Busting Addiction and Its Myths
236 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsThe purpose of our podcast is to help families learn the truth about addiction and alcoholism so that they can take the right action to help the addict they love and to help themselves at this critical time in their lives. Exposing the truth about addiction and alcoholism also requires that we bust the myths surrounding both addiction/alcoholism and the recovery process.
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Episodes
Mini Series 11 - The Power of Now
June 28, 2024 08:00 - 4 minutes - 2.96 MBIn this podcast, we discuss the power of living in the now, of living in the moment as a means of attaining peace of mind for anyone living with the stress of an addict or alcoholic in the family. We discuss the following: Think about this day as the most important day of your life. Realise that a wandering mind is essentially an unhappy mind. Ancient traditions that taught mindfulness were on to something. Mindfulness training greatly reduces the stress response.
Mini Series 11 - The Ripple Effect of Addiction
June 21, 2024 08:00 - 4 minutes - 2.9 MBIn this podcast, we discuss the ripple effect of addiction on the family. We discuss the following: Hitting bottom is a family affair. Everything is not just fine. Addiction is not a choice. Detachment and inaction are two different things.
Mini Series 11 - Shame & Social Disapproval
June 14, 2024 08:00 - 4 minutes - 2.8 MBIn this podcast, we continue to explode the myths surrounding addiction. Example myths include: The shame and social disapproval associated with addiction. Stereotypes that perpetuate the myth. Addiction only happens to certain kinds of people. Addiction is a choice. Kids should just say NO.
Mini Series 11 - A Quick Q&A on Addiction Myths
June 07, 2024 08:00 - 4 minutes - 2.88 MBIn this podcast, we do a quick Q&A on the myths of addiction and address other questions posed by our readers and listeners. These questions revolve around: The myth that addiction is a question of moral character. Why some people refuse to get help. Whether treatment works. Why people think that AA is a cult.
Mini Series 11 - A Story About Tim
May 31, 2024 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.18 MBThis podcast, is a story about a man named Tim and it demonstrates the power of perseverance. We learn that: Tim overcame a suicide attempt on the eve of his admission of powerlessness over his addiction. He saw his Stage 4 cancer lifted by the miracle of modern medicine, and his own determination to heal. Although he was high school dropout, he went on to earn a Master’s degree at the age of 62. Tim’s adversity has served to strengthened him and inspire others in ways he never imagined.
Mini Series 11 - Incurable, Progressive, Fatal
May 24, 2024 08:00 - 8 minutes - 5.99 MBIn this podcast, we discuss the deadly consequences of addiction and alcoholism: We learn that: Alcoholism and addiction are incurable and progressive, and often fatal if ignored. There is a serious undercounting of the societal costs in life and injury due to alcoholism, while there is better data on drug abuse effects. It is rare that an alcoholic or addict can successfully get and stay clean and sober on his or her own willpower alone. He or she needs to ask for and receive help fro...
Mini Series 11 - Not Reacting The Same Old Way
May 17, 2024 08:00 - 6 minutes - 4.19 MBIn this podcast, we discuss new ways of thinking and behavior that help with moving the alcoholic/addict toward treatment. We learn that: Family members need to unlearn their conditioned way of reacting to their beloved alcoholic or addict. The new way asks the family member to take a softer approach which will disarm the conflict. The approach is called CRAFT – Community Reinforcement and Family Training which has seen a high success rate when it’s followed through. It’s recommended th...
Mini Series 10 - Wherever You Go, There You Are
May 10, 2024 08:00 - 6 minutes - 4.86 MBIn this podcast, we discuss the impossibility of escaping the here and now. We learn that: 1. It’s common for people to be constantly thinking about something other than the reality of the present. 2. There is a huge difference between planning for the future and living there. 3. There is ultimately much joy in living in the moment regardless of a person’s circumstances, but it takes commitment and practice.
