The Addicted Mind Podcast

Duane Osterlind sits down with Doug Leech, founder of Ascension Recovery Services, to discuss the monumental challenge of expanding high-quality addiction treatment to "treatment deserts"—specifically rural areas and tribal lands. Doug shares his vulnerable personal journey from a high-achieving accountant struggling with opioid addiction and homelessness to becoming a visionary leader in behavioral health.

The conversation dives deep into the collaboration with the Pawnee Nation to build a sustainable, native-owned recovery center. Doug explains how he combined his expertise in accounting and neuroplasticity with ancient spiritual traditions and cultural healing to overcome the unique financial, political, and logistical hurdles of building on sovereign land.

Key Discussion Points

• Doug’s Personal Story: From working at a top accounting firm to living in a car due to opioid addiction, Doug discusses the powerful role of shame and the life-changing experience of finding recovery in Minnesota when his home state of West Virginia had no options.
• The Problem of Treatment Deserts: Why many communities (veterans, Medicaid recipients, and Native American tribes) are often left without any local access to life-saving care.
• The Pawnee Nation Project: The complexities of building on sovereign land, including financing without the ability to repossess property and navigating tribal government cycles.
• Workforce Development: The "10-year plan" to train tribal members—from peer recovery coaches to Master’s-level clinicians—to ensure the program is self-sustaining and native-operated.
• The Business of Recovery: How Doug uses his accounting background (and lessons from Sarbanes-Oxley) to build clinical programs that are not only effective but financially viable.
• The Power of Service: Why giving back through the 12th step is essential to maintaining long-term recovery.

Quotes from the Episode

"Addiction is the best-kept secret that everybody knows." — Doug Leech

"I'll die with this disease, not from it." — Doug Leech

Resources Mentioned

• Ascension Recovery Services: ascensionrs.com
• White Bison: A resource for Wellbriety and culturally based healing for indigenous peoples.
• The Addicted Mind Podcast: theaddictedmind.com

Doug Leech is in recovery and the founder of Ascension Recovery Services. Motivated by his own struggle to find care, he has dedicated his career to developing full-continuum recovery models for underserved populations, helping open dozens of centers across the United States.

Connect with Doug:

• LinkedIn: Doug Leech
• Website: ascensionrs.com

If you live in California and are looking for counseling or therapy please check out Novus Mindful Life Counseling and Recovery Center

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Worksheet: Drawing Your Lines Boundaries

Imagine living in a house with no walls, no doors, and no fences. Anyone could walk in at any time—tracking mud on your carpet, eating your food, or sleeping on your couch without asking. You'd feel exposed, anxious, and exhausted. For many people in recovery, this is exactly how they treat their emotional lives. They leave doors wide open, letting people walk all over their time, energy, and peace of mind because they don't know how to build fences.

Download The Worksheet

In this episode of The Addicted Mind Plus, hosts Duane Osterlind and Eric Osterlind tackle one of the most critical skills for protecting your recovery: setting healthy boundaries. If you've ever felt that knot in your stomach when someone asks for something you don't want to give—your time, your money, your emotional energy—and heard yourself saying "yes" anyway, this episode is for you.

The painful truth is that when we don't set boundaries, we accumulate resentment. And as the saying goes in recovery rooms everywhere, "resentment is the number one offender." It leads directly to stress, emotional chaos, and eventually relapse. If you can't protect your space, you can't protect your sobriety.

But why is saying "no" so terrifying, especially in early recovery? Duane and Eric explore the deep fears behind our inability to set limits—the fear of rejection, abandonment, and disappointing others. For many of us, especially those with childhood trauma, we learned early on that we had to perform for our caretakers to receive love. Setting boundaries felt dangerous then, and it still feels dangerous now.

Using insights from the evidence-based Seeking Safety Model, developed specifically for people dealing with both trauma and addiction, the hosts break down what healthy boundaries actually look like. They're not rigid walls that shut everyone out—they're more like gates or fences. You get to decide who comes in and who stays out. You get to teach people how to treat you.

