The Beyond Addiction Show

Center for Motivation and Change on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn

Email Dr. Josh King at beyondaddiction@motivationandchange.com or tweet him at @DocJoshKing

Undoing Drugs: The Untold Story of Harm Reduction and the Future of Addiction, by Maia Szalavitz

The Brain-Body Connection with Thomaz Bastiaanssen Nov 10, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Josh King welcomes you to another episode and a new season of The Beyond Addiction Show. Currently, just by visiting any food store, you can see products that state that they'll help you promote your microbiome or that a certain product is probiotic. Do you actually know what it means?

Today, Dr. King is accompanied by Thomaz Bastiaanssen. An expert in the field of the microbiome, he has conducted much research exploring the connection between the gut and the brain and it turns out that both are intimately related.

Key Takeaways:

[2:30] There are approximately 30 trillion microbes living in your gut.

[3:18] What is a microbiome?

[3:50] Thomas describes the gut microbiome.

[5:45] We are intrinsically linked with our microbiome.

[7:01] The most important work of the microbiome happens during birth.

[8:16] The microbiome is diverse and adaptable.

[9:40] Why don't we talk more about the importance of the microbiome?

[11:55] Does taking medicines wipe out your microbiome?

[13:23] Antibiotics are an assault on the microbiome.

[15:03] Thomas explains the several direct connections between the gut and the brain.

[16:30] Thomas describes the connection between the microbiome and depression.

[19:15] How can you regulate a microbiome?

[19:46] What is a "responsible diet"?

[23:40] Thomas talks about the meaning of prebiotics and probiotics.

[28:25] Are there any particular foods that are especially helpful to your microbiome?

[30:00] Does eating raw food help your microbiome?

[31:15] Thomas suggests everyone check their fiber intake and stay away from processed sugars and saturated fats.

[34:35] How closely related is depression to the microbiome?

[38:01] Thomas explains why it can be frustrating to be at this stage of the research about the role of microbiomes on our overall health.

[39:45] Thomas talks about fecal transplants.

[44:03] Research has shown that fecal transplants can alleviate the symptoms of aging.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Center for Motivation and Change on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn

Email Dr. Josh King at beyondaddiction@motivationandchange.com or tweet him at @DocJoshKing

Owning Your Story Is a Way of Healing with Erin Khar Nov 03, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Josh King welcomes you to another episode and a new season of The Beyond Addiction Show. There are plenty of memoirs about how substance use has impacted someones' life, but Erin Khar's memoir stands apart not only for her writing ability, but also for her vulnerability throughout the book; reading her book is an invitation to her life, her personal experiences, and struggles, accompanying her to the multiple trips to rehab until she finally walked herself out of substance use.

Today, Dr. King and Erin Khar are diving deep into the importance of finding the right treatment, because especially when it comes to therapy, one size does not fit all.

Key Takeaways:

[2:31] Erin talks about what it was like to write her book.

[5:28] Erin embraced the fact that she was going to be unlikable in some parts of the story.

[6:11] Specificity makes things look more universal; that is the reason why the details in Erin's memoir make her a reliable narrator.

[7:10] Erin talks about her early experience with substance use.

[11:11] Erin explains how she dealt with her suicidal thoughts by using heroin.

[11:50] Erin's parents sent her to therapy for the first time.

[13:35] Traditional models of treatment can facilitate a vicious circle for some people struggling with substance abuse.

[16:30] There is an ambivalence lying behind any addiction.

[18:01] There are belief systems that we create about ourselves from a very young age.

[19:58] When you are a drug addict, your whole life is organized around drug usage and you know how that is going to make you feel; changing that creates a terrifying fear of the unknown.

[21:30] How did writing a book help Erin?

[23:23] Erin talks about becoming a parent and how that changed her point of view about making mistakes.

[25:47] Erin talks about how her life changed when she stopped living with the stigma.

[28:14] Our justice system believes in maintaining a punishment for life even after serving time in prison.

[29:15] Erin talks about her experience in different types of treatment.

[34:15] Erin talks about the public health policy towards harm reduction.

[35:28] What does Erin think about rehabs?

[37:53] People do relapse, let's normalize it!

[39:29] Erin explains why we need to reclaim the term recovery.

[43:16] How can a parent help their kids to learn how to regulate their emotions?

[46:16] Mental and physical health are just health!

