mindfulness, meditation, EMDR, and the Emotional Freedom Technique or tapping. By identifying the triggers and developing a practice that gets the person used to relieve the anxiety, there is absolutely a way out of this stress cycle. Lori wants to encourage those struggling with anxiety that you have control over this, you are safe now, and you do not have to live like this. Seeking help can provide you with a hope you may not have felt in a long time. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-addicted-mind-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

On this episode of the Addicted Mind podcast, we are joined by a returning guest, Adina Silvestri of Life Cycles Counseling in Richmond, Virginia. Adina’s practice works with individuals battling eating disorders partnered with addictions with the goal of transferring their shame to hope and healing. The combination of eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating) with substance or other addictions is very harmful to the health and wellbeing of those struggling and can even lead to death in untreated cases. It is common for men and women to struggle with eating disorders and addictions for years, silently suffering due to their shame, before reaching out for help. While there is not much literature available on treating these two disorders together, Adina has found that mindfulness and support and accountability groups are effective and life-changing resources for those struggling. In these situations, there is always an underlying issue that the individual is trying to heal or escape from, causing them to develop an eating disorder and/or an addiction. Armed with coping mechanisms and the support of family and friends, hope and healing can be found. If you are struggling, reach out for help right now. You are not alone and you do not have to handle this alone. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-addicted-mind-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

On this episode of the Addicted Mind podcast, Timothy Wienecke joins us to discuss his work in advocacy, clinical mental health, and an educational institute for veterans and first responders. A military veteran himself, Tim recognized the need for clinicians to focus on the mental health of veterans and first responders, who are prone to mental injury on a daily basis. He found that non-combat veterans and combat veterans with a dishonorable discharge have almost no access to resources to help them cope with PTSD and/or traumatic brain injuries, not to mention the typical struggles with finding purpose, integrating into civilian life, and learning how to be present with their families again. During their time in the service, members of the military are required to make very few major life decisions, but when they get out, they are bombarded with decisions but their identity is so wrapped up in their roles in the military that they struggle to process it all. We have all heard that 22 veterans commit suicide every day, but 11 of those are veterans of Vietnam and Korea, 6 of those are non-combat veterans, and 5 of them are combat veterans. Most people enter the military to run away from something (adolescence, family issues, educational pressures, etc.), and often the uniformity required by the service allows them to hide from those issues by focusing on the ultimate mission rather than themselves. When they get out, the issues pop back up and they have not been equipped to cope with things, so they find the ultimate escape in taking their own lives. Tim and his colleagues are committed to helping them find the resources and hope that they need. While there are organizations on the national and local levels to support veterans, there are almost no support structures in place for first responders (firefighter, police officers, EMS professionals, ambulance drivers, dispatchers, etc.) as they experience frequent trauma which they are trained to just push to the side so they can do their jobs efficiently. While some of the calls they receive are routine and not traumatic, they have to be prepared for the worst every time, which takes a mental and emotional toll on them. There is a stigma around mental health in the first responder community which causes those individuals to either not seek treatment or do so in secret, fearing that they will be demoted to desk duty if their department finds out that they have anxiety in any form. Tim has found that providing these professionals with emotional regulation skills such as mindfulness and DBT followed by the tools that will help them answer the existential questions that may arise as a result. Tim wants veterans and first responders to know that you do not lack purpose just because your service is over. There is always something in the world to connect to, and there is always help if you are willing to seek it. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-addicted-mind-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Our guest on this episode of the Addicted Mind podcast is Dr. Jack Bloomfield, a specialist in the ARISE model of interventions. This model is an alternative to the “traditional” form of confrontational interventions created in the 1960s by Dr. Johnson. In this confrontational model, the focus is very much on the addict, usually involving an ambush-type situation where several family members trick the addict into coming to a certain location where they are presented with some type of “go to rehab tomorrow or else…” ultimatum. Due to the heartfelt emotions in this situation, addicts are likely to agree to go to rehab, but 70% of them will leave rehab within 2 weeks because they didn’t make the decision to enter on their own terms. They usually feel anger and resentment towards their family which proves to be counterproductive to the family’s original desires and plan. The ARISE model of intervention is different and successful in 3 areas: It is an invitation model. The addict is invited to a “family meeting” where they likely know what will be discussed. The dialogue changes from “you have a problem” to “we, as a family, have a problem.” 80% of addicts will come when they are invited. 50% of those happen because they recognize that they have a problem 50% will go because they don’t think they have a problem and want to defend themselves The focus is on the family. The family indicates that they recognize that they all have things they need to work on in themselves, and they have reached out to someone who can help them all as a family. The addict does not feel singled out. The interventionist works with the family for 6 months. By committing to continuing care, the family creates a safe place for all of them to work on and discuss their issues and their progress during weekly accountability phone calls. This timeframe empowers the addict to make their own choices and not feel forced or pressured into action. They may decide that rehab, intensive outpatient treatment, or just consistent AA meetings are their best option. During and after the addict addresses their issue, the family is all on the same page and speaking the same language because they have all been on a healing journey together. The incredible statistic is that while 70% of addicts who enter rehab as a result of a confrontational intervention will leave within 2 weeks, only 2% of addicts who enter rehab as a result of an ARISE intervention will disappear within 30 days. This gives so much hope to the families waiting for a breakthrough in the life of their loved one who struggles with addiction.   Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-addicted-mind-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