Mini Series 10 - Don't Believe Everything You Think
May 03, 2024 08:00 - 5 minutes - 3.88 MBIn this podcast, we examine why the truth is so elusive for family members of alcoholics and addicts. We discuss how people who have an addict or alcoholic in the family: 1. Deny the very existence of the disease. 2. Become too ashamed to admit the truth to themselves. 3. Ultimately need to confront the truth in order to heal.
Mini Series 10 - The Hidden Ally
April 26, 2024 08:00 - 4 minutes - 3.37 MBYou’ve probably heard the term “enabler”. It’s one that’s often charged with judgment and stigma. That’s because one feels accused of aiding and abetting addictive behaviour and it doesn’t feel at all fair because you do what you do out of love. More than a role, enabling is a dynamic that arises in specific scenarios. People who engage in enabling behaviour behaviours aren’t the “bad guy”, but their actions have the potential to promote and support unhealthy behaviours in others. In many c...
Mini Series 10 - What We Do For Love
April 19, 2024 08:00 - 4 minutes - 3.47 MBLove has this wonderful ripple effect, emanating its warmth and power from you to your family and well beyond, and it seems miraculous in its infinite ability to heal. Think for a moment about unconditional love: loving someone regardless of what they look like, what they do for a living, how much money they have, or whether or not they are doing what you want or expect them to do. This kind of total love - the unconditional kind – is put to a severe test when it comes to loving someone wh...
Mini Series 10 - Their Brains are Different Now
April 12, 2024 08:00 - 5 minutes - 3.78 MBWhen you are talking to a full-blown alcoholic or addict or one who is both - and the list of cross-addicted people is growing – you might not be too surprised to learn that they speak an entirely different language than you do. An example: an addict is confronted by his mum who says that he has a big problem. The addict doesn’t hear that. He thinks to himself that his mum is the problem because she stands in the way of him getting more dope. When an addict or alcoholic does something that...
Mini Series 10 - Learning to Love Yourself is a Big Deal
April 05, 2024 08:00 - 4 minutes - 3.37 MBA well-known actress, comedienne and TV producer was once asked what made the essential difference in her highly successful life. For those old enough to remember Lucille Ball, she answered as follows: “All my young life, I was told I was a no-good show-off. My self-esteem hovered just above zero, until I was told by a good friend that my first job was to learn to love myself first and everything else would follow. I had to overcome the toxic shame that was imposed upon me by others and l...
Mini Series 9 - You Can Prevent Addiction
March 29, 2024 08:00 - 4 minutes - 3.29 MBIt’s never too late to act, whether your loved one is now at the stage where an intervention is necessary, or you have a younger child who might fall prey to an addictive disorder and want to keep that kid safe. But you are not sure how. Shatterproof is an organisation 100% dedicated to preventing addiction, providing greater access to treatment, and educating the public and public officials on the nature of addiction. One of their initiatives is called “Building Youth Resiliency”. The pur...
Mini Series 9 - You, Too Could Be addicted and Not Know It
March 22, 2024 08:00 - 5 minutes - 4 MBA friend said to me the other day that she feels like everything we do is becoming pathological. We eat a lot, so we’re a candidate for Overeaters Anonymous. We have sex with more than one person, we should join Sex Addicts Anonymous. We got drunk, so we should join AA. If I choose to call an addiction “repetitive behaviour that causes you and those affected by your behaviour major harm, and you can’t stop even when you want to”, then maybe you have an addiction. This was hardly a scientif...
Mini Series 9 - Pass me the Fentanyl, Please
March 15, 2024 08:00 - 5 minutes - 3.51 MBThere is still little understanding of the power of the substance fentanyl. Let’s start with some inconvenient facts. Drug overdoses claim more lives than breast cancer, gun violence or car accidents. Combined. They are the #1 cause of accidental death in the United States. According to the CDC, there were over 109,000 fatal overdoses in the 12-month period ending March 2022 (the latest data available). Overdose deaths were fuelled by the rapid increase in the availability and low cost of ...