The episode covers three essential types of boundaries: physical boundaries (your personal space and body), emotional boundaries (protecting your feelings and not taking responsibility for others' emotions), and time/energy boundaries (protecting your schedule and preventing burnout). As Brené Brown famously said, "Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves even when we risk disappointing others."

But knowing you need boundaries and actually setting them are two different things. Duane and Eric provide a simple but powerful formula for expressing your needs without starting a fight. Using "I statements," you can communicate clearly: "I feel [emotion] when you [specific behavior], and I need [specific request or limit]." Instead of attacking someone by saying, "You're so annoying, stop talking about my past," you might say, "I feel uncomfortable and triggered when you bring up my past substance use in casual conversation. I need us to agree that we won't talk about this unless I bring it up first."

The key mindset shift? You're not controlling the other person—you're protecting yourself. A boundary isn't about forcing someone to stop their behavior; it's about what you will do if they cross your line. If a friend pushes you to have "just one drink," your boundary might mean saying, "I think it's time for me to leave."

This episode comes with a free downloadable worksheet that breaks down the "I statement" formula and gives you space to script out your boundaries before you have to say them out loud. Because as Duane reminds us, when we don't make our boundaries clear ahead of time, our feelings get in the way—guilt, fear, and shame can make our boundaries collapse.

Remember: good fences make good neighbors, and great boundaries make for solid recovery.

• The danger of no boundaries: How leaving your emotional life wide open leads to resentment, stress, and relapse
• Why saying "no" feels terrifying: Understanding our deep fears of rejection, abandonment, and disappointing others
• Three types of essential boundaries: Physical, emotional, and time/energy boundaries that protect your recovery
• The "I statement" formula: A simple but powerful tool for expressing boundaries without attacking others
• Boundaries vs. walls: Learning the difference between healthy gates that let the right people in and rigid barriers that isolate you
• Protecting yourself, not controlling others: Understanding that boundaries are about what YOU will do, not forcing others to change
• Self-respect as a recovery skill: Why setting boundaries is actually an act of self-love, not selfishness

Timestamp

[00:00:40] - The house with no walls: Why living without boundaries leaves you exposed and exhausted

[00:03:00] - That knot in your stomach: Recognizing when you're saying "yes" but feeling resentful

[00:04:30] - Why boundaries protect sobriety: How resentment becomes the number one offender leading to relapse

[00:06:00] - The three types of boundaries: Physical, emotional, and time/energy protection explained

[00:09:00] - The practical formula: Learning the "I feel/when you/I need" boundary-setting statement

[00:12:30] - The crucial mindset shift: Understanding you're protecting yourself, not controlling others

[00:14:00] - Your two-step action plan: Identifying where you need boundaries and scripting your "I statements"

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In this episode, Duane Osterlind sits down with Swami Revati, a Hindu monk with over 15 years of monastic experience. Together, they explore the intersection of Eastern spirituality, modern psychology, and the human search for lasting fulfillment. Swami Revati shares his journey from a multicultural upbringing to finding his spiritual mentor, offering a refreshing perspective on how Hinduism serves as a "science of the self." The conversation delves into the importance of proactive living, the role of divine grace, and how to cultivate an internal source of happiness that remains stable regardless of external circumstances.

Swami Revati clarifies that Hinduism is not just a cultural identity or a polytheistic religion of competing gods. Instead, it is a diverse representation of one divine source. It functions as a marriage between philosophy and theology, focusing on two main steps:

• Self-Knowledge: Understanding who you are in full depth.
• Divine Connection: Understanding your source and building a relationship with it.

The Power of Proactive Living

Most people live by "reciprocal love"—waiting for others to be kind or respectful before responding in kind. Swami Revati argues for proactive living:

• Decide who you want to be based on characteristics (humility, respect, love) rather than roles (job title, family status).
• Maintain those characteristics even when the environment doesn't reward them.
• Stability comes from mastering your inner world irrespective of external chaos.

The Mind as Friend or Foe

• The Goal: To make the mind your "best of friends" through discipline.
• The Method: Sadhana (spiritual practice). This involves "negation"—the practice of saying no to impulses in small ways to build the "muscle" for larger life challenges.

