Heart of the Matter
89 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago - ★★★★★ - 280 ratingsHeart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas is a production from Partnership to End Addiction. Heart of the Matter is an interview series that gives guests the opportunity to share their personal, candid stories about addiction. This podcast offers a space to open up about addiction, substance use and mental health, to share the ways in which people are shifting their narrative – in their own relationships and across communities – to support the cause of ending addiction in our country. Worried about your child or loved one? Partnership to End Addiction's helpline is here for you and anyone else playing a supportive role in the life of a person struggling with substance use. Get one on one support by texting CONNECT to 55753 or visit https://helphope.net/3koi6Kh to learn more. Editor’s Note: The views and opinions expressed on Heart of the Matter are those of the podcast participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Partnership to End Addiction. We are also mindful that some of the personal stories feature the word “addict” and other terms from the following link. We respect and understand those who choose to use certain terms to express themselves. However, we strive to use language that’s health-oriented, accurately reflects science, promotes evidence-based treatment and demonstrates respect and compassion. https://drugfree.org/article/shouldnt-use-word-addict/
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Episodes
“Below Deck” star Captain Sandy Yawn celebrates over 30 years in recovery
April 09, 2024 05:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MBFor the season 5 finale of Heart of the Matter, Captain Sandy Yawn from the hit Bravo TV show “Below Deck” joins Elizabeth Vargas to discuss how years of substance use eventually led to more than 30 years in recovery. Sandy also gives advice to anyone struggling – especially those who’ve relapsed – as well as their families. Explore more on topics and themes discussed in this episode: Having Tough Conversations Suggesting Treatment to a Loved One Long Term Recovery from Addiction E...
Figlia founder Lily Geiger: On how her dad's alcohol use impacted her life and inspired her brand
March 26, 2024 05:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBFiglia founder Lily Geiger joins Elizabeth Vargas to share the inspiration behind her non-alcoholic cocktail brand. Lily reveals what it was like growing up with a parent struggling with substance use – including its profound influence on her life, and why it inspired her to start her own company. Content warning: This episode contains mentions of death, as well as discussions of substance use. If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health or substance use disorder, please...
Author David Ambroz: On his journey from foster care to giving back
March 12, 2024 05:00 - 43 minutes - 29.7 MBIn this episode of “Heart of the Matter”, award-winning author David Ambroz joins Elizabeth Vargas to share his incredible journey of overcoming poverty and homelessness and rising to become a successful lawyer and advocate for change. David’s childhood was marked by hardship and a system that failed him. Yet, he defied the odds, achieving remarkable success and using his experience to fight for a better future for vulnerable youth. Tune into this special episode to hear David’s inspiring...
State Attorney Dave Aronberg: On how to find treatment centers
February 27, 2024 06:00 - 35 minutes - 24.7 MBDave Aronberg, who serves as the Palm Beach County State Attorney in Florida, speaks with Elizabeth Vargas about navigating the treatment system. They discuss things people should look for when researching treatment centers, as well as things to avoid. He also explains the “Florida Shuffle” and what patient brokering is – and how this is happening all over the country. In addition, Dave shares ways to find legitimate treatment centers. Explore more on topics and themes discussed in this ep...
Chef Ashish Alfred gets personal about his addiction
February 13, 2024 06:00 - 43 minutes - 29.8 MBAward-winning chef Ashish Alfred joins Elizabeth Vargas to discuss his family history with substance use – including his own addiction. Now that he’s in recovery, he is focused on transforming the restaurant industry for those who don’t drink alcohol. Explore more on topics and themes discussed in this episode: Is Your Child at Risk? A Substance Use Risk Assessment Having Tough Conversations Continuing Care: Life and Recovery After Treatment Editor’s Note: The views and opinions ex...
Lady A’s Charles Kelley: On Honesty in Recovery
January 30, 2024 06:00 - 44 minutes - 30.3 MBCharles Kelley joins Elizabeth Vargas to talk about his recovery journey. He discloses why he often hid his drinking from those closest to him, how his wife supported his recovery, and why it was important for Charles to be honest about Lady A’s 2022 tour postponement. Explore more on topics and themes discussed in this episode: Navigating the Treatment System Suggesting Treatment to a Loved One Alcohol Screening and Abstinence and Moderation Mobile Messaging To learn more: Partners...
