Callum joins me to discuss the Tinman fundraiser that is happening on 11th December. 

We will be performing 3 exercise disciplines in one day. If you want to join us there are 3 options. 

3 x Marathon

3 x 20km

3 x 10km

https://gofund.me/d9ffb659

In this episode, I talk to my friend Josh Rhodes about ketamine addiction, its consequences, harm reduction, and the journey to sobriety.   

As many people will know ketamine has some heavy consequences when paired up with addiction and excessive usage. If you are interested in this then skip to the end where we also talk about harm reduction. We decided to wait until the end because they can be difficult to talk about.   

Josh suffered from "K bladder" (bladder cystitis). The symptoms were severe and would cause him to pass urine and jelly-like substances in his urine. He had multiple operations to address this problem including a cancer scare. He has now managed to start a new life where he only occasionally uses when he goes home to where he suffered the worst with his addiction (around 3 times a year) and his bladder situation has improved considerably.   

We also discuss other effects such as  K-cramps, the nature of addiction, social, financial, family problems.  

Ketamine’s effects when abused. (This is an absolute guess but based on what I have observed. 2+ grams per day consistently can cause these problems. Everyone is different and some manifest symptoms way sooner. Not likely to happen from mild usage and has been proven safe to use in medical and clinical circumstances.)  

-bladder walls become thickened and lose elasticity. Potential cystitis, and ulceration.  

-urinary tract (urine in the blood) 

-extremely painful to pass urine 

-back pain -blocked kidneys 

-kidneys can become damaged due to increased pressure caused by shrunken bladder 

-potential kidney failure -incontinence -bladder cystitis 

-shrunken bladder (50ml) 

-thickened bladder walls 

-scarred bladder  

If you stop using most cases show a dramatic improvement within 3 months.   

Some of our harm reduction tips are:  

-Cook the ket into powder and avoid using it in crystal form. 

-Drink plenty of water even before bed. It may seem counterintuitive but it will help your bladder to be less irritated. 

-Before bed or even during the day, sniff water before bed to clear out nostrils to prevent damage to your nose. 

-Don’t swallow the chemical into the stomach. 

-Eat well and try to take care of yourself the best you can.  

Most of all make a proactive move towards getting into recovery - don’t stay in the dark.

In this episode, Frank Hicks joins us to talk about handling family disputes after spending years in the courts over the custody of his children. He is the founder of Guardians of Our Children (GOOC) which is a charitable trust who works to protect children by helping their parents through the disputes process to reach a peaceful resolution.  

Frank advises us on how to navigate our way through these incredibly difficult situations as well as giving us the best advice that we can take on board to regain custody of our children and do what is in the best interest of the children's future. He discusses the dangers of emotions over logic and shares his personal struggles in this area. One of the main areas he elaborates on is co-parenting, what it means and why it is in the best interest of the entire family if it is possible.   

Frank hopes that the information he shares can save families an infinite amount of stress, time, and money.   

To find out more about Guardians of our children visit:  https://www.gooc.org.nz/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GOOCNZ/

We were very fortunate to have Acharya Das on the podcast again. 

We talk about some of the fundamental problems that society is facing such as addiction, anxiety, depression, dissatisfaction, suicide, and mental illness as well as the underlying factors that are causing them.  

Acharya Das is a teacher of the Vedic and Yoga philosophy, meditation, and Kirtan. He has been teaching meditation all over the world for over 45 years including in prison systems.    

Some of the topics that we touch on are:   

-The impacts of purposelessness, nihilism, arrogance, and self-centeredness  

-The effects of the philosophy of individualism  

-The effects of John Keynes, Edward Bernays, and the impact of consumer economics  

-The importance of duty  -The impact of social media  

-Factors contributing towards ill mental health  

-Addiction  

-Anxiety 

-Depression  

-Suicide  

-And the equation for happiness

Maddie Kitchen has been in recovery from alcohol addiction for 15 years. She joins us to discuss a wide range of topics including adverse childhood experiences and trauma, depression, anxiety, and agoraphobia; how she got sober and recovered from two relapses, and about her film-making company.  

She is the founder of Sobriety Films CIC which is a not-for-profit organisation that makes documentaries, films and does workshops to raise awareness for recovery from addictions and mental ill-health. She has now been in recovery from addiction for an impressive 15 years so I am really looking forward to hearing a bit more about your journey.   

Be sure to follow Maddie's incredible work:  

https://sobrietyfilms.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/sobriety.films.uk/ 

https://www.instagram.com/sobriety_films/ 

Find out more about Break The Chain:  

https://linktr.ee/breakthechain

In this episode, Alika from Pro Recover Power tells us how he managed to get free from a 20-year addiction to alcohol, drugs, and lying.   

He told us at one point he was going to church because he knew it would be good for him but he was still doing lines in church and he couldn't stop telling lies. He discovered that telling the truth gave him the same relief that alcohol did and was the foundation of his recovery.   

Listen to Alika's incredible story to find out how he managed to reclaim his freedom.   

Alika is a recovering addict who is now a substance abuse counsellor and the founder of Pro Recovery Power and intends to make a huge impact on the world and save as many people as possible from this affliction.  

Find out more about what Alika does at PRP:  

https://prorecoverypower.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/pro_recovery_power/

Rob kindly joins James to discuss his gripping near-death experience and recovery from depression and trauma.  

In 2009 Rob had a mental and spiritual breakdown in Auckland and provoked the police to shoot him dead. He was shot at close range in the chest by a Glock 9mm bullet. After multiple surgeries and court cases, Rob started therapy and went on to create Shot Bro - Confessions of a Depressed Bullet, a story of his life that is; Funny, Dark, Real, and Educational.  

Rob is now invited to communities and organisations, including NZ Military bases, Prisons, and Probation Centres around the country to share his story. A show that is both humorous and hard-hitting, Shot Bro exists to start conversations, so people know that they are not alone and that they are allowed help to heal.  His story is funny but very real. Each show is followed by a wananga/forum, with kai and cups of tea to whakanoa/ground the community afterwards.  

Rob says that he isn’t an expert, but his real-life journey makes people feel safe, knowing that he understands. “Crying is better than dying and we can’t change the past, but we can change the present. #OutOfTheDarkWithAroha”  

We highly recommend checking out the incredible Shot Bro show: 

https://www.facebook.com/SHOTBRONZ   

Watch Rob's inspiring documentary here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3G6b0YCxXg&t=265s

This is a valuable episode for anyone struggling to find self-worth.  

Louise Ratcliffe is a friend and fellow classmate who is training to be a counselor. She has come on the show today to talk about eating disorders, body image, and self-harm. She herself has suffered from these issues as I'm sure the majority of us have to some degree.   

We discuss a whole myriad of topics during this podcast but they mostly hinge around self-worth specifically relating to the body and the way we see ourselves.   

Some of the other topics that we discussed are: 

Bulimia 

Diet culture 

Body diversity 

Body Neutrality  

Obsession 

Addiction 

Self-love/self-hate

Self-care 

The impact that external influences have on us 

And the myths about freedom  

During this podcast, she recommends watching the embrace movie: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwpb_zOZFkk   

This book: 

https://thefuckitdiet.com/  

And here are some more resources that she shared with me: 

https://haescommunity.com/  

https://www.healthline.com/health/body-neutrality#psychology  

We hope that you enjoy this episode and it helps to free you from the shackles of the mind x

To learn more about Break The Chain 

https://linktr.ee/breakthechain