Criminal Thinking Deterred

"The challenge is to be the new me," says our guest, Christopher Waggoner, a recovering cocaine addict. He went through the Moore & Associates drug recovery program and wants people to know that if he can be sober, so can you.

Christopher has battled addiction since his early childhood. He was sexually and physically abused and was in the foster care system. All of this set the table for cocaine addiction. After being incarcerated, Christopher decided it was time to get clean.

He tells us how he has stayed clean and how you can be sober during the holidays. (It can be done!) He is also a Certified Peer Specialist and a drug addiction recovery advocate i his community.

If you are addicted to cocaine or know someone who is, listen to this podcast.

"This (drug testing) will help you get your freedom," says our podcast guest, Ms. Minata Saddy, CEO and Founder, NYS Diagnostics & Supply. "We have a quick turnaround time for different kinds of testing."

Ms. Saddy explains to Tony Moore the most accurate types of drug testing. Rapid results are also useful to the recovery community as it will show that the patient in recovery is reliable and staying clean.

"They can decide to be healthy," Ms. Saddy continues. She also explains how being on medications can bias a result.

If you have ever wondered how drug testing plays a role in addiction recovery, this podcast will definitely enlighten you.

For more information, visit the Criminal Thinking website for her blog.

"The holiday season has begun," says our host, Tony Moore, Moore & Associates. "The recovery community tends to be forgotten during this time."

"You have to maintain awareness of people around you," Tony continues. He discusses the 4 P's (from his book). He also talks about maintaining an awareness of people around you, friends, family, and co-workers who may not be as far along on the recovery trail as yourself. You can perform positive habits from volunteering to breathing exercises. (TV shows can even be negative so it's good to not watch shows that may trigger substance abuse.)

Tony gives time-tested advice that anyone who is recovering and dreading the holidays needs to hear. It's both educational and encouraging. If you are concerned about the holidays, please listen to this podcast.

It sounds pretty ominous. Kids are starting earlier, such as middle school, in doing drugs and joining gangs. But, as our guest, Lloyd Lewin Director of Outreach & Schools, Boys & Girls Club, Kenosha WI, tells us, there is hope.

"Yes, they are starting younger," Mr. Lewin says, "but if educate them, have parental involvement, and work with the schools, we can steer them away." The BGC has partnered with several organizations and now provides drug addiction and gang involvement prevention.

Tony Moore and Mr. Lewin discuss the desire of kids to belong to something and that by high school they can be resistant to change. Yet, the club and its leaders present a positive way to succeed and stay away from drugs and gangs. No child is sentenced to a life of addiction or gangs. There are better ways, but it takes work (and funding) to get it done.

"A person's whole life can be embedded in nicotine use," says our returning guest, Dr. George Kolodner, from Triple Track Treatment. Dr. Kolodner discusses the four smoking triggers and the types of therapy and support groups that can help addicts end their dependency on smoking.

Relapse, of course, can occur, but if a patient continues with the treatment program, they can recover and quit smoking entirely.

Dr. Kolodner and Tony Moore also discuss the dangers of vaping and the surprising role coffee plays in smoking cessation.

If you are a smoker or know a smoker who wants to quit, there is hope. This podcast is for you.

Too often, substance abusers are treated for their addiction but not treated for their mental health. So, once they return home sober, they are still haunted by their mental health issues. Then, they hear voices or experience other severe mental health issues and to treat it, they return to the substance they were abusing.

Our host, Tony Moore, discusses this terrible, never-ending cycle and how it can be broken. The stigma of mental health issues can impede people from getting treatment. Tony tells about how mental health and substance abuse treatment go hand-in-hand.

Please join Tony Moore (⁠mooreandassociates.biz⁠) for this important podcast.

"Smoking is no longer cool," says our guest, Dr. George Kolodner, Founder/Medical Director, Triple Track Treatment, Washington, D.C. "However, it is still highly addictive and the pain from quitting smoking can be the toughest."

Dr. Kolodner tells how smoking cessation has been proven to work. However, they have to battle the wealthy tobacco companies. Tony tells him how he had to stop smoking but it took much longer than drugs or alcohol.

There is also a fascinating discussion about process addictions and oral fixations. We will definitely have Dr. Kolodner back for future episodes!

Tony also told us about the upcoming "Minority Mental Health Awareness Month" event.

Brandon Morris returns to promote a huge event for youth and parents in the Kenosha, Wisconsin area. The "This is My Story: Empowerment Speaker Series" event this coming Memorial Day weekend.

"Young people need to ask for help early and often," says Brandon. "May is 'Mental Health Month,' which is the perfect time for this event."

He and Tony also discuss how parents may miss the tell-tale signs of a child being depressed or suicidal. Kids also need to volunteer in their community and help others. They can share their skills and give to others.

"Fentanyl has been killing people!" said our guest, Darren Taylor, a substance abuse counselor and recovering addict (24 years) from Racine, Wisconsin.

He tells Tony about how self-care was a major factor in his recovery. Darren also discusses the difference, and it is huge, between abstinence and recovery. They are NOT the same. Mental health assessments are also essential in treating the whole person.

This is a fascinating and important podcast, especially if you are a drug addiction counselor. Darren and Tony have time-tested advice for you.

Darren can be found at www.jaminracine.com.

Our guest, Dr. Galen C. Nelson, PA-C, is a Physician Assistant in Beloit, WI. He is an expert on drug addiction and the fentanyl crisis that is killing so many Americans.

Dr. Nelson tells Tony how fentanyl is fifty times more potent than heroin and one hundred times more potent than morphine. He and Tony discuss the signs of fentanyl use and the keys to preventing people from using it and becoming addicted to it.

Dr. Nelson can be reached at pagcnel@gmailcom or [email protected].