Actor and producer Frankie Grande: Overcoming addiction and finding support
June 20, 2023 05:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBFrom a young age, actor and producer Frankie Grande found himself addicted to achievements, craving praise from teachers and his mother. When he was cast in the Broadway show “Mamma Mia!” in his early 20s, Frankie felt like his career hit its peak. He found himself misusing alcohol and other substances - something that would continue for years. Frankie joins Elizabeth Vargas on “Heart of the Matter” to discuss how the tragic bombing at his sister Ariana Grande’s 2017 concert was the turning...
TikTok’s Recovery Community with Ryann Cooke and Jordan Shelton
June 06, 2023 05:00 - 44 minutes - 30.3 MBWe often hear about the negative impacts social media can have on mental health, but Ryann Cooke and Jordan Shelton’s lives changed for the better because of the community they found on TikTok. Ryann and Jordan both decided to stop drinking in their 20s after coming to terms with the fact that alcohol was negatively affecting them. They each posted about their experiences on TikTok and received not only generous support from viewers, but also many messages from people who had similar stories...
The Surgeon General on the Loneliness Epidemic and His Own Personal Story
May 23, 2023 05:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBThe Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy, recently made history by declaring a loneliness epidemic. Feelings of loneliness are on the rise, especially among young people, which can lead to serious health risks. This episode of “Heart of the Matter” is an extended version of Elizabeth Vargas’ conversation with Dr. Vivek Murthy for her news show, “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” on NewsNation. They discuss his decision to declare the loneliness epidemic, the importance of rebuild...
Fentanyl Q&A with award-winning author and journalist Sam Quinones
May 09, 2023 05:00 - 38 minutes - 26.5 MBMay 9, 2023 is National Fentanyl Awareness Day, a day to spread awareness and education about this deadly substance that is increasingly affecting young people. Award-winning author and journalist Sam Quinones, whose books “Dreamland” and “The Least of Us” explore the nation’s opioid epidemic, returns to “Heart of the Matter” to talk with Elizabeth Vargas about some of the most popular questions our listeners have about fentanyl. They discuss why fentanyl has infiltrated the drug supply, and...
Big Sky actress Dedee Pfeiffer: Alcohol, Trauma & Recovery
April 25, 2023 05:00 - 47 minutes - 32.8 MB“Big Sky” actress Dedee Pfeiffer speaks to Elizabeth Vargas about how she silently struggled with an addiction to alcohol, stemming from years of unresolved trauma. But with support from her family, she sought out professional help and has been in recovery for nearly five years. They discuss how Dedee’s family continues to support her in her recovery, how she helped her sister – actress Michelle Pfeiffer – prepare for her role as Betty Ford in “The First Lady” and why she sees recovery as a ...
Desperate Housewives' Madison De La Garza: Marijuana, Treatment & Family Support
April 11, 2023 05:00 - 41 minutes - 28.7 MBElizabeth Vargas is joined by “Desperate Housewives” actress Madison De La Garza to talk about marijuana use disorder and the role her famous family plays in her recovery. While starring as Juanita on “Desperate Housewives” at just six years old, she was a victim to vicious cyberbullying comments about her appearance, which caused her to develop anxiety, an eating disorder and a marijuana use disorder. She and Elizabeth discuss the role Madison’s family plays in her life and the advice her s...
“Same Love” singer-songwriter Mary Lambert: On overcoming childhood trauma and her struggle with alcohol
March 28, 2023 05:00 - 46 minutes - 31.7 MB“Same Love” singer-songwriter Mary Lambert opens up to Elizabeth Vargas about how experiencing childhood trauma, including sexual assault, being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and a difficult relationship with the church as a queer woman, led to her intentionally misusing alcohol for many years. Now two years without alcohol, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter explains how writing music and poetry acts as a healthy outlet for her, with a mission to share songs that are, as she describe...