Mini Series 9 - Addiction Sucks Oxygen
March 08, 2024 08:00 - 5 minutes - 3.62 MBVery recently, my ex-fiancé called me in a panic and sobbed that her son, my stepson really, was a raging addict and she didn’t know what to do. He and his wife have a two-year-old son who deserves better, while my stepson – let’s call him Jimmy – is snorting and smoking and injecting who knows what. He’s applied for a medical discharge due to joint disabilities, and it is apparent that he got addicted to pain killers coming out of his knee surgery. So, my ex wants me to “talk to him and ge...
Mini Series 9 - The Wake Up Call
March 01, 2024 08:00 - 4 minutes - 2.92 MBIt can happen at any time. The bell might ring, the alarm might sound, the light might flash any time of day or night. We might be half asleep or we might have our shoulder to the wheel, pushing with all our might. Awakenings happen all the time, to people all over this earth. For the purposes of this discussion, awakenings are of two types. The Dad says: “Oh my God, my son is an alcoholic.” Or the addict says: “I think I am powerless over drugs and alcohol and that my life has become unman...
Mini Series 9 - Hate the Disease, But Love Yourself
February 23, 2024 08:00 - 4 minutes - 2.81 MBYou would be amazed at the negative self-talk I hear when the family of a drug abuser or alcoholic starts answering pointed questions. “Do you feel as if “this” is your fault?” Most say that they feel at least partly to blame “if only…” which suggests that they believed that they had any control over the trajectory of the disease, that if they had done “something” they might have saved their precious son. Little did they know then that addiction is so slick, their son might have been a dru...
Mini Series 8 - Signs of a sick relationship
February 16, 2024 08:00 - 4 minutes - 3.46 MBWhether we like it or not, we are all susceptible to co-dependency - the need to control another person in our life. In this podcast, we offer the following insights on the various aspects of co-dependency, especially important when addressing what happens in families who are experiencing addiction at home. Signs of a sick relationship I highly recommend the book by Melodie Beatty called Co-dependent No More which she has updated to reflect her experiences in the field over the last twent...
Mini Series 8 - You can't will this away
February 09, 2024 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.74 MBWhether we like it or not, we are all susceptible to co-dependency - the need to control another person in our life. In this podcast, we offer the following insights on the various aspects of co-dependency, especially important when addressing what happens in families who are experiencing addiction at home. You can't will this away Our Western culture has us believing that we are the masters of our own fate and that we are the captains of our individual souls. The underlying idea here is ...
Mini Series 8 - No one is immune
February 02, 2024 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.3 MBWhether we like it or not, we are all susceptible to co-dependency - the need to control another person in our life. In this podcast, we offer the following insights on the various aspects of co-dependency, especially important when addressing what happens in families who are experiencing addiction at home. No one is immune No one in the family is immune from the effects of addiction or alcoholism when the disorder appears and lives inside one of the family members. That is why the profes...
Mini Series 8 - I'm only OK if you're OK
January 26, 2024 08:00 - 4 minutes - 3.12 MBWhether we like it or not, we are all susceptible to co-dependency - the need to control another person in our life. In this podcast, we offer the following insights on the various aspects of co-dependency, especially important when addressing what happens in families who are experiencing addiction at home. I'm only OK if you're OK Let's stretch this concept just a little further. Let's say: "The mum is Ok only when her addict son is OK". The addict's desires begin to rule the family. Th...
Mini Series 8 - The illusion of control
January 19, 2024 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.46 MBWhether we like it or not, we are all susceptible to co-dependency - the need to control another person in our life. In this podcast, we offer the following insights on the various aspects of co-dependency, especially important when addressing what happens in families who are experiencing addiction at home. The illusion of control There's something to be said for the idea that we have the ultimate say in the direction and quality of our own lives. Being the "master of our fate" is embedde...
Mini Series 8 - Co-dependency - We've all got it
January 12, 2024 08:00 - 4 minutes - 3.31 MBWhether we like it or not, we are all susceptible to co-dependency - the need to control another person in our life. In this podcast, we offer the following insights on the various aspects of co-dependency, especially important when addressing what happens in families who are experiencing addiction at home. Co-dependency - We've all got it Every person on earth has at least some form of co-dependency, just as everyone experiences anxiety. There are some who worry from time to time, and t...
