1 00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: Welcome to Unaddictioned the Podcast. My name is doctor Zinga Harrison. 2 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: I'm a Board certified psychiatrist with a specialty in addiction 3 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: medicine and co founder and chief medical officer of Eleanor Health. 4 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: On this podcast, we explore the paths that can lead 5 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: to addiction and the infinite paths that can lead to recovery. 6 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: Our guests are sharing their own experiences, the tools that 7 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: have helped them along the way, and the formulas that 8 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: allow them to thrive in recovery one day at a time. 9 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: I am so excited to tell you about my book, Unaddictioned, 10 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: six mind Changing Conversations that Could Save a Life, is 11 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: now available from Union Square and Company or wherever books 12 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: are sold. 13 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 2: Hey, this is Jada. I am the producer of on 14 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 2: Addiction Pod, and today we have Dave Mannheim of the 15 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 2: Dope Podcast. Shout outs to Dope Nation. He is a 16 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 2: good friend of the pod. He and and Zinga go 17 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 2: way way back, and I love this conversation so much 18 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 2: because you can totally feel the love and as Dave 19 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 2: will let you know in just a few minutes, he 20 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 2: is just a big old softy, So I really hope 21 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 2: you enjoyed the conversation as much as I did. That 22 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 2: being said, just giving you a little bit of a 23 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 2: warning that there's some F bombs and S bombs being 24 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 2: dropped in today's episode, So continue with care. 25 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,119 Speaker 3: Oh wait, I have to go get my dopey hot 26 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 3: hat for the clips. Hold on, hold on, nice, Yes, 27 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 3: I have to rep. 28 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: Yes, well, it is like impossible to keep my kids 29 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: from stealing. 30 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 4: Nice dope hat. How are you? 31 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 3: I'm good. I can't complain. 32 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 4: I'm sure you could. 33 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 3: I could, but you know. 34 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, all right, So first of all, I'm gonna complain 35 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: about myself because why was Dave Man. I'm not the 36 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: first person I thought about to come on the show 37 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: when I was like, I'm gonna do a podcast, I 38 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: don't know. 39 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 4: That's a deep that's a deep question. I didn't. I 40 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 4: didn't want. I didn't. I didn't want to ask you that. 41 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 4: I was thinking, should I should I start with that? 42 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 3: Just start with that. What's the empathic confrontation? 43 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 4: Well, it was more like, so, doctor Harrison, what was 44 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 4: it about me that made me not seem Is that not? 45 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 4: That's too confrontational. 46 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 3: You can ask that question. 47 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 1: I'm just saying it was not anything about you. 48 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:36,079 Speaker 4: No, I listen. I see the Unaddiction podcast popping up 49 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 4: all over the place. I see a bunch of people 50 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 4: on it. And then when I saw Aaron Carr before me, 51 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:46,800 Speaker 4: I was like wait. I was like, wait a second, 52 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 4: this is I mean, I can accept the other people, 53 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 4: but well, it's nothing against Aaron. Aaron and I are 54 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 4: very close. But then but then I was like, I 55 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 4: don't know, I felt a kind of way that you 56 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 4: went Aaron for me. I know I'm a very petty person. 57 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:04,799 Speaker 4: I can accept that, but. 58 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:08,080 Speaker 1: It was that when you texted me when you heard 59 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: Aaron's So first of all, let me turn this back 60 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: around on you. Before you heard Aaron Carr on the 61 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: pat on the pod, you had no desire to come on. 62 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: But then you heard Aaron and you were like, oh, 63 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:21,359 Speaker 1: let me text in Zinga immediately. 64 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 4: No, no, no. I was respectfully distant until I saw Aaron. 65 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:29,920 Speaker 4: And then I was like, I was like, what can 66 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 4: I curse on this show? 67 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, you can curse data, Jada will make me give 68 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 3: a language. 69 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 4: I'm not going to curse. What what the f? How 70 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 4: could how could it? How could it possibly? I just 71 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 4: I was just like, as they say, hell no, you 72 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 4: know what I'm saying. I was like no. I was 73 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 4: like I can accept this, this, this and this, and 74 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 4: then it was this and I was like no. 75 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: But so for me, once you text me, it was 76 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: purely how was Dave not the first or one of 77 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: the first people that I called? 78 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 4: And what did you come up with? 79 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 3: I didn't come up with anything, honestly. 80 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 4: Can I give you? Can I hit you with the 81 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 4: Jewish Guild? 82 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 3: Yeah? Hit me even though. 83 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 4: After all these years, after all the shows, the hats, the. 84 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 3: Socks, Oh, the hats and the socks. 85 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 4: I know, I know. 86 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:21,600 Speaker 3: So Okay, here we are. 87 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 4: I'm so happy to be here. 88 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 3: I'm so happy to have you. So we go way back. 89 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: You can tell by this this do you call it? 90 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:31,920 Speaker 3: Yeah? 91 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: Deep love, playful banner, all of those sort of things. 92 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 1: We go way back, all the way to end recovery 93 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: with doctor Harrison. You helped me cut my teeth on podcasting. 94 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: So I'm super excited to have you here. Okay, the 95 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 1: Unaddiction podcast. We started it to bring awareness to the book. 96 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:50,039 Speaker 1: Did you get your book? 97 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 4: I got the book? 98 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 3: Know not. Did you buy a book? Did you get 99 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 3: the book that I sent you? 100 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 4: I got the book. I have it. I got it, 101 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:58,920 Speaker 4: it arrived, it's downstairs. 102 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,039 Speaker 3: Okay, great. Did you see my message to you on that. 103 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:04,839 Speaker 4: I didn't see it. No, I didn't see it. 104 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: But I'm meant to put a sticky note so that 105 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 1: you would know that I actually signed your book and 106 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: wrote a thoughtful personal message. 107 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:14,040 Speaker 4: Should I run and get it and read it? Yeah, 108 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:15,279 Speaker 4: hold on, give me one second. 109 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 3: Okay. 110 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:19,919 Speaker 1: Oh, Jada said, Dave, you absolutely can curse. She said, 111 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: do not send to you. 112 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 4: Okay. The best shows that the producer is a character, 113 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:27,039 Speaker 4: a minor character. 114 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 3: He's holding the book, he's showing it to me. 115 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 4: First of all, it smells delicious. It smells like that 116 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 4: new book smell amazing. 