Actor and author Matthew Perry: On his addiction journey
November 15, 2022 06:00 - 41 minutes - 28.8 MBElizabeth Vargas sits down with actor Matthew Perry for an emotional conversation recorded during his book tour for his bestselling book, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.” Matthew shares an incredibly honest, inside look at his decades-long struggle with an alcohol and substance use disorder. Despite his wildly successful career, things were not as perfect for Matthew as they appeared: he has been to 14 treatment centers, 65 detox centers, has spent over $9 million on his recove...
Comedian and actor Tommy Davidson: On finding a second life in recovery
November 01, 2022 05:00 - 41 minutes - 28.4 MBTommy Davidson’s childhood was anything but textbook. Discovered on the streets as a toddler by his adoptive white mother, he faced alienation from those who looked down on his interracial upbringing, and strife from a society clinging to racial barriers. But a breakout role on the now-iconic ‘90s sitcom “In Living Color” soon thrust him into fame—and into the throes of addiction. Tune into the latest episode of Heart of the Matter as Tommy, now over two decades into recovery, speaks to El...
Best-selling author David Magee: On how recovery is a journey
October 18, 2022 05:00 - 50 minutes - 34.4 MBAs a child, best-selling author David Magee felt that his life purpose was to write a book that could change lives. He recently told his remarkable journey of triumph in the face of trauma in his book “Dear William: A Father’s Memoir of Addiction, Recovery, Love, and Loss.” A few years ago, David lost his son William to an accidental overdose just one year after his other son Hudson was in a three-day coma following his own overdose. At the same time, his daughter Mary was struggling with an...
Actor and author Cameron Douglas: On recovery, triumph and fatherhood
October 04, 2022 05:00 - 44 minutes - 30.4 MBThis week on Heart of the Matter, actor and author Cameron Douglas, son of Michael Douglas, opens up to Elizabeth Vargas about his incredible recovery journey, as told in his book, “Long Way Home.” Cameron began using substances at 13-years-old, which quickly progressed into a serious addiction. He recounts that even after many years of struggling, including nearly seven years in prison, his parents “never turned away from me.” Cameron and Elizabeth discuss his dad’s influence on why he...
Co-founder of Sober Mom Squad Jessica Landon: On second chances, family and laughter
September 20, 2022 05:00 - 48 minutes - 33.5 MBAs an actress, comedian and Playboy model, Jessica Landon appeared to have the perfect life. But deep down, she was silently suffering from unresolved childhood trauma. Jessica began drinking as a pre-teen and didn’t stop. She became so reliant on alcohol that it became “the only way I could survive in the world,” as she describes it. After experiencing a 16-day stay in the ICU involving multiple organ failures resulting from her drinking, Jessica finally made the decision to start her recov...
Co-founder of Sober Mom Squad Jessica Landon: On second chances, family and laughter
September 20, 2022 05:00 - 47 minutes - 32.9 MBAs an actress, comedian and Playboy model, Jessica Landon appeared to have the perfect life. But deep down, she was silently suffering from unresolved childhood trauma. Jessica began drinking as a pre-teen and didn’t stop. She became so reliant on alcohol that it became “the only way I could survive in the world,” as she describes it. After experiencing a 16-day stay in the ICU involving multiple organ failures resulting from her drinking, Jessica finally made the decision to start her recov...
“Below Deck” star Captain Lee Rosbach: On guilt, loss and healing
September 06, 2022 05:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MBBravo’s “Below Deck” star Captain Lee Rosbach opens up to Elizabeth Vargas on the season three premiere of Heart of the Matter about the excruciating pain he experienced after losing his son Joshua to a fentanyl poisoning. Captain Lee discloses that he and his family did not discuss Joshua’s substance use with friends or his fellow crew members for nearly 20 years. Now, he wants to help other families by continuing to open up publicly about his family's struggles. Captain Lee and Elizabeth...
Harold Koplewicz: Addressing the growing youth mental health crisis
July 12, 2022 05:00 - 46 minutes - 31.8 MBIn our latest episode of Heart of the Matter, host Elizabeth Vargas is joined by Harold Koplewicz, president and medical director of the Child Mind Institute, a nonprofit focused on helping children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders. Harold shares that one in five children and adolescents struggle with mental health or learning challenges and unfortunately, over 70% of U.S. counties do not have child psychiatrists available to help alleviate this growing crisi...
