Adi Jaffe grew up as a privileged kid, first in Israel, then in Southern California. So how did he go from being a “good little jewish boy” (as he describes himself!) to finding himself up with a SWAT team in his face one day after waking up from a crystal-meth and GHB induced haze?

Adi’s story is a cautionary tale of getting caught up in addiction… of trying to “escape” living in reality… of trying to “fit in.” Once he began selling drugs, his life devolved quickly… he went from being a typical college student to finding himself literally banned from Beverly Hills, and living a life he likens to the one depicted in the movie, Scarface. He’s been hogtied and robbed. He found himself carrying a sawed-off shotgun. 

His life - to put it simply - was a mess. And it only got worse with that SWAT team, which was followed by an arrest that landed him in jail for over a year.

Fast forward to today: Adi has a beautiful life. He lives with his beautiful wife and adorable children in the Hollywood Hills. He helps people fix their lives, using the Ph.D. he earned from UCLA's top-rated doctoral program in psychology (where he graduated with honors!). He’s a best-selling author with his first book The Abstinence Myth, and just released his second book Unhooked: Free Yourself From Addiction Forever.

So how on earth did this powerhouse move from POINT A to POINT B with such drastic improvement? And could he help YOU do it too?

Tune in to hear the whole story… and why he believes that gratitude played a central role in his transformation and daily glow-up.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[7:44] Adi talks about his upbringing in Israel and his traumatic move to the United States.

[10:19] Adi shares his first experience tasting alcohol and the beginnings of his addiction. 

[14:16] Adi describes how he started to use meth and how the severity of his addiction developed. 

[18:08] Adi opens up about his arrest, his experience in prison, and the wake-up call it brought him.

[23:14] Adi recounts what drew him back to school after prison, expressing gratitude to his family for helping him move forward in life.

[27:25] Adi talks about his opinions on AA and the different approaches people have available to them.

[31:37] Adi shares why he believes in modernization of AA ideologies. 

[34:10] Adi explains why radical honesty is his biggest advice for recovering addicts.

[35:24] Adi shares practical advice (also found in his book) about how addicts can recover outside of AA. 

[38:40] Adi talks about what addicts and those with trauma need to focus on in order to recover and what the most common triggers are to look out for. 

[40:40] Adi describes his own morning ritual that keeps him grounded in gratitude. 

Key Takeaways: 

[28:36] Adi shares insight on what he believes are the pillars to success in life: Hard work,Time and Dedication. 

[33:47] Adi talks about how drugs and alcohol were merely symptoms of larger problems that he needed to address. 

[39:47] Adi describes how we are “the sum of our habits” and the importance of creating strong foundations that encourage us to be better versions of ourselves.

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Show Notes:

Thank you to Dr. Adi Jaffe for sharing your incredible story of the power of second chances. Follow him on Instagram: @dradijaffe

Check out more at his website: https://www.adijaffe.com/bio

Head to Amazon or your favorite bookseller to purchase Dr. Jaffe’s book, Unhooked: Free Yourself From Addiction Forever

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Make sure to follow Jamie @jamiehess on Instagram for news & updates, and visit our companion Instagram account @gratitudeology for a sneak peek into the personal moments discussed on the show.

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The Gratitudeology Podcast theme music is by HYLLS, performed by Nadia Ali @thenadiaali

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