Breaking My Addictions

What if the biggest protective factor against addiction isn't willpower, therapy, or even sobriety, but family? Not necessarily the one you were born into.

In this episode Clive, Matt and Dom explore one of the most overlooked threads in addiction recovery - the role of family, belonging and the need to be part of something. Matt shares candidly how his family's decision to stop enabling him and let him crash and burn was both the hardest and the most loving thing they ever did. And how when he crawled back, they were ready.

They explore what happens when the family you grew up in isn't the one that heals you - and how addicts often build their own family from scratch, dysfunctional as it might be. Sometimes that's the first place they've ever felt they belonged.

The conversation moves into the language of recovery, why being told to repeatedly declare "I am an alcoholic" might be doing more harm than good, and why the granularity of how we describe ourselves matters more than most treatment programmes acknowledge.

Raw, unscripted and genuinely thought-provoking.

Join the WhatsApp community: breakingmyaddictions.com

My Sober Addiction: mysoberaddiction.com

What if calling addiction a disease is actually making it harder to recover from?

In this episode Clive, Matt and Dom tackle one of the most contested questions in recovery - is addiction a disease or a choice? And why does the answer matter?

Matt shares the raw reality of going on complete autopilot - making the conscious decision not to use, then finding himself calling his dealer anyway without knowing how it happened. Is that a disease? Or is it something else entirely?

Clive draws the distinction between disease and dis-ease - the idea that addiction isn't a broken brain but an off-centre life reaching for the quickest way back to balance. Dom traces the surprising origins of the disease model and asks whether we were ever meant to stay stuck.

Together they explore the rat park experiment, the role of environment and poverty in addiction, the autopilot analogy, and why focusing on making life better might be more powerful than any label we put on the behaviour.

This is not a clinical podcast. It is three people who have lived it, thought about it, and found their own way through - talking honestly about what actually worked.

If you have ever felt like addiction was something happening to you rather than something you were doing, this conversation might shift something.

Join the Breaking My Addictions WhatsApp community at breakingmyaddictions.com - a free peer support space focused on moving forward, not staying stuck.

What if calling addiction a disease is actually making it harder to recover from?

In this episode Clive, Matt and Dom tackle one of the most contested questions in recovery - is addiction a disease or a choice? And why does the answer matter?

Matt shares the raw reality of going on complete autopilot - making the conscious decision not to use, then finding himself calling his dealer anyway without knowing how it happened. Is that a disease? Or is it something else entirely?

Clive draws the distinction between disease and dis-ease - the idea that addiction isn't a broken brain but an off-centre life reaching for the quickest way back to balance. Dom traces the surprising origins of the disease model and asks whether we were ever meant to stay stuck.

Together they explore the rat park experiment, the role of environment and poverty in addiction, the autopilot analogy, and why focusing on making life better might be more powerful than any label we put on the behaviour.

This is not a clinical podcast. It is three people who have lived it, thought about it, and found their own way through - talking honestly about what actually worked.

If you have ever felt like addiction was something happening to you rather than something you were doing, this conversation might shift something.

Join the Breaking My Addictions WhatsApp community at breakingmyaddictions.com - a free peer support space focused on moving forward, not staying stuck.

What if, your addiction isn't your enemy, but a message you haven't read yet?

Clive, Matt and Dom go beyond willpower and war metaphors to ask a harder question, what pain was your addiction solving? From opioids to alcohol to the subtle addictions of scrolling and escapism, this is an honest, unscripted conversation about shame, identity, culture and what it actually takes to change.

Clive runs breakingmyaddictions.com, Matt runs mysoberaddiction.com, and together with Dom they host the Breaking My Addictions WhatsApp community, a free peer support group with a simple but powerful focus. Not on the addiction itself, but on building a life so rich and purposeful that the addiction gradually becomes less important.

If you've ever beaten yourself up for falling back, this one's for you.

