1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,800 Speaker 1: I think about the idea of like psychological addiction, you know, 2 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: like there's this psychological piece why we do. Most of 3 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: what we do is because what we're thinking about it, 4 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,400 Speaker 1: because what we believe about it, because of our emotional 5 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 1: reaction to it. And that's true. I think with addictions too, 6 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 1: And so is it a choice? I mean, ask any 7 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 1: single one of them if they would choose to have it, 8 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: if they decided one day, Like, I definitely want it 9 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 1: to be something that I can't control and I can't 10 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: get rid of. And any addict will tell you that's 11 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 1: not true. 12 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:37,240 Speaker 2: I started to realize that not being an expert isn't 13 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 2: a liability, it's a real gift. 14 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 1: If we don't know something about ourselves at this point 15 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: in our life, it's probably because it's uncomfortable to know. 16 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: If you can die before you die, then you can 17 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: really live. There's a wisdom at death's door. I thought 18 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 1: it was insane. Yeah, and I didn't know what to 19 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: do because there was no internet. I don't know, man, 20 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: I'm like, I feel like everything is hard. 21 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 2: Hey, y'all, my name is Kat. I'm a human first 22 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 2: and a licensed therapist second. And right now I'm inviting 23 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:14,119 Speaker 2: you into conversations that I hope encourage you to become 24 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 2: more curious and less judgmental about yourself, others, and the 25 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 2: world around you. Welcome to You Need Therapy. Hi, guys, 26 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 2: and welcome to a new episode of You Need Therapy podcast. 27 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 2: My name is Kat, and we have a returning, returning, returning, 28 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 2: returning here now just my co host that just comes 29 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,959 Speaker 2: every now and then. We have Tara Booker here. Hi. Hello. 30 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 2: If you don't know who that is, then you are 31 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 2: probably new. She's been on here a lot. And we 32 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 2: started a series last year. Was that last year, I believe, 33 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 2: where we looked at things that were previously just in 34 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 2: the mental health sphere that got put and pushed into 35 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 2: really our pop culture and how those things may have 36 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:06,919 Speaker 2: shifted and changed in their meaning. And that was called 37 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 2: the Difference Between. So we did that and I imagine 38 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 2: we'll do that again one day because there's always I 39 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 2: feel like, there's always something I'm like, oh in this. 40 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 2: But today we are going to start a two part 41 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 2: series where today we are going to talk about addiction 42 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 2: one oh one, some just basic questions that might come 43 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 2: to mind that honestly, you might think, oh, I know that, 44 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 2: but then if you really sit down, it's like, wait, actually, 45 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 2: I don't know what that means or what I would say. 46 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 2: So we're going to just go through addiction basics from 47 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 2: the perspective of more a clinician standpoint, and then next 48 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 2: week we are going to go through addiction through the 49 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,119 Speaker 2: lens of loving someone who might struggle with any kind 50 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 2: of addiction, which today you'll learn a little bit about 51 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 2: what can fall into those categories. And then the next 52 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 2: week there's a little special surprise that will be a 53 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 2: perfect I don't want to call it a bow, but 54 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 2: a nice way to round out the different perspectives that 55 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 2: we are talking about. So before I get into that, 56 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:22,559 Speaker 2: this is going to maybe bring up feelings because personally 57 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 2: we were just joking. There's not a lot of black 58 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:30,800 Speaker 2: and white, would you say in these answers? Right, yes, yes, 59 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 2: So some of these answers you might not like because 60 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 2: you want a more tangible definition, and it also might 61 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 2: bubble something up in you where you're like, well, no, 62 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 2: that can't be the answer because then I'm in that 63 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 2: category and that might be really uncomfortable. So if it 64 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 2: is uncomfortable, that might be something you might want to 65 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 2: look at or talk about or do some digging around. 