Come This Far with Chris Taylor

We all know about the acute withdrawal symptoms that come when abruptly stopping drug use. Especially any opioid drug. The fear of that intense withdrawal after all, is precisely why it is so difficult to stop using drugs in the first place. Detox treatment overseen by a medical professional is necessary to accomplish the first days and weeks in sobriety. Then comes some level of intensive therapy. Clarity is gained, coping skills and tools are learned, overall physical and mental health is restored. The new energy and vigor for life brings renewal. We feel so good for the first time in so long. We believe wholeheartedly that we will never return to our active addiction. This early recovery “adrenaline” carries us for months and even years. But then, for some reason, many of us seem to hit the wall, blindsided. Relapse often occurs and it comes as a complete surprise. Listen to what I learned about Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome and the role it plays in relapse after solid years in Recovery, and more importantly how to guard against it.

Official Trailer

The moment many of you have been waiting for. Chris' wife Sarah breaks her silence nearly a year after her husband's near-fatal overdose. It wasn’t fatal only because she heroically administered life-saving aid after discovering him unresponsive, bleeding, and convulsing on the cold bathroom floor. The harrowing incident included her conducting CPR as his heart stopped beating. You have read the sensationalized media reports based on an exaggerated and vindictive police report of the incident. You have watched from afar and listened to Chris' words on the subject, you have wondered where his wife stands with it all. Wait no more. Don't miss this extra special inspiring episode.

Special Inauguration bonus episode. As he signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham Lincoln was quoted as saying, “If my name ever goes into history it will be for this act, and my whole soul is in it.” As President Joseph R. Biden Jr. took the oath of office he recited that story and speaking on the subject of unity, he echoed Lincoln’s sentiment. He said, “My whole soul is in this.” I believe him. We should all give him the chance to bring us together. I love this country. God Bless America.

We have heard the slogan everyday since 2015. But what it actually means has never really been explained. Because of this, enemies of the AMERICA First ideology were able to effectively say what it really meant was racist, (make America white again). But what I always pictured when I heard the slogan was re-creating the period of time immediately following WWII. The Greatest Generation and the Golden years of the American Dream. In this episode I break it down and talk about how we could actually make America great again, but for real. Enjoy.

Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s number one opposition leader who was poisoned in August after failing to stop criticizing Putin and gaining support even after being found guilty of fraud and sentenced. The military nerve agent didn’t kill him however, and he fled to Germany to recover. He returned to Moscow today and was arrested again. This time on charges of violating his probation, for failing to be available tor scheduled inspections and check ins with his probation officer, because he was in a German hospital recovering from a near death assassination attempt. You literally can’t make this kind of stuff up.

MLK day 2021 special episode.

We all know about the first denial associated with addiction. The person that hasn’t been using substances or engaging in troubling behavior for very long. They are able to maintain some normalcy and can even hide their addiction. As they spiral downward, everyone around them can see what is happening; they are clearly addicted. But denial is real, and the person is quite literally blinded to the fact that their lives have become unmanageable and they need help. Interventions are staged, loved ones are brutally honest and usually, the individual is able to come to grips with the truth. They can admit that they are sick and can’t do it alone. They accept help. It’s a major step in the process of recovery. Some even say it’s as much as half the battle. 

The individual abstains from the addiction and seeks help. In the absence of their addiction, they have been able to find clarity. They gain tools to cope and the soul that seemed to be dead or greatly diminished returns to full health. It’s a miracle. Loved ones often say things like, “The real (enter name here) is back!” The person who was out of control earlier has now attained newfound happiness. They make amends, gain back trust, embark down a path of healing and restoration of their lives and families. They have triumphed. It’s human nature to want to declare victory and rest from the battle. Bask in the glory of overcoming great adversity. But what happens when a year or more into sobriety, something happens and relapse occurs? Shame comes screaming back. “I’ve been through so much, I’ve overcome so much, I’ve earned so much trust back, I don’t know what happened, but I’m ok. I’ll get back on the right path. Nobody needs to know I took some steps backward.” “I’m strong, I know how to recover, I’ve done it before, I can do it again.” “What would people think if they knew I had slipped up again? I don’t need help with this because I’ve learned all there is to know about addiction, seeking help now would only bring negative consequences, I’ll double my efforts in private. I can do it alone.” 

This second great denial is more dangerous than the first, it’s often more fatal. It’s why almost all of the people you know who have overdosed and died seem to have been doing so well. They had achieved some long term recovery. They had figured it out. It’s a shock. It wouldn’t have been a shock years earlier when everyone could tell they were struggling. But it’s so surprising now. That person was stuck in the second great denial. Unable to admit that they once again, needed some help. They couldn’t do it alone.

Over the course of the last 4 or 5 years, the group of far right-wing individuals have been radicalized. Nearly the same way Islamic Terrorists are radicalized in the 21st century. Otherwise decent and law-abiding people have given in to their confirmation bias, narrowing their sources of information. In the echo chamber is where the master manipulators are able to influence and persuade people little by little. Fox News was complicit for financial reasons, but fringe platforms like Parler, OANN, Newsmax, Breitbart, and others have spun the MAGA nation into a hateful, violent, seditious movement. The culmination of which played out before our very eyes on 6 January 2021. The bloody failed coup attempt resulted in the death of 6 Americans. 

A scene no different than the Benghazi attack in 2012. Terrorism is terrorism. The only difference right now is that this is simply the Genesis of this American Taliban. The siege of the Capitol was just a preview of what could come if we don’t crush this insurrection before they can organize and be further emboldened to use more violent means to achieve their political ends. We should not see this threat against our democracy any different than we saw Al Qaeda after 9/11. Both groups are using violence to support their stated political goals. Both groups are motivated by their hatred of the American Government. There is no difference.