Escaping Rock Bottom

In this episode you will meet Ian Day. Ian gives an incredible testimony about how recovery has not only saved his life, but it's allowed him to create a life he truly never thought was possible.  He talks about childhood bullying and child sex abuse that he experienced. He also talks about his time in jail and how that became an opportunity to get sober. At one point in his life he lost custody of his son, but his story is proof that if we focus on healing ourselves our lives will only get better. In fact, he ended up getting back full custody about a year after staying sober. It's a powerful story of how AA/12 Step Programs have given him a new lease on life!

This might be the most "controversial" podcast episode I have ever done and I have never been more excited to talk about the science of psychedelics and the important studies being done right now to help people heal from trauma. We are talking about microdosing with the nations leading researcher on the subject, Dr Sue Sisley. Dr Sisley was the nations leading researcher on cannabis in the early 2000's and now she has DEA approval to grow mushrooms and conduct studies on veterans who've suffered from trauma. Her research could lead to a major breakthrough in helping addicts heal from the trauma that got them addicted to substances to numb it all out. 

Patrick Legenzoff is known as the "Sober Investor". His story is one of the most powerful I have ever heard. He grew up in a broken home. His mother was a drug addict and also the neighborhood drug dealer. He tried marijuana at age 10. He took a hit of meth at age 11. He, too, began slinging drugs and became a criminal before the age of 18. How did Patrick break the cycle of trauma & addiction? Does he have a relationship with his mother? How did he turn his life around to become an entrepreneur and an incredibly successful investor? Patrick owns 10 sober livings and a treatment center, Solutions of Sobriety. He drops some wisdom in this episode!

Hannah Kirkpatrick will tell you that she's never experienced trauma and had what she describes as the "perfect childhood". She somehow ended up abusing alcohol - she says she became a food addict & depressed. She battled perfectionism, trying to be the perfect person for everyone. Her world came crashing down. Everything fell apart including her marriage. But, she got help. She admitted herself into an outpatient program and got involved in multiple 12-step recovery groups. Then, she ran for Mrs. American and won with a platform of overcoming addiction. I had lots of questions like "how does someone with no trauma become an addict?" Hannah may have had an ah-ha moment during the podcast and realized she did in fact suffer quite a bit of trauma in her childhood that sent her life spiraling. This has to be one of the most fascinating podcasts I have ever recorded.

This episode covers a lot of current events happening around recovery/healing. We sit down with the founder of Pinnacle Peak Recovery to talk about news making headlines: Kathy Griffin becomes an addict at age 59 - she wonders how can anyone become an addict at that age. She did and she almost took her life after a traumatic life experience. Also, researchers in the medical field want to use MDMA and other psychedelics to help trauma survivors heal. Our question: can you still call yourself sober if you use these drugs to heal? 

Kim B has a powerful story about survival. She was sexually abused by a family member when she was a child. But no one believed her which caused her even more trauma. She turned to drugs to escape. The numb felt better than her reality. Now, Kim is the primary therapist at one of the best treatment centers in Arizona, Pinnacle Peak Recovery. She's also a supporter of harm reduction (so am I). We talk about meeting addicts where they're currently at and talk about way to heal from trauma.

JT has an incredible story of recovery. He lost his father at a very young age. That was a traumatic event. That trauma went unhealed and he began hanging with gangs and getting into brawls. That was his way of coping. It eventually led JT down a dark path of drug use that included shooting heroin. Now, JT is sober. He's a lover .. not a fighter. JT helps others get sober. He's the Director of Clinical Outreach for Springboard Recovery in Scottsdale, Arizona. It's one of the premier treatment centers that helps people heal from substance use. 

This is a really raw conversation about romanticizing relapse and the shame we feel about even having those thoughts. They say in recovery "just tell someone before you relapse." Well, truth be told, it's not that easy. What if we normalized the conversation about relapse, because the majority of people in recovery have experienced it. Wouldn't that make it easier for someone to come forward and share with someone else that they're thinking about it. If we carry shame about even the thought of it, then most people won't/don't say anything to anyone fearing their reaction. Here's my very candid conversation with a good recovery friend of mine, Tyler Tisdale, who owns one of the premiere recovery centers in Arizona: Pinnacle Peak Recovery.

Josh Anderson has one helluva story to tell. He says he didn't have a traumatic childhood. The thing he says likely sent him down the wrong path: he was left home alone. A lot. His experimentation with marijuana led him to booze. He got into a bad accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. That wasn't his rock bottom. He began using heroin. His family eventually gave him a choice: drugs or them. He said he had a moment of clarity that changed his life - all thanks to tough love from the family. Now, he's a therapist at the same place where he got sober: Calvary Healing Center in Phoenix, AZ.

This is a really powerful story of a man who witnessed a lot of chaos as a child including domestic violence. The trauma that Bobby suffered eventually led him down a dark path of drugs. But, this story is proof that not only do WE recover, but we can often create a life that we never thought possible. Bobby is now the CEO of Springboard Recovery in Scottsdale, Arizona. It's one of the best treatment centers in the state. They focus on helping people recover from drugs & alcohol. They're also partners with me at Art Of Our Soul for art healing sessions weekly. If you are looking for a treatment center, check out Springboard Recovery. Bobby knows the importance of creating a program that really does work and builds a foundation of longterm sobriety.