Understanding Addiction, Recovery, and Transformation

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Thomas Delaney, who shares his deeply personal journey from ketamine addiction to recovery and advocacy. During his recovery, Thomas has spoken to audiences in the thousands and reached an online global audience of over 20 million people.  He has spoken at some of the UK’s most significant wellbeing events and the world’s largest performance arts festival, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Thomas's story offers a raw and honest look into the complexities of addiction, the challenges of recovery, and the potential for profound personal transformation.

Key topics discussed:

1. The interplay between childhood trauma, intergenerational patterns, and addiction

2. Hierarchies within addiction and their impact on treatment and societal perceptions

3. The realities of residential treatment and the recovery process

4. Power dynamics and stigma surrounding addiction

5. Controversies of ketamine therapy for mental health treatment

6. The importance of addressing underlying causes rather than just symptoms

7. Finding purpose and meaning in life after addiction

Highlights:

- Thomas's courageous sharing of his personal experiences with addiction and recovery

- Insights into the nuanced nature of addiction and the challenges of seeking help

- Discussion on the use of substances to treat addiction and mental health issues

- Emphasis on holistic approaches to healing and recovery

- The power of finding purpose and meaning in recovery

Takeaways:

This episode underscores that recovery is not just about abstaining from substances, but about rebuilding a life filled with connection, purpose, and self-understanding. Thomas's journey offers hope and inspiration for anyone struggling with addiction or supporting someone on their recovery path.

Remember, healing is possible, and every step towards recovery is a victory worth celebrating.

Join addiction psychologist and poet Jacky Power and her guest Thomas Delaney  for this enlightening and thought-provoking conversation that aims to destigmatise addiction and help those affected feel less alone in their struggles.

As many of us have watched on as the war in Ukraine has unfolded, my guests today stepped forward, travelling to Poland to bring tools of trauma relief, resilience, and stabilisation to aid workers, communities, and refugees in a small town called Slupsk through using EFT. 

EFT practitioners Aga Kehinde, who is originally from that town and  and Jessica Mór, who until February 2022 had been living in Ukraine due to her spouse’s work, join me today to talk about their experience of co-creating  ‘Support for Slupsk’ 

The project has now delivered training to more than 800 people working for the services of the town of Slupsk, Poland who are coming into direct contact with the Ukrainian refugee population. The training has involved participants learning tapping and somatic trauma relief tools, the neurobiology of how they work, and the confidence and skills to use and share this knowledge and tools as they move through this challenging time.

Aga's experience of having worked in the NHS gave her an ideal insight into what was needed to support those who were supporting the refugees and Jess's experience of living in Ukraine was invaluable in helping them strategise where they gave help and how. 

Mentioned in this podcast:
Thought field therapy
Dr. Feinstein's papers on using EFT in natural disasters.
Peaceful heart network organisation
ACEP
Lori Leyden

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Listener support: I love making The Therapeutic Poet podcast, but it does cost time and money. If you have enjoyed it, been informed by it or found it helpful then I would greatly appreciate your financial support. You can do this by:

Taking a paid subscription on my Substack - a weekly newsletter helping people have 'Permission to feel'. You'll receive tips on how to navigate our human tricky things, recorded poems and other goodies.

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Childhood trauma can have a devastating long term impact on a person, having a detrimental effect on their mental and physical wellbeing. Evidence suggests that ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) are a major factor in criminal behaviour and addiction.

Sharon Osterfield and Aga Kehinde have created The Arukah Project to raise awareness of trauma associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress and how it impacts the lives of those who are in contact with the Justice System. 

In this episode Aga and Sharon talk about how the project came about, why they are so passionate about it and what you can do to help.

They mention the ACE study and The Compassion Prison Project.

Photo of Aga courtesy of The Synthesis Clinic

Click here to go to my Substack page.

Click here to buy my book

Click here to buy my a coffee and show your support

Listener support: I love making The Therapeutic Poet podcast, but it does cost time and money. If you have enjoyed it, been informed by it or found it helpful then I would greatly appreciate your financial support. You can do this by:

Taking a paid subscription on my Substack - a weekly newsletter helping people have 'Permission to feel'. You'll receive tips on how to navigate our human tricky things, recorded poems and other goodies.

Buying my book ‘Stop the world I want to get off’

Or buy me a coffee 🤗.

In this episode we chat about what sustainable fashion is; how to get off the trend treadmill; Sophia's experiment in which she is not buying any new or preloved clothes (except for vital undies and socks!) and how 'sober dressing' can be creative, empowering and fun. 

Sophia's mission is to help you restyle and rework your wardrobe using what you already have. She makes up "new to you" outfits from clothes that you may have forgotten about, discarded, or loved... but never been sure what to put it with. She creates outfits that are true to your sense of style and the woman you want to show up as in the world.

Sophia has't bought anything new from a shop in 5 years, favouring pre-loved clothes instead. She's now taking this a step further...


You can find out more about Sophia at https://www.finetunedwardrobe.com/

Click here to go to my Substack page.

Click here to buy my book

Click here to buy my a coffee and show your support

Listener support: I love making The Therapeutic Poet podcast, but it does cost time and money. If you have enjoyed it, been informed by it or found it helpful then I would greatly appreciate your financial support. You can do this by:

Taking a paid subscription on my Substack - a weekly newsletter helping people have 'Permission to feel'. You'll receive tips on how to navigate our human tricky things, recorded poems and other goodies.

Buying my book ‘Stop the world I want to get off’

Or buy me a coffee 🤗.