Let's Talk Addiction & Recovery

Serving as Chair of the American Indian Advisory Council and spending the past twenty years as an addiction counselor for his Native brothers and sisters, Donald Richard Wright, Elder of the Leech Lake band of Ojibwe, is still finding ways to lift people up and bring them home. Now he joins host Andrew Williams to talk about his journey and how we can better serve the Native community moving forward.

Parents are rightly terrified of fentanyl. But what behaviors should set off alarm bells? And how can parents keep the conversation pointed in the right direction when panic and big emotions start arriving? Clinician Sarah Polley, MD, joins host William C. Moyers to explain what teenagers are thinking about fentanyl, the signs they're using, and how you can intervene and make a difference.

Shame and stigma kept Kathryn Burgum silent about her recovery for fifteen years. After she became First Lady of North Dakota, she learned from host William Moyers himself after an event where they both spoke: "The solution is so simple—we end stigma by talking about it." Now she's leading head and heart first, putting her own story front and center, and providing invaluable input to steer policy, public perception, and people everywhere toward real hope and healing.

Marketed as safe and cool with fun flavors and clever devices, vapes are hooking a new generation on nicotine. Health experts warn that it's not only water vapor and nicotine surging into the lungs: All kinds of other chemicals are ingested too. Psychiatrist Sara Polley, MD, talks with host William C. Moyers about the prevalence, known health risks and highly addictive potential of vaping among youth. The doctor's bottom line? No amount or form of nicotine is helpful for a young person. Listen in.

Out on tour after getting sober, indie-rocker John Solomon made a point of hosting conversations about addiction, mental health and recovery wherever he went. The experience inspired his next career move: Going to graduate school and becoming an addiction and mental health counselor. Today he serves as CEO of the Alaska Behavioral Health Association. From a patient to a clinician to a leading voice in the recovery field, hear why he keeps turning the hope he's found into ways to help others heal.

His birthday. His death day. Holidays. Family celebrations. That's when Linda Morrison feels the loss of her youngest son, Mike, most profoundly. But with time, she is finding more space in her heart for gratitude and hope—for the happy life Mike wanted for her. Morrison's achingly honest mother-son love story, Dear Heroin: A Memoir of Goodbyes, helps other families feel less alone in the darkness and devastation of addiction. Listen to her poignant interview with host William C. Moyers.

As author and advocate Dawn Nickel likes to say, "we're all recovering from something." For her, those somethings include alcohol, cocaine, anxiety, marijuana and workaholism. Tune in as the co-founder of the global SHE RECOVERS movement talks with host William C. Moyers about the inspiration behind her daily meditation book for "like-minded, like-hearted" women in their own recovery practice. Discover, too, why Nickel calls the book her "love letter to recovery."

Steve thought the world would come crashing when he packed his bags for treatment. A savvy businessman and CEO, he considered himself too successful, or perhaps too important, to go to treatment: after all, three families relied on him for financial support. Now he admits that was only an excuse, and everything that comes after—hope, healing and connection—are the only accomplishments that matter. Tune in to hear the rest.

Cómo ayudar a alguien que tiene una adicción Nuestro primer impulso es ayudar y proteger a nuestros seres queridos. Pero cuando tienen una adicción, ese impulso no es el correcto: puede que nos lleve a hacer cosas con las que no estamos cómodos, y cuando protegemos a nuestros seres queridos de las consecuencias de sus acciones, es menos probable que cambien. ¿Qué deberíamos hacer en su lugar? ¿Qué ayudará a nuestro ser querido a alcanzar y mantener la sobriedad? Y, ¿cómo podemos alcanzar nuestra propia paz mental? Únase al presentador Manuel García y a la experta Martha Mooneyham para aprender más sobre este tema.

Our first instinct is to help and protect our loved ones. But when they're addicted, that instinct is actually wrong: it can make us do things we're uncomfortable with, and when we protect them from consequences, our loved one is less likely to change. What should we do instead? What will help our loved one get and stay sober? And how can we find our own peace-of-mind? Join host Manuel Garcia and recovery expert Martha Mooneyham to learn more.

Proteger a nuestras familias y comunidades de la adicción Aunque disponemos de más recursos para hispanohablantes que en años anteriores, la cantidad de muertes por adicción en nuestra comunidad latina sigue siendo mucho más alta que en las comunidades de raza blanca. ¿Cómo podemos protegernos? ¿Qué deberíamos saber sobre la adicción, en especial con respecto a sus consecuencias para la familia y el papel que desempeña nuestra cultura en la rehabilitación? El presentador Manuel García recibe la visita de Martha Mooneyham, experta en rehabilitación, que explica cómo y dónde podemos encontrar ayuda, esperanza y rehabilitación.

We have more Spanish-speaking resources than years past, but our Latino/Latinx community is still dying from addiction at much higher rates than White counterparts. How can we protect ourselves? What should we know about addiction, especially its effects on the family, and what role does our culture play in recovery? Host Manuel Garcia is joined by Martha Mooneyham, a recovery expert who explains how and where we can find help, hope and recovery.