The Addictionary Podcast

Michael O’Malley: Recovery Advocate and Person in Recovery tells us about his childhood sexual trauma and the darkest points of his addiction plus we talk about biological, psychological, and social bases for addiction, criminal convictions, forced treatment, Gosnold on Cape Cod, public policy, and more! Plus, Bobby tells his how he bumped into Judge Fallony in the underwear section of Zayre's department store. Needless to say, he got tossed out of court for sharing that information aloud...

Vasavi Kumar, LMSW, life coach, and host of the Being Human with Vasavi podcast available at vasavikumar.com calls into the show and tells us about her history of addiction, bipolar disorder diagnosis, commitment to 12-step recovery, and how she ended up on VH1’s Basketball Wives (one of Maegan’s favorite reality shows!) Vasavi also tells us about her work ethic, which has opened the door for her to be featured on NBC, Fox News, The Huffington Post, The Food Network, and The Wall Street Journal! Maegan talks about the recent conference she attended for The Academy of Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition called Revitalizing the Addicted Brain.

Rob: Producer for Recovery Today Magazine. Rob tells us about the magazine’s goal m, which is to connect with individual people and their stories of hope, both in recovery and in active addiction. Rob tells us the magazine’s philosophy: Every life is precious! He shares some of the mag’s most memorable recovering warriors, including Russell Brand, Dave Navarro, Bob Forrest, Darryl Strawberry, and fellow Addictionary guests, Amy Dresner & Brittany Parsons. Maegan and Bobby talk about using cocaine and how it impacts behavior, including induced paranoia. Maegan and Bobby tell a few stories about their worst cocaine experiences, including when Bobby duct taped “Roy” to a pole and spent over a thousand dollars to keep the hotel cleaning crew away!

Paul & Molly: Owners of Fitness Together in Arlington, MA call into the show! They talk about life as a married couple comprised of one partner in recovery (Paul) and another who is not (Molly). We chat about how Molly supports Paul in his recovery and their passion for opening up their own fitness studio. Paul and Molly are fellow vegans and dog rescuers so they fit right in with this family! Check out Fitness Together at https://fitnesstogether.com. Plus, Bobby tells a story about being a patient at the Shattuck Hospital in Boston (where inmates get their medical care) and going to the hospital after Uncle Billy threw a pitchfork in his leg for stepping in his tomato garden!

Paul McSweeney: Songwriter and lead singer of the band Parts Per Million calls into the show and tells us about his story of addiction and recovery. The band’s upcoming show is on Monday, May 14th at 7:30 pm at Thunder Road in Somerville, MA so stop by and check it out if you are in the area! Maegan and Bobby chat about Hep C treatments and get going on some “conspiracy theories.” Maegan gets on her soapbox about life-long MAT and goes into further detail about what it means to break through a Vivitrol blocker plus emerging information about why Suboxone is so difficult to wean off of. We also pay tribute to our amazingly loyal fans by reading some emails/reviews.

Maegan & Bobby kick it old school this week and have a free-flowing chat for the whole episode! They talk about the Boston accent and Maegan clarifies her comments about Suboxone/Methadone treatment from her humanistic view. They also discuss topics like systemic oppression in the criminal justice system, Narcan, Maegan’s friend OD’s and comes back to life, “Dope” on Netflix, Freeway Ricky Ross, Dad’s brother sells him the same clock 3x!

Special guest Cousin Franny returns and this time in person!! Bobby and Maegan chat it up with cousin Fran and take guest calls for the first time during the episode! They talk about Fran’s progress, past courtroom antics (including faked heart attacks and ODs in the courtroom), living in abandoned houses w/Diggity, trauma, legal injection sites, cannabis: gateway or exit drug? Sober dates, homelessness, and the Behavioral Economic Model of addiction. Keep tuning in to hear more from Fran as he will return periodically as Maegan’s co-host!

Special caller Shane Ramer, Founder and Host of That Sober Guy Podcast/Sober Guy Radio. Shane is dedicated to bringing awareness to mental health, addiction, and substance use. He tells us about his struggles with addiction and current program of recovery including being patient and mindful. Bobby tells his story about stealing his uncles ’55 Chevy, hanging at the Mystics (Mystic River) with his friend JJ and getting arrested by the police, sitting in jail soaking wet (once again). Also, he tells the story about the horse getting loose from the cow barn. Check out Shane’s website www.ThatSoberGuy.com, also check out Shane’s That Sober Guy Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher.

Special caller and new best friend to the show Amy Dresner: Author of My Fair Junkie: A Memoir of Getting Dirty and Staying Clean, former professional stand-up comic, having appeared at The Comedy Store, The Laugh Factory, and The Improv. She is the contributing editor of TheFix.com and has written for the Good Men Project, The Frisky, Refinery 29, Addiction.com, and PsychologyToday.com, where she has her own addiction blog entitled “Coming Clean.” Maegan and Bobby chat with Amy about stigma, shame, language, humor in recovery, AA/NA, getting arrested, and much more! Maegan and Bobby have a brainstorm session about using stigmatizing language and what it might mean to the person it’s being directed to.

Special caller Christina Veselak, MA, LMFT, CN: Founder and director of the Academy for Addiction and Mental Health Nutrition and runs Garden Gate Counseling & Consulting in Southeast Denver, Colorado. She has over 30 years experience as a psychotherapist and specializes in individual counseling, addiction recovery and Mental Health Nutrition. She has also consulted for supplement companies, IV detox programs, and residential addiction treatment, helping them integrate nutritional approaches into their programs. Christina is also a founding member and former Executive Director of The Alliance for Addiction Solutions, a non-profit organization which promotes the use of nutritional and other natural modalities to support repair of the addicted brain. Maegan had the pleasure of chatting with Christina about the Academy and their upcoming conference in West Palm Beach, FL from May 9-12 called Revitalizing the Addicted Brain. Check out www.addictionnutritionacademy.com for more information!