66 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 2: So listen to this with some grace and some compassion. 67 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 2: I will start this by saying, we while I went 68 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 2: to grad school, I didn't know anything about addiction. Maybe 69 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 2: I thought I did, I don't know. And then I 70 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 2: got a internship at a treatment center that is where 71 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 2: I met Tara, and I had never actually spent well, 72 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 2: I think I spent a lot of time with people 73 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 2: who were addicts, in our addicts and struggle with any 74 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,160 Speaker 2: kind of addiction. And I might not have known it, 75 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 2: but I walked into that treatment center as if I 76 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 2: was better than the people that I was working with. 77 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 2: And I say this knowing that I have done a 78 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 2: lot of care and giving myself a lot of kindness 79 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 2: about this, because I'm like cringing as I say it. 80 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 2: But I looked at the people I was going in 81 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 2: there too, in quotes help as almost a separate species. 82 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 2: And through working day after day after day after day 83 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 2: and bumping up against some hard things doing my own 84 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 2: therapy while trying to learn how to do therapy, I 85 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:03,680 Speaker 2: learned I actually am way more similar to these people 86 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 2: that were brave enough to go and tackle the things 87 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 2: they struggled with and so I go into this and 88 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 2: the way my mind works around addiction might sound weird 89 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 2: or different than somebody who maybe was the version of 90 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:21,160 Speaker 2: me before I started exposure. 91 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,159 Speaker 1: Yeah, has a lot to do with your understanding of addiction. 92 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:28,160 Speaker 2: That's important. Exposure had a lot to do with your 93 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 2: understanding that is, with everything. So if you're out there 94 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 2: feeling like you have some really strong views or opinions, 95 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 2: you can have those views and opinions totally. But what 96 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 2: I've learned through really through being a therapist is I'm 97 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 2: so grateful that if this is all that that career 98 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 2: and that part of my life has given me, it 99 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,359 Speaker 2: has showed me that I need a lot more information 100 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 2: than I think I do to form the beliefs in 101 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 2: my head with me and other people. So let's just 102 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 2: get into it. 103 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: We shall do it. 104 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 2: So what I'm going to do I say this all 105 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 2: the time, and I'm going to tell you guys this. 106 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:07,919 Speaker 2: I just told it to Tara. I'm going to try 107 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 2: to act more as an interviewer and get Tara's perspective 108 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,240 Speaker 2: on this, and then if there is something that I 109 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:16,479 Speaker 2: fully don't agree with, I might say that if there's 110 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 2: something that I'm like Oh, my gosh, yes, I might 111 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 2: say that, but I'm we're going to try to keep 112 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 2: this digestible. And in case people don't know who you are, 113 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 2: can you tell people like almost, like what gives you 114 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 2: the right to know this information? Like what is the 115 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 2: exposure that you've had that helps you understand this? Yeah? 116 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 1: I was thinking about that as you talked about coming 117 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:37,360 Speaker 1: into work with addicts, and I was thinking about, Oh, 118 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:39,719 Speaker 1: it might be important for me to name that, what's 119 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:44,040 Speaker 1: my experience with this? My very first internship in undergrad 120 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:48,679 Speaker 1: was at an alcohol and drug treatment center in Nashville 121 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:50,919 Speaker 1: called the Next Door. It still exists. It was a 122 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:53,359 Speaker 1: different setup than it is now, but that was my 123 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: very first therapy social work going doing the thing. 124 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 2: Did you know what you were getting into to agree? 125 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: They told us about the different internship opportunities and like 126 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 1: what this place did and what this place did, and 127 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 1: you know, the people who are in the grade above 128 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 1: us shared specifically about what their experience was at that place. 