Mentioned in this Episode:

Center for Motivation and Change on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin

Email Dr. Josh King at beyondaddiction@motivationandchange.com or tweet him at @DocJoshKing

Learn more about Erin Khar

Strung Out: One Last Hit and Other Lies That Nearly Killed Me, Erin Khar

Parenting a Child Struggling with Substance Abuse with Brenda Zane Oct 27, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Josh King welcomes you to another episode and a new season of The Beyond Addiction Show.

Today, Dr. King is accompanied by Brenda Zane, a mother who decided to do something to support other fellow mothers in the difficult journey of parenting a child struggling with substance abuse. Brenda is a certified Health and Wellness Coach, and the host of Hopestream, a podcast for parents of kids who are misusing drugs or alcohol or are in treatment or early recovery.

Key Takeaways:

[2:53] Brenda talks about the feeling of being alone when you are a parent of a child that is abusing drugs or alcohol.

[4:15] Brenda talks about the feeling when a parent wonders how he/she will be able to balance all their responsibilities plus a child struggling with addiction.

[6:10] Brenda shares the journey that brought her where she is today.

[8:30] When doing "everything" is not enough.

[9:12] Brenda did not really understand addiction and she felt she just had a bad kid who was doing bad things and just needed to stop.

[11:10] Addiction is a way to cope, but the user might not know this.

[12:09] Things got worse.

[14:40] Brenda built a community of people that she could relate to (mostly moms).

[15:57] When you don't have enough information, searching on Google is so scary.

[17:37] Brenda describes The Stream, an online community for mothers with children struggling with substance abuse, where they can get support and resources.

[22:01] Brenda shares how her life has changed as a result of what they went through together with her son and turned that into something she could use to support other people going through the same.

[26:48] How did Brenda pass the feelings of guilt and shame and finally reach self-care?

[29:54] Brenda talks about how the abnormal can become normal.

[31:13] Everyone's story is a little different.

[32:25] Brenda talks about the first steps: Take care of yourself and get educated.

[34:18] Brenda explains why you should have NARCAN in your house if your daughter or son are abusing substances.

[40:40] Stigma prevents parents from looking for resources and moving quickly to help their children.

[42:36] Shame does not work, it does not motivate anyone to change.

[44:36] Find a therapist, you will need one on your team!

[45:09] What does it look like to come to The Stream for the first time?

[48:57] The Stream is a community meant to support parents.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Center for Motivation and Change on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn

Email Dr. Josh King at beyondaddiction@motivationandchange.com or tweet him at @DocJoshKing

The Stream

Harm Reduction Therapy with Patt Denning Oct 20, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Josh King welcomes you to another episode and a new season of The Beyond Addiction Show.

Today, Dr. King is accompanied by Patt Denning, who is a licensed clinical psychologist, one of the primary developers of Harm Reduction Therapy, and a nationally recognized expert in dual diagnosis (co-occurring disorders). Her work in the bay area is so amazing and the story she has about how this treatment was developing over time is really inspiring. Patt is sharing in today's episode her amazing professional journey that transformed the way in which we see substance use treatment.

Key Takeaways:

[2:15] Patt has transformed the world of substance use therapy.[3:08] Patt talks about the evolution of Harm Reduction Therapy.[10:14] Patt shares about her professional experience with the burst of the HIV epidemic which brought an epidemic of drug abuse.[12:00] Patt decided to stop referring the patients struggling with drug abuse and instead, treating them with her teams.[15:37] Patt tells when she heard about Harm Reduction for the first time.[19:16] Patt explains how Harm Reduction Therapy started.[21:30] Therapy needs to feel like a conversation, where people feel free to open up about their lives and the difficult experiences they experienced.[25:06] Patt and Jeannie decided to go non-profit.[28:37] Patt shares how they needed to rethink how they have been structuring therapy.[30:40] Patt describes the reason for therapist's burnout.[34:25] Patt talks about how she admits to be enabling people to talk openly about their abuse and observing without judgment the harms that they are suffering.[35:58] What is driving the use or misuse of drugs?[36:58] Addiction is not a brain disease.[38:33] Patt talks about how she wrote Loving Someone Who Loves Drugs and Alcohol and how it is intended to reduce harm also in the families of those abusing drugs.[41:52] Suffering is not generally motivating.[43:35] Patt talks about the innovations that were imposed by COVID-19 but had a beginning two years before the pandemic.[49:00] Shifting the therapeutic frame had amazing results (but also brought challenges).[53:45] PPE (Personal protective equipment) was instituted in early February 2019.[57:13] Helping people meet their basic needs is also therapy. When people's basic needs are met, they are not in survival mode anymore.[59:30] What is Patt's plan for retirement?