117 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: And I'm also taking note that, in fact, there is 118 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: a sticky note. 119 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 4: There is, But I'll tell you it's like I got 120 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 4: the book. 121 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 3: Because you have not actually opened the book at all. 122 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 4: I cannot tell a lie. I put it. I put 123 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:58,480 Speaker 4: it on the table, and my lovely wife like, I 124 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:02,719 Speaker 4: have lots of weird addiction books obviously all over the place, 125 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 4: Like I have some book like called dry Humping about 126 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 4: like sex, like sober sex. I have like weird addiction 127 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 4: books lying around, and my wife gets nervous that our 128 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 4: kids are gonna look at the addiction books. I didn't 129 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 4: think an addiction, this beautiful book would be bad for 130 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 4: the six mind changing conversations that could change, yeah, said, 131 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 4: she said, don't you think it's inappropriate? I said, no, 132 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 4: it's doctor that's in the single book. But she She's 133 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 4: stuck it under the table, so I never got to 134 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 4: see it. And I'm going to read this deep note. 135 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 4: I was expecting some treaty deep it's Dave. You know 136 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:42,360 Speaker 4: the love runs so deep? Toodles and zan, I love it, 137 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 4: thank you, I love it. 138 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 1: The love runs deep, and so tootles was obviously for Chris. 139 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:49,160 Speaker 3: So why don't we jump in? 140 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: Dave? 141 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 3: Will you? 142 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: Although I feel like you have such a big voice 143 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: in the recovery community, a lot of people have probably 144 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: heard your voice and know who you are. But the 145 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: purpose of this podcast is that we know they're an 146 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:05,839 Speaker 1: infinite number of paths to addiction. 147 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 3: We know they're an infinite number of paths to recovery. 148 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: Everybody's path is different, and so I'm just like talking 149 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 1: to people who have had their journey, so you can 150 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: share what your formula is today, what it has been, 151 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: what it was when you got started. In case somebody 152 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: thinks I might try a piece of that formula, So 153 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 1: will you just tell us who you are and whatever 154 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: you want us to know, and then start talking to 155 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 1: us about your journey. 156 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 4: Sure. My name is David, and I am a drug addict, 157 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 4: and I am a podcaster, and I work in a restaurant. 158 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:45,000 Speaker 4: And I was you know, I was on heroin and 159 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 4: methadone and xanax, and I was on weed from probably 160 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 4: ninety three to twenty and fifteen straight. 161 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 3: Which you know, and how old in ninety three? How young? 162 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 4: I was nineteen? So I smoked pot every day from 163 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 4: nineteen to forty one, unless I was in jail or 164 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 4: detox or Yeah. I got into kind of rock and 165 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:18,680 Speaker 4: roll culture around the same time. I was a musician 166 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 4: and I wanted to be like my heroes, and I 167 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 4: also really liked the mix of drugs and music and 168 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 4: that culture. I enjoyed it, and I got into psychedelics, 169 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 4: but it was also scary, So I didn't get crazy 170 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 4: into psychedelics. I just I took them enough. I mean, 171 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 4: I had a few trips that weren't fantastic, but I 172 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 4: never swore it off. And I just I kind of 173 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:49,679 Speaker 4: tripped and smoked weed until I don't know, Like, I 174 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 4: had a girlfriend who wanted to do coke and we 175 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 4: wound up doing some coke, and coke never mixed with 176 00:08:55,559 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 4: my with my brain chemistry properly at all, And I 177 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:02,679 Speaker 4: did do it, but it didn't make me feel good. 178 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 4: It would make me uncomfortable. But what I noticed was 179 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:08,559 Speaker 4: that they would often take benzos to come off of 180 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 4: the coke, and the benzos really mixed good with my 181 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,040 Speaker 4: brain chemistry, and the weed, like, the weed was ideal 182 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:17,440 Speaker 4: for my brain chemistry. I was like the kind of 183 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 4: like I was born to be a stoner. I was 184 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:23,760 Speaker 4: born to It relaxed me. It didn't make me feel paranoid. 185 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,079 Speaker 4: It softened everything, It made things taste good. It made 186 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 4: things easy for me because I was such a neurotic Jew, 187 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 4: you know what I mean. I just grew up this ridiculous, 188 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 4: neurotic New York City Jew and so afraid of what 189 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 4: people thought of me, so afraid of like how did 190 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 4: I look in this situation? And I never like did 191 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:48,680 Speaker 4: anything about it. I just worried about it. 192 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: You know. 193 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 4: I wasn't like, I didn't like do anything to make 194 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 4: myself better I just worried about it until I found weed, 195 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 4: and then I was like, oh, weed solves this problem. 196 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 4: And then I just smoked weed, and I you know, 197 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:04,320 Speaker 4: I would I would try whatever came my way. And 198 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 4: like I loved ecstasy, and I loved acid, and I 199 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 4: loved mushrooms. And then I didn't like coke, but I 200 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:16,319 Speaker 4: loved Benzo's. And then I tried heroin in college and. 201 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 3: I liked how it was at a party with some people, 202 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:20,719 Speaker 3: no big deal. 203 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 4: No, no, we didn't. I wasn't a partier. Like I 204 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 4: was the kind of drug addict, drug user that loved 205 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 4: to get high in my room. I like to get 206 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 4: high in my room with my friends or like one 207 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 4: friend or two friends. And we were like losers. 208 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 3: You know. 209 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 4: We'd listen to music or play video games or play 210 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 4: music and we would just stay or watch TV, you 211 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 4: know what I mean. Like we weren't like partiers. We 212 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 4: were like losers. 213 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 3: You had a room, you had a small intimate pack. 214 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 4: Always always, That's just how I how I relate. And 215 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 4: I tried heroin. I was in art school. There was 216 00:10:57,679 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 4: like my roommate was from Upstate York and one of 217 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:04,319 Speaker 4: his childhood friends was in a band that was pretty successful, 218 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 4: and he had become a heroin adict and he but 219 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:09,240 Speaker 4: he didn't. He wasn't like an ugly heroin aict. He 220 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:12,040 Speaker 4: was like a beautiful young heroin addict who didn't know 221 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 4: that it was a problem yet, you know, the problem 222 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:17,560 Speaker 4: wasn't real. And we were like, should we try it? 223 00:11:17,559 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 4: And I was like, yeah, let's I mean we do 224 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:22,600 Speaker 4: everything else, let's try it. And I didn't. I liked 225 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:24,840 Speaker 4: how it felt for a second, and then I got 226 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 4: really nauseous, like really sick, vomited immediately, maybe like fifteen 227 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:34,200 Speaker 4: minutes in. Yeah, and I and at the end of it, 228 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 4: I was like, I don't want to do that. Like 229 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:38,719 Speaker 4: I like smoking pot, I like being like hungry and 230 00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:43,920 Speaker 4: it being gentle and not worrying about anything. So I 231 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:48,199 Speaker 4: put it aside. And then I like did a million 232 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 4: weird jobs, and I settled into television production and I 233 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 4: excelled at it. And after like a couple of years, 234 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 4: I was I was a host on TV and I 235 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:03,240 Speaker 4: was producing TV shows. I was I was associated producing 236 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:05,719 Speaker 4: and then I pitched a music show that I got 237 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:08,360 Speaker 4: to do and I was the host of the show in. 238 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 3: The first time. I'm hearing of this show and I 239 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 3: find archives. 