Redefining Happiness vs. Pleasure

• Sensory Pleasure: Temporary, circumstantial, and often tied to addictive cycles (e.g., food, social media).
• True Happiness: An internal, stable state discovered by tapping into the "spark of divinity" within the soul.
• 
  

5. The Anatomy of "Evil"

Swami Revati breaks down negative behaviors not as an entity, but as a byproduct of three factors:

1. Anger: Uncontrolled emotional lashing.
2. Desire: Selfish, short-term pleasure-seeking.
3. Ego: Selfishness and lack of service to something greater.

Memorable Quotes

"For one who has the mind under control, it is the best of friends; for one who doesn't, it is the worst of enemies." — Swami Revati (referencing the Bhagavad Gita)

"If happiness is reduced to just eating some fries and drinking a milkshake... that is momentary sensory pleasure. It has a lot to do with addictive cycles."

"Nobody can help someone that doesn't want to help themselves... you must have the belief that it can change."

Resources

• Thinking Bhakti Podcast: Hosted by Swami Revati.
• YouTube Channel
• The Bhagavad Gita: A foundational text

If you live in California and are looking for counseling or therapy please check out Novus Mindful Life Counseling and Recovery Center

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We want to hear from you. Leave us a message or ask us a question: https://www.speakpipe.com/addictedmind

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This episode of the Addicted Minds podcast features a critical discussion on the escalating crisis of teen addiction and mental health, highlighting the vital work of the Free Mind Campaign. Host Duane Osterlind speaks with Jasmine Kenney from the CDC's Division of Overdose Prevention and Dr. Meena Mirhom from Athletes for Hope, who detail the necessity of addressing substance misuse among young people aged 12 to 17. The guests explain that mental health struggles—fueled by social pressures, bullying, and social media—often lead teens to self-medicate with increasingly potent and accessible substances, including highly concentrated cannabis, illegal vapes, and fentanyl-laced drugs. The conversation stresses the need for non-judgmental support from trusted adults and peers to break the cycle of shame and isolation.

The guests showcase the innovative approaches used by the Free Mind Campaign and Athletes for Hope to reach youth. Jasmine Kenney outlines the CDC's mobile-friendly resources for parents, like conversation cards and an interactive graphic novel for teens, designed to facilitate dialogue and education. Dr. Mirhom explains how partnering with celebrity athletes provides powerful role models who use their platforms to talk openly about mental health and healthy coping strategies, demonstrating to young people that "it's okay to not be okay" and that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Ultimately, the discussion emphasizes that hope and effective mental health treatment are available to help youth navigate these challenges and build a supportive ecosystem across their communities.

Key Discussion Points

• The Problem: Addiction and overdose deaths are at an epidemic level among young people.
• Real-World Impact: Dr. Mirhom shares firsthand accounts of seeing individuals struggling with substance use in communities near where they were holding discussions with middle schoolers, highlighting that this is not an abstract issue for teens.
• Accessibility: Substances, some similar in compound to heroin, are readily accessible—sometimes even at local delis—to young people, with some as young as 11 being asked to carry drugs.

🧠 The Free Mind Campaign (CDC)

• Objective: The campaign addresses substance use and mental health issues among teens aged 12 to 17.
• Strategy: Provide non-judgmental resources to facilitate conversations:
• Teens talking to parents/caregivers.
• Parents/caregivers talking to teens.
• Teens talking to friends/peers.
• Core Issue: Research found that mental health is a major underlying issue, with teens often turning to drugs to cope with pressures from social media, bullying, and mental health struggles.
• Resources for Parents/Caregivers:
• Conversation starters for parents.
• A mobile-friendly card game to guide discussions (starting with mental health, moving to substance use, and ending with open-ended questions).
• Fact sheets to ensure parents are knowledgeable.

🤝 Partnering with Athletes for Hope

• The Power of Role Models: Dr. Mirhom emphasizes the profound impact of having star athletes and Olympians share their stories. Hearing from an admired figure about the importance of "keeping my mind free" resonates more strongly with teens than simply being told drugs are bad.
• Modeling Coping Skills: Athletes demonstrate healthy coping mechanisms, encouraging youth to adopt those strategies rather than self-medication.
• Support Ecosystem: The campaign aims to create a supportive environment involving peers, parents, and coaches. Athletes for Hope is developing resources for coaches on how to talk about these issues, recognizing that coaches are often the first trusted adult a young person turns to.