Mini Series 7 - Do recovering people have to go to meetings their entire life?
January 05, 2024 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.35 MBIn this podcast, the producer of our podcast series, Tony, asks the following question: Do recovering people have to go to meetings their entire life? One way to look at the question is: "You have to go to meetings until you want to go to meetings and then you don't have to go to them anymore". What starts as an obligation turns into a desire. Taking the "forever" view obscures an important tenet of recovery: the goal of life-long recovery achieved but one day at a time. It is indeed a ...
Mini Series 7 - What freedoms are allowed in treatment?
December 29, 2023 08:00 - 2 minutes - 2.02 MBIn this podcast, the producer of our podcast series, Tony, asks the following question: What freedoms are allowed in treatment? Treatment programs require a balancing of structure and the right level of freedom, so as not to signal license to behave irresponsibly. The freedoms that are allowed consist of the things that make a client feel at home, such as the freedom to call home, watch anything they want on TV at night, the freedom to smoke at the right time and place, and the freedom to...
Mini Series 7 - Why is my loved one like this?
December 22, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.25 MBIn this podcast, the producer of our podcast series, Tony, asks the following question: Why is my loved one like this? Addiction often isn't recognised until it's too late to prevent it from taking hold. By the time it rears its ugly head, it has already caused confusion and anxiety. Family members will often attribute their loved one's behaviour to causes that they can relate to other than the addiction itself. They will cite stress, a new job, a troubled marriage and so on as underlying...
Mini Series 7 - Does treatment take into account cultural and social differences?
December 15, 2023 08:00 - 2 minutes - 2 MBIn this podcast, the producer of our podcast series, Tony, asks the following question: Does treatment take into account cultural and social differences? Addiction is an equal opportunity predator. It strikes anyone and everyone regardless of race, social class, religion, gender, age or any other category of human you can name. It is said by AA that "we are people who ordinarily would not mix". That in itself is a telling statement, that there is a common purpose that unites all by a desi...
Mini Series 7 - Does treatment address cross-addictions?
December 08, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.34 MBIn this podcast, the producer of our podcast series, Tony, asks the following question: Does treatment address cross-addictions? Cross-addictions are becoming more common as a result of the increasing availability of cheaper and more potent street drugs such as fentanyl. The data shows that alcoholics are now much more likely to also be addicted to another substance, than in the past. The only way to treat cross-addictions is to identify what they are first. Although a client may disclose...
Mini Series 7 - What is the family's involvement in the treatment process?
December 01, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.72 MBIn this podcast, the producer of our podcast series, Tony, asks the following question: What is the family's involvement in the treatment process? The family has been more severely affected by addiction than they realise. They need to understand that family dynamics have to change so that all in the family can recover. The family also needs to know that their loved one needs to own his or her own recovery all the way and that it is ultimately up to their loved one to do the work. At Safe...
Mini Series 6 - Myth: Addiction is the addict's problem
November 24, 2023 06:00 - 3 minutes - 2.19 MBIn this podcast... we confront and smash the following myth: Myth: Addiction is the addict's problem. Addiction is also society's problem, as is alcoholism. Half of the 30,000 vehicular deaths in the US every year can be attributed to drink-driving, and countless other deaths can be attributed to driving under the influence of drugs as well. Another dimension to the problem is the effect it has on the family of origin; it distorts the family dynamic in profoundly unhealthy ways. Effects ...
Mini Series 6 - Myth: The Twelve Steps are all about God
November 17, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.13 MBIn this podcast... we confront and smash the following myth: Myth: The Twelve Steps are all about God. Although the word "God" actually shows up in the Twelve Steps themselves four times and twice more by referring to "him", AA principles nonetheless allow for a very broad conception of the "God" idea. At the very beginnings of AA, the co-founder, Bill Wilson, resisted the very idea of any god. His friend smashed Bill's resistance when he asked: "Why don't you choose your own conception o...