Zachary Levi: Understanding the importance of self-love
June 28, 2022 05:00 - 52 minutes - 36.2 MBIn the latest episode of Heart of the Matter, Elizabeth Vargas is joined by actor Zachary Levi, who opens up about his lifelong struggle with anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts while starring in hit television shows like Chuck and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and blockbuster movies like Shazam! and Tangled. Zachary shares that after living with anxiety and depression for most of his life, he turned to substances to mask childhood trauma. After experiencing a life-altering panic attack, h...
Paul Holes on his New York Times bestselling book “Unmasked” and the importance of having honest mental health discussions
June 14, 2022 05:00 - 46 minutes - 31.9 MBIn the latest episode of Heart of the Matter, Elizabeth Vargas is joined by investigator Paul Holes, New York Times bestselling author of “Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases.” Paul is known for his role in helping to solve high-profile homicide cases, including the notorious Golden State Killer. But his crime fighting success was masked by what was going on with Paul personally. He spent decades with unresolved anxiety and panic attacks, eventually turning to alcohol as a way to ...
BONUS EPISODE: Katie Couric interviews Elizabeth Vargas on Next Question Podcast!
May 31, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 50.5 MBJoin us for a bonus episode! Elizabeth recently joined Katie Couric for her podcast Next Question with Katie Couric to discuss the increasing use of alcohol, particularly among women, during the COVID-19 pandemic -- why women are drinking more now than ever; what factors may cause an increase in alcohol consumption; and what recovery looks like. Elizabeth and Katie also speak with two women in recovery, Khadi Oluwatoyin and Emily Paulson, who have created recovery spaces; as well as Dr. Loui...
Dr. Nora Volkow on the state of adolescent mental health and why we urgently need to apply the lessons learned in the pandemic to addiction and mental health
May 17, 2022 05:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MBLike many families, Dr. Nora Volkow’s had kept it a secret that her grandfather had a substance use disorder and eventually committed suicide. Today, as the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health, she speaks out regularly about how important it is to share these stories to help other families impacted by addiction. Dr. Volkow sits down with Heart of the Matter host Elizabeth Vargas to discuss the growing complexities of fentanyl-laced drugs; ...
Song for Charlie co-founders Ed and Mary Ternan on the dramatic rise of counterfeit prescription pills
May 03, 2022 05:00 - 44 minutes - 30.6 MBAfter a counterfeit tablet purchased on social media took their son Charlie’s life, Ed and Mary Ternan were determined to take action. Rather than blame social media companies for sales of dangerous substances, Ed and Mary saw an opportunity to make a change. They created the nonprofit Song for Charlie to raise awareness about fentanyl and fentanyl-laced substances being sold to young people on social media. Many counterfeit pills are made to look like prescription opioids and are more letha...
Dan Schneider of Netflix's The Pharmacist on his crusade to end the opioid epidemic and find justice for his son
April 19, 2022 05:00 - 48 minutes - 33.1 MBAfter losing his son Danny Jr. to a substance-related shooting, Louisiana pharmacist Dan Schneider was determined to hold the powerful figures behind the nation’s opioid epidemic accountable. The critically acclaimed Netflix docuseries The Pharmacist recounts Dan’s rigorous quest to find answers about his son’s death, and his mission to stop the overprescribing of opioids taking place in his community. In this episode of Heart of the Matter, host Elizabeth Vargas speaks with Dan about his ...
Physician and author Carl Erik Fisher on the history of addiction and the capacity for recovery
April 05, 2022 05:00 - 53 minutes - 36.9 MBPhysician and author Carl Erik Fisher is both a doctor who specializes in addiction treatment and a person who is very public about his own struggles with substance use, who is currently in recovery himself. With his highly praised book The Urge: Our History of Addiction, Dr. Fisher embarks on a feverish search for answers to age-old questions: What does it mean to struggle with addiction? Why is it so difficult to move away from substance use, even once it has turned destructive? Who is vul...
