This week I'm joined by Andrew Hopgood. Andrew has been a Senior Clinician in rehabs throughout Wellington in the DHB and Private sector, setting up and running programmes focused on the hard-to-reach. He helped set up community projects using volunteers with lived experience and was recently involved with the Kahukura rehabilitation programme for the Mongrel Mob.

Andrew is a lecturer on WelTec's Bachelor of Counselling and Addictions program.

In this episode, Andrew shares his journey with trauma and addiction, his work with 'the unreachables' (gang members and their whanau), intergenerational trauma and why we need more rehabilitation facilities in New Zealand.

We talk about:

• Finding bliss with his first joint and a ready supply of speed from the bikers next door
• The human condition: pleasure-seeking and avoiding pain at all costs
• Why, when it comes to addiction, your environment is everything
• Intergenerational trauma and child poverty in New Zealand
• The moment with his daughter that changed everything
• Not realising he had an addiction until he tried to stop
• Staying clean, finding a job with purpose, and getting a degree
• The opposite of addiction is connection
• Gang whanau who don't know what trauma is
• The importance of feeling difficult emotions
• The inevitable payback when substances stop working
• The 4 Ls assessment tool: Liver, Lover, Legal, and Lifestyle, as a snapshot of where you are right now
• What calls him forward and guarding his currency for joy (dopamine)
• Spikes of dopamine (going for the quick fix) versus sustained release
• Doing the fucking work and not passing your trauma onto your kinds
• Why that first cigarette of the day is the best cigarette of the day
• Peer pressure and the importance of teaching young people to self-soothe
• Not punishing yourself, creating balance and moving through your triggers
• The power of finding a safe person who will call you out on your bullshit
• Intergenerational trauma and the boy's homes in the 60s and 70s
• Treating addiction as a biopsychosocial problem and why we need more rehabilitation facilities

We would love to know what stood out the most for you in this episode. Please feel free to get in touch with either of us via the links below.

Don't forget to rate the podcast on Spotify or leave a review on Apple Podcasts, your support will help us reach a wider audience and help more people on the road to recovery.

Connect with Andrew:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/watershedaddictions/

Email - [email protected]

Connect with Kerene:

Website - mindfulatwork.co.nz

LinkedIn - Kerene Strochnetter

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/kerene_strochnetter

This week I'm joined by Lotta Dann. Lotta is an addiction recovery advocate who has published three best-selling books that draw on her personal experience to promote sober living and recovery, including - The Wine O'Clock Myth: The Truth You Need to Know about Women and Alcohol, Mrs D is Going Without, and Mrs D is Going Within.

She is partnered with the New Zealand Drug Foundation to run 'Living Sober', a website that helps over fifty thousand people a year to manage their relationship with alcohol. Lotta is a Project Lead at Blueprint for Learning for the Addiction 101 workshop, designed to increase awareness and reduce the stigma associated with addiction. She was recently made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her work in addiction advocacy.

In this episode, Lotta shares how lost, miserable, and terrified she felt before deciding to quit drinking and how it was the best decision of her life.

We talk about:

• Lotta's journey with alcohol addiction and what keeps her grounded
• Moving from - fun drinking Lotta - to feeling sad and embarrassing
• Being locked in an intense 3-year inner battle about drinking and making the terrifying decision to stop
• The hard bloody work of learning how not to get the instant release and asking yourself, 'How do I move around this world without alcohol?'
• The coming shift in drinking culture (E.g., Sober Curious)
• The mysterious nature of addiction and shifting the stigma and judgment
• How being honest and truthful with yourself puts you on the track to recovery
• Lotta's 3 top tips for stopping drinking
• Understanding that being human is hard, emotions are pesky, and life's tricky - so be kind to yourself and choose your soothing instrument wisely!
• How alcohol helped push aside uncomfortable feelings and the importance of connecting with her emotions (after hating navel-gazing!)
• The gift of mindfulness for not getting so swept up in her mind (which she could never have done when she was drinking)
• Modelling being real and having courageous conversations with the people you love
• The importance of values work, and having fun without booze
• Lotta's new book (available soon) on diet culture, body image and food.

We would love to know what stood out the most for you in this episode. Please feel free to get in touch with either of us via the links below.

Don't forget to rate the podcast on Spotify or leave a review on Apple Podcasts, your support will help us reach a wider audience and help more people on the road to recovery.