240 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:15,320 Speaker 4: Just on YouTube. It was bullshit. It was a bullshit 241 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:18,560 Speaker 4: tiny show that was it was. It was owned by 242 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:21,960 Speaker 4: Lauren Michaels, who ran Saturday Night Live, and it was 243 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 4: it was before YouTube, so it was like ninety eight, 244 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 4: ninety seven, ninety nine. I was in that period, and 245 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:34,320 Speaker 4: they would distribute this network to college campuses around the 246 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:40,199 Speaker 4: country by VHS tape. Wow, so you get it was. 247 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:42,200 Speaker 3: Like an amazing story. Okay, go ahead. 248 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 4: And I was a production assistant and I was I 249 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:49,200 Speaker 4: mean also, when I was in high school, I was 250 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:51,560 Speaker 4: on MTV, like I was actually on mt I was 251 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 4: an internet MTV, and I wound up on MTV in 252 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:55,560 Speaker 4: high school, and I was like, I could be a 253 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:58,240 Speaker 4: TV star, you know, and that's what I wanted to 254 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:00,120 Speaker 4: be when I was a kid. I wanted to be 255 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 4: a talk show host, you know, That's what I wanted 256 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 4: to be. So when I settled in at this place, 257 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 4: I was a production assistant and they thought I was funny, 258 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 4: so they let me start hosting segments and then I 259 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 4: pitched a show idea. They had a music video show 260 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:17,480 Speaker 4: and they didn't like the way it was being run. 261 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 4: And I was like I could do that, and they 262 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 4: were like okay. And then I looked in the box 263 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 4: of videos and the first video I found was a 264 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:28,720 Speaker 4: krs one. It was a kros one video and I 265 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:32,840 Speaker 4: looked and I was a huge music person, and back 266 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:34,800 Speaker 4: in the day in New York City, if you looked 267 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 4: at the Village Voice, you saw the shows. I mean 268 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 4: you go right to the shows. And I see a 269 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:42,959 Speaker 4: Tramp's KRS one is playing and I was like, and 270 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:45,760 Speaker 4: now I have this TV show where I'm showing this 271 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 4: kras one video and I was like, why don't we 272 00:13:47,679 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 4: go see if we can interview KRS one. So I 273 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:55,679 Speaker 4: contact his people. I had some book and I found 274 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 4: a way to contact his people and they were like, yeah, 275 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:00,439 Speaker 4: come down. So we went to Tramps and I interviewed 276 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 4: caras One and we shot the show. And they were like, 277 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:04,839 Speaker 4: you don't need to do the music video show. You 278 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:07,520 Speaker 4: could do whatever show you want. So we created this 279 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:10,800 Speaker 4: music video. It was good and it was fun, and 280 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 4: it was like it was like the idea. It was 281 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 4: going to be a music magazine show and I was 282 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 4: going to cover whatever acts I could get a hold of. 283 00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 4: And since we were in New York and it was 284 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:22,200 Speaker 4: a time where, like of opportunity, we could do it, 285 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 4: and they gave me a contract. And at the time, 286 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 4: I was like twenty three years old, and it was 287 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:29,440 Speaker 4: it was and I lived in public housing. I didn't 288 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:31,200 Speaker 4: need a lot of money, and they gave me a 289 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 4: bunch of money. And at the same time, I was 290 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:36,560 Speaker 4: living with this kid that I had gone to college 291 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 4: with that I had done a ton of drugs with, 292 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 4: and he was delivering weed on his bike and he 293 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:44,720 Speaker 4: would get coke all the time, and we would do coke. 294 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 4: And I went on a job for that production company, 295 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 4: and when I came home, the kid was in my 296 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:57,200 Speaker 4: living room with like five other kids from my college 297 00:14:57,280 --> 00:15:01,400 Speaker 4: buying coke from this delivery guy. Me being like this 298 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 4: savvy New Yorker, I was like, you're making all this 299 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 4: money in my apartment, what are you going to give me? 300 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 4: And he takes out two bags of heroin and he 301 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 4: throws it down on our coffee table and me and 302 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 4: my friend Todd sniffed the heroin and got high and 303 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 4: didn't get nauseous, and I felt amazing. I felt amazing, 304 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:27,680 Speaker 4: And then the next morning I was still high and 305 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 4: I felt even better. And I woke up and it 306 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 4: was like do do do? 307 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:33,240 Speaker 3: Do? Do? 308 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 2: Do? 309 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 4: It was like what I wanted my life to look like. 310 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 4: Is how I felt when I woke up and I 311 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 4: had this job. I had this contract. I was making 312 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 4: money and it wasn't a lot of money, but it 313 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 4: was like as a twenty three year old who never 314 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:49,920 Speaker 4: had any money, I was like, and this is how 315 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 4: stupid I was. I mean, all of my heroes were 316 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 4: multimillionaires who became Heroin addicts that couldn't handle Heroin. And 317 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 4: I'm fucking twenty three making like ninety grand and I'm like, 318 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 4: I can do it. And I and I remember, I 319 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 4: was like I'm going to do it. I'm not because 320 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 4: I would I would find myself using here and there, 321 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 4: and then I would feel a little shitty and I 322 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 4: would be like I can't use it. I'd spread it out. 323 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 4: And then when I got that contract, I was like, 324 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:20,000 Speaker 4: I'm going to do this, and I just like and 325 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 4: I also liked the romance of being this TV producer, 326 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:27,560 Speaker 4: TV host doing Heroin. I liked the it was pathetic, 327 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 4: but I liked the romance. I became addicted really quickly. 328 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 1: And really quickly, like put a time frame on that 329 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:37,200 Speaker 1: for us, what's really quickly? 330 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:39,840 Speaker 4: I mean, we were fucking around with it for half 331 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 4: a year. But then but then I'm like one of 332 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 4: the people, and I know how you like to pronounce 333 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 4: uh literally, how do you say it a literal? Literally? 334 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 4: I think I think you said in a different way 335 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 4: back literally. I literally decided that I was going to 336 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 4: do it every day. I like decided, like I was like, 337 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 4: I'm in I want to feel like this every day, 338 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,199 Speaker 4: and I want to really not give a fuck. I 339 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 4: want to be like a t I want to be 340 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 4: like I'm cool, like I'm I'm like cool TV producer 341 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:16,120 Speaker 4: because I'm a very soft person. Like I'm a very 342 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:20,679 Speaker 4: soft person, very sensory person, and like I mean I 343 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:22,600 Speaker 4: am that's a compliment. 344 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:25,439 Speaker 3: I love that about you. I'm very soft and I'm 345 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 3: very genuine and caring and sensitive. 346 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 4: But I wanted to be harder, and I. 347 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: Wanted to be like the in the movies music producer something. 