Physician and author Carl Erik Fisher on the history of addiction and the capacity for recovery
April 05, 2022 05:00 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MBPhysician and author Carl Erik Fisher is both a doctor who specializes in addiction treatment and a person who is very public about his own struggles with substance use, who is currently in recovery himself. With his highly praised book The Urge: Our History of Addiction, Dr. Fisher embarks on a feverish search for answers to age-old questions: What does it mean to struggle with addiction? Why is it so difficult to move away from substance use, even once it has turned destructive? Who is vul...
Author and journalist Sam Quinones on the rise of fentanyl, the methamphetamine crisis and the future of addiction
March 22, 2022 05:00 - 55 minutes - 38 MBIn 2015, award-winning author and journalist Sam Quinones took the world by storm with his heavily lauded book Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opioid Epidemic, an investigative work that helped awaken the nation to the devastation wreaked by OxyContin. With his newest release, The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth, Sam turns his attention to the rise of synthetic substances and the dangers posed by methamphetamine and fentanyl use. Tune in a...
Author and journalist Sam Quinones on the rise of fentanyl, the methamphetamine crisis and the future of addiction
March 22, 2022 05:00 - 54 minutes - 37.3 MBIn 2015, award-winning author and journalist Sam Quinones took the world by storm with his heavily lauded book Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opioid Epidemic, an investigative work that helped awaken the nation to the devastation wreaked by OxyContin. With his newest release, The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth, Sam turns his attention to the rise of synthetic substances and the dangers posed by methamphetamine and fentanyl use. Tune in a...
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller on the work of recovery and the past as legacy
March 08, 2022 06:00 - 41 minutes - 28.8 MBTo many who knew him in his college days, Darren Waller had the ideal life: a star football player at Georgia Tech who had caught the eye of NFL scouts, he seemed predestined for a picture-perfect future. However, beneath this glossy veneer was someone who was struggling with opioid use, whose self-confidence was flagging, and whose passion for the game he had loved since he was a boy was evaporating. Two suspensions and several years later, this culminated in a near-fatal overdose in August...
Radical compassion and the power of empathy: in the halls with the students of Northshore Recovery High School
February 22, 2022 06:00 - 51 minutes - 35.6 MBIn many ways, Michelle Lipinski is the principal of a high school just like any other. Students rush from class to class from the morning to afternoon, study hard for quizzes and exams, and wait for their senior prom with bated breath. However, one thing sets Northshore Recovery High School apart from most other schools in the nation: All of its students have a diagnosed substance use disorder. Join Elizabeth for a special episode of Heart of the Matter as she speaks to Principal Michell...
Award-winning actor Danny Strong and screenwriter Beth Macy on Dopesick and the Sackler family
February 08, 2022 06:00 - 1 hour - 41.9 MBWhen the miniseries Dopesick premiered on Hulu in late 2021, it was to a world reeling from the conclusion of Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy proceedings – a settlement that infamously absolved the Sackler family of any opioid-related liability. The show, based on journalist Beth Macy’s eponymous account of the opioid crisis and starring Michael Keaton in his Golden Globe-winning return to television, dramatizes the devastation left in the wake of OxyContin’s 1996 introduction to the market and i...
Award-winning screenwriter and producer Danny Strong and author Beth Macy on Dopesick and the Sackler family
February 08, 2022 06:00 - 1 hour - 41.9 MBWhen the miniseries Dopesick premiered on Hulu in late 2021, it was to a world reeling from the conclusion of Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy proceedings – a settlement that infamously absolved the Sackler family of any opioid-related liability. The show, based on author Beth Macy’s eponymous account of the opioid crisis and starring Michael Keaton in his Golden Globe-winning return to television, dramatizes the devastation left in the wake of OxyContin’s 1996 introduction to the market and is a ...