Search Breaking My Addictions on WhatsApp to join the community, or find us at breakingmyaddictions.com and mysoberaddiction.com

JD Tremblay - naturopathic practitioner, former military, ultra-endurance athlete and one of only three people in the world to complete the Epic Decker - talks candidly about porn addiction, identity shift, and building a system that works.

What does it take to go from hiding in a basement at 12 years old watching inappropriate TV content, to completing 10 back-to-back Ironman races and building a global men's wellbeing academy?

JD Tremblay doesn't come with a coaching badge or a polished origin story. He comes with a decade of military service, a degree in biomedical engineering, a system he built because he had to, and years of lived proof that it works.

In this episode of Breaking My Addictions, Clive Wilson sits down with JD to explore the fine line between addiction and obsession, how ultra-endurance sport nearly replaced one compulsion with another, and what actually broke the cycle - identity, not willpower.

They discuss:

• How porn addiction starts young and why it stays hidden
• The RISE framework JD developed for pattern recognition and identity shift
• Why swapping one dopamine hit for another isn't recovery
• The role of community, faith, and purpose in long-term change
• The Hungry Warrior Academy and their work across five countries

Guest: JD Tremblay - Director of High Performance, Hungry Warrior Academy Website: hungrywarrioracademy.com | hungerformore.com

In this episode of Breaking My Addictions, Clive is joined by Matt and Dom for an honest conversation about thinking, overthinking, and what happens when our minds get overloaded by constant information, news feeds, algorithms, and doom-scrolling.

We explore how mental noise quietly feeds anxiety, distraction, and old coping patterns, and how easy it is to confuse being “informed” with being overwhelmed. The conversation touches on mental diet, attention, self-regulation, creativity, and simple ways of noticing when our thinking is helping us live well, and when it is quietly working against us.

This is not a how-to guide or a set of fixes.

It is a grounded, human conversation about noticing our own mental habits, learning when to step back, and finding steadier ways to relate to our thoughts in a noisy world.

No gurus. No perfect answers. Just real talk about living with more clarity and less mental clutter.

This episode offers a profound exploration of inner growth, acceptance, and the journey towards a more fulfilling and purposeful life with counsellor and healer Andrew Dettman, who shares his personal journey of overcoming addiction and finding spiritual connection. He delves into the significance of diction resolution therapy (DRT) and how it can help individuals navigate their addiction patterns and executive function breakdowns. Andrew also discusses the power of connecting with one's inner being, embracing paradoxes, and finding balance in the midst of life's challenges. Tune in to explore the wisdom of Sufi teachings, the transformative potential of conscious contact, and the path to healing through self-discovery and connection with others.

Join Clive and Dominic as they explore the power of fasting, meditation, and neuroplasticity to rewire your brain and break free from destructive habits. Discover practical tools, inspiring stories, and expert insights to transform your relationship with cravings and create lasting change. Whether you're struggling with sugar, alcohol, smoking, or other dependencies, this podcast provides support and guidance for your journey to a more balanced and fulfilling life. Visit BreakingMyAddictions.com for more.

Is the saying "Once an addict, always an addict" a life sentence, or can you truly move beyond addiction? Join Clive from "Breaking My Addictions" and addiction coach Maria as they explore this controversial statement. Maria shares her journey from a 28-year addiction to finding genuine recovery through trauma work and shifting her identity. They discuss the importance of diverse recovery paths, self-acceptance, and community support, challenging the stigmas and shame often associated with addiction. Discover how to rewrite your story and find hope for lasting healing.

Delve into the complex intersection of self-discovery and addiction with Clive and Dom. This podcast explores how understanding your true identity can be a powerful catalyst for overcoming destructive patterns and creating a more authentic life.

Unpack the multifaceted self: Discover how societal pressures, internal conflicts, and external temptations impact our choices. Learn practical strategies for managing addictive impulses, breaking free from harmful routines, and embracing all aspects of your character.

Join Clive and Dom as they challenge conventional thinking, share insightful perspectives, and offer a roadmap for reclaiming your identity and building a brighter, more fulfilling future, free from the grips of addiction.

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