348 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 4: You know. I had some kind of romantic idea that 349 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:41,800 Speaker 4: I wasn't a good I wasn't good, you know, the 350 00:17:41,840 --> 00:17:46,679 Speaker 4: way I was wasn't good right, and heroin like, And 351 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:49,119 Speaker 4: it's funny because a little bit of heroin you don't 352 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:52,480 Speaker 4: go bananas. But once you're doing a lot of heroin, 353 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:59,679 Speaker 4: your personality really changes and you become insufferable, unreliable, pathetic, 354 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 4: you know. And I loved making my show, but within 355 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,040 Speaker 4: a year I signed a three year deal. I don't 356 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 4: think I made it. I think I made it halfway 357 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 4: through the second year and I checked into a detox 358 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 4: and I had this decision to make was I going 359 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:17,440 Speaker 4: to tell the company or was I going to tell 360 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:21,480 Speaker 4: my parents? And I decided to tell my parents. I 361 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,879 Speaker 4: don't know why. And the company fired me because I 362 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:27,160 Speaker 4: was in breach of contract. But if I had told 363 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,640 Speaker 4: the company, they would have had to send me someplace nice. 364 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,159 Speaker 4: So that's one of the decisions over my life that 365 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 4: I've been like, why did I do that? And from there, 366 00:18:36,119 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 4: I don't know, like I just thought I was getting 367 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 4: away with it. I don't know, Like I don't know 368 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:45,120 Speaker 4: what my logic was. I do know I was twenty 369 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 4: four years old. My parents were, you know, sixty year 370 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:53,320 Speaker 4: old Jewish school teachers who were at the theater that night, 371 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:56,679 Speaker 4: and they wound up coming directly from the theater to 372 00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 4: the public detox and on fourteenth Street in Beth Israel, 373 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 4: and my mother was wearing like a silk scarf and 374 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 4: smell of perfume and I'm fucking in the hospital. Shit, 375 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 4: and like my parents had no idea, like because they 376 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:14,560 Speaker 4: really didn't at all. They had no idea, and I 377 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 4: remember very well like they were aghast. But I remember 378 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 4: talking to the counselor and she was and she said 379 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 4: exactly the wrong thing to me. She said, you're young, 380 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:29,040 Speaker 4: you can get past this, You'll be okay. And to 381 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:33,640 Speaker 4: me that said go home and use heroin immediately, which 382 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:37,640 Speaker 4: I did. And this is the preamble to a fifteen 383 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:41,119 Speaker 4: year drug addiction, you know. And that was the best 384 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:44,120 Speaker 4: it was. And from there, like it was just one 385 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 4: bottom after another. I went to Florida, I lost my 386 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 4: I mean I grew up in public housing in New 387 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:52,399 Speaker 4: York City. My mother put me on a list to 388 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,120 Speaker 4: get a cheap apartment when I was eleven. I got 389 00:19:55,119 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 4: it when I was twenty two wo and I lost 390 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:01,959 Speaker 4: it when I was twenty six, and it was three 391 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:05,240 Speaker 4: hundred dollars a month. Whoa, I know. So that was 392 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:08,120 Speaker 4: the second big regret. But from there, like I moved 393 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:12,639 Speaker 4: to la I started doing meth all the all the while, 394 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 4: like bopping between method and clinics and just like you know, 395 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 4: losing my life, you know, basically one one detox to 396 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 4: the next, one reab to the next, with stretches of 397 00:20:25,119 --> 00:20:26,440 Speaker 4: using whatever I could afford. 398 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 1: And one of the things, one of the things we 399 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:31,919 Speaker 1: talk about in the book, Dave, is you don't know 400 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:35,639 Speaker 1: what rock bottom is until you hit the ultimate rock bottom, 401 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:39,200 Speaker 1: which is dead. And so like you said, just now, 402 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:42,200 Speaker 1: like just hitting rock bottom after rock bottom after rock 403 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 1: bottom a young twenty three year old, like, were you 404 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:48,440 Speaker 1: shocked how bad it could get? And I think this 405 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:53,119 Speaker 1: is the worst, and then it can get worse, worst, worse, worse. 406 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 4: I think I'm always here for you. I think like 407 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:02,879 Speaker 4: I knew. I was at an AA meeting this morning 408 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:07,360 Speaker 4: and I was sharing about this, Like I'm a bougie 409 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:10,359 Speaker 4: Heroin addict, you know what I mean. Like I think 410 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:13,119 Speaker 4: like I wouldn't have survived with it. I wouldn't have 411 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:15,040 Speaker 4: been I would have gotten sober if someone like took 412 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:18,280 Speaker 4: away my cable TV, like I needed cable like and 413 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:22,439 Speaker 4: snacks to really enjoy Heroin, Like I needed cigarettes, I 414 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 4: needed like oatmeal cream pies. I needed fucking cable like 415 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:29,439 Speaker 4: I would have gotten sober. I would have gotten sober 416 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 4: so much earlier. But I had a lot of people 417 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:35,919 Speaker 4: supporting my addiction along the way, and so for me, 418 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 4: it was like I mean, like the first bot, I mean, 419 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:42,480 Speaker 4: like I The thing I'm not talking about was I 420 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 4: suffered seizures, many, many, many grandma seizures before I even 421 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 4: left New York, before I went to Florida, because I 422 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 4: was so addicted to Benzo's and I would stop taking them. 423 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 4: I had seizures where I fell out of my loft 424 00:21:56,800 --> 00:22:00,320 Speaker 4: bed onto a glass bong, cut up all over. The 425 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:02,400 Speaker 4: cops had to drag me out of my apartment. I'm 426 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 4: like holding the doors so they won't take me out, 427 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,960 Speaker 4: like waking up in a hospital, like just like over 428 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 4: and over, Like I had seizures on a plane. I 429 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:13,879 Speaker 4: had seizures in detox, I had cazures in rehab. I 430 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 4: had seizures at work. So like that was like not good, 431 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:19,840 Speaker 4: you know what I mean, as four bottoms. Then I 432 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:22,880 Speaker 4: lost this apartment that I kind of planned on living 433 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 4: in that neighborhood my whole life. You know, my dad 434 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:28,120 Speaker 4: still lives there. It's a beauty, It's like beautiful over there. 435 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 4: So I lost that. I lost my career, you know, 436 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:34,119 Speaker 4: And I always thought I could get it back. And 437 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:36,680 Speaker 4: I always thought that I was the person who thought 438 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:39,639 Speaker 4: I could get away with shit, like I wanted to 439 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 4: be Ferris Bueller as a kid. And I always thought 440 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 4: and I could charm my way through shit and con 441 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 4: my way through shit and line my way through shit. 442 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:50,680 Speaker 4: But that wasn't really true, you know, Like once I 443 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 4: lost the TV gig, nothing ever happened again for me 444 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 4: until I was sober, Like I didn't, I mean, I 445 00:22:58,080 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 4: popped up with a TV job. I moved a lot 446 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:02,680 Speaker 4: of sat Angelus, became a matheatic, got a TV job 447 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:06,800 Speaker 4: there I was. I was such a bad junkie in 448 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:10,439 Speaker 4: LA that I had this TV job. There was a 449 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:14,639 Speaker 4: bathroom we all used and I kept there was like 450 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:19,119 Speaker 4: a drawer in the bathroom that I just kept needles in. 451 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 4: And I didn't tell anybody I had like a box 452 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:24,240 Speaker 4: I just in comic books. That's how pathetic, That's what 453 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 4: a child I was. I had a tissue box full 454 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:29,639 Speaker 4: of needles next to a stack of comic books in 455 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 4: a public bathroom where I worked, you know what I mean, 456 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 4: Like I don't, I don't know how I was. That's 457 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:38,199 Speaker 4: how I I mean, and I think I'm similar to 458 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 4: that now sober like I'm a little I don't give 459 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:43,879 Speaker 4: a fuck. I like doing dumb shit. I think it's funny. 