Mini Series 6 - Myth: AA meetings are secret
November 10, 2023 08:00 - 2 minutes - 2.05 MBIn this podcast... we confront and smash the following myth: Myth: AA meetings are secret. Some AA meetings are known as "closed" meetings which are private (not secret) affairs open to those who would prefer to keep their membership private. The second type of AA meeting is called an "open" meeting which is open to the public. This is where an AA member, and often an Al-Anon member, shares their stories as a way of educating the public on how they have recovered. Al-Anon was founded 70 y...
Mini Series 6 - Myth: Rehabs are all work and no play
November 03, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.13 MBIn this podcast... we confront and smash the following myth: Myth: Rehabs are all work and no play. The point of rehab is to allow an addict/alcoholic to make a U-turn, to turn their life around to something approaching normalcy. Instead of a life tilted entirely to drinking and using, expending all their energy in pursuit of the high, now we seek a life that is balanced. First, however, they need to do the necessary work: to look at themselves honestly and start to think in a healthy m...
Mini Series 6 - Myth: You are to blame for their addiction
October 27, 2023 08:00 - 2 minutes - 1.85 MBIn this podcast... we confront and smash the following myth: Myth: You are to blame for their addiction. "You”, as the family member (say the mum), are as powerless over your loved one's addiction as they are themself. This concept is the hardest thing to accept. You have tried to control their behaviour, using every means at your disposal, from threats to pleading, and all your efforts have come to nothing. The evidence proves, therefore, that you are neither to blame for their addicti...
Mini Series 6 - Myth: All an addict needs to do is just say no
October 20, 2023 08:00 - 2 minutes - 1.78 MBIn this podcast... we confront and smash the following myth: Myth: All an addict has to do is just say no. This myth goes back to the 1980s when Nancy Reagan launched her "Just Say No" campaign, and the phrase has lingered in the lexicon ever since. The idea that an active addict retains the power of choice is a misguided illusion. They are in the grip of a brain disorder, as defined by the National Institute of Drug Addiction (NIDA). They are compelled by their disorder to feed the addi...
Mini Series 5 - Be honest, do rehabs genuinely offer an aftercare service?
October 13, 2023 08:00 - 4 minutes - 3.22 MBIn this podcast, we answer the question... Be honest, do rehabs genuinely offer an aftercare service? There is a big difference between offering an aftercare service and actually having one in place that fully supports the person who has gone back home and is now faced with the challenge of dealing with the "real world". There isn't a single rehab that doesn't mention "aftercare" in their narrative. Some simply say something like: "And we offer the best aftercare program to help clients st...
Mini Series 5 - Is commitment to recovery a make-or-break deal after leaving treatment?
October 06, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.28 MBIn this podcast, we answer the question... Is commitment to recovery a make-or-break deal after leaving treatment? By all means, yes. Those of us who have been practitioners of the principles of recovery pay attention to the wisdom expressed in the literature and read at the AA and NA meetings. A good example: "Some of us tried to hold onto our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely". The "old ideas" that this passage refers to is the absurd notion that an alcoholic c...
Mini Series 5 - How important are Anonymous meetings?
September 29, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.6 MBIn this podcast, we answer the question... How important are Anonymous meetings? One of the myths about the AA or NA programs is that they are just about staying clean and sober. The programs are built around the 12-Steps, and only the first step mentions alcohol or drugs. The rest of the steps are all about character development that will make us better people. To quote an AA speaker: "We came in as spiritually bankrupt people. We had violated virtually every norm that guides our society ...
Mini Series 5 - Will the treatment program prepare me for life after rehab?
September 22, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.58 MBIn this podcast, we answer the question... Will the treatment program prepare me for life after rehab? This is a question that is often asked by the family but is less frequently asked by the potential client. The client is looking for an end to their suffering; they want to know what you can do for them now. The family is looking at a bigger picture beyond today. The last thing they need is for Johnny to relapse after all that worry, time, and money have been expended on his behalf. We a...
Mini Series 5 - Can you explain why a longer treatment program is recommended?