Mentioned in this Episode:

Center for Motivation and Change on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin

Email Dr. Josh King at beyondaddiction@motivationandchange.com or tweet him at @DocJoshKing

Harm Reduction Therapy

Over the Influence, Second Edition: The Harm Reduction Guide to Controlling Your Drug and Alcohol Use, Patt Denning and Jeannie Little

Raising Awareness About Athletes' Mental Health with Mark Hilinski Oct 15, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Josh King welcomes you to another episode and a new season of The Beyond Addiction Show. As the football season starts, each week hordes of people sit and watch the players get to the field and perform amazing feats of physical strength and ability, but how often do people stop and think about the toll that this has on their mental health? Is their mental health considered at all? Are we paying enough attention to the emotional well-being of our athletes?

Today, Dr. King is accompanied by Mark Hilinski whose son, Tyler, a college quarterback, took his own life. Mark is sharing in today's episode his efforts in trying to bring athletes' mental health to the center of the scene. He talks about the foundation they set up in Tyler's memory and the work they are doing to raise awareness of athletes' mental health.

Key Takeaways:

[1:58] Mark shares about Hilinski's Hope Foundation.

[5:25] Mark explains why he does not use the expression "committed suicide" anymore.

[6:55] We have to allow each other to ask for and receive help.

[8:50] Mark talks about the pressure his son was feeling as a college quarterback.

[11:30] Everyone needs to know that depression and anxiety are treatable.

[12:55] Mark talks about Tyler.

[20:41] What is your image of mental illness?

[22:59] Mental health problems are much more prevalent than we think.

[24:28] Mark shares a memory of when Tyler was in junior high school.

[27:50] Athletes are at particular risk to develop mental health issues as a result of the pressure put on them and also for really struggling to ask for support due to the stigma around it.

[29:32] Many athletes and coaches do not really understand mental health.

[32:05] Our athletes need a supportive community.

[33:07] What message does Mark want to share with other parents? Follow your gut instinct.

[36:03] It is not about mental health; it is just about health.

[38:00] Mark talks about Simone Biles and her healthy and courageous decision during the Olympics.

[39:30] Mark talks about H3H work on campus.

[43:48] H3H is a program that does not require any new resources and intends to help as many people as possible.

[46:40] H3H provides tools to help someone going through depression and anxiety.

[50:19] Mark and Dr. King talk about how important the campaign was to raise awareness about breast cancer and how H3H is trying to follow the same steps.

[52:19] Mark shares the results of research about children and adolescents who survive suicide attempts: Kids don't want to die, they can't stand the pain they are in.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Hilinski's Hope Foundation

Center for Motivation and Change on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn

Email Dr. Josh King at beyondaddiction@motivationandchange.com or tweet him at @DocJoshKing

Questions and Answers on Substance Abuse with Dr. Jeff Foote Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Josh King welcomes you to another episode of The Beyond Addiction Show. After receiving over 150 emails from listeners, Dr. King has picked out a few for the first "mailbag" episode, and he will answer those questions along with Dr. Jeff Foote, co-founder of the Center for Motivation and Change and a regular guest on this show.

Listen to this episode to learn about the following topics and much more:

How to approach someone who seems not to be interested in his/her recovery
How to stop drinking
Is substance abuse a disease?
How to draw a cost-benefit chart in regards to substance use

Key Takeaways:

[1:59] Question 1: How do you accept the fact that no matter how many trips to rehab and the emergency room, your loved one is not interested in getting well?

[4:40] There is an opportunity in being aware of our own feelings towards someone who does not seem to care about getting better.

[8:09] Focusing on self-care and self-compassion.

[9:44] It is often not the case that someone that constantly fails in his or her attempts to get better, is really not interested in his or her health, they might have no idea how to change.

[11:02] Dr. King and Dr. Foote talk about the "apparent" cure that substances offer to emotional suffering.

[13:43] What is really going on with someone who is abusing substances?

[14:13] Simply listen!

[15:33] How do I create conditions for change?

[16:33] Try to understand the person's motivations behind substance abuse.

[17:08] The differences between a reason and an excuse.

[18:10] Question 2: How can I stop drinking?

[19:55] What will you be giving up if you stop drinking?

[21:32] What am I going to gain?

[25:18] Question 3: Do you teach that substance abuse is a disease?

[27:43] Calling substance abuse a disease leaves a lot of the complexity of addiction out of the picture.

