The Truth About Addiction

Today’s episode is a personal narrative of Jimmy and I. In 1974, Jimmy sold me my first shot of heroin. It was a life-changing experience, but if it wasn’t Jimmy, It would have been someone else. I was just a junkie looking for a quick shot.

Jimmy and I reflected on our pasts, the strides we have made in our life journeys, and the accomplishments we have achieved today. It’s been a rollercoaster ride for both of us. Nevertheless, through perseverance and determination, we both came out of the tunnels with our success stories. 

Welcome Jimmy, my first dealer. 

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Residing in Bali, Jack Ahearn, 25 years old, has abstained from substance use since May 2016 when he was just 17 years old. Jack exhibits unwavering dedication to his passion for sports, leveraging it to make a positive impact on the lives of those in need. Through his non-profit organisation, he has undertaken extensive runs covering hundreds of kilometres, raising funds to provide sustenance to disadvantaged individuals. Simultaneously, he strives to educate and raise awareness about mental health and drug addiction within the Indonesian community.

Jack stands as an exemplar of clean and sober living, defying the notion that age is a barrier to achieving sobriety. He has discovered profound purpose, genuine passion, and personal fulfilment by assisting others through his love for running. To stay updated on his endeavours, you can follow him on Instagram @jackahearn_ and extend your support to his organisation @shuffleandstrides.

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Inspired by Ron's podcast, Shaun underwent a transformative experience that led him to commit to a life of abstinence. Shaun candidly shares the arduous journey of detoxifying himself at home, reflecting on how this process has profoundly altered his outlook on life. His newfound sobriety has enabled him to embrace the role of a devoted and proud father to his children, emphasizing the importance of being present in their lives. 

During our conversation, being a couple of days away from two months clean, Shaun sheds light on the power of determination, resilience, and the potential for positive change if you put in the effort. Shaun's story serves as an inspiring testament to overcoming addiction and embracing a purposeful life centred around the well-being of his children and giving back to society.

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Claire has been sober since 8th September 2016. In the past, she struggled with excessive drinking, often experiencing blackouts. Consuming three bottles of wine nightly, she held the misconception that alcoholism was confined to daytime drinking rather than nocturnal habits. To conceal her drinking problems, she went to great lengths, such as hiding her recycling bin and disposing of wine bottles discreetly at the dump.

Fast forward to the present, Claire has undergone a remarkable transformation and now thrives as a contented mother of four. She takes immense pride in her dedication to promoting a sober lifestyle and has become an accomplished author, with three published books on the subject of recovery. Furthermore, she is a sober coach, providing guidance and support to others seeking to lead an alcohol-free life.

@soberme_claire
https://linktr.ee/SoberMe 

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Randal spent his childhood in New York City. When he moved to LA in his early twenties, that was when the drugs hit high gear.

Randal shares his journey in finding spirituality and the disillusion of identity - who am I? Through learning the traditional Chinese teachings, Randal found the connection, love and ‘the gift’ he was searching for. 

“We have to go through these trials and tribulations to learn who we are.”

Randal now lives in Nova Scotia, Canada with his wife and two affectionate Siamese cats. You will find one sitting lovingly on his lap, enjoying the long cuddle the entire time of the podcast.

 As a practitioner of Oriental Medicine, Randal collaborates with many hospitals and world-class addiction treatment facilities. He also runs his own private practices: The Alchemist Recovery Program, and the Sober Shaman - Spiritual Practices for Addiction Recovery. Randal just celebrated 29 years clean and sober in July this year. 

www.randallyons.com 
Instagram @alchemistrecovery

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A proud Indigenous American man, Sober Junkie, a brilliant musician and social media influencer with a strong following, has been passionately spreading inspiration and motivation about recovery, positivity and sober living. 

‘These young guys need to hear from us dinosaurs.’

SJ opens up about his family’s generational addiction and his first encounter with addiction through painkillers, then the subsequent substance abuse, particularly heroin. Through the rooms of A.A., he found his music producer and sponsor, leading him towards recovery and a new purpose in life.  