September 15, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.66 MBIn this podcast, we answer the question... Can you explain in more detail why a longer treatment program is recommended? Our experience and data clearly show that the odds of clients staying sober for a longer period (five years or more) rise with the length of treatment. Said another way, relapses are less likely to happen the longer one stays in some form of treatment, either primary or secondary. The fact is that not all clients are the same. They come in with a variety of emotional is...
Mini Series 5 - How long does a typical treatment program last?
September 08, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.25 MBIn this podcast, we answer the question... How long does a typical treatment program last and what is recommended? Most treatments do not last as long as they should, either for practical reasons such as work, or because families and clients underestimate the amount of work that still needs to be done to make a full course-correction. Clients may come into treatment believing that treatment is a quick fix to their problem when in fact it is just the beginning of a life-long endeavour to st...
Mini Series 4 - Are treatment programs all about hard work?
September 01, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.45 MBIn this podcast, we answer the question... Are treatment programs all about hard work? Treatment programs take their charter seriously, so one should expect work to be an essential part of the treatment process. For the first time in a long time, clients are forced to confront their attitudes and their behaviour that got them into treatment in the first place. That takes something they have not done in a long time: work. In treatment, clients learn the value of balance in life, mixing wor...
Mini Series 4 - Are all treatment programs 12-step based?
August 25, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.35 MBIn this podcast, we answer the question... Are all treatment programs 12-step based? The 12-Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other 12-Step programs such as Narcotics (NA) are viewed by many recovering people and professionals as indispensable to life-long recovery. Opinions differ, however, as to their role in treatment programs, depending on the philosophy of the management. Some rehabs treat 12-Step programs as an option, preferring the more cognitive models, while others lean mor...
Mini Series 4 - Why is structure so very important in treatment?
August 18, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.77 MBIn this podcast, we answer the question... Why is structure so very important? Clients and their families look at the daily schedule of a residential treatment program and remark on the high level of structure that appears to be imposed on clients. There is a reason for this. Clients come from a world of self-imposed chaos, a world where they violated every norm and every rule of decent behaviour. Now they enter an environment where the opposite is true, where they are taught that norms ...
Mini Series 4 - What are the benefits of group sessions?
August 11, 2023 08:00 - 4 minutes - 2.92 MBIn this podcast, we answer the question... What are the benefits of group sessions? There is more power in group therapy than meets the eye. The very fact that recovering people are sitting together and getting honest about their feelings is remarkable in and of itself. Group therapy gives individuals the opportunity to relate to people experiencing the same problems; they no longer feel isolated as they felt when they were "out there" drinking and abusing drugs. It creates a sense of hop...
Mini Series 4 - Can you explain more about one-to-one counselling?
August 04, 2023 08:00 - 4 minutes - 2.92 MBIn this podcast, we answer the question... Can you explain more about one-to-one counselling? One-to-one counselling is an opportunity for the counsellor to get to know the client, and vice versa, in a more intimate setting. That way, the client feels safe and comfortable in disclosing essential details of their life. It takes more than one or two sessions for the client to build the trust necessary for the truth to come out. One of the most important tasks in counselling is to have the c...
Mini Series 4 - What's included in a treatment program?
July 28, 2023 08:00 - 4 minutes - 3.17 MBIn this podcast, we answer the question... What's included in a treatment program? We will use SafeHouse Rehab Thailand as a model, as the better treatment programs include: Best-practice therapies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Group therapy, one-on-one therapy, etc. Full licensing from the government entities charged with enforcing regulations. SafeHouse Rehab, for example, is fully licensed by the Ministry of Public Health of the Kingdom of Thailand. Licensed treatment...
Mini Series 3 - Is travelling abroad for treatment a major issue?
July 21, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 2.31 MBIn this podcast, we ask the question... Is traveling abroad a major issue? One can imagine the questions that arise when families consider treatment abroad. Not only are they potentially sending their loved ones to an unfamiliar place, but they are also taking an understandable risk in seeking treatment in a foreign country. The challenges of traveling abroad for treatment depend on what country is chosen as the location for treatment and what experience the client has had with internation...