🧪 Substance Use Trends and Concerns

• Highly Potent Substances: Fentanyl, even in micro-amounts, can be deadly and is often laced in other substances.
• Cannabis Use: Cannabis Use Disorder is increasingly the number one misused substance over alcohol among young people.
• Concerns include the high potency and risks of psychosis, increased anxiety, and depression.
• Studies suggest chronic use may lower IQ in developing brains.
• Vaping and New Trends: The market is flooded with illegal vapes specifically marketed toward teens (looking like video games, flavored like bubble gum). There's also a rise of addictive substances that appear to be harmless, referred to as "gas station heroin."

💡 The Messaging and Hope

• Non-Judgmental Approach: The conversation starts by acknowledging the pain that leads to substance use ("there's a wound that's being addressed") and validating the teen's experience, making the adult an ally.
• Treatment Works: Dr. Mirhom stressed the importance of knowing that mental health treatment is very effective and that hope is concrete and available.
• Key Takeaway for Teens/Parents:
• Jasmine Kenney: "It's okay to not be okay. Reach out. There's support out there."
• Dr. Meena Mirhom: "Treatment can help you get there... hope is here for you. This is not a burden you've got to carry by yourself."

🔗 Resources

CDC Free Mind Campaign Resources:cdc.gov/freemind

• Free Mind Campaign: cdc.gov/freemind (Resources include the card game, graphic novel, fact sheets for parents and teens).

Athletes for Hope: https://www.athletesforhope.org/ (Information on athlete well-being, mental health resources, and ways to get involved in sports and philanthropy).

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Download: MICRO WINS WORKSHEET

In this episode of The Addicted Mind Plus, Duane and Eric Osterlind dive into the importance of celebrating micro wins in the journey of recovery. They discuss how small victories, often overlooked, play a crucial role in maintaining motivation and building resilience. By focusing on these tiny achievements, you can create a positive mindset that fuels your progress toward larger goals. Whether it's putting on your shoes for a walk or writing a single sentence in your journal, these micro wins can significantly boost your emotional well-being and keep you moving forward. Tune in to learn practical tips and hear inspiring insights on how to make the most of your daily successes.

Key Topics

• The significance of micro wins in recovery
• How small victories boost motivation and resilience
• Practical examples of celebrating micro wins
• The impact of savoring positive experiences
• Strategies for incorporating micro wins into daily life

Key Moments

1. [00:01:05] - Introduction to micro wins and their importance
2. [00:02:24] - Discussion on the nihilistic mindset and its impact on recovery
3. [00:03:00] - The role of small victories in building momentum
4. [00:04:00] - Research findings on savoring and its benefits
5. [00:06:55] - Practical examples of micro wins in fitness and personal development
6. [00:09:23] - Strategies for recognizing and celebrating micro wins
7. [00:14:00] - Encouragement to start celebrating micro wins and available resources

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In this episode, host Duane Osterlind speaks with Jaime W. Vinck MC, LPC, President of Meadows Behavioral Health and a Licensed Professional Counselor with 20 years of experience in the treatment industry. They discuss her book, The Rehab Playbook, which aims to demystify the rehabilitation process and encourage more people to seek help for addiction and mental health challenges.

📖 Why the Book Was Written

Jaime was inspired to write The Rehab Playbook during COVID-19, driven by the dedication of treatment staff and the desire to diminish suffering. The book’s core mission is to pull back the curtain on rehab, showing the process from the inside out to help people overcome the fear and stigma associated with seeking treatment.

• The Gap in Care: Statistically, only one out of ten people who need treatment get it, and it takes the average person 10 years to pick up the "thousand-pound phone" and seek help.
• Addressing Fear: The book explains the logistics of rehab—from what to bring, the luggage search process, and the healthy use of electronics—to address common reasons people drop out in the first few days due to unexpected rules or procedures.
• The Why: All rules and processes are explained as being for the patient's own safety and to ensure their treatment success.