Connect with Lotta:

Website - https://livingsober.org.nz/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mrsdisgoingwithout/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mrs_d_alcoholfree/

Connect with Kerene:

Website - mindfulatwork.co.nz

LinkedIn - Kerene Strochnetter

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/kerene_strochnetter

This week I'm joined by an exceptional guest, colleague and dear friend of mine, Michael Bunting. Michael is the founder of the prominent leadership consultancy WorkSmart Australia. He's the author of the number-one bestseller, The Mindful Leader and Awakened Mind (a mobile application). His recent book, Vertical Growth explains how self-awareness and self-regulation transform leaders and organisations.

Michael is a Keynote Speaker, Researcher and Facilitator, committed to changing lives through leadership, team and culture. He's been teaching mindful leadership to businesses for over 20 years, working with some of the biggest companies in the world. He believes - and I agree - that if behaviour does not sustainably change, what is the point of any team or leadership program?

Our conversation speaks to the complex world of addiction, exploring its subtle manifestations and the universal experience of human suffering.

In this episode you will learn about:

• Michael's passion for understanding suffering and the human condition, addiction, and what that has to do with leadership
• Understanding why chasing satisfaction never lasts
• Exploring the '3 layers of the cake' that drive behaviour and why it's essential to go through pain and discomfort to get to 'freedom'
• Broadening the definition of addiction from solely substances and behaviours, to including habitual responses like people pleasing, being right, and blaming others
• Accepting we're all addicts and letting go of the social shame
• Michael shares his shopping addiction and love of drama
• Why behaviour change must begin with fully seeing the suffering we're creating for ourselves
• Going cold turkey and the importance of self-awareness, self-honesty and self-compassion
• Fast Brain versus Slow Brain and the three evolutionary drivers that feed fast brain reactivity

We would love to know what stood out for you in this episode. Please feel free to get in touch with either of us via the links below.

Don't forget to rate the podcast on Spotify or leave a review on Apple Podcasts, your support will help me reach a wider audience and support more people doing this tough thing called 'life'.

Connect with Michael:

Website - www.themindfulleader.com

LinkedIn - Michael Bunting

Connect with Kerene:

Website - https://mindfulatwork.co.nz/

LinkedIn - Kerene Strochnetter

Instagram - @kerene_strochnetter

This is the first interview on the podcast and I am so happy to introduce my colleague and friend, Philly Powell. In this raw and engaging episode we share personal anecdotes, explore the challenges of overcoming alcohol addiction, the impact of societal pressures, and the importance of self-reflection and mindfulness in the journey towards wellbeing.

Philly speaks about her expertise in workplace wellbeing, her own experience with alcohol and breaking the party Philly - have fun, feel like shit - cycle.

In this episode you will learn about:

• Philly's journey with alcohol and her passion for holistic wellbeing and living her best life
• Why it's so hard to give up the habitual nature of socialising with alcohol
• Using alcohol to mask emotional pain
• Why we need to look at 'what hurts' and face into the pain
• Overcoming alcohol addiction in a society that glamorises drinking
• Being kinder to yourself when you relapse and celebrating progress
• Philly's top four tips for overcoming alcohol addiction

We would love to know what stood out the most for you in this episode. Please feel free to get in touch with either of us via the links below.

Don't forget to rate the podcast on Spotify or leave a review on Apple Podcasts, your support will help us reach a wider audience and help more people on the road to recovery.

Connect with Philly: Website - wellbeingtick.co.nz LinkedIn - Philly PowellInstagram - @thewellbeingjunkie

Connect with Kerene: Website - mindfulatwork.co.nz LinkedIn - Kerene Strochnetter Instagram - @kerene_strochnetter

In this first episode I thought I'd introduce myself and the reason behind the podcast before we dive into interviews. Today I also talk about the often overlooked struggles of high-functioning individuals grappling with subtle addictions, various treatment options available, and the crucial role of self-compassion.

In upcoming episodes, through exploring the intricate nature of addiction, my guests and I aim to shed light on how your inner experiences shape your responses to life's challenges, and how working with your biology is key to being your best self.

Make sure you're subscribed to the podcast so you know when new episodes are out and turn your automatic downloads on.

Connect with me:Website - mindfulatwork.co.nz LinkedIn - Kerene Strochnetter

Welcome to Little Addicts, the podcast for smart, successful people who worry that something they're doing might be becoming a problem but feel powerless to stop. Whether it's alcohol, cigarettes, vaping, drugs, gaming, gambling, pornography, shopping, scrolling, or food, the human brain is designed for addiction. I'm your host, Kerene Strochnetter, from Mindful at Work. Join me as I interview everyday people, celebrities, and experts for my new book, Everybody Sucks. We explore why we seek quick fixes despite their harm, why stopping feels impossible, and how to regain control of our lives. Tune in fortnightly on Wednesdays, starting June 26, 2024, for new episodes. Subscribe now to get notified and download automatically.