[31:22] Question 4: What is the best approach when a client says that being sober is boring and no fun?

[33:14] What are you missing from your old habits?

[35:16] Dr. Foote describes how to make a cost and benefits chart.

[39:51] Dr. Foote talks about an approach called "Invitation to Change."

Mentioned in this Episode:

CMC Foundation for Change

Email Dr. Josh King at beyondaddiction@motivationandchange.com or tweet him at @DocJoshKing

Tweetables and Quotes:

"Substance abuse is a way of not dealing with the shame and suffering someone is experiencing." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

"Try to simply listen, without judgment, without prejudice; just listen." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

"Ask yourself why do you do what you do, what is your motivation behind your substance abuse." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

"It is not a good deal if you are considering change, to trade something for nothing." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

"Calling substance abuse a disease is a very inadequate way to describe a complex set of human behaviors." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

The Struggle of Finding the Right Recovery Coach with Rev. Jan Brown Mar 10, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Josh King welcomes you to another episode and a new season of The Beyond Addiction Show.

Trying to find a therapist can be a pretty hard thing to do. Even though there are plenty of online resources, finding the right therapist for you is not always an easy endeavor. If you are looking for help in regards to substance use disorders it often feels impossible to navigate the many different names, job titles, and recommendations that you find along the way.

Today, Dr. King is accompanied by Reverend Jan Brown, Founding/Executive Director of SpiritWorks Foundation Center for the Soul and she is helping to set the standard for training recovery and peer coaches.

Key Takeaways:

[2:15] Jan talks about Spirit Works Foundation.

[3:15] Jan explains the differences between the several approaches to help patients through their recovery.

[4:14] Rev. Jan talks about the best way to start when looking for help for recovery.

[5:23] What do sober coaches do?

[6:10] What can you expect from a sober coach?

[7:05] What is the role of a recovery coach vs. a peer recovery coach?

[9:37] What can you expect from a professional recovery coach?

[10:37] What can a peer recovery coach do to help a patient?

[12:47] How can you tell the difference between a professional and a peer recovery coach?

[14:04] Rev. Jan explains what a peer recovery support specialist does.

[16:17] What are sober companions?

[18:37] Can all these roles replace therapy?

[21:25] Not all recovery coaches have to be in recovery themselves.

[23:01] Is it OK to encourage someone to be a recovery coach?

[25:35] Rev. Jan and Dr. King talk about the problems that can be generated by the lack of standardization in this field.

[30:40] Rev. Jan talks about her efforts in nationalizing standards.

[33:30] Rev. Jan talks to those who feel too confused and uncertain about what could be the right help for them.

[34:27] No one engages better than a peer.

[38:10] There is a place for every specialty.

Mentioned in this Episode:

The Beyond Addiction Show

Faces and Voices of Recovery

Email Dr. Josh King at beyondaddiction@motivationandchange.com or tweet him at @DocJoshKing

Learn more about Rev. Jan Brown

Spirit Works Foundation

Tweetables and Quotes:

"A coach's lived experience needs to be accompanied by the right training." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

"A sober coach primarily does transfers; is the one that makes sure that someone arrives safely from treatment to their home or from one treatment center to another." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

"A recovery coach must go to some form of life coach training and might be part of an association." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

"A peer recovery coach is someone who has lived experience of addiction and recovery and may or may not have received training." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

"A peer recovery support specialist has credentials and some training that can be proved." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

"Sober companions can guarantee that a person is sober." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

"None of the recovery coaches and peer coaches are clinical services, they cannot replace therapy." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

"From an engagement point of view, no one engages better than a peer." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

All You Need to Know About Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy with Dr. Brian Pilecki Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Josh King welcomes you to another episode and a new season of The Beyond Addiction Show

Today, Dr. King is going to dive deep into the topic of psychedelic-assisted therapy, an approach that is growing in both popularity and in research. Dr. King is accompanied by Dr. Brian Pilecki who answers all of your questions regarding psychedelic-assisted therapy, since it may be the therapeutic approach you choose in the future.

Dr. Brian Pilecki is a clinical psychologist at Portland Psychotherapy that specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders (OCD, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder), trauma, and PTSD, and matters related to the use of psychedelics. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and practices from an orientation based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). He has been studying psychedelics for over 20 years, including earning an M.A. in East-West Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies and attending numerous trainings and conferences. At Portland Psychotherapy he is involved in several research studies on psychedelics, such as a clinical trial investigating the use of MDMA to treat social anxiety, and has published in the area of psychedelics and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). He is also involved in public education and advocacy to reduce the stigma associated with psychedelic use.