The Fear and Stigma of Seeking Help

• Stigma and Labeling: Despite COVID-19 somewhat reducing the stigma, people are still afraid of being labeled, losing their jobs, or being judged by friends and family.
• Media Misrepresentation: Media portrayals of rehab (like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest or 28 Days) often create an inaccurate and fear-inducing image of the environment.
• The "No Judgment Zone": In quality treatment centers, the culture is one of carefrontation, not confrontation, where shame and guilt are replaced by trust and normalization. Most staff members have personal experience with addiction or recovery, fostering a deeply empathetic environment.
• 
  

The Cornerstone of Healing

• Structured Schedule: Days are packed with movement (gym, pickleball, pool), group work, and lectures, starting with early-morning gratitude.
• Primary Process Group: This is considered the cornerstone of deep addiction treatment. It involves a small group of 6-8 people with a primary therapist where patients share their life story/timeline.
• Corrective Experience: Group work helps repair early childhood trauma where vulnerability may have been dangerous. Hearing others share their stories reveals more similarities than differences, breaking down isolation and teaching healthy empathy.
• Experiential Therapies: Modalities like equine psychotherapy (working with horses), ropes courses, and art therapy help patients get their bodies moving and discover they can experience joy and connection while sober.
• Trauma Work: Treatment includes one-on-one trauma assessments and evidence-based modalities, along with resources like a Brain Center for neurofeedback and neuromodulation.

Major Barriers to Treatment:

1. Lack of Awareness of Resources: Many people incorrectly believe rehab is only for the wealthy and are unaware their insurance (like Blue Cross Blue Shield) or employee assistance programs (EAPs) can cover treatment based on medical necessity.
2. Time Off Work: Individuals often don't realize they can take time off through the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or short-term disability.

Jaime's final advice for anyone considering seeking help:

"You deserve to live a life that's happy, joyous, and free. People get better every day, so don't give up the hope."

🔗 Resources

• Book: The Rehab Playbook
• Website: www.therehabplaybook.com

www.therehabplaybook.com

www.naatp.com

www.meadowsbh.com

If you live in California and are looking for counseling or therapy please check out Novus Mindful Life Counseling and Recovery Center

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We want to hear from you. Leave us a message or ask us a question: https://www.speakpipe.com/addictedmind

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In this episode, host Duane Osterlind speaks with Liz Friedman, CEO and Co-founder of GPS Group Peer Support, about the vital role of peer support and group modalities in addressing the widespread mental health crisis. Liz shares her personal journey into the work, stemming from a severe mental health crisis after childbirth, which revealed significant gaps in the healthcare system. The conversation delves into the definition, profound impact, and structured model of peer support, emphasizing its effectiveness in fostering connection, resilience, and lasting change.

Key Discussion Points

• Defining Peer Support: Peer support is fundamentally about landing in your own lived experience and offering it as a tool and gift to others. It is about saying, "I've survived some really hard things. I believe you can too. Let's take the next step together," to break through isolation, stigma, and shame.
• Lived Experience as a Modality: Liz's personal motivation comes from her own struggles and the realization that connection is the key factor in healing. This understanding is deeply rooted in the recovery field.
• Peer Support vs. Professional Therapy: While professional therapy is crucial, peer support offers a unique, complementary therapeutic modality where participants share their lived experience to inspire and resource one another. Peer support minimizes the hierarchy and clinical barriers often present in traditional settings, enhancing rapport.
• 
  
• The Need for Structure and Training: Despite the organic nature of groups, there is a limited evidence base and a lack of training for running effective peer support groups—even among clinical professionals. Liz's organization, GPS Group Peer Support, focuses on training facilitators to create a structured, trauma-informed, and trauma-responsive container that allows for genuine authenticity and courageous sharing.
• The GPS Group Peer Support Model: The model integrates evidence-based modalities (like CBT, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness) seamlessly into a very set, stepped structure. Key elements include:
• Ritual Beginning: Starting with a mindfulness moment for grounding and landing.
• Heightened Confidentiality: Confidentiality is framed relationally to promote transformation, where the very act of saying something can change it, and prevent "locking" a person into their past truth.
• No Interruption/Advice: A completely device-free zone that eliminates crosstalk, advice-giving, and conflict. This trusts the participant's ability to find their own path and fosters self-trust.
• Realities and Principles: An honest preamble that names the challenges (realities) specific to the population while affirming principles of hope, dignity, and recovery for everyone.
• Equal Protected Time: Every person receives the same amount of protected time to share, ensuring the group is never dominated by a single voice and allowing the collective story to emerge.
• Addressing the Mental Health Crisis: The shift to group therapeutic care and support groups is critical for the future of mental healthcare. By utilizing a group model, costs can be reduced, access can be dramatically expanded (serving millions more people), and care can be de-stigmatized and normalized.
• 
  

💡 Listener Takeaway

Liz Friedman encourages anyone struggling and considering joining a group with this powerful message:

"Sharing your story with other people is the most courageous act that you can do. It's revolutionary, it's transformative, and it's healing. And I urge you today, today, right now, to go find someone you can share your precious story to and with, because that will help you with your connection with your path. It will make everything else possible. You're not alone."

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

If you live in California and are looking for counseling or therapy please check out Novus Mindful Life Counseling and Recovery Center

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We want to hear from you. Leave us a message or ask us a question: https://www.speakpipe.com/addictedmind

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Worksheet: Hope Building Blueprint

What do you do when your hope tank is completely empty? When you're going through the motions of recovery but deep down don't believe things will ever really get better?

In this powerful episode of The Addicted Mind Plus, hosts Duane Osterlind and Eric Osterlind tackle one of the most critical—and often overlooked—elements of lasting recovery: hope. But this isn't a conversation about wishful thinking or waiting for motivation to magically strike. Instead, they dive into the practical science of hope and show you exactly how to cultivate it, even when you're starting from bare ground.

Many people in recovery struggle with a toxic sense of hopelessness—that gray, heavy belief that the future will just repeat the past. It's the voice that whispers, "Lasting recovery is for other people, not me. I'm too broken. I've failed too many times." This feeling drains motivation and makes recovery feel like an exhausting chore rather than an opportunity for a better life.

Here's the good news: positive psychology research shows that hope isn't just a feeling you have to wait for. It's actually a trainable cognitive skill you can build, just like going to the gym and strengthening a muscle.

Duane and Eric break down Dr. C.R. Snyder's groundbreaking Hope Theory, which identifies two essential components of hope: pathway thinking (the belief that you can find routes to your goals—the "how to" part) and agency thinking (the belief in your own ability to use those paths—the "I can do this" part). When you feel hopeless, it's usually because you've lost one or both of these elements.

The episode gets wonderfully practical with two concrete action steps you can start using today:

Action Step #1: Set One Hopeful, Achievable Goal - Choose one small, realistic, and measurable goal you can work on this month (or even just today). Not something vague like "be happier" or "fix my life," but something specific like "spend 10 minutes outside three times this week" or "make one phone call to a supportive friend." Writing it down literally creates a pathway forward in your brain.

Action Step #2: Visualize Your Success - Take 2-3 minutes to close your eyes and vividly imagine yourself achieving that goal. Don't just see it—feel it. Imagine the pride, relief, and satisfaction of crossing it off your list. This isn't just positive thinking fluff—it's neuroscience. Elite Olympic athletes use this exact technique to improve their performance, and research shows visualization can be as beneficial as additional physical training.

The hosts explain that this process directly builds self-efficacy—your belief in your ability to succeed. Hope isn't just believing things can get better; it's taking small steps that create evidence they ARE getting better.

Throughout the episode, Duane and Eric's compassionate approach shines through. They acknowledge that both pathway thinking and agency thinking can be incredibly difficult to access in recovery, but they offer genuine encouragement that these skills can be developed over time.

To support your journey, they've created a free Hope Building Blueprint worksheet—a simple one-page guide to help you define your hopeful goal, brainstorm the pathway to get there, and list your motivation and visualization strategies.

If you're struggling with hopelessness in recovery, this episode offers both the science and the practical tools to start building hope today. You deserve to believe in a better future—and now you have a roadmap to get there.

Key Topics

• The Neuroscience of Negativity - Why our brains are wired to focus on negative emotions and predictions first

• Dr. C.R. Snyder's Hope Theory - The two essential components: pathway thinking and agency thinking

• Pathway vs. Agency - Understanding which element of hope you're struggling with most

• Small Goals Build Self-Efficacy - How tiny, achievable wins create evidence of progress and fuel motivation

• The Power of Visualization - Using Olympic athlete techniques to prime your brain for success

• Actionable Hope-Building Steps - Two concrete practices to start cultivating hope today

• Free Hope Building Blueprint - Downloadable worksheet to guide your goal-setting and visualization practice

Timestamp List

00:00 - Introduction: What is the most powerful fuel for recovery?

02:00 - The pain point of hopelessness and why it's toxic to recovery

04:00 - Why our brains are wired for negativity and how positive psychology offers a new lens

06:00 - Breaking down the two essential parts of hope: pathway thinking and agency thinking

09:00 - Action Step #1: Setting one hopeful, achievable goal that's specific and measurable

11:00 - Action Step #2: Visualizing your success using neuroscience-backed techniques

14:00 - Recap and introduction to the free Hope Building Blueprint worksheet

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This week on the podcast, host Duane Osterlind welcomes Brenda Zane, the founder of Hope Stream Community. Brenda is a former high-level advertising executive who completely shifted her career after her son struggled with severe substance use disorder, including multiple fentanyl overdoses. Her experience led her to realize the lack of effective, compassionate, and actionable resources for parents dealing with a child's addiction—so she built them.

Brenda shares her powerful, deeply personal journey, discussing the profound shift in perspective that occurred after her son's near-fatal experiences. She realized her demanding corporate life was "meaningless" compared to the urgency of her family's struggle. This episode is a must-listen for any parent, caregiver, or family member grappling with a loved one's addiction, offering a powerful message of hope, empowerment, and practical advice.

Key Topics 

• The Power of Perspective Shift: Brenda discusses how a crisis can force a re-evaluation of what is truly meaningful in life, leading her to leave her high-powered career to focus on supporting other families.
• Challenging the "Rock Bottom" Myth: The conversation directly addresses the harmful, disempowering message that parents are helpless and must simply "let them hit rock bottom." Brenda emphasizes that parents can take action to change their family system and build connection.
• The Importance of Parental "Internal Work": Brenda highlights that showing up effectively for a child struggling with substance use requires the parent to do their own deep internal work. This includes letting go of the ego, dismantling the need to rescue, and distinguishing between blame and responsibility in the family dynamic.
• The Backpack Analogy: A key concept discussed is allowing your child to struggle and face natural consequences (filling their "backpack" with life lessons), rather than constantly rescuing them (leaving them with an "empty backpack").
• Setting Boundaries with Compassion: Learn how to create a plan with your therapist to set boundaries that protect your sanity while still maintaining a loving relationship with your child. Brenda stresses the importance of understanding that your child's substance use is a symptom, not an action against you.
• The Value of Non-Judgmental Connection: Brenda shares practical examples, like meeting her son for breakfast with the rule of no talk about substance use, just to connect on a human, person-to-person level.
• Focusing on Support: Support anything that moves your loved one toward healthy relationships and healthy behavior, whether that's treatment, a mentor, or simple connection. Don't fall for "imaginary haircuts" (e.g., giving money for things you know will be used for substances).
• Healing in Community: The segment on Hope Stream emphasizes the need for a non-judgmental community where caregivers can find support, share experiences, and receive education on communication tools and the complexities of addiction, trauma, and ambiguous grief.
• The Mandatory Self-Care Message: Brenda's final advice to a struggling mom is concise and crucial: Take care of yourself. It is mandatory, not selfish.

Resources

Website: hopestreamcommunity.org

Podcast: hopestreamcommunity.org/playlists

E-books: hopestreamcommunity.org/resources

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https://www.theaddictedmind.com/community 

If you live in California and are looking for counseling or therapy please check out Novus Mindful Life Counseling and Recovery Center

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Worksheet: Growth & Gratitude Journal Prompts

What if the experiences that broke you could also be the source of your greatest strengths?