129 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: And so I heard the girl who was a grade 130 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 1: about me give the spiel about this place, and I 131 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: was immediately interested. And I can't really say why one 132 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 1: hundred percent. It was really in a lot of ways. 133 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: I think just intuitive I knew the things I didn't 134 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: I wasn't that interested in, but I didn't know specifically 135 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: the area like I want to work in that. But 136 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 1: when I heard this streatment center and they lived there 137 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: for six months and they get their lives together and 138 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 1: they're coming out of incarceration, like that just appealed to me. 139 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: The nature of a lot of like, yeah, let's go 140 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: and like try to get better. And I like being 141 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: in the grittiness of things in life, and so I 142 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: think that was a natural pool to me too, that 143 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: it was kind of like they're in a messy spot 144 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: and they're trying to get get past it. And there 145 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: were adults and there were women, and so there were 146 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: things that I was drawn to about that population. I 147 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: did have addiction in my family, but I wasn't as 148 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: aware of all of that as I then became working 149 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 1: in addiction later. Like I didn't know that my dad 150 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 1: had an addiction when I was maybe like under the 151 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: age of eight, until I was much older and I 152 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: learned that's the reason for my parents' divorce. So there's 153 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: a lot of stuff that then like I connect to, 154 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: like the secrecy of it, because. 155 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 2: Did you know that before you went to work. 156 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 1: I did, Okay, So I knew that, like I had 157 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:40,319 Speaker 1: found that out maybe I was a freshman in college. 158 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: We'll say, but you don't have and have memories of 159 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 1: the act of addiction, or you just know about it. Okay, 160 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,439 Speaker 1: I just know I have vague memories of like conflict. 161 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:50,160 Speaker 1: But I was the youngest. I have older brothers. They 162 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: have explicit memories of stuff, but I was kind of 163 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,680 Speaker 1: sheltered from that the truth, let's just call it what 164 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:00,240 Speaker 1: it is. And so I found out about that in college. 165 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 1: So that was kind of like, oh, I woke up 166 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 1: to this issue in a much more personal way. I 167 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 1: also had witnessed like a best friend whose dad had 168 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: a pretty significant addiction during high school, and I was 169 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 1: really like, in that fit it was like my family too. 170 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 1: So I had seen that that was a very personal 171 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: exposure to addiction. So I had those pieces of like, 172 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: I think, it just didn't feel scary to me because 173 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:29,719 Speaker 1: I just in either in my unconscious self I had 174 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: been around it and in my conscious sort of adolescent self, 175 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 1: I had been around it. Yeah, and just didn't feel like, 176 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:38,800 Speaker 1: I don't know how to talk about this. I don't 177 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: know what this is like. So I think that was 178 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 1: happening without me consciously putting all that together. So I 179 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:47,520 Speaker 1: went and did that internship, fell in love with the 180 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,559 Speaker 1: whole process of recovery and watching these people do the thing. 181 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: It was just one of the most like resilient, beautifully 182 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: transformative experiences to get to see, and wanted to work 183 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:03,079 Speaker 1: an addiction from that point forward. Then did my masters, 184 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:07,439 Speaker 1: did internships at like the detox unit in psyche hospitals 185 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,760 Speaker 1: to focus on a alcohol and drug stuff, which is 186 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:14,719 Speaker 1: a very intense experience, but learned a whole lot. I 187 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,680 Speaker 1: also learned a lot more about the psychiatric side of things, 188 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:20,120 Speaker 1: the co occurring piece of things working in that field, 189 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:24,440 Speaker 1: and again still wanted to be all up in that. 190 