Today, Sober Junkie uses his platform to inspire and support others, dedicating his time to writing his book and creating music that carries a powerful message of hope and strength in challenging times.

Instagram @thesoberjunkieofficial 

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Andrew has found his purpose in life: to make people laugh. From a young man who discovered magic mushrooms in Thailand, Andrew had managed to become a large-scale supplier of mushrooms in Sydney, and later on, acid, MDMA, cocaine and ketamine. He was the one-stop shop for all kinds of party drugs. 

When his house got raided in 2021, it forced him to sober up during his prison sentence. The drugs weren’t there to mask his emotions. “I felt like shit’” He had to think of alternative ways to seek happiness, without the drugs. He found comedy.

Andrew has stayed clean since the day he was raided. His addiction now is to make strangers laugh - it gives him a purpose and a buzz the same way cocaine made him feel. He has finally found the channel to apply his addictive personality, which put him on the positive path like today: the comedy addict. 

Follow Andrew on Instagram @andrewhamiltoncomedy for some good humour therapy. 

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Daniel Brown, AKA Mullet Lord, knew that he was an alcoholic. ‘I believe I was born with this illness.’ Next month, July 2023, will mark his 9 years sober. Dan talks about the ups and downs of recovery. 

When the family moved to the beach at 2 years of age, Dan developed a  perpetual love for the ocean. He was inseparable from the water and had a dream of being a pro surfer. At his 16 birthday, Dan found alcohol. His alcoholism progressed when he could go out clubbing at 18. From 19-24, his life declined rapidly with many dear death experiences during active addiction. He gave up his surfing dream. 

Dan recounts his stories of going to rehab, the mental health breakdowns, being introduced to Alcoholic Anonymous and many hiccups during early recovery days. 

When you’re next in Newcastle, be sure to visit Lords Coffee @lords.coffee for an amazing brew, where you’ll meet Dan and his wife Nicola. They have been delivering smiles together for over 5 years now, in store and online. Check out their webpage www.lordscoffee.com.au

@mullet_lord

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Todd grew up in Newcastle footies town, where everyone’s dreams and life revolved around the sport. When things got tough, when things were down, Todd turned to footies. His addiction didn’t start until late teenage years after he started to associate with the wrong crowd. Losing his rugby league dream and facing legal troubles, Todd spiralled deeper into his addiction, causing strain on his financial and family life.

Todd talks about his dream and his lightbulb moment, the 21 days challenge to kick himself off old habits, and his determination to stay clean and live clean. Todd is now the CEO and Director of Love Ya Mind Australia, where he mentors individuals and businesses with a ‘growth’ mindset to live their best selves. 

https://loveyamind.com.au/
Instagram: @loveyamindaustralia

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“I lived in a victim mentality for so many years that today, I have a victor mentality.”

Kerrie Atherton, Founder of ‘EMPOWER Life Solutions’ and Stories of HOPE’, dedicates her life to helping people and sharing stories of HOPE. Kerrie is 42 years in recovery. Getting clean at an early age of 18, it wasn’t an easy journey, but one that was absolutely rewarding. Kerrie’s childhood was traumatic, dealing with long running alcoholism in the family. Kerrie talked about sexual abuse, being in depression at the age of 13, domestic violence, suicide planning, and the fact that she carried the guilt of being raped into her 50s, feeling completely worthless.

Kerrie has worked in many projects to help prevent suicide and hopelessness, to bring hope to people in their darkest times. She is a Mental Health First Aid trainer and Trauma and Addictions Recovery Counsellor. She has now published three books to inspire readers with incredible stories of overcoming adversity, to tell them that they are not alone, and that there are others who have walked the same path. 

https://storiesofhope.com.au/
https://empowerlifesolutions.com.au/
Instagram @kezziea and @stories_of_hope_aus

www.thetruthaboutaddiction.com.au