460 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:48,320 Speaker 4: But then it wasn't funny, and it was it was sad. 461 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:52,480 Speaker 4: And I was enabled, and I took advantage of every 462 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:56,960 Speaker 4: person I could, and I lied, and I stole and 463 00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:57,480 Speaker 4: and I did. 464 00:23:57,600 --> 00:23:59,400 Speaker 3: What was the turning point? 465 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:03,439 Speaker 4: Turn point was I was on one hundred and fifty 466 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:07,480 Speaker 4: milligrams of methadone and and and a ship ton of 467 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:10,479 Speaker 4: clon and pen still addicted to still smoke, worked at 468 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 4: a weed dispensary. They paid me in weed somehow. I 469 00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:16,000 Speaker 4: was the security to guard at a weed dispenser in California, 470 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:17,280 Speaker 4: and they paid me in weed. 471 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: First of all, that was definitely during the time that 472 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 1: it was only medical marijuana that was legal, So paying 473 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 1: someone in marijuana was definitely not part of the plant. 474 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:32,119 Speaker 4: But how about hiring me, how about hiring me as 475 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:35,320 Speaker 4: a security? Yeah, like what kind of business planet this 476 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:40,720 Speaker 4: soft junkie? You know, like it's not I'm not the 477 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:44,480 Speaker 4: ideal security for us, for them. 478 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:47,560 Speaker 3: Or you were, But go ahead. That's why I don't 479 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 3: I have a hole. I won't take us down, Go ahead. 480 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:51,080 Speaker 4: I don't. I don't think I could be a really 481 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:53,800 Speaker 4: effective security guard, you know, eight and a half years 482 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:56,359 Speaker 4: sober either, Like I don't think that's not my thing. 483 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 4: But anyway, I'm one hundred fifty milligrams of methadone, you know, 484 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:06,639 Speaker 4: like eating like ten, like twenty milligrams of colonup in 485 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:10,919 Speaker 4: a day, like just eating it, living, like doing as 486 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:13,119 Speaker 4: much heroin as I could afford, which was very little 487 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 4: at the time, smoking as much weed as we would get. 488 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 4: And and my mom called me up and she had 489 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:25,440 Speaker 4: gotten diagnosed with leukemia, and she told me she thought 490 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,639 Speaker 4: she was going to die. And I was very much like, 491 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 4: I can't stay here like this. So I went to 492 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:38,159 Speaker 4: the methadone clinic and I said, I need to detox, 493 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:41,800 Speaker 4: and they offered me a blind detox where they they 494 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 4: they wean me off methadone for a year without telling 495 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:49,760 Speaker 4: me my doses. And I wasn't clean, you know, I 496 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 4: was using the whole time. And when I said, tell 497 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:55,080 Speaker 4: me when I get to thirty, they told me when 498 00:25:55,080 --> 00:26:00,159 Speaker 4: I got to thirty. And I went to detox and 499 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:02,520 Speaker 4: and I got kicked out of detox. They were using 500 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:04,960 Speaker 4: heroin and Detox and like I was on now Trek 501 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 4: Zone and some like it was crazy, like I'm on 502 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 4: I'm on now trek Zone in Detox, you know, public Detox. 503 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:16,360 Speaker 4: Like the guy who slept next to me had been 504 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:19,960 Speaker 4: an Alaskan crab fisherman and he was also a drug 505 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:22,920 Speaker 4: dealer in downtown LA that I used to buy Klonopin from. 506 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 4: And he had a tattoo on his hand that said 507 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:29,119 Speaker 4: pay here, and he had gotten in his crab fisherman days, 508 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:31,840 Speaker 4: and like he would give me saraquill and I would 509 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:34,560 Speaker 4: give him cigarettes. And we were both on now Trek 510 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:41,440 Speaker 4: Zone and some Armenian kid comes in and like somebody 511 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:46,320 Speaker 4: smuggles him some tar heroin. Everyone in the place uses it, 512 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:49,239 Speaker 4: even like somebody busts a syringe out of like the 513 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 4: post and the bed in the Detox. I wasn't going 514 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:54,280 Speaker 4: to start sharing syringes at that point, but I put 515 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:56,280 Speaker 4: it up my nose even though I was blocked. I 516 00:26:56,320 --> 00:27:00,359 Speaker 4: get kicked out, totally sick, and I move an The 517 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 4: next day, Me and my girlfriend moved to Vermont from 518 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:06,760 Speaker 4: California because my parents had a house up state and 519 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:10,639 Speaker 4: I knew I could see my mom and when I 520 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:12,480 Speaker 4: got there. My mom was like, I'm gonna die soon. 521 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:15,520 Speaker 4: And I was off of methadone. I was still smoking weed. 522 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:18,640 Speaker 4: I got a job, got a job in a Delhi. 523 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:21,840 Speaker 4: I left left, my girlfriend left Vermont, got a job 524 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:27,400 Speaker 4: in a deli, kept smoking weed. My mom died, met 525 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:31,679 Speaker 4: this other woman started dating her, knocked her up, She 526 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:35,439 Speaker 4: gets pregnant. I'm not I'm just smoking weed. And I 527 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:40,800 Speaker 4: relapsing and my mom dies right right in there, and 528 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 4: and then I start relapsing on heroin again, and uh 529 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:48,040 Speaker 4: and using like and using more maybe than I ever had, 530 00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 4: because I had more money than I ever had waiting tables. 531 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 3: And you have more grief than you ever had with 532 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 3: your mom just died. 533 00:27:55,119 --> 00:28:01,679 Speaker 4: And this baby like pressure, pressure, pressure, and I was 534 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:07,560 Speaker 4: just literally off the wall, like total insanity. 535 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:09,119 Speaker 3: And this is what year by now. 536 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:13,119 Speaker 4: Two thousand and seven, you know, And I'm working in 537 00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:15,400 Speaker 4: this deli and I'm using three hundred dollars a day, 538 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:19,360 Speaker 4: and I'm taking benzos and I'm smoking weed and I'm 539 00:28:19,359 --> 00:28:23,159 Speaker 4: shooting dope and I'm and I have this kid, you know, 540 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:26,000 Speaker 4: And my wife finds out we never got married and 541 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:28,960 Speaker 4: she leaves me, you know, And then my addiction gets 542 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:34,359 Speaker 4: much worse, and I'm alone and just sad and like pathetic, 543 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:38,680 Speaker 4: but still like I wanted to get away with it, 544 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:40,760 Speaker 4: like I didn't want to get sober. I mean, so 545 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 4: where are the bottoms everywhere? My mother's dead, my baby's gone, 546 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 4: I'm a child. I'm living in a subletted apartment in Manhattan, 547 00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 4: working as a waiter. It was crazy. And then I 548 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 4: think I got hi. I literally or literally walked into 549 00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:04,400 Speaker 4: a wall broke my nose, and I called my daughter's 550 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:06,840 Speaker 4: mother and I was like, I need help, and she 551 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:09,320 Speaker 4: helped me find a spot to go to and I 552 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:14,239 Speaker 4: went to this spot in Canaan, Connecticut called Mountainside, and 553 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 4: that's where I met Chris and I got sober. I 554 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 4: got sober for a year, and then I started smoking 555 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:26,040 Speaker 4: wheed again and taking pills again and trying to work 556 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:29,600 Speaker 4: it out with my daughter's mother and trying to get 557 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:34,600 Speaker 4: my family back together, and I never could. And then 558 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:36,560 Speaker 4: she's like, you know what, let's go on vacation together. 