On this episode of the Addicted Mind podcast, our guest is Dr. Scott D. Miller of the International Center of Clinical Excellence in the field of mental health. Dr. Miller has used his decades of experience in the industry to develop outcome measures with the goal of increasing the effectiveness of therapy. These outcomes are not merely “milestones” or objective progress markers, but are more subjective and are focused on the client’s well-being and function. Previous training for therapists had been targeted towards treating the symptoms that the client had, but often even when the symptoms had gone away, the person wasn’t feeling much better. Using the ORS and SRS scales that Dr. Miller developed allows the therapist and the client to maintain an open dialogue regarding the effectiveness of their treatment and their satisfaction with their relationship overall, which is key to the success of the therapy. This practice of consistently tracking and reporting results allows the therapist to adapt their methods for each client, allocating the care and energy necessary to develop a healthy relationship that has proven to be essential for the treatment to be effective. Dr. Miller shares that a significant portion of the population that needs help does not seek it, and the main reason that is cited for this deficit is the misconception that therapy is not effective. However, the average treated person is better off than 80% of people with similar problems who are not receiving any care. Additionally, 80% of people would instead talk to someone about their issues than receive a medication to treat their issues from their general physician. When someone does decide to seek treatment for their issue, the most crucial step is to find the right therapist for them. This therapist is going to be getting to know you very well, so you must make sure that you can develop a trusting relationship with them and know that their advice and methods are for the best. Be prepared to call or visit several therapists to find the right fit for you and do not be discouraged when one does not work out. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-addicted-mind-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Our guest on this episode of the Addicted Mind podcast is Amy Smith, founder of the Worth Recovery podcast, which has grown into a community of mutual support. Amy began her recovery journey in 2011 when she realized that her multiple failed “relationships” were a result of sex addiction and the notion that intimacy was nothing more than a transaction. On the very same day that she promised to do something to change her situation, her father – with whom anger had characterized her relationship – told her that he had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Because women with sex addiction seem to be a taboo subject, where Amy had to overcome stigma and shame that men with the same issue would not have to deal with due to the social acceptability. At the time, she was living in Seattle, where she found a great therapist and women’s 12-step group that embraced her on her road to recovery. A couple of years later, she moved to Salt Lake City and expected to find similar resources, but she saw nothing but skepticism and discouragement. There were no meetings for women in the area, and though she eventually found the right therapist for her, she encountered many professionals and peers who told her that it was not possible for her to have a sex addiction. Amy’s sponsor kept encouraging her to see this as an opportunity, and eventually, Amy started a meeting in her home for women who grew to the point that there is now a network of support for women in Salt Lake City. Knowing that there is healing in both hearing other people talk about their struggles and in telling others about our own, Amy decided that there might be a few other women outside of Seattle or Salt Lake City who needed to know that they are not alone in their recovery from sex addiction. She started her podcast to tell her story, hoping that it could reach 20 people outside of her region, but the podcast is averaging nearly 600 downloads per day, reinforcing the need for a community to support each other through recovery. Amy’s parting words for anyone struggling with sex addiction (or any addiction) is to believe that you are worth recovery, and do not let anyone make you think or feel otherwise. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-addicted-mind-podcast/donations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.