REPOST: Anne and Sam Lamott on radical self-care, the genetics of addiction and recovery as inner grace
January 25, 2022 06:00 - 50 minutes - 34.4 MBThis week, we’re re-airing one of our favorite interviews from Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas, featuring Anne and Sam Lamott. Bestselling novelist and essayist Anne Lamott had more than her share of experience with substance use disorders: Growing up with family members with addiction, she also had distinct memories of drinking as a child. Decades later, she watched as her son Sam began struggling with methamphetamines. Today, both mother and son have been in recovery for many yea...
Repost: Anne and Sam Lamott on radical self-care, the genetics of addiction and recovery as inner grace
January 25, 2022 06:00 - 50 minutes - 34.4 MBThis week, we’re re-airing one of our favorite interviews from Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas, featuring Anne and Sam Lamott. Bestselling novelist and essayist Anne Lamott had more than her share of experience with substance use disorders: Growing up with family members with addiction, she also had distinct memories of drinking as a child. Decades later, she watched as her son Sam began struggling with methamphetamines. Today, both mother and son have been in recovery for many yea...
Repost: Laura McKowen on facing pain, telling the truth and looking inward
January 11, 2022 06:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBThis week, we’re re-airing one of our favorite episodes of Heart of the Matter, featuring author and founder of The Luckiest Club, Laura McKowen. When Laura first stopped drinking, she thought of it as “the end of all the color” in her life. But after weathering one particularly challenging night, she realized the magic that comes with being in recovery and feeling fully present in her life. Together, Elizabeth and Laura discuss the pain that lies at the root of drinking, the glamorization o...
REPOST: Laura McKowen on facing pain, telling the truth and looking inward
January 11, 2022 06:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBThis week, we’re re-airing one of our favorite episodes of Heart of the Matter, featuring author and founder of The Luckiest Club, Laura McKowen. When Laura first stopped drinking, she thought of it as “the end of all the color” in her life. But after weathering one particularly challenging night, she realized the magic that comes with being in recovery and feeling fully present in her life. Together, Elizabeth and Laura discuss the pain that lies at the root of drinking, the glamorization o...
Repost: Emmy Award-winning actress Patricia Heaton opens up about overcoming drinking, having faith and being a mother
December 28, 2021 09:00 - 48 minutes - 33.3 MBThis week, we’re re-airing one of our favorite interviews from Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas featuring Emmy Award winner Patricia Heaton, star of Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle. While Patricia was working long hours on TV sets and taking care of her four young children, she kept her drinking at bay. But when those shows ended and her children had left the house, she started looking forward to drinking in a way she hadn’t ever before. Re-join Patricia and Elizabeth as...
REPOST: Emmy Award-winning actress Patricia Heaton opens up about overcoming drinking, having faith and being a mother
December 28, 2021 09:00 - 48 minutes - 33.3 MBThis week, we’re re-airing one of our favorite interviews from Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas featuring Emmy Award winner Patricia Heaton, star of Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle. While Patricia was working long hours on TV sets and taking care of her four young children, she kept her drinking at bay. But when those shows ended and her children had left the house, she started looking forward to drinking in a way she hadn’t ever before. Re-join Patricia and Elizabeth as...
REPOST: Top Chef Gregory Gourdet on Reimaging his Relationship with Drugs and Alcohol and Redefining an Industry Bursting with Substance Use
December 14, 2021 09:00 - 37 minutes - 26.1 MBThis week, we’re re-airing one of our favorite interviews from Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas, featuring chef Gregory Gourdet. When Gregory was an up-and-coming chef at a top Manhattan restaurant, he found himself spending nights after shifts partying, fueled by alcohol and cocaine. It was only when he moved across the country to Portland, Oregon, and found a community of chefs who had also struggled with addiction, that he was able to make the changes he needed. Re-join Eliz...
REPOST: Top Chef Gregory Gourdet on Reimaging his Relationship with Drugs and Alcohol and Redefining an Industry Bursting with Substance Use
December 14, 2021 09:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBThis week, we’re re-airing one of our favorite interviews from Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas, featuring chef Gregory Gourdet. When Gregory was an up-and-coming chef at a top Manhattan restaurant, he found himself spending nights after shifts partying, fueled by alcohol and cocaine. It was only when he moved across the country to Portland, Oregon, and found a community of chefs who had also struggled with addiction, that he was able to make the changes he needed. Re-join Eliz...
