Stress doesn’t wait for a convenient moment, so why should resilience training wait for a crisis? We sit down with Coach Kay, a PhD serving first responders, ER teams, and other high‑stress professionals, to unpack a practical roadmap for emotional resilience you can actually use. We connect the dots between addiction, overwhelm, and the brain’s survival circuitry, then break down simple steps to recruit the prefrontal cortex, label emotions accurately, and respond with intention instead of impulse.

You’ll hear a clear definition of emotional resilience as a learnable skill and a tour of the six domains that make it concrete: vision, composure, reasoning, health, tenacity, and collaboration. We talk through what a first session looks like, why early “small wins” build momentum, and how honest conversation itself shifts brain chemistry. For clinicians and caregivers, we address the bitter edge of burnout and PTSD and show how third‑person perspective and narrative reframing loosen long‑held patterns without minimizing the pain that created them. If you’re supporting people in recovery, you’ll get language to explain limbic activation, why substances become shortcuts, and how proactive habits restore choice.

This conversation is warm, candid, and grounded: practical journaling prompts, mindfulness tactics, and movement as medicine—whether that’s CrossFit or a neighborhood game of basketball. We make the case for teaching resilience to teens during key developmental windows while reminding everyone that it’s never too late to start. The thread throughout is agency: notice what you feel, understand why, and build rituals that help you act on your values when it counts.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a colleague who’s carrying too much, and leave a review with one resilience practice you’re trying this week. Your story might be the nudge someone else needs.

To learn more about Coach Kay's work: https://www.psyrescoaching.com/about

To contact Dr. Grover: [email protected]

A physician-mom sits across from us and tells the truth: she loved a good, kind man whose alcoholism, fueled by unhealed PTSD, dismantled their family one crisis at a time. From quiet home drinking to ER runs, withdrawal hallucinations, and an ICU ventilator, her story captures the clinical realities of alcohol use disorder and the human cost families carry in silence. She walks through safety plans for her kids, a neighbor’s garage that became a refuge, and a courthouse morning where getting a restraining order had to look “normal” so the children wouldn’t panic.

We dig into the mechanics of stigma—how judgment from colleagues, self-stigma as a physician, and the fear of losing a job keep people quiet. We talk person-first language, trauma-informed care, and the practical wisdom of respond, don’t react. She shares the hard boundary every caregiver eventually faces: sobriety can’t matter more to you than to the person using. Along the way, community shows up in surprising forms: a packed church, meals left at the door, volunteers finishing a half-built treehouse, hikes that reopen space to breathe, and faith that survives anger and doubt.

You’ll hear concrete takeaways for supporting loved ones with alcohol addiction: naming the disease without shaming the person, building child-first safety plans, seeking counseling that treats PTSD and substance use together, and finding support that fits your life when formal groups aren’t possible. Above all, you’ll hear hope—gritty, ordinary, persistent. If you’re carrying a similar weight, you are not alone. Listen, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help more families find real support. Subscribe for more conversations that put compassion, science, and action at the center of addiction care.

What if the fastest way to help a loved one stop using isn’t pushing harder but stepping out of the “villain” role? We sit down with master addiction counselor and YouTuber Amber Hollingsworth to unpack a practical, compassionate framework that actually moves people from resistance to readiness. Amber explains why policing, nagging, and ultimatums create the perfect distraction from change—and how strategic empathy, active listening, and credibility open the door to real motivation.

We break the recovery process into simple, workable steps: stop being the bad guy, build trust by reflecting the person’s perspective, and allow the bargaining phase—“only on weekends,” “just beer,” “no more pills”—to serve as useful data rather than defeat. You’ll hear how to accelerate learning without triggering defensiveness, why a 30-day trial of sobriety is a powerful reality check, and how to prepare resources so you can act quickly when the “I’m ready” moment arrives. We also dive into separate-counselor models that lower conflict, how to align change with a person’s values and strengths, and the role of humor and respect in keeping people engaged.

We don’t ignore medical realities. From treating insomnia, anxiety, and depression in early recovery to using long-acting buprenorphine injections for opioid use disorder, we explore low-barrier tools that improve safety and adherence—especially vital in the fentanyl era. The goal isn’t to force a path; it’s to create conditions where the next right step feels easier than the last wrong one.

If you’re a parent, partner, or clinician looking for strategies that work in the real world, this conversation offers concrete scripts, mindset shifts, and timing cues you can use today. Subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest insight—what’s one change you’ll make in your next hard conversation?

To contact Dr. Grover: [email protected]

The bell rings, the doors open, and the real work begins: keeping kids safe while the drug market slips into their phones and pockets. We sit down with Principal Leland Hansen to unpack the day-to-day reality of school-based prevention, from vape pens hidden in hoodies to Snapchat dealers who change handles as fast as administrators can warn parents. Leland lays out a candid, practical playbook that pairs firm boundaries with a health-first response, including a six-week on-campus program for first offenses that removes friction for families and actually gets used.

