Addiction2Recovery

Cannabis, whether it is legalized recreationally or not in your area, is a widely used substance among adolescents and young adults. Often touted as "it's natural so it's safe" leads many to believe it is, indeed, safe for free-will consumption by all. Dr. Sara Polley, a triple boarded adult and pediatric addiction psychiatrist, joins us in a discussion about what the actual risks of cannabis consumption are, especially for youth, teens, and young adults (especially <25).  Although the immediate affects often seem innocent, long-term and/or heavy usage can cause long-lasting and/or permanent, detrimental changes to the developing brain.  

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Mike is many things to many people. He is the father of a child with substance use disorder (s) who had to learn to navigate this very unpaved and isolated path, he is a friend to other parents who found and find themselves in similar situations, he is a mentor to many, including Josh, as they find their recovery journey or are still in active use, and he is an incredible inspiration. "Love Wins" is seemingly his life motto and throughout this podcast we will learn from Mike how he managed to keep that phrase at the front of every day. This episode spans his personal journey navigating many elements of SUD, but it goes well beyond that, as it has applicability for all people in any position or place along their life journey. 

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August 1, 2023 is a pivotal date for Harm Reduction in Minnesota. Drug Paraphernalia, and the residue, will no longer be arrestable offenses. Pharmacists are also no longer limited in the number of clean needles and syringes they are able to dispense, thus allowing for people who inject drugs to do so safely and minimizing the spread of diseases, namely HIV and Hep C. Additionally, all forms of drug testing will be allowable now and into the future, allowing for individuals with substance use disorders to know what exactly is in their supply. All of these changes are aimed at lowering overdose deaths, increase the numbers of individuals seeking treatment, will lower infectious diseases and, most importantly, save lives. 

We are joined by Eddie Krumpotich, a consultant for National Harm Reduction Coalition and Drug Policy Alliance! He is a very pivotal person in the creation and passage of this bill!

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On August 1, 2023, Minnesota becomes the 23rd state to legalize recreational cannabis use. This podcast will dissect and review all of the direct and nuanced parts of the new legislation from how the sales will work with licensing, home growing limits and requirements, how much you can legally carry on your person, where you can use it, the expungement of records components as well as a whole bunch of the other "how about this" or "what does this mean" finer points. Please stay tuned for some polls we are going to post on our social media sites on this topic! Even if you don't live in MN, this discussion will likely spark conversations and raise questions whether you have recreational cannabis or not in your area. 

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Ralph: Growing up in the wards in New Orleans, Ralph noted that getting drugs where he grew up was as easy as driving through a McDonalds. He shares with us his journey from a violence-filled, drug-filled neighborhood to prison as a teenager to now, a pastor, mentor, counselor, and inspiration to many. He does have a life verse: Philippians 3:10: I want to know Christ- yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.

For questions, comments, episode recommendations or requests or to learn more, email us at: [email protected] 
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Boundary setting is not only important in everyday life, but it is especially important when a loved one has a substance use disorder. Although setting boundaries may seem like a 'tough love' approach, they are actually meant to protect the mental health of the one setting the boundary. In this episode, we will discuss why boundaries are important, things you may notice that you are doing that may indicate you need to set boundaries, as well as give examples of basic, albeit it very important, boundaries that can be set for your loved one with a SUD. 

If you have examples or recommendations of boundaries and or consequences for boundaries that are broken, we'd love to hear your stories (either the experience(s) of the one who set the boundaries or the one who had the boundaries set on them). Please reach out via email or on any of our social media sites!

For questions, comments, episode recommendations or requests or to learn more, email us at: [email protected] 
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Families and loved ones may struggle with many things during their loved one's substance use disorder (SUD): the cycle of active use, treatments, lapses/relapses, recovery and more. There are not always the greatest resources available, or known, to assist in this very difficult, stressful and scary time. In this podcast, we will go through 10 tips for loved ones who are in this place, offering ideas and suggestions, that may help ease the burden, isolation, fears and other tensions that often accompany SUDs. 

If you have a loved one suffering from the disease of addiction or who has gotten to a place of recovery, we would love to hear from you! And, if you are able and willing, we'd love to have you as a guest on the show (anonymity to your comfort will always be respected)! Please email us at the email below!

For questions, comments, episode recommendations or requests or to learn more, email us at: [email protected] 
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Part 3 of Cravings and Triggers! Now that we know what triggers are and what cravings are, we will help make it all make sense! We will put more concrete examples to triggers and cravings that will further broaden the listeners understanding of the entire put together process, while also walking you through the whys, hows, and the 'what next.' The majority of the episode, however, will discuss different coping mechanisms and mitigation strategies for when a person notices a 'trigger of a trigger,' as Josh likes to put it, or is faced with a trigger, especially an unexpected one. When triggers are not able to be avoided and/or diverted, a craving often follows; this can be a time of severe anxiety and a heightened risk of lapse/relapse. We will discuss ways to handle the cravings when they arise and touch on ways that family/friends/support systems can identify and help their 'person' avoid and/or get through a trigger as well as things they may observe when cravings do happen and how they can assist in these critical times as well.

For questions, comments, episode recommendations or requests or to learn more, email us at: [email protected] 
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Part 2 of the Cravings and Triggers Series! This episode will describe the 'Addictive Process'. We will walk you through the introductory phase, the maintenance phase, the disenchantment phase and, finally, the disaster phase of substance use disorder(s).  We will describe this process evolution and how cravings and triggers make up the backbone of this process and addiction.

1. Triggers and Cravings.ppt (live.com)

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Cravings and Triggers are a very large part of addiction and recovery; however, they can be very confusing to understand, especially for family, friends, loved ones and the support system of the person with a substance use disorder or in recovery.  In this episode, we will define and describe what cravings are from the physiological and psychological standpoint, and then we will define and describe what triggers are and the four general categories of triggers. This episode will, we hope, bring a greater understanding that will then be further strengthened over the next several episodes. In part 2 of this series, we will walk listeners through how the brain changes over time which, in turn, results in how cravings and triggers are expressed. The third installment of the cravings/triggers series will then discuss how this knowledge can be applied to prevent lapse/relapse. 

For questions, comments, episode recommendations or requests or to learn more, email us at: [email protected] 
Twitter: @A2RPodcast
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