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: And so then we started working at the ranch after 191 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: I finished grad school, and it was that co occurring 192 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:35,680 Speaker 1: like very much addiction plus trauma plus whatever else. 193 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 2: So you went into that with the idea a little 194 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 2: bit about what you were getting into. I went into that, 195 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:45,080 Speaker 2: and the funny thing is I did not have family 196 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:48,320 Speaker 2: members who were addicts. It was just not something that 197 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 2: you spoke about or acknowledged, and so it was like, oh, 198 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:53,520 Speaker 2: I'm in la La Land and Da Da da, And 199 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:57,080 Speaker 2: so I walk into that experience thinking it's going to 200 00:10:57,120 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 2: be like do you remember that commercial? I feel like 201 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:00,720 Speaker 2: I used to always make fun of it was like 202 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 2: I used to be an addict and now I'm not. 203 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 2: And it's like this like beautiful like landscape of like 204 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 2: the beach and the ways and these people like running 205 00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 2: and holding hands and happiness, and like that's what I 206 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 2: thought I was gonna go do. I was gonna go 207 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 2: be this like fairy that brought people into this life 208 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 2: they've always wanted. And I don't know how to describe 209 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 2: the experience of watching somebody do all of that work. 210 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:29,199 Speaker 2: It is magical, but it's not like that. And it 211 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:33,040 Speaker 2: was I mean, I tried not to go to work. 212 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 2: I like would fake sick. I did that. I left 213 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 2: right before group multiple times. 214 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:39,600 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh my got a stomach ache. 215 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:43,199 Speaker 2: I can't come because it was so terrifying. But it 216 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 2: was me that it was all of my stuff that 217 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:48,720 Speaker 2: was getting hit. It wasn't that these people were these 218 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 2: bad people or anything like that. So that's interesting just 219 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 2: you walking into it a little bit differently than I. 220 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 2: It almost was like I had I ran into like 221 00:11:57,520 --> 00:11:59,720 Speaker 2: a brick wall or something, and I had to go 222 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:01,840 Speaker 2: do my things that I need to do before I 223 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:05,599 Speaker 2: could walk back into that space. So all about to say, 224 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 2: how would you, to any human being describe or define 225 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:11,480 Speaker 2: what addiction is? 226 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: The way that I like to define addiction. It's interesting. 227 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: I saw something I was looking at what the Internet says, 228 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: and something that was I think a pretty good one. 229 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:25,319 Speaker 1: But I like the word attachment, especially because when as 230 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 1: we'll talk about, addiction is not just about substances like 231 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 1: alcohol and drugs. It can be lots of things. So 232 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: I think of it as an attachment to something, a 233 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 1: behavior or a substance that you can't change on your. 234 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:46,079 Speaker 2: Own simple terms. Yeah, So when you say that, like, 235 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 2: we're like no, because that's me, But like, what about 236 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:54,640 Speaker 2: drugs and alcohol? Where's that in your definition? What would 237 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 2: you say to somebody who's like, well, that that leaves 238 00:12:58,679 --> 00:12:59,360 Speaker 2: too much space? 239 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 1: Well? I think the truth about most things that we 240 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:05,600 Speaker 1: end up talking about in this mental health world and 241 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:09,560 Speaker 1: that end up being diagnoses and is that they're all 242 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 1: on a spectrum and in their simple terms, like we 243 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:16,319 Speaker 1: all use alcohol and drugs, or most people use alcohol 244 00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:21,040 Speaker 1: and drugs to some capacity. Sometimes we overuse it. Sometimes 245 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: we unhealthily use it. That's probably true for everyone who 246 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: uses alcohol, and that doesn't necessarily mean you have an 247 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:33,959 Speaker 1: addiction to it. But again, I think we all do 248 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:38,319 Speaker 1: have addictions. It's the way I mean, we're technically biologically 249 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 1: addicted to food, right because we need it to live. 250 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: I was going to say, trying to stop eating it. Yeah, yeah, 251 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 1: sex connection, intimacy, I mean, tech the very basic term, 252 00:13:49,679 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 1: it's dependency on something, and our bodies can't function without 253 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:58,240 Speaker 1: things keeping them alive. Yeah, So like to some degree, 254 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 1: addiction is sort of the natural part of the human makeup, 255 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:08,199 Speaker 1: which I think is actually very destigmatizing and humbling for 256 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 1: all the rest of us. And to realize that we 257 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 1: actually do all rely on things to keep us going 258 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 1: and we have this just natural system like process and 259 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: way of being that that happens. Now when we talk 260 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:26,479 Speaker 1: about addiction in the context of it being a disorder, 261 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 1: a problem area, a life threatening issue, then what's happening 262 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 1: with that is essentially to like maybe put it really 263 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 1: simply as the cons are outweighing the pros. 264 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, I think a lot of times when I 265 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 2: talk about addiction, I will say, whoever I'm talking to, Well, 266 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 2: it's something that you used to help solve a problem 267 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 2: or get your needs met, and it's actually not doing 268 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 2: that anymore. So when you're talking about all of these things, 269 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:58,400 Speaker 2: we all have done that before. Now a lot of 270 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 2: times when that is not helping anymore, or you're seeing 271 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 2: the cons are outweighing the pros, there's this inclination to 272 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 2: maybe I should do something different, and then the like 273 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 2: addiction I think a lot of people have in their 274 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 2: head right now. Is that person or part of us 275 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 2: that can't do that? Yeah, Yes, the cons are outwiane 276 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 2: the good and well I'm going to keep going yeah, 277 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:24,880 Speaker 2: because this is why I know. Yeah, And that's I 278 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 2: think really scary. 279 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 1: All right. 280 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:33,720 Speaker 2: So when you said all of those things, like the food, intimacy, sex, like, 281 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 2: so what you're telling us is that you can be 282 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 2: addicted to almost anything and everything. 283 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think I mean it's a yeah, can can you? Yeah? 284 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 1: I think that's probably true. Feels like a grand statement 285 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 1: to make, but I feel comfortable enough making it. 286 00:15:49,840 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 2: I feel like that I would agree with you. And 287 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 2: it was pretty shocking to me. Now it's not as 288 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 2: new in at least in the mental health world. But 289 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 2: just going back to where I started working, I remember 290 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:02,880 Speaker 2: getting there and then being like, and this is our 291 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:07,120 Speaker 2: sex and love addiction program, And I was like, huh, 292 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 2: what is that? And what do you mean? Somebody is 293 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 2: addicted to relationships? So can you explain what that might 294 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 2: mean to somebody who's like, how can you be addicted 295 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 2: to a relationship? And how would that be a bad thing? 296 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,280 Speaker 1: There's a lot of things to kind of sparse out 297 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:26,600 Speaker 1: in that. Well, there's sex addiction, which is a specific 298 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: behavior and behavior set of behaviors, and then there's love addiction, 299 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 1: which is a different sort of way of behaving. And 300 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 1: then there's also code of pendency. 301 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 2: Oh that is gonna so and. 302 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:43,240 Speaker 1: They all would call they all, I would call those 303 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: all addictions of various sorts. So they're all kind of 304 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 1: in the realm of relationship connection. I would say that 305 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 1: sex is probably has the largest, maybe some of the most. 306 00:16:57,520 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: I wish I had some science to like, yeah, back 307 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: this up, but it probably has some of the most 308 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:05,239 Speaker 1: like biological and physiological and chemical stuff going on with it, 309 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:08,399 Speaker 1: because of what we know the body produces in terms 310 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:12,719 Speaker 1: of sex, we do have Actually, I think that's an 311 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: important note. Every love people, codependency, shopping. There's actually a 312 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:21,640 Speaker 1: lot of chemical stuff happening in the body with those 313 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:26,160 Speaker 1: things too, because you know, everything is really both psychological 314 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:31,399 Speaker 1: and physical, So that is helpful to understand. But being 315 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:36,240 Speaker 1: addicted to a relationship, being a love addict, being codependent, 316 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:39,880 Speaker 1: I think if I were trying to like explore this 317 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:41,679 Speaker 1: with the client, that's maybe a helpful way for me 318 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: to think about answering the question. I would start to 319 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:50,400 Speaker 1: ask questions about patterns, cycles, frequency. You know, how much 320 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 1: are you how much of your time is being taken 321 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:56,920 Speaker 1: up by this, whether it's in your like mentally or 322 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:00,879 Speaker 1: physically your actual time. Is it interrupting? These are just 323 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 1: kind of getting into like, how do you know if 324 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:05,879 Speaker 1: it's an addiction, is it interrupting your ability to do 325 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:10,639 Speaker 1: other things? Are you sacrificing certain you know, things that 326 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: are really actually important and maybe don't center your wellbeing 327 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:17,119 Speaker 1: or that lesson your well being to put that in 328 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:19,360 Speaker 1: front of you. So I think when we just think 329 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:23,919 Speaker 1: about it that way, behaviors like love and codependency and relationships, 330 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 1: we can start to see how we would do that, 331 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:29,360 Speaker 1: and then we think, well, lots of people do that, 332 00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:34,359 Speaker 1: Like I've done that yes, does that mean I, you know, 333 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:37,639 Speaker 1: I'm at the level of a love addict. That is 334 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:40,399 Speaker 1: where the question of can you change that on your own, 335 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:43,879 Speaker 1: I think, becomes the important qualifier. Are you able to 336 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:47,480 Speaker 1: then see that awareness and do something and make a 337 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: change in your own best efforts to not just continuing 338 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:56,920 Speaker 1: to be compulsively acting out in those same ways again, Okay, again. 339 00:18:56,680 --> 00:19:00,360 Speaker 2: That's so helpful for you to say, because I was there. 340 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:02,959 Speaker 2: But it's one time tell me that I was a 341 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:11,359 Speaker 2: love addict. I had it. Therabit's one time tell me 342 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:15,879 Speaker 2: that I was a love addict, and I wanted to 343 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:19,080 Speaker 2: throw I was reading the Facing Love Addiction. I was 344 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 2: reading that book. I wanted to throw the book at 345 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 2: her face because yes, I was exhibiting some of those 346 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:28,280 Speaker 2: behaviors right, And I was like, well, now that I 347 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 2: am seeing this, it sounds like I need to like 348 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:32,280 Speaker 2: not do that, or I need to add that, or 349 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:34,560 Speaker 2: I need to explore this. I think it bothered me 350 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:36,720 Speaker 2: because I'm like, wait a second, I don't feel very 351 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,359 Speaker 2: different than Debt, Dadt, Deata, all these other people the 352 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:43,080 Speaker 2: human experience, and so one I think was my own 353 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:45,360 Speaker 2: issue of you, I'm not an addict and I can't 354 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 2: be an adict because addicts or these kinds of people. 355 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:49,960 Speaker 2: And then the other thing was like, wait a second, 356 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:53,560 Speaker 2: just because somebody might be like you, maybe you misuse alcohol, 357 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 2: you abuse it once or twice, are you now an addict? 358 00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:59,080 Speaker 1: I don't know, right, could be right, there's like so 359 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:01,600 Speaker 1: much more, but yeah, I would have to ask myself 360 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:02,639 Speaker 1: a lot more questions, right, And. 361 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:06,200 Speaker 2: So I think what you're saying is so important because one, 362 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:08,439 Speaker 2: I think that's the stigma of addiction that we all 363 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 2: could do some work on, and it should be more 364 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,200 Speaker 2: of a helpful term than a harmful term, because once 365 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:15,320 Speaker 2: we can like name something, then we can do something 366 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 2: about it. But the other thing is we all are 367 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 2: going to exhibit these behaviors with something because it is 368 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 2: our human nature to go out and try to get 369 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:25,400 Speaker 2: our needs met, and sometimes we're doing those in ways 370 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:27,400 Speaker 2: that are hurting us, and we need somebody to say, hey, 371 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:30,080 Speaker 2: have you seen this, so then we can make we 372 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:32,199 Speaker 2: can see if we can make a choice, and if 373 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:34,960 Speaker 2: you can't make a choice, that's okay. You might just 374 00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 2: have to say, hey, I need a little bit of help. 375 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 2: And if you can make a choice, then like okay, great, 376 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:43,120 Speaker 2: Maybe we need to continue to have somebody to help 377 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:45,120 Speaker 2: hold up a mirror to us every once in a while. 378 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:48,400 Speaker 2: But I just like that we are putting out there 379 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 2: in the front of this, especially before we get to 380 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 2: the part of the loved one, because you're more alike 381 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:58,800 Speaker 2: than different than that person, and there's a conversation and 382 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:01,480 Speaker 2: there that a lot of times needs to be had, 383 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:06,680 Speaker 2: especially when you named codependency and we're all codependent, Like 384 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 2: it's just how we have to be in a certain 385 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:12,640 Speaker 2: extent like parts else, if we're just out here living 386 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:15,119 Speaker 2: our own and we don't need anybody and nothing impacts us, 387 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:16,200 Speaker 2: then you're gonna die. 388 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:20,240 Speaker 1: Well, the nice clinical term is interdependent. Okay, yes, but 389 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:22,600 Speaker 1: like we're gonna die, but you can't allow for us 390 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 1: to need other people. Yes, doesn't hold it all by itself. Yes, 391 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:27,560 Speaker 1: that's the only way. 392 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:31,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, any who'sy. So I don't know if I 393 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 2: said this in the beginning, but a lot of these 394 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:34,919 Speaker 2: questions that we're asking, I put this up on Instagram 395 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:36,440 Speaker 2: and you guys sent us a lot of them, and 396 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:38,440 Speaker 2: a lot of them were very much the same. So 397 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:40,600 Speaker 2: one of them that came up a lot is is 398 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,160 Speaker 2: addiction a disease or is it a choice that people 399 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 2: are making and if so, why are people continuing to 400 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:50,359 Speaker 2: make this choice that seems to be hurting them or others? So, 401 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:54,720 Speaker 2: from your experience as a therapist in all these years, 402 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 2: what do you think and has your opinion changed? 403 00:21:57,760 --> 00:22:04,119 Speaker 1: I think I partic healer. With any substances that are 404 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:08,200 Speaker 1: being ingested into the body that your body develops a 405 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:11,920 Speaker 1: dependence upon, then you have a brain. You literally have 406 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:16,639 Speaker 1: a brain disease. I mean that's scientifically provable. So it 407 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 1: is actually a brain disorder, like your brain is disordered 408 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 1: to need. It's hijacked by that substance is the primary 409 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:29,080 Speaker 1: survival thing that it's going to go after. It's going 410 00:22:29,119 --> 00:22:30,440 Speaker 1: to put it in front of food. It's going to 411 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:33,479 Speaker 1: put it in front literally, I mean people will starve, right, 412 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:36,119 Speaker 1: they won't need yeah, because their brain is saying this 413 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: is the most important thing for us to have right now. 414 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: And there's a lot of science that you can look 415 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:43,679 Speaker 1: up YouTube videos and understand how lots of different substances 416 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 1: do this to the brain because of how much of 417 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 1: the positive reward chemicals that are being hyper created that 418 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:52,919 Speaker 1: it thinks this is the most important thing we need 419 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:56,760 Speaker 1: right now. So like that in terms of substances is 420 00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:59,920 Speaker 1: really I think helpful to understand because they tend to 421 00:22:59,960 --> 00:23:03,199 Speaker 1: be maybe more overt than also a lot of other 422 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:06,119 Speaker 1: addictions that can be a little bit more covertly hidden. 423 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:09,399 Speaker 1: You know, you tend to see the decay of a 424 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:12,399 Speaker 1: person's physical in their substances that are affecting their bodies, 425 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:16,000 Speaker 1: and so yeah, it's a brain disorder, a brain disease. 426 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:19,159 Speaker 1: And then there's I think in other realms of like 427 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 1: process or behavior addictions like food or exercise or sex, 428 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:29,119 Speaker 1: there is a lot chemically happening also, like I said before, 429 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:35,400 Speaker 1: and I think about the idea of like psychological addiction, 430 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:38,840 Speaker 1: you know, like there's this this psychological piece why we 431 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 1: do most of what we do is because what we're 432 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:43,359 Speaker 1: thinking about it, because what we believe about it, because 433 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 1: of our emotional reaction to it. And that's true I 434 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:50,760 Speaker 1: think with addictions too. And so is it a choice? 