Repost: Top Chef Gregory Gourdet on Reimaging his Relationship with Drugs and Alcohol and Redefining an Industry Bursting with Substance Use
December 14, 2021 09:00 - 36 minutes - 25.5 MBThis week, we’re re-airing one of our favorite interviews from Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas, featuring chef Gregory Gourdet. When Gregory was an up-and-coming chef at a top Manhattan restaurant, he found himself spending nights after shifts partying, fueled by alcohol and cocaine. It was only when he moved across the country to Portland, Oregon, and found a community of chefs who had also struggled with addiction, that he was able to make the changes he needed. Re-join Eliz...
REPOST: Actress Kristen Johnston Describes the Struggles of Overcoming Addiction and Loving Someone with Addiction
November 30, 2021 06:00 - 37 minutes - 25.5 MBThis week, we’re re-airing one of our favorite interviews from Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas, featuring actress and star of 3rd Rock from the Sun Kristen Johnston. When Kristen first started finding success in television, feelings of self-doubt and panic began to overwhelm her. She turned to prescription painkillers, and addiction began to take over her life. Re-join Elizabeth as she and Kristen speak about the events that led her to recovery, the experience of loving someon...
Repost: Actress Kristen Johnston Describes the Struggles of Overcoming Addiction and Loving Someone with Addiction
November 30, 2021 06:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MBThis week, we’re re-airing one of our favorite interviews from Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas, featuring actress and star of 3rd Rock from the Sun Kristen Johnston. When Kristen first started finding success in television, feelings of self-doubt and panic began to overwhelm her. She turned to prescription painkillers, and addiction began to take over her life. Re-join Elizabeth as she and Kristen speak about the events that led her to recovery, the experience of loving someon...
World and international boxing champion Mia St. John on the isolation of relapse, recovery as connection and her fight through grief and loss
November 16, 2021 07:00 - 40 minutes - 22.1 MBA fighter in every sense of the word, boxing champion Mia St. John encountered addiction from a young age, growing up with a father who struggled with drinking and attending her first Alcoholics Anonymous group when she was just twelve years old. Years later, she witnessed her son's struggle with mental illness and a cycle of substance use as self-medication. Tune in as Mia opens up to Elizabeth about enduring the loneliness of relapse, finding a home in Alcoholics Anonymous and weathering...
World and international boxing champion Mia St. John on the isolation of relapse, recovery as connection and her fight through grief and loss
November 16, 2021 07:00 - 41 minutes - 28.8 MBA fighter in every sense of the word, boxing champion Mia St. John encountered addiction from a young age, growing up with a father who struggled with drinking and attending her first Alcoholics Anonymous group when she was just twelve years old. Years later, she witnessed her son's struggle with mental illness and a cycle of substance use as self-medication. Tune in as Mia opens up to Elizabeth about enduring the loneliness of relapse, finding a home in Alcoholics Anonymous and weathering...
Anne and Sam Lamott on radical self-care, the genetics of addiction and recovery as inner grace
November 02, 2021 06:00 - 49 minutes - 27.8 MBBestselling novelist and essayist Anne Lamott had more than her share of experience with substance use disorders: Growing up with family members with addiction, she also had distinct memories of drinking as a child. Decades later, she watched as her son Sam began struggling with methamphetamines. Today, both mother and son have been in recovery for many years. Join Elizabeth as she speaks to Anne and Sam about addiction in the family, the influence of believing in a higher power, the impor...
Cheryl Burke of “Dancing with the Stars” on therapeutic honesty, addiction in the family and life in the spotlight
October 19, 2021 06:00 - 43 minutes - 22.5 MBTo the fans who watch her on their TV screens, Cheryl Burke leads the picture-perfect life, dancing her way across countless stages and starring on national broadcasts. However, there is more to the “Dancing with the Stars” competitor than may meet the eye: Beneath the impressive veneer is someone who is unafraid to open up about her struggles with alcohol, mental health and abuse. As a competitor, Cheryl was taught that showing emotions is a sign of weakness, and turned to alcohol as a wa...