559 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 4: And I was like, okay, and me, Linda and our 560 00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:43,400 Speaker 4: daughter Nora go on a trip to an amusement park 561 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 4: in Pennsylvania and Linda takes a little bit of annex 562 00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 4: to help her sleep, and I knew that, and I 563 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:53,560 Speaker 4: steal all of it and she goes crazy and she 564 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:56,400 Speaker 4: goes now, she's like, we're not getting back together, You're 565 00:29:56,480 --> 00:30:01,640 Speaker 4: losing custody. And I'm just like dem at that. And 566 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:07,720 Speaker 4: I found myself in my kitchen, smoking cigarettes, smoking weed, 567 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:12,160 Speaker 4: writing this letter to my daughter's mother, saying I can 568 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 4: be a good father, I can be a good partner. 569 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:18,200 Speaker 4: Just let me smoke weed, you know. And I see 570 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:22,240 Speaker 4: my hands writing this email and I'm just like, I'm like, 571 00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:26,600 Speaker 4: this is ridiculous. I was forty one. I was living 572 00:30:26,600 --> 00:30:28,800 Speaker 4: in the sublet of apartment working as a waiter, and 573 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 4: I was like, I have to consider something else. And 574 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:36,720 Speaker 4: the next morning I found a meeting. I went to 575 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:39,800 Speaker 4: the meeting and there was a kid there and he 576 00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 4: was celebrating ten years and he was like a good 577 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:45,960 Speaker 4: looking kid, like tattoos, and he looked like he had 578 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 4: his shit together. And I'm such a jerk off. At 579 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 4: the end of the meeting, I wanted to go up 580 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:52,600 Speaker 4: to him to tell him how annoying I thought it 581 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:55,160 Speaker 4: was that he was young and got ten years. I 582 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 4: thought that was funny, you know, And I went up 583 00:30:57,360 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 4: to him and I I Before I could even get 584 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:02,440 Speaker 4: anything out of my mouth, he said how much time 585 00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:04,280 Speaker 4: do you have? And I said I don't have any time, 586 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:07,440 Speaker 4: and he goes, well, did you use today? And I 587 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:09,960 Speaker 4: said no, and he goes, oh, so maybe today is 588 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 4: going to be your first day. And I was like, 589 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:19,080 Speaker 4: that's that's an interesting idea. And I was like, I'm 590 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:21,400 Speaker 4: going to make today my first day. And I called 591 00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:24,480 Speaker 4: my best friend and I had a weed in my 592 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:27,000 Speaker 4: I had like a stoner's paradise in my apartment. And 593 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:29,479 Speaker 4: I gave all my weed to my best friend, and 594 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:31,680 Speaker 4: I gave all the edibles to the guys I worked 595 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 4: with at the deli. And the next morning I found 596 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:39,480 Speaker 4: another meeting that was seven thirty in the morning, and 597 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 4: I went there and the guy and I told this 598 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:44,960 Speaker 4: story of how obsessed I was with getting my family back. 599 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:48,240 Speaker 4: And I had heard that the obsession could be lifted, 600 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:50,719 Speaker 4: and it was always the obsession to drink could be lifted, 601 00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:53,080 Speaker 4: the obsession to use could be but I heard obsession, 602 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:56,960 Speaker 4: and I was obsessed with fucking up the situation with 603 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:01,480 Speaker 4: my beautiful daughter and my beautiful daughter's mother. And I 604 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:04,640 Speaker 4: was just like, I'm down. And I told the story, 605 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:08,560 Speaker 4: and a guy in the meeting said, we'd love it 606 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:12,479 Speaker 4: if you came back tomorrow, and I said okay, And 607 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:14,400 Speaker 4: it turned out it was a seven day a week 608 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:17,040 Speaker 4: meeting seven thirty in the morning. And then the next 609 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:20,360 Speaker 4: thing I heard was, rarely have we seen someone thoroughly 610 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:23,800 Speaker 4: follow this path and not achieve these results. And I 611 00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:27,280 Speaker 4: had never thoroughly followed any path besides using. And I 612 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:30,920 Speaker 4: was fucking desperate as fuck, you know, So I did 613 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:34,520 Speaker 4: it like I did it full on. I did ninety 614 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:37,239 Speaker 4: meetings and ninety days. I spoke at ninety meetings like 615 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:42,000 Speaker 4: I was just in and it all worked. And at 616 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:45,040 Speaker 4: the same time, I was talking to my friend Chris 617 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:47,960 Speaker 4: because he had just gotten sober, he had pulled it off. 618 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:52,240 Speaker 4: He was a horrible drug addict and he had gotten 619 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:54,720 Speaker 4: a year and a half through AA and I started 620 00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:58,320 Speaker 4: talking to him very often. And when I was working 621 00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:00,880 Speaker 4: at this deli, I had made this web series called 622 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:03,800 Speaker 4: The Last Jewish Waiter, which was the It was a 623 00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:07,080 Speaker 4: video about a waiter who hates waiting tables and he 624 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:08,960 Speaker 4: wants to have a talk show, so he does a 625 00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:11,360 Speaker 4: talk show while he waits tables. And it got like 626 00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 4: a bunch of preths and people liked it, and Chris 627 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:17,000 Speaker 4: was like, I want to do something like that, and 628 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:19,560 Speaker 4: I was like, well, we could do a podcast, and 629 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:21,920 Speaker 4: he goes, what's a podcast and I was like, I'm 630 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:25,680 Speaker 4: not sure. I think it's like a radio show. And 631 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:28,880 Speaker 4: he came down to my apartment and I was like, 632 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,520 Speaker 4: it's just going to be war stories. And I was like, 633 00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:34,760 Speaker 4: it's just going to be war stories and we're going 634 00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:38,360 Speaker 4: to call it war Stories and oh. 635 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:40,360 Speaker 3: And so it was first called war Stories. 636 00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:42,360 Speaker 4: Yeah, well it was supposed to be, but then we 637 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:44,400 Speaker 4: looked up war stories and there was a podcast like 638 00:33:44,440 --> 00:33:53,200 Speaker 4: about actual war stories, and then, like, I mean, we 639 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:54,840 Speaker 4: were trying to figure out what to call it. And 640 00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:57,000 Speaker 4: you know, I lived on the Lower East Side and 641 00:33:57,040 --> 00:33:59,680 Speaker 4: every day I would walk on Clinton Street in Manhattan, 642 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:02,520 Speaker 4: and there one day I walked past some kid and 643 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:07,040 Speaker 4: he's wearing a black hat with these gold like actual gold, 644 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:10,960 Speaker 4: you know, like metal letters on his hat that said dope. 645 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:14,759 Speaker 4: And I was like, and I thought of my my grandfather, 646 00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:17,319 Speaker 4: and I imagine my grandfather looking at this kid and 647 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:19,960 Speaker 4: he'd be like, who's this fucking dope? And then I 648 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:22,799 Speaker 4: just thought about like dope, Like you know, when I 649 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:25,000 Speaker 4: grew up in the nineties and the word dope meant 650 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:27,480 Speaker 4: cool and I like that. I like that, And then 651 00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:29,840 Speaker 4: and but then I also like hippies calling we dope. 652 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:34,160 Speaker 4: And then I like my grandpa calling idiots dopes, you know, 653 00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:35,560 Speaker 4: And I was like, why don't we call it? And 654 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:38,800 Speaker 4: then Chris goes, we should call it, uh two dopes 655 00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:41,640 Speaker 4: talking about dope, and I said, no, let's just call 656 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:45,160 Speaker 4: it dopey. And that's that's when it all started. Yeah, 657 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:46,960 Speaker 4: and that's a long winded story. 658 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:49,239 Speaker 3: No, it was a beautiful story. I love it. First 659 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:51,160 Speaker 3: of all, you crack me up calling me doctor Harrison. 660 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:54,120 Speaker 4: I like it. It feels good. I'm enjoying. 