Key Takeaways:

[2:19] Dr. Pilecki talks about the decriminalization of psychedelics for assisted therapy.

[2:39] Psychedelic assisted therapy is not new.

[3:58] Many cultures used psychedelics differently.

[6:05] There was a wave of research that started in the '60s and '70s.

[7:49] There is research that supports that psychedelics have medicinal qualities.

[9:46] Dr. Pilecki talks about recent research that proves that psychedelic-assisted therapy contributes to the reduction of depression, PTSD, and anxiety symptoms significantly.

[11:02] Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy is also proven to be effective with substance abuse disorders even though there is research to be done in the field.

[12:42] Dr. Pilecki shares his knowledge about the doubts of using psychedelics with people prone to addiction behaviors.

[14:38] People with a history of psychosis or bipolar disorder have been excluded from the trial with psychedelics.

[15:48] What does Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy's process look like?

[19:45] Part of the work done during a session of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy is putting in words the experience the patient has as well as processing the emotions and feelings resulting from it.

[20:53] Are there any common features that patients can experience during Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy?

[23:20] The range of potential experiences during Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy is hard to describe since it is very wide.

[25:36] Dr. Pilecki talks about the spiritual experience a patient might feel under DMT.

[26:47] Dr. Pilecki shares his point of view about the science behind psychedelics.

[31:56] Dr. Pilecki explains why psychedelics are beneficial.

[33:25] It is necessary to have an open conversation about the pros and cons of using psychedelics.

[34:57] Dr. Pilecki explains the differences between recreational and therapeutic uses of psychedelics.

[36:18] What is harm reduction?

[39:00] Dr. King and Dr. Pilecki talk about the influence of Michael Pollan's book: How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence

[40:40] Psychedelics require the patient to engage in therapeutic work.

[43:45] Dr. Pilecki talks about the public policy aspect of using psychedelics for therapy.

[49:28] Balancing psychedelic safe use with increasing its access to as many people who could benefit from them.

Mentioned in this Episode:

The Beyond Addiction Show

Email Dr. Josh King at beyondaddiction@motivationandchange.com or tweet him at @DocJoshKing

Portland Psychotherapy

Tweetables and Quotes:

"Psychedelics have been used in indigenous cultures for thousands of years." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

"Psychedelics were used by indigenous cultures to achieve healing, growth, connection to higher powers and even sometimes to approach community disagreements." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

"There is scientific research that supports that psychedelics have medicinal qualities." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

"Psychedelic-assisted therapy is proven to be two to three times more effective than traditional therapy and medications." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

"Psychedelics involve therapeutic work." @_TheCMC @DocJoshKing

How to Grow Independent Adults with Jessica Lahey Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

For those listeners who have children, you know they are your biggest source of joy as well as your biggest source of worry and it has never been more true than during this pandemic since we have been closer to our children than we ever expected to be. How do we know if we are handling situations right? In today's episode, Dr. Josh King welcomes Jessica Lahey, a teacher, writer, and speaker, to talk about what is the best practice to helping your children grow into independent adults during the pandemic and beyond.

Key Takeaways:

[2:15] Jessica shares how her family has been doing during the pandemic.

[4:50] Are children getting what they need during the pandemic?

[6:58] Learn to parent in a more effective way.

[10:20] The pandemic brought teachers into every child's home.

[11:30] Jessica talks about her book The Gift of Failure.

[15:07] Allowing your kids to struggle is tough work for parents.

[18:12] Helping your children to develop positive adaptive responses to failure.

[20:04] How does it look to let your kids struggle? Explain the why, show how to, and let them do it their way.

[25:20] Shifting parents from a punish paradigm to a reinforcement style, how can parents use praise to help change behaviors?

[27:43] Focus more on the process and less on the product.

[28:56] Jessica talks about the research on extrinsic motivation.

[30:04] We should aim for intrinsic motivation, but how to achieve it?

[31:30] Online learning is a learned skill.

[35:10] Jessica shares her opinion about parents and control.

[38:30] Parents need to find a new way of engaging.

[41:00] Jessica talks about parenting children struggling with substance abuse.

[46:30] Parents need to learn to sit with their own anxiety.

[48:46] Jessica explains why shutting down your child's friendships never turns out the way that is expected.

[50:11] How to find natural consequences?

[53:38] Jessica talks about her new book that is about to be launched.

Mentioned in this Episode: