I have to admit I didn't know what to title this episode. While the topic was "rehabilitation from substance abuse", that's such a wild understatement of what happened when we spoke to Stephanie. Stephanie shared her own story of substance abuse, and recovery...  but the incredible benevolence in this women's story and life work, go well beyond personal rehabilitation. Stephanie has now devoted her career to helping people break through the stigma's and barriers to better their lives as they emerge from the grips of addiction. No matter where you come out on the issue of substance abuse and WHAT the barriers to rehabilitation are, Stephanie's message and work will move you to believe their is hope for those who struggle to regain their independence as they get clean and re enter the work force. Stephanie's candor and vulnerability are magnetic and before we even finished recording this episode, Adam and I were already texting each other that there need to be a part 2-3-4-etc.... to this episode. I can't thank Stephanie enough for her willingness to speak with us.  

Adam and I got to speak to an intuitive counselor named Lissa Rose. We left this episode much more conversational and raw, because honestly, Lissa has too many areas of interest and information for us to really pigeon hole this in to one topic... which made editing different. You can find more information about Lissa and her areas of focus on LissaRoseCounseling.com or her instagram at all_things_woo. 

Azaria was kind enough to record with us twice, due to a technical issue with Zoom, and it was ABSOLUTELY a gift to Adam and I that she was so kind with her time. She was a wealth of information on principles that I had very little knowledge of. As I am writing this update, I am tempted to break down what we discussed, but I would be doing a book report of great information that someone else said. It wouldn't do her justice. Listen for yourself, and grab a pen and paper to jot down some notes. 

There were some technical issues at the 40 minute mark, and editing it to sound seamless wasn't possible.

Ed ended up back in the ER. Not for anything as serious as the A Fib situation, but of course nothing that walking calamity does, ever goes off without a fun hitch. What nightmare can you imagine for an overweight man, than having a medical emergency that puts a focus on his tummy. How about having the nurse and Doctor both be.. well, you'll just have to listen and find out. Spoiler alert: He basically lived out an amalgam of all hi Jr High nightmares rolled into one gut wrenching (no pun intended) experience. 

Last week I had a medical scare, and Adam helps shed some light on just what I was going through. I have finally started having prolonged success in losing weight, so why did I just have a heart scare now?!?! WTF!!! Light headed, fluttery feeling heart, and a near faint, sent me to the ER with a pulse of 210. As I was being prepared to have my heart shocked back to normal with electricity, the gravity of the situation started to settle in. I am so thankful I have someone in my life to exploit my health for podcast ratings, all under the guise of "clarifying what happened and what my long term prognosis will be". This is a two birds one stone scenario for us for sure... ratings and peace of mind.  

You better bring paper and a pen to this episode. There were times where I forgot I was suppose to interact with the guest, because I was so lost in what Tressa was saying. This is exactly why we do this show. Tressa was able to speak on so many topics from Tantra, to Spiritual Healing, and life purpose, that we often judge with the bias created from our own up bringing, but in honesty many of us are still pretty rudimentary in our understanding of. Tressa has a gift for quantifying pretty complex topics so that they are understandable for those of us without much working knowledge on these topics. 

Adam and I are particularly proud of this episode of Life on Earth. We spoke to a woman named Heather who has overcome addiction, and continues to succeed in her recovery from this horrible disease. We have spoken to people who are educated in the field of supporting addiction recovery, but I learned so much from hearing the expertise of someone who survived the battle, and is now thriving in her success. She is a perfect example of how addiction can strike ANYONE from ANY walk of life. Heather is your stereotypical suburban soccer mom. Raising a family, progressing in her career, and building a community of friends wherever she goes. Then all of this was derailed when she was injured in an accident, and she was prescribed opiate based pain medicine to help her in her healing. This could have been the start of a tragic story, as she slipped further and further into the grips of addiction. She tells amazingly vulnerable stories about how addiction morphs who you are, and before you know it you're doing things you never thought you would do, all in service to your disease. Hearing her describe the mind frame of a person struggling with addiction, and all that changed in her world, was humbling. How the feeling of "not deserving help" would juxtapose with feelings of "I can't be an addict, I am not like the stereotypical addict" shows how powerful the mind can be when it comes to protecting itself.  Seeing her now, on the other side of addiction, as she works to continue her progress was a much needed story of optimism. She definitely adds a human face to an often dehumanizing and stigmatized disease. It was a good reminder of the role optimism, support, and humanity play in helping people over come the crosses they bear. 

Adam and I were lucky enough to be able to speak with CR Braniff. CR is the husband to author Angela Braniff who authored the book "Love without borders" which describes how a deep sense of "purpose" and faith has lead this couple to adopt 6 kids (5 at the time the book was released) to join their already growing family of 4. It was inspiring to hear how CR described daily life with 8 kids. His views on faith, and joy through living life with a deeper purpose, was refreshing and felt very contradictory to what seems to be a society currently obsessed with instant gratification and dopamine rushes. CR's love for his kids, and wife really shine through in this discussion. It is quickly evident how what others may view as a "Herculean" task of trying to raise a large family from diverse backgrounds, with diverse needs, all while sustaining and expanding a farm and nurturing a marriage, is the only way this man can picture living a life of fulfillment. His joy and enthusiasm in his chosen path, is endearing. By the end of the conversation it becomes clear that CR's "chosen" path, doesn't feel to CR as though it was chosen BY him, so much as it was chosen FOR him in the form of a spiritual calling. During the entire conversation I couldn't help but notice how this man described how keeping his focus on his faith, family, and especially his wife, made what seems like a heavy workload feel routine to him. Every comment he makes, and every story he tells, reflects the incredible perspective that CR has gained through living his life for a bigger purpose than himself. 

Anya Hill, a licensed PA who has made a career in medical addiction treatment, joined us to continue the discussion we started in episode 4. Today Anya dove deeper into tools to help handle urges that play in to addiction. From breathing techniques, to differences in how you react to information you learn about yourself, to self care. This is a discussion with someone who has significant medical knowledge of addiction, but in no way meant as a medical diagnosis or treatment plan. When speaking about addiction, it is wildly helpful to listen to someone with Anya's level of experience, and learn how she personally addresses the feelings and triggers that accompany addiction. As Adam and I preach, do not use any podcast or youtube video or TV show as a replacement for seeking care directed specifically for you, by a trained provider. However, this discussion is filled with great information, and is a great starting point for anyone who is suffering from any type of addiction to begin their journey to wellness. 

Adam and I welcomed Shane, a firefighter and fire department union rep. Shane discussed the increased efforts to highlight mental health awareness for first responders (primarily fire fighters due to this being his direct area of experience). Shane was incredibly open about the struggles he has seen, as well as efforts being made by fire departments to increase awareness. It was incredible to hear how progressive and PROACTIVE fire fighters are being about suicide prevention and mental health awareness. It was great to hear how the people who protect our lives on a daily basis, are finally getting the help and care they deserve. I also couldn't help but feel even more indebted to these brave people, for helping to break down the stigmas surrounding mental health, and leading the way in making mental health awareness easier.