The Truth About Addiction

Jamie grew up in an alcoholic household with a very violent father. She struggled to form connections and trust in others due to the turbulent environment she was in. 

Jamie found drugs during high school when she found a group of ‘friends’ who accepted her for her. Then her using progressed to harder drugs while attending college; exacerbated by sleepless nights, rave parties, and workplace theft. 

Jamie found herself entangled in the world of strip clubs, prostitution and escort services. She even went to jail after a prostitution tint in 2006. However, her ultimate rock bottom was in 2009, when she couldn’t break free from pain medication and had to sleep with a doctor for prescriptions. That was how she supported her drug habits for a long time. Jamie described her ‘divine intervention’, or ‘rescue mission from god’, when she got arrested and entered a sober living program. Jamie’s life began to undergo a transformation. Within the 18 months of embracing sobriety, Jamie was making 6 figures income working for a massage therapy company. She became a Certified Peer Specialist for addictive disease and took a role at DIVAS Who Win Freedom Centre, helping other women who had been through prostitution and trafficking. In addition to her professional achievements, Jamie was able to mend her relationship with her mother and children, accumulated some savings and moved into her own townhouse… There were many fruitful outcomes from finding sobriety, and her journey demonstrates the infinite positive bi-products of recovery.  

Instagram @jamietalluto

www.thetruthaboutaddiction.com.au

“Sobriety is about having fun”

Vinny describes his early journey as ‘normal teenage school life’: smoking weed, drinking, partying…, until he graduated to the harder stuff: Percocets, Oxycontin, heroin, cocaine… Vinny’s obsession with heroin intensified when he found himself abandoning everything else so he could spend all his time, money and energy on heroin. 

Transitioning from a life of a homeless addict to now rubbing shoulders with prominent names in Hollywood, Vinny stressed the importance of finding purpose and cultivating gratitude, which allowed him to maintain sobriety and a sense of happiness and contentment. As a child, he watched Jackass and dreamt of being famous, travelling the world and making dumb videos with friends. Ultimately, his dreams came to a halt as the addition consumed his life. 

In and out of treatment centres, he finally found his true calling with Alcoholics Anonymous. It worked for him. Once Vinny let go of his will, admitted that he didn’t know what was best for him and followed directions from others, sobriety and success smoothly followed.

Find Vinny on Instagram at @skinnyvinny for the most incredible and hilarious content, the remarkable stunts and how he is having so much fun ‘doing it sober’. He is actively involved in the production of @wildride podcast alongside Steve-O, and dedicated time to another sketch comedy project known as “8=D”, which he cheekily described as ‘a giant dick joke’. 

https://www.skinnyvinnytv.com/ 

www.thetruthaboutaddiction.com.au 

These are the words from her book cover ‘Strip: A Memoir” by Hannah Sward

“Hannah Sward was abandoned by her mother and lived with her poet father on an island with no stores or cars. Kidnapped and molested by a stranger at age six, she grew up to be a stripper and a prostitute with a taste for crystal meth—which seemed to be a sure-fire way to lose weight—with stops along the way for silent gurus, sugar daddies, and drinking in the CVS bathroom before therapy sessions.” 

Hannah remembers stealing a chocolate bar at 6 years old at a corner store. Then she stole all the way up to when she came into the program - “33 years of stealing and shame” in her own words. 

Hannah first started using meth with her sister when they were stripping together. Her sister didn’t take to it, on the other hand, it was a long run for Hannah. It was cunning, tenacious and powerful. It had her.

Fast forward to present day, Hannah is now 13 years into her remarkable journey of sobriety, and a critically acclaimed author of Strip: A Memoir. She also serves on the board of Right to Write Press, a nonprofit that supports emerging writers who are incarcerated. 

For those seeking to follow her inspiring journey, gain insight into her literary works, and stay informed about upcoming book releases and events, connect with @hannahswardauthor on Instagram or her webpage:
https://www.hannahsward.com/

www.thetruthaboutaddiction.com.au

‘I believe in having people rise to their potential as an artist’.

Andy is an incredible tattoo artist with the most infectious smile and unwavering dedication to his art. His tattooing journey began in his early days growing up in the city of Brooklyn. When he finally discovered his true calling in tattooing, his passion only became stronger with time.

Andy disclosed the habit of smoking at 16 years of age as his coping mechanism following the loss of his father. He recounted his experiences with alcohol, cannabis and mushrooms in the years after. As his skills and passion for tattoos flourished, there was also a lessened need for substance consumption. Then one day Andy decided that it wasn’t for him anymore. “What am I doing this for? I can work through my stuff without it.” It was the moment of clarity.

This episode delves deeply into the tattoo industry, where Andy and I discuss tattoos in pop culture, and the artists’ responsibility and integrity. Andy highly values his work ethic and moral compass as a tattoo artist to leave a meaningful experience for his clients. He takes into account not only their physical and past emotional pain, but also the sacred energy exchange that transpires during the tattooing process.

Follow Andy on his platform @andypho and @Upsidetattoo for more insightful videos on self-love, motivation, life’s purpose, and of course, the artistry of tattooing!

www.thetruthaboutaddiction.com.au 

“I’m an alcoholic. I’m also addicted to anything that will take me out of my own feelings…”- Lesley

Lesley is now 42 years sober. She struggled with a profound sense of emptiness as a little girl, finding solace only while sitting under the white light in her living room. She drank herself to oblivion at the age of 13, then the substance abuse progressed rapidly to heavy drugs, whatever it took to ‘fill up’. She had all sorts of addiction: drink, food, sex, money, clothes, among others. It was never enough. 

