OSF020: Interview with Quentin Vennie

At age 27, Quentin Vennie was working out when he suddenly felt a pain in his chest, a tingly left arm and dizziness. He drove to the hospital, where a doctor diagnosed him with anxiety and gave him a prescription for lorazepam.

"When you're in a vulnerable position, you turn to these people, but most doctors don't inquire. They don't ask what's really going on," he said.

Quentin quickly became addicted to the lorazepam -- doubling, then tripling, his dose. After a combination of vicodin and lorazepam resulted in a collapsed lung and trip to the ER, Quentin realized his coping mechanism wasn't only ineffective, but could actually kill him.

Over the next few years, Quentin began down a road of healing, starting with a daily practice of yoga, juicing, and meditation. "I didn't share anything with anyone because I didn't know if it was going to work," he said. Juicing became his "healthiest addiction," but he also cut out dairy, stopped smoking and worked towards accepting his inner demons.

Today, Quentin is a writer, speaker and integrative wellness coach whose byline has appeared in Huffington Post, Mind Body Green and Positively Positive. On the Open Sky Fitness Podcast, he shares his inspiring story and the changes he's made to stop feeling anxious and start enjoying life.

Resources Mentioned in the Podcast:

http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22

https://twitter.com/Kris_Carr

http://www.amazon.com/Success-Through-Stillness-Meditation-Simple/dp/1592408656

https://www.youtube.com/user/TaraStilesYoga

Quentin Vennie Online:

https://www.facebook.com/QuentinVennie

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/quentin-vennie/

http://quentinvennie.com/

Read More About His Story:

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/wc/quentin-vennie