Addiction2Recovery

Pam, the mother of Jake, a victim of the opioid and drug epidemic, returns to dive deeper into her Family Peer Support Services non-profit, Thrive Family Recovery Resources. She discusses how, when she was caring for Jake, she received many messages on how she should "handle him" and "cope". However, Pam didn't agree with detaching, she didn't believe that she should and could do nothing, she didn't believe in "tough love", she didn't believe that families are powerless and, most importantly, she didn't believe that extrinsic changes and forces could change someone intrinsically. Thrive supports families, understanding and encouraging the intentional approach to care and love. To learn more or to fill out their form for services visit: ThriveFRR.org or call the helpline at: 612-504-5424

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The 5 Stages of Grief, ie the Kubler-Ross Grief Cycle, is well known and often applied for the death of a loved one or a similar life event, but here we will challenge our listeners to see how it, too, applies to addiction and recovery. When we can apply the same stages of grief to recovery from a substance use disorder, we can gain more empathy and understanding for those whom are struggling. For those with a SUD who find themselves grieving their substance or the lifestyle associated, we hope to shift the perspective of the shame that is likely accompanying the non-intentional grief periods. When we can all understand this perspective we are better able to lead with love and kindness and empathy and hope. 

Celebrity highlight: Demi Lovato

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After hitting rock bottom when his kids were taken from his and his wife's arms by CPS and he was arrested, Brian realized he had to make a change. "I didn't know how to receive or handle what was going on in my life" he recalled. The next steps he states: "My wife got offered drug court... I got offered a prison sentence." However, he was able to make big changes, leaning on his faith, focusing on showing his kids that "I wanted to demonstrate to them that I tried"... even if they never got them back. "I pledged that I wouldn't harm my children again". So what happened? Listen to find out how Brian's recovery journey progressed!

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Pam, the head of the non-profit Thrive! Family Recovery Resources, is a mother who, like so many others, had a child who suffered from a substance use disorder. Jake, unfortunately, inherited the strong addiction genes that ran through generations and, despite a 'stable, loving, close-knit, out-doorsy' family, still developed the disease, he did not chose it. Pam and her husband struggled to find person-centered, non-confrontational, non tough-loved based treatment stating on the Thrive! website ( www.thrivefamilyrecoveryresources.org ) "Between predatory practices of treatment centers and the propagation of the "tough love" ideology... felt like they were failing their son, both in the way they were interacting with him and their inability to find services from the medical community that would assist him." She developed Thrive! to assist other family members in navigating this journey, similar to how peer support walks alongside people with SUD. "How we respond as a family member can built more willingness or can completely shut it down" is how she modified their approach to Jake as they found that tough love and confrontation only led to perpetuated use. When they approached Jake with love and intention it helped his own personal shame. They asked themselves, "if this was the last text we sent, or the last moment we had with Jake, would we be able to live with that? Would he have known how loved and cherished he was?"

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Second chances, technically we get one every day- it's called tomorrow, but why are second chances important? Who deserves a second (or third or fourth) chance, and who gets to decide if they do? Maybe the better question is why do we make bad choices in the first place, because we all do? We will discuss bad choices as a general concept and how one can show they deserve a second chance. Barriers to second chances, especially for those who have been in the criminal justice system, will also be explored. Finally, we hope to inspire forgiveness and encourage others to give second chances, especially in this Holiday Season.  

Celebrity highlight: Lindsay Lohan. If you are like us, you will be amazed at her transformation and will applaud Netflix for giving her a second chance!

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Cross-Addiction or addiction transfer or addiction interaction disorder is sometimes confused with dual substance use disorder or a person who has multiple active substance use disorders. But what, then, is cross-addiction? Is a person in recovery from a substance use disorder more likely to, when in recovery, develop an alternative substance, or behavioral, use disorder? Or, rather, is a person in recovery less likely to develop an alternative substance, or behavioral, use disorder?  We will discuss the ins and outs of this concept and blend in the empirical evidence as well as our own anecdotal evidence. Celebrity highlight: Tim Allen, aka Tim the-tool-man Taylor, aka Santa Clause

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Dr Sara Polley joins us as we discuss the holiday season and how it can both positively and negatively impact the family of those suffering from the disease of addiction as well as the person themselves. The holidays should be a time of connection and togetherness, but when substance use disorder is part of the family, as it is for so many, it can get complicated. How can we navigate the holidays when we have a family member or a loved one with this disease? How can we connect and love from both sides? And what about the guilt and shame associated? Happy Holidays everyone and remember "Love Wins"

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Let us introduce Rocky! Rocky's story begins with a critical life choice- hockey or rock 'n roll... What transpired from that one choice is unlike any other, as most stories are; however, Rocky's story literally took him around the world, gaining incomparable life experiences making him an invaluable asset to humans who find themselves incarcerated. His involvement with prisons started with Sunday night Bible studies and now has evolved into formal programming to aid in supportive re-entry programs. Overlapping re-entry and peer support and addiction care does nothing but increase success and re-integration. 

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Meet Eddie. This is far more than Eddie's story. This episode will challenge the way you think about trauma and love and healing and codependency and shame and the pain associated with all of it. "Does my brain know it, does my heart know it and do they know it together."  

Eddie also is the chair of the MN Harm Reduction Collaborative that is led by people with lived experience and those who care for them. Follow the Collaborative on "X"  (aka Twitter) @MNHRCollab or on LinkedIn: lnk.bio/MNHRCollab or Facebook/Instagram or email the collaborative at: [email protected] 

For questions, comments, episode recommendations or requests or to learn more, email us at: [email protected] 
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Brian returns. When we ended, Brian had found his recovery from alcohol, cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamines, only to be introduced to prescription opioids after a fluke accident at work. In this episode, many many things happen to bring Brian to his "I discovered a whole lot of new lows". At one point from 2009-2014 Brian thought, "I thought the only way to support my family was a death benefit". Where was Brian's stop point, when did the pain of using outweigh the pain of recovery. Honestly, you may need to listen more than once to fully gather all parts of his story to their true depths. 

For questions, comments, episode recommendations or requests or to learn more, email us at: [email protected] 
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