We get specific about what’s showing up now—tobacco and THC vapes far more than alcohol—why post-legalization supply is spilling into schools, and how educators investigate under strict limits that require reasonable suspicion. Leland shares the red flags he watches for, like sudden changes in demeanor and unlikely new friend pairings, and explains why middle school is the leverage point where beliefs are forming and choices stick. We compare big assemblies that grab attention with smaller class sessions that build trust and invite tough questions, and we talk about how students quietly use anonymous tip lines to help friends despite a “no snitching” culture.

Parents are crucial, but time-starved. We discuss ways to reach them—tabling at concerts and back-to-school nights, short videos and podcasts they can catch between chores, and direct guidance on home limits that reinforce school expectations. Partnerships matter: local nonprofits providing on-campus support, health educators updating staff on evolving devices, and police following up when adult sellers target kids. The throughline is simple and strong: clear rules, credible facts, and rapid support change outcomes.

If you care about safer schools, smarter prevention, and giving adolescents real choices, you’ll find tactics you can use tomorrow—whether you’re an educator, parent, or community partner. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review to help this podcast continue to grow. Your feedback helps us reach more schools and families.

To contact Dr. Grover: [email protected]

The most dangerous phrase in senior health might be “I’ve always handled it fine.” We dive into how aging reshapes the risks of alcohol, benzodiazepines, opioids, nicotine, and today’s ultra‑potent cannabis—and why familiar habits can turn hazardous after 65. Drawing on frontline cases and recent research, we unpack the baby boomer lived experience, from “mother’s little helper” to daily cocktail hours in senior communities, then connect it to the biology of aging: slower metabolism, reduced kidney and liver function, impaired balance, and sharper sensitivity to side effects.

You’ll hear why DSM‑5 criteria still apply but require age‑aware interpretation, what “code cannabis” looks like in the ER when edibles or high‑THC products masquerade as stroke, and how subtle red flags—poor sleep, irritability, shakiness, forgetfulness, falls—signal a brewing problem. We get practical about safer detox for older adults, the reality of kindling with alcohol withdrawal, and the medication decisions that matter: when to taper sedatives, how to avoid dangerous interactions, and why nutrition and B‑vitamins can’t be an afterthought. Two real-world cases ground the lessons—titrating decades‑long benzodiazepine and Z‑drug use while reducing fall risk, and using naltrexone strategically for late‑onset alcohol use without tipping a patient into instability.

If you care for an older adult—or you are one—this conversation offers clear steps to lower risk and raise quality of life: rethink sleep meds, reduce alcohol use, check cannabis potency, simplify regimens, and choose therapy and support groups that fit your season of life. Subscribe, share this with a friend or colleague, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway so we can keep building smart, stigma‑free care for older adults.

To contact Dr. Grover: [email protected]

Food isn’t just fuel and obesity isn’t just willpower. We sat down with bariatric surgeon Dr. Mark Vierra to unpack what weight-loss surgery really changes, why genetics and hormones can overpower the best intentions, and how a careful program decides who needs a scalpel and who needs a different plan. From GLP‑1 surges and ghrelin drops to PYY’s “brake,” we walk through how surgery reshapes appetite signals and why even modest weight loss can dramatically improve diabetes and cardiovascular risk.

The conversation goes beyond the operating room. Dr. Vierra explains why five of six referrals don’t get surgery, how he and his partner analyze food diaries, depression, and daily constraints, and when medications like bupropion or GLP‑1s make more sense. We explore binge patterns, the messy reality of predicting who will do well after weight loss surgery, and the tough calls around patients who’ve been told their BMI is destiny when their labs and function say otherwise. The story shifts sharply when we talk alcohol: after gastric bypass, blood alcohol rises faster and stays higher, which raises the risk of alcohol use disorder over time. We share practical ways to screen motives for drinking, plan safeguards with families, and use craving meds thoughtfully.

What ties it all together is respect for biology and the person in front of us. Genetics like MC4R variants and syndromes such as Prader–Willi can drive lifelong hyperphagia; ultra‑processed foods and liquid calories amplify the problem; stigma keeps people from care. We push for a different bias—against soda and engineered foods, not against people—and for care that follows patients long after the incisions heal. If you want a grounded, humane guide to obesity treatment, this conversation delivers clarity without blame.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review so others can find it. Your support helps us keep building informed, stigma‑free conversations about health.

To contact Dr. Grover: [email protected]

Your brain is ancient, but your world is not. We unpack how a hunter-gatherer reward system runs into modern dopamine superstimuli—engineered foods, infinite feeds, one-click buys, and potent drugs—and why that mismatch can spiral into addiction. Using clear language and vivid examples, we explain cravings, compulsion, and consequences through the lens of dopamine: how normal rewards help us survive, how substances hijack that circuitry, and how constant notifications keep the throttle stuck open.

We go deeper into the factors that raise or lower risk. Genetics account for roughly half of vulnerability and often determine a “drug of choice,” where one person feels sick from alcohol while another feels energized and social. Then we connect the dots between mental health and substance use. Depression, anxiety, ADHD, and PTSD frequently overlap with addiction, and treating one without the other rarely works. The ACEs research shows how chronic childhood stress reshapes the brain and the body, setting the stage for later disease. PTSD flips fight-or-flight on at the wrong time, and many people reach for alcohol or cannabis to blunt nightmares and panic, only to worsen the cycle.

Timing is pivotal. Teen brains run on lower baseline dopamine yet respond fiercely to novelty, making early use more rewarding and more dangerous. We share practical insights about delaying use, protecting brain development, and building real skills for stress, sleep, and conflict. A candid case study ties it together: a young adult mixing alcohol and cocaine, a missed PTSD diagnosis, and a turning point when care shifts to trauma therapy and targeted medications. The takeaway is hopeful and clear—when we treat the pain beneath the substance and rebuild healthy rewards, recovery becomes possible and durable.

If this conversation helped you see addiction more clearly, subscribe, share the episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Your support helps more people find science-based care and hope.

To contact Dr. Grover: [email protected]

A brightly colored box at a smoke shop should not hit like an opioid, yet that’s the business model behind “gas station heroin.” We dive into how tianeptine—a foreign antidepressant with mu‑opioid activity—landed on American countertops as a “dietary supplement,” and why that mirrors a broader playbook: repackage potent psychoactives, exploit loopholes, pivot fast when bans arrive, and let consumers pay the price. Joined by Matthew Lowe, executive director of the Global Kratom Coalition, we trace the supply chain from warehouses to wallets and separate leaf kratom from the synthetic isolates hijacking its name.

We break down the risk gradient inside the kratom category: natural leaf with fiber and mixed pharmacology, concentrated extracts that raise potency, and seven‑hydroxymitragynine products that function like a novel opioid. Matthew explains why the FDA’s percentage‑based scheduling of 7‑OH is a smart, surgical fix that preserves traditional use while ejecting synthetic opioids from the “supplement” aisle. We also tackle hemp’s loophole economy—Delta‑8 and Delta‑10 THC derived from hemp yet delivering marijuana‑like effects with far less oversight—plus contamination, cross‑stocking, and the handful of distributors fueling multiple “legal high” trends at once.

Beyond policy, we talk people. When regulators finally pull a dangerous product, dependent users are often left stranded. We outline a practical path: better labeling that discloses opioid activity and dependence risk, age gates, potency caps, and targeted enforcement against unapproved drugs sold as supplements. Just as crucial, clinicians need straightforward guidance to assess what patients took, why they took it, and how to transition them to safer, evidence‑based care without stigma.

Curious how these products keep showing up, what “novel synthetic opioid” really means, and how we can protect choice where risk is low while acting decisively where harm is high? Press play, share this episode with a friend, and leave a review with the one reform you think would make the biggest difference. If this helped you learn something new, subscribe so you never miss an update.

To contact Dr. Grover: [email protected]

Have you ever wondered what it's like to practice Addiction Medicine? In this episode I speak about what we do in Addiction Medicine - both generally as well as how we do things in our practice on the Central Coast of California. 

I share how our clinic treats substance use with low‑barrier access, kind care, peer support, and long‑acting injectables while partnering with therapists to address trauma and ADHD that often drive relapse. 

I also review two cases that reveal how PTSD and undiagnosed ADHD change the treatment plan and the outcome.

Topics Discussed:

• What an addiction medicine visit includes  
• Medications for alcohol and opioid use disorder  
• The "three‑legged stool" of meds, therapy, and groups to treat addiction
• Levels of care and smooth transitions  
• Dual diagnosis as the rule, not the exception  
• Low‑barrier access through walk‑ins and telemedicine  
• Person‑first language to reduce stigma  
• Peer support as lived‑experience expertise  
• Long‑acting injectables to boost adherence  
• Mobile street medicine and carceral care partnerships

To contact Dr. Grover: [email protected]

Dr. Casey Grover welcomes Dr. Sarah Nasir, an addiction medicine specialist, for an insightful conversation about effectively communicating with patients and addressing common myths in addiction treatment.

• Personal journeys into addiction medicine that transformed both doctors' understanding of substance use disorders
• The science behind medication-assisted treatment and why it's not "trading one addiction for another"
• How the body adapts to chronic opioid use through three key mechanisms: reducing natural chemicals, decreasing receptors, and increasing metabolism
• Why recovery takes time: "It's easier to break something than to fix it"
• The critical connection between trauma, PTSD, and addiction
• Integration of life coaching principles into addiction treatment
• Creating authentic connection as a cornerstone of effective recovery
• Addressing stigma around medications in recovery communities and sober living facilities
• The difference between dependence and addiction in patient education

If you're a healthcare provider treating patients with addiction, thank you for your life-saving work. For everyone else, thank you for taking time to learn about addiction – it's a fight we cannot win without awareness and action.

To contact Dr. Grover: [email protected]