661 00:34:54,160 --> 00:34:54,799 Speaker 3: I love it. 662 00:34:55,120 --> 00:34:56,120 Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm enjoying that. 663 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:01,120 Speaker 1: David David Manheim, I won't get too psychiatric. But I 664 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:03,920 Speaker 1: don't think it's a coincidence that the first time you 665 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:06,120 Speaker 1: were in Detox you called your parents. 666 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:07,920 Speaker 3: Your mom and I get down. 667 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 1: It's a coincidence that when your mom called you, that 668 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:16,839 Speaker 1: was the first kind of like earnest, I'm gonna come 669 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:20,000 Speaker 1: back and try this, even though it didn't work quote 670 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:23,759 Speaker 1: that time. And then that it was family again that 671 00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:28,240 Speaker 1: brought you to the meetings that ultimately started your sobriety journey. 672 00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:31,680 Speaker 1: So like we're always asking people to look for what 673 00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:34,359 Speaker 1: is that thing that's bigger than you, that's like more 674 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:37,400 Speaker 1: important to you than yourself, and over and over and 675 00:35:37,440 --> 00:35:41,560 Speaker 1: over in your story, it sounds like you believed it 676 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:44,880 Speaker 1: was your career, but it sounds like it actually is 677 00:35:45,880 --> 00:35:47,200 Speaker 1: your family, right. 678 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:49,960 Speaker 4: I mean in the end, it was it wasn't my 679 00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:53,399 Speaker 4: daughter as much as like I couldn't handle not being 680 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:56,160 Speaker 4: able to be there yeah for her. Yeah, Like like 681 00:35:56,239 --> 00:35:57,680 Speaker 4: I like, in the end, like. 682 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:00,440 Speaker 3: You want it more from yourself, I. 683 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:03,799 Speaker 4: Wanted more for myself my dad. My dad would have 684 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:08,520 Speaker 4: to drive me to my visitation and like everyone would 685 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:15,040 Speaker 4: talk to him about my custody and it was so demoralizing, 686 00:36:15,680 --> 00:36:18,480 Speaker 4: but it was also like very fitting because I hadn't 687 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:21,680 Speaker 4: been a responsible adult at a moment of my life. Yeah, 688 00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:24,040 Speaker 4: and I and it was in the end, it was 689 00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:27,640 Speaker 4: like I just I want to show up for this kid, 690 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:30,560 Speaker 4: you know, And that's that was I mean, I wanted 691 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:32,359 Speaker 4: to show up for my mom. Like me and my 692 00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:35,319 Speaker 4: mom like had a not a good relationship because I 693 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:39,040 Speaker 4: was a drug addict for so long and before that 694 00:36:39,160 --> 00:36:43,080 Speaker 4: I was just such a defiant person like she and 695 00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:46,120 Speaker 4: she was such a controlling Jewish mother like I just 696 00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:49,480 Speaker 4: like we had problems. So when I found out she 697 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:51,759 Speaker 4: was dying, I was like something inside me said I 698 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:55,680 Speaker 4: got to go home, which was deep. And then when 699 00:36:55,680 --> 00:36:58,080 Speaker 4: I recognized that I couldn't take care of my child 700 00:36:58,320 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 4: and my parents took care of me, that was so yeah, 701 00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:03,080 Speaker 4: I agree with you. Family is the thing. 702 00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:04,320 Speaker 3: Yeah. 703 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:07,160 Speaker 1: And so then it was a kernel of hope from 704 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:11,040 Speaker 1: this good looking, tattooed young kid with ten years that said, 705 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:13,719 Speaker 1: maybe today it'll be your first day. And then it 706 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:17,759 Speaker 1: was warm arms of compassion at the next meeting where 707 00:37:17,760 --> 00:37:20,759 Speaker 1: they said we hope you'll come back. Yeah, And that 708 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:24,440 Speaker 1: started your ninety days ninety meetings and ninety days was 709 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:25,840 Speaker 1: the beginning of your formula. 710 00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:27,520 Speaker 3: So what's your formula today? 711 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:30,799 Speaker 4: Well, I mean we started making Dope when I had 712 00:37:30,920 --> 00:37:34,720 Speaker 4: six months sober, yeah, and now I have eight years 713 00:37:34,719 --> 00:37:38,560 Speaker 4: and six months, you know, basically, and I'm still making 714 00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:41,040 Speaker 4: the show. So I think dope is a is a 715 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:43,279 Speaker 4: you know, I always say that dope isn't a part 716 00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:47,560 Speaker 4: of my recovery because I also say dope doesn't help people, 717 00:37:47,600 --> 00:37:51,239 Speaker 4: Like I say a lot of stuff that isn't necessarily true. 718 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:54,560 Speaker 3: As you know, I mean, that's the first step. 719 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:59,680 Speaker 4: Right, My recipe is, I mean number one is twelve 720 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:02,360 Speaker 4: seve you know, like and I never wanted that. I 721 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:06,560 Speaker 4: would much rather be like some some like you know, Buddhist, 722 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:11,480 Speaker 4: you know, some like Buddhist intellectual. But I needed, I needed, 723 00:38:11,719 --> 00:38:14,960 Speaker 4: I mean, I needed twelve Step and it it totally 724 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:19,760 Speaker 4: saved my life and and really participating in it saved 725 00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:24,120 Speaker 4: my life and doing every bit of it like drinking 726 00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:28,960 Speaker 4: the kool aid, because the greatest thing about twelve step 727 00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:32,880 Speaker 4: is at its core is that love intolerance is the code. 728 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:36,840 Speaker 4: And if love intolerance is the code, what can go wrong? Really, 729 00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:39,279 Speaker 4: you know, and if and the promises if it says 730 00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:43,040 Speaker 4: we have ceased fighting, love intolerance is the code. The 731 00:38:43,080 --> 00:38:46,359 Speaker 4: goal is to be happy, joyous and free. Uh and 732 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:48,720 Speaker 4: the only way you can get there is by being honest, 733 00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:51,680 Speaker 4: open minded and willing. I found that all of those 734 00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:54,960 Speaker 4: things were what I wanted in my life. So it 735 00:38:55,120 --> 00:38:58,680 Speaker 4: set up exactly. I never but I didn't want to 736 00:38:58,680 --> 00:39:02,160 Speaker 4: be a member of fucking alcoholics anonymous, Like I didn't 737 00:39:02,160 --> 00:39:03,840 Speaker 4: want it. But I didn't want to be a member 738 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:06,640 Speaker 4: of alcoholics anonymous. I wasn't even I didn't even drink, 739 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:10,000 Speaker 4: but when I heard like what are you willing to do? 740 00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:13,640 Speaker 4: I was willing to say I'm an alcoholic, Like who cares? 741 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:15,880 Speaker 4: You know what I mean? Like, and Chris was always like, 742 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:20,319 Speaker 4: you're an alcoholic anyway, even if you didn't drink, and 743 00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:23,280 Speaker 4: like that's a whole other debate. But I every morning 744 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:25,120 Speaker 4: I say I'm an alcoholic, you know, and I don't 745 00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:27,799 Speaker 4: care because it's saved my life. It's like, these are 746 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:31,000 Speaker 4: the moments, like I'm very interested in what you're talking about. 747 00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:34,160 Speaker 4: A thousand ways in thousan infinite ways in infinite ways out. 748 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:40,000 Speaker 4: We've talked about that for years and I needed this way, 749 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:42,840 Speaker 4: you know. And I was talking to a friend just now. 750 00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:47,480 Speaker 4: It's like so many people can't get sober because God 751 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:52,480 Speaker 4: discuss them scares them, you know, it doesn't resonate with them, 752 00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:55,960 Speaker 4: and they're not willing to say I'm an alcoholic and 753 00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:59,719 Speaker 4: like so it's like I want to offer, you know, 754 00:39:59,800 --> 00:40:02,680 Speaker 4: like you do. I want to offer other paths, but 755 00:40:02,719 --> 00:40:05,920 Speaker 4: it's like is I think for me the magic was 756 00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:09,640 Speaker 4: the willingness, you know. For me, it was like what 757 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:11,560 Speaker 4: are you willing to do? I'm willing to do that 758 00:40:12,080 --> 00:40:14,000 Speaker 4: and then I'm doing it, like I'm willing to make 759 00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:16,480 Speaker 4: a decision to do that, then I'm doing it and 760 00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:20,000 Speaker 4: then like it's like like it's like that's the secret sauce, 761 00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:22,399 Speaker 4: that's the magic. Like if you ever processed it. 762 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:24,520 Speaker 3: Go, Dave, tell me the code again? 763 00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:26,480 Speaker 4: Which code? 764 00:40:26,840 --> 00:40:29,160 Speaker 3: Oh? Love intolerance, love intolerance. 765 00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:32,000 Speaker 1: I think no matter, yeah, I think, no matter what. 766 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:36,960 Speaker 1: Path kind of just innately neurologically, as pack animals and 767 00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:40,760 Speaker 1: human beings, love and tolerance has to be the code 768 00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:43,120 Speaker 1: of the path, right, and. 769 00:40:43,080 --> 00:40:46,160 Speaker 4: So isn't amazing. It's like people don't fucking talk about 770 00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:48,680 Speaker 4: that at all. It's like they talk about twelve step, 771 00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:51,160 Speaker 4: but you don't hear everybody being like, love and tolerance is. 772 00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:59,279 Speaker 1: Right, right, literal applies to every thing in life that 773 00:40:59,360 --> 00:41:03,120 Speaker 1: ails us. I am o in my opinion, I am 774 00:41:03,600 --> 00:41:06,120 Speaker 1: in case you didn't know what I am, I am 775 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:06,840 Speaker 1: O A w. 776 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:13,359 Speaker 3: Wait, but in my opinion as well, ah boom, Yeah, 777 00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:16,920 Speaker 3: the neurons were slow to fire, but they came. They 778 00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:17,800 Speaker 3: came to the party. 779 00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:24,319 Speaker 4: Listen. I mean I I it's I love love intolerance, 780 00:41:24,520 --> 00:41:26,399 Speaker 4: Like I think it's just the best. You know, It's 781 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:30,719 Speaker 4: like because because like I'm personally like bursting with love 782 00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:34,200 Speaker 4: all the time, and I and like and when I'm not, like, 783 00:41:34,239 --> 00:41:36,239 Speaker 4: there's a problem, Like you know what I mean, So 784 00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:38,120 Speaker 4: you have to figure out how to tap into it. 785 00:41:38,200 --> 00:41:42,279 Speaker 4: And and and even if you don't love somebody, how 786 00:41:42,320 --> 00:41:45,600 Speaker 4: do you find love in the situation? And then if 787 00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:49,680 Speaker 4: you can't, it's like and that's where surrender comes in, 788 00:41:49,840 --> 00:41:51,759 Speaker 4: you know what I mean. That's where surrender, that's where 789 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:54,200 Speaker 4: higher power, like I didn't, I mean my dad when 790 00:41:54,239 --> 00:41:56,120 Speaker 4: I told my dad I was doing AA and talked 791 00:41:56,160 --> 00:41:59,439 Speaker 4: about higher power and stuff. My dad was he called 792 00:41:59,520 --> 00:42:02,040 Speaker 4: himself an Orthodox atheist. You know, he grew up in 793 00:42:02,080 --> 00:42:07,080 Speaker 4: an Orthodox Jewish home. He was big in synagogue, and 794 00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:10,480 Speaker 4: then he got really into science and evolution, and when 795 00:42:10,480 --> 00:42:14,160 Speaker 4: he found out the two didn't really coexist, he chose 796 00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:18,560 Speaker 4: science and now he like hates religion and things like 797 00:42:18,800 --> 00:42:21,200 Speaker 4: my dad. I mean, my dad is a very loving person, 798 00:42:21,239 --> 00:42:23,800 Speaker 4: but I can imagine, like he would never wear a 799 00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:26,080 Speaker 4: shirt that said God is for suckers. But I think 800 00:42:26,120 --> 00:42:29,400 Speaker 4: in his head he might think God is for suckers. 801 00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:32,200 Speaker 4: And I think for a multitude of reasons, he didn't 802 00:42:32,200 --> 00:42:35,200 Speaker 4: need it. Number one and number two, he hates the 803 00:42:35,320 --> 00:42:39,360 Speaker 4: idea of religion keeping people apart. So it's like I 804 00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:42,640 Speaker 4: get that. For me, God is I mean, there's a 805 00:42:42,680 --> 00:42:46,439 Speaker 4: passage in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous that says 806 00:42:46,680 --> 00:42:49,400 Speaker 4: God is everything or God is nothing. And I always 807 00:42:49,440 --> 00:42:52,359 Speaker 4: took it as a very snarky thing, like either you 808 00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:55,080 Speaker 4: put God in front of everything or you don't have 809 00:42:55,120 --> 00:42:57,279 Speaker 4: God at all. But then I came to this other 810 00:42:57,360 --> 00:43:00,760 Speaker 4: interpretation of it, which is just that God is everything, 811 00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:03,759 Speaker 4: and I can relate to that. God is everywhere. God 812 00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:07,320 Speaker 4: is the universe, and it's not Jesus and it's not Allah, 813 00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:10,480 Speaker 4: and it's not Buddha, and it's not Yahweh or whatever 814 00:43:10,520 --> 00:43:13,719 Speaker 4: we want to call it. It's everything and I and 815 00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:17,680 Speaker 4: I can from my psychedelic days, or from my love 816 00:43:17,719 --> 00:43:20,640 Speaker 4: of music, or from my like the fact that we 817 00:43:20,719 --> 00:43:24,280 Speaker 4: can relate or have love. We only met once in person, 818 00:43:24,320 --> 00:43:26,360 Speaker 4: but we weread deep love, right, we had. 819 00:43:26,360 --> 00:43:29,239 Speaker 1: Deep love before we even met, because we only just 820 00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:32,120 Speaker 1: recently met a couple of months ago, but we go 821 00:43:32,239 --> 00:43:34,160 Speaker 1: back years exactly. 822 00:43:34,200 --> 00:43:36,720 Speaker 4: But but the fact that we can experience love, I 823 00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:39,200 Speaker 4: and I sound like a weirdo, but like that's God. 824 00:43:39,040 --> 00:43:42,399 Speaker 3: To me, you know, like spot on. But maybe we're 825 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:44,480 Speaker 3: just maybe we're just in the same WORDO club. 826 00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:48,520 Speaker 4: Definitely it's not. And you know, I feel I feel 827 00:43:48,680 --> 00:43:50,600 Speaker 4: I feel excited that you're in my club, but I 828 00:43:50,600 --> 00:43:52,360 Speaker 4: feel sad for you that you have to have me 829 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:53,000 Speaker 4: in yours. 830 00:43:54,760 --> 00:44:00,399 Speaker 1: Okay, listen, this time flew too fast. But we're at 831 00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:03,319 Speaker 1: the top or the bottom, whatever you want to call it. 832 00:44:03,360 --> 00:44:06,000 Speaker 1: So this is the last question I asked everybody. Dave, 833 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:09,440 Speaker 1: we made up this word n addiction? 834 00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:10,879 Speaker 4: Yeah, I like it. 835 00:44:11,239 --> 00:44:11,719 Speaker 3: Thanks. 836 00:44:12,080 --> 00:44:15,520 Speaker 1: Unlearn what you think you know about addiction, Undo the 837 00:44:15,520 --> 00:44:19,120 Speaker 1: stigma that's killing people. Uncover the conversations we need to 838 00:44:19,160 --> 00:44:22,320 Speaker 1: be having. So if you wanted to leave us with 839 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:26,279 Speaker 1: with one thing that we need to unlearn, or one 840 00:44:26,320 --> 00:44:30,040 Speaker 1: stigma we need to undo, or one conversation we need 841 00:44:30,080 --> 00:44:32,560 Speaker 1: to uncover, what would it be. 842 00:44:33,040 --> 00:44:34,120 Speaker 4: That's a hard question. 843 00:44:34,560 --> 00:44:37,200 Speaker 3: Yeah. Sometimes I give a heads up at the beginning 844 00:44:37,239 --> 00:44:37,520 Speaker 3: of the. 845 00:44:39,960 --> 00:44:43,920 Speaker 1: But I find you do hat I must being harassed 846 00:44:43,960 --> 00:44:45,360 Speaker 1: at the beginning of this episode. 847 00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:47,439 Speaker 3: Then I had to get my dopey hat. And then 848 00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:49,080 Speaker 3: you know, there were a lot of. 849 00:44:49,880 --> 00:44:53,400 Speaker 4: So what are my choices? What do I want to uncovering? 850 00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:54,600 Speaker 3: You want people to unlearn? 851 00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:57,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, what's one stigma you want people to undo or 852 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:00,600 Speaker 1: want one conversation you want people to unco you only 853 00:45:00,600 --> 00:45:02,040 Speaker 1: have to come up with one, not one eat. 854 00:45:02,840 --> 00:45:04,480 Speaker 4: It's all love, you know what I mean? Like, I 855 00:45:04,520 --> 00:45:08,120 Speaker 4: want people to uncover love in every situation. I want 856 00:45:08,160 --> 00:45:14,440 Speaker 4: them to undo bullshit, hate and like just like being 857 00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:19,480 Speaker 4: nasty and like just like there's no life is short, 858 00:45:19,640 --> 00:45:21,640 Speaker 4: you know what I mean. Find something you like and 859 00:45:21,680 --> 00:45:24,520 Speaker 4: stick with it, you know, and try. I mean, that's 860 00:45:24,560 --> 00:45:28,120 Speaker 4: the answer for recovery. That's it. I mean, like, beyond 861 00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:31,160 Speaker 4: everything else, you find something you like and don't stop 862 00:45:31,239 --> 00:45:34,239 Speaker 4: doing it and then don't use but I would just 863 00:45:34,360 --> 00:45:37,239 Speaker 4: you know, I'm sticking with uh with love, you know, 864 00:45:37,320 --> 00:45:41,600 Speaker 4: where can you find it? Uncover the love, Discover the love, 865 00:45:41,840 --> 00:45:43,640 Speaker 4: unlearn the hate. What was the other one? 866 00:45:44,120 --> 00:45:44,520 Speaker 3: Undo? 867 00:45:44,800 --> 00:45:46,440 Speaker 4: Undo the bullshit, just stick with the. 868 00:45:48,880 --> 00:45:51,319 Speaker 3: That is the dopey version of unaddiction. 869 00:45:51,640 --> 00:45:55,839 Speaker 1: Wait, unlearn the hate, undo the bullshit, uncover the love. 870 00:45:56,239 --> 00:45:56,719 Speaker 4: There you go. 871 00:45:58,160 --> 00:46:00,359 Speaker 3: Do you have a Mac will let you do this? 872 00:46:01,120 --> 00:46:02,799 Speaker 4: I don't know. I have a Mac, but I don't 873 00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:05,760 Speaker 4: know if my hands can do that. It's not giving 874 00:46:05,760 --> 00:46:09,760 Speaker 4: me love. Fucking bullshit. I think this computer is anti Semitic. 875 00:46:10,239 --> 00:46:12,759 Speaker 4: It's not giving me fucking love. What the fuck. 876 00:46:14,400 --> 00:46:16,680 Speaker 3: What do you do? Dave? 877 00:46:16,840 --> 00:46:19,080 Speaker 4: Thank you, thank you, Doctor Harrison. 878 00:46:19,080 --> 00:46:21,360 Speaker 3: I'm coming to New York again soon. We'll get together. 879 00:46:21,920 --> 00:46:23,399 Speaker 4: Yeah, I'll read the book and you can come back 880 00:46:23,440 --> 00:46:26,480 Speaker 4: on the Old Dope Show. Yeah, boom Killer. 881 00:46:27,760 --> 00:46:30,160 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for tuning in, And if you 882 00:46:30,280 --> 00:46:33,480 Speaker 1: like this episode, please check out my book on addiction 883 00:46:33,920 --> 00:46:38,440 Speaker 1: Six Mind Changing Conversations that Could Save a Life, available 884 00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:43,600 Speaker 1: at Barnes Andnoble Bookshop, dot Org, Union Squaring Company, Amazon. 885 00:46:43,480 --> 00:46:44,840 Speaker 3: And wherever books are sold. 886 00:46:45,560 --> 00:46:48,120 Speaker 1: If you like to this episode, please share it with 887 00:46:48,160 --> 00:46:51,480 Speaker 1: someone you think may need to hear it. Also, please 888 00:46:51,480 --> 00:46:54,960 Speaker 1: subscribe to this podcast and leave a five star review 889 00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:57,680 Speaker 1: that helps us reach any and everyone who may be 890 00:46:57,800 --> 00:46:59,920 Speaker 1: looking for support in the face of addiction. 891 00:47:00,040 --> 00:47:00,080 Speaker 2: E