It's a radical question, especially when you're standing in the aftermath of addiction and trauma, surrounded by what feels like nothing but devastation and regret. But what if within that rubble, there were seeds of profound growth waiting to be discovered?

In this powerful episode of The Addicted Mind Plus, hosts Duane Osterlind and Eric Osterlind explore the transformative concept of benefit finding and post-traumatic growth. This isn't about pretending the past wasn't painful or toxic positivity that dismisses real suffering. Instead, it's about learning to hold two truths at the same time: your pain was real and devastating, AND you can grow stronger because of how you navigated through it.

The episode tackles a pain point many in recovery face: feeling permanently defined by the worst things that have happened to you. When you look back and see only a wasteland of mistakes, regrets, and broken pieces, it becomes incredibly difficult to build a hopeful future. That narrative of victimhood and brokenness can feel impossible to escape.

Duane and Eric introduce the concept of post-traumatic growth (PTG)—significant positive psychological change that comes not from the traumatic event itself, but from the struggle with that event. Think of it like a forest fire: the fire is devastating, but the struggle for survival can lead to new, significant growth in the ecosystem afterward.

The hosts identify five key areas where people often experience growth after trauma: improved relationships with deeper, authentic connections; new possibilities and opportunities that weren't visible before; a greater sense of personal strength and resilience; spiritual development and a broader sense of meaning; and a deeper appreciation for life and gratitude for things once taken for granted.

Throughout the episode, Duane and Eric emphasize the critical importance of validating pain before exploring growth. You can't skip over the hurt to get to the healing. As Duane explains, you have to sit with the pain and acknowledge it's real before you can discover the benefits—but you don't have to stay in that pain forever.

The episode offers two gentle, reflective exercises for listeners. The first invites you to identify one personal strength—like resilience, empathy, patience, or determination—that has been significantly enhanced because of what you walked through. The second is a journal prompt: "What is one important lesson I've learned about myself, about others, or about life through this journey so far?"

These reflections help reframe the narrative of your life. As Eric powerfully states, you stop being just the victim of your past and become the person who faced immense challenges and found strength and meaning in the struggle. This doesn't change what happened, but it can change what it means to you today.

Duane shares one of his favorite quotes from Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning": "When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." That's the heart of this work—changing ourselves in response to what we've endured and finding real purpose in that transformation.

To support listeners in this gentle process of exploration, Duane and Eric have created a free Growth and Gratitude Journal Prompts worksheet, available in the show notes at theaddictivemind.com.

This episode is a compassionate invitation to look at your past through a new lens—not one that erases the pain, but one that helps you discover the unexpected gifts that emerged from your struggle. If you're in recovery and wrestling with feelings that your past is only a story of damage, this episode offers hope and a path forward.

Key Topics 

• Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG): Understanding how significant positive change can emerge from struggling with major life crises and traumatic events

• The Importance of Validating Pain First: Why you must acknowledge and sit with pain before you can discover the benefits and growth that followed

• Five Key Areas of Growth: Exploring improved relationships, new possibilities, personal strength, spiritual development, and deeper life appreciation

• Holding Competing Truths: Learning to acknowledge that an experience was 100% painful while simultaneously recognizing the growth that came from navigating it

• Reframing Your Life Narrative: Shifting from a story defined by damage to one of growth, resilience, and meaning

• Practical Reflection Exercises: Two actionable steps for identifying strengths gained and lessons learned through adversity

• Viktor Frankl's Wisdom: Applying the principle that when we can't change a situation, we're challenged to change ourselves

Timestamps

[00:01:00] - Opening question: What if the things that broke you could be your greatest strengths?

[00:03:00] - The pain point: Feeling permanently defined by your past damage and mistakes

[00:05:00] - Introduction to Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) and how growth comes from the struggle, not the event

[00:06:00] - The five key areas where people experience growth after trauma

[00:08:00] - Actionable Step 1: Reflect on one strength you've gained or enhanced through your struggle

[00:10:00] - Actionable Step 2: Journal prompt - What have I learned about myself, others, or life?

[00:11:00] - Viktor Frankl quote and closing thoughts on transformation and the free worksheet resource

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