Following a 6 months rehabilitation, Lesley started to attend AA meetings regularly, where she experienced a sense of true love and support. Emotionally recounting her story, Lesley reminisces about the pivotal opportunity she received to gain employment at a high-end luxury retailer, Saks Fifth Avenue. Becoming the company’s top sales representative marked a remarkable achievement in her professional life and personal milestones. 

While Lesley has a deep affection for her career, her identity remains deeply rooted in the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. Lesley has over 22000 audiences following her daily life on Instagram, where she motivates others to stay sober and stay happy through her engaging posts and distinctive fashion sense.

Instagram: @soberfashionista 

www.thetruthaboutaddiction.com.au

Nick, Founder and Program Director at Hope In Health, has successfully maintained sobriety for over three years. After 22 years of struggle with heroin and meth, his achievement in recovery, self-care and professional accomplishment, are testament to his transformation. It started off as a 13-year-old boy doing intravenous heroin, then progressively, the drugs took control of his life. 

A former professional boxer, Nick is now a proud owner of a treatment centre in Northern NSW, dedicated to providing round-the-clock support for individuals seeking to establish a solid foundation and life skills devoid of substance use.

Nick underscores the importance of adopting a self-loving program as an integral part of his recovery. He now has the best relationship with his children, flourishing business ventures, and continuous improvement in quality of life. All because of his commitment to recovery. 

For further information on Nick’s holistic approach to rehabilitation and addiction recovery, find him at www.hopeinhealth.com.au 

www.thetruthaboutaddiction.com.au

February 12 2017, the day Daniel walked into a detox centre and never looked back. Daniel’s father was already in recovery when he was born, his mother worked in the addiction field for 40-plus years, so Daniel didn’t grow up surrounded by addiction. He just wanted to know what alcohol tasted like as a child, so at 13 years of age, he got himself a 6 pack of Budweiser and got blacked out drunk. 

When Daniel moved to the big city where substances were abundantly available, his life spiralled into a progressively darker trajectory. Daniel recounts the adversity he endured during his tumultuous days of substance use, resulting in the loss of his job, the downfall of his business and relationships, and worst of all, his three-year-old son being taken away. 

“It got really dark.’

With unwavering support from his mother, Daniel went straight to the rooms of N.A. after his detoxification treatment. Daniel’s success story will inspire many as he shares his narrative of reuniting with his son, mending his fractured relationship and the establishment of Hard Knox Talks.

Hard Knox Talks is a remarkably successful show where Daniel’s mission is to raise awareness about substance use disorders and mental illness. You can find it on Youtube and all Podcast channels. 

@Hardknoxtalks
https://linktr.ee/hardknoxtalks 

www.thetruthaboutaddiction.com.au

In today’s episode, Joel from Victoria tells us about the destruction drugs brought onto him, how they transformed him into a different person and the bewildering actions during his drug-induced psychosis. 

Growing up in a good family, Joel found himself gravitating towards older companions when his parents split up at the age of 13. He started to experiment with drugs like marijuana and speed. The introduction to ice at 14 years old led to the escalation of criminal involvement. In and out of detention centres as a young boy, Joel ended up in prisons for an array of charges including theft, aggravated burglary, and notably, random shooting at the police under the influence of ice.

Today, Joel has nearly four years of sobriety under his belt. He now cherishes life in its simplicity, holding down a steady job and nurturing the ultimate goal of steering young people away from the dark path he once followed.

“Crime doesn’t pay and drugs will kill you.”

www.thetruthaboutaddiction.com.au

Many would know Brad through the Sober Motivation/Sober is Cool community. Brad is always readily supporting people in their recovery journey through various platforms that he established since embarking on his own path to recovery in 2010.

In this episode, Brad takes a seat on the opposite end of the table to recount his personal narrative encompassing his encounters with mental health challenges, and the interventions he underwent from a young age. Brad went through episodes of substance use and excessive alcohol consumption, which eventually resulted in jail time. 

At present, Brad serves as the driving force behind the Sober Motivation Podcast, where he shares people’s sobriety stories to inspire other people in drawing their own path to sobriety. 

Instagram @brad_mcleod,   @yoursoberbuddy
Facebook SOBER IS COOL

https://linktr.ee/Sobermotivation 

www.thetruthaboutaddiction.com.au 

Born to an English mother and a Chinese Malaysian father, Chee always felt like the odd one out during her early childhood. Her teenage years were marred by both physical and emotional abuse by her parents, leading her to seek solace in substances like alcohol and marijuana, which she started using at the age of 14. 

Chee bravely opens up about her struggles with addiction, including sex, love, prescription drugs, and methamphetamine. Despite these challenges, Chee managed to achieve a Bachelor of Applied Science degree. However, maintaining her professional responsibilities as a scientist proved difficult, as her addiction frequently interfered with her work, leading to lapses during lab experiments.

As a consequence of her addiction, Chee had recurrent encounters with the criminal justice system, experiencing periods of incarceration. It was during one of these periods that she attended her first Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meeting. Initially attending with the intention of securing a favourable letter for the court, Chee unexpectedly discovered a lifeline that saved her from the clutches of active addiction.

www.thetruthaboutaddiction.com.au