435 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:54,439 Speaker 1: I mean, ask any single one of them if they 436 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:57,800 Speaker 1: would choose to have it, if they decided one day, Like, 437 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:00,400 Speaker 1: I definitely want it to be something that I can't 438 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:02,720 Speaker 1: control and I can't get rid of. And any addict 439 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 1: will tell you that's not true. I think, you know, 440 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: we do things, like you said, for the payoff that 441 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:12,639 Speaker 1: they're giving us in the immediate when we don't know 442 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:16,200 Speaker 1: how to find a relief or a soother or a 443 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:19,959 Speaker 1: mechanism that helps us in the moment that's safer than 444 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:23,160 Speaker 1: those things. And so it's like in that moment, Oh yeah, 445 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:27,240 Speaker 1: I like chose to go, you know, starting smoking weed 446 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:30,359 Speaker 1: when I was a teenager because I didn't know what 447 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 1: else to do with the conflict that was happening in 448 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:35,400 Speaker 1: my household every day and the feelings that I had, 449 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 1: So yeah, I chose that. And I think it's almost 450 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 1: like naive. If I asked you about everything you were 451 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,639 Speaker 1: doing throughout your day, and like, if it just boiled 452 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:47,920 Speaker 1: down to is it that simple, you would tell me 453 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:51,840 Speaker 1: no way about anything you were doing. It's a choice, 454 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:54,880 Speaker 1: and it's driven by a lot of other things. It's 455 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:58,480 Speaker 1: driven by distress, it's driven by an emotion mind versus 456 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:02,359 Speaker 1: a rational one, is driven by a lack of needs 457 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:06,200 Speaker 1: being met in other ways, and so driven by desperation, 458 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 1: like when we're in when choices like that, decisions like that, 459 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 1: behaviors like that are made out of those places. It's 460 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:16,200 Speaker 1: not simple enough to say it's a choice, and then 461 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:19,720 Speaker 1: you reach a point at which the attachment is really 462 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:23,280 Speaker 1: hooked in. The addiction has now become an addiction and 463 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:26,040 Speaker 1: not just a pattern or not just a sort of 464 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:29,400 Speaker 1: thing that I do when I have a bad day 465 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:31,399 Speaker 1: every once in a while. It's now I need that 466 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:34,560 Speaker 1: even if I'm not having a bad day. That's when 467 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:38,040 Speaker 1: you're out of control of your own behaviors. 468 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:42,080 Speaker 2: When you were talking about the diseased brain, like the 469 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 2: brain being hijacked, I very much visualize that in my head. 470 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:51,320 Speaker 2: Whenever I'm with somebody who is struggling with I'm learning 471 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:54,439 Speaker 2: about something, I have this image in my head. Because 472 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:59,160 Speaker 2: it is so confusing, even from the perspective as a clinician, 473 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 2: sometimes I have to like snap out of it. It 474 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:05,800 Speaker 2: is so confusing when you're sitting with somebody who actually 475 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:10,600 Speaker 2: sometimes looks healthy and you are like, oh my god, 476 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 2: how and why did you do this? We just talked 477 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:17,120 Speaker 2: about this, and these are conversations you might be having 478 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:19,720 Speaker 2: in your own real life with yourself or others. But 479 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:24,600 Speaker 2: what I have to remember is if somebody's brain was 480 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:28,879 Speaker 2: at that full healthy level and we know all of 481 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:31,920 Speaker 2: these other things about them, there's no way this person 482 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:33,480 Speaker 2: is sitting here and being like, Yeah, I want to 483 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:36,000 Speaker 2: go fuck up my life or fuck up my relationships, 484 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 2: or or leave my family in this distress and pain. 485 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:46,320 Speaker 2: There's no way that a healthy brain could actually make 486 00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:49,440 Speaker 2: that choice without having some kind of disorder in it. 487 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:53,960 Speaker 2: The issue is that you can't see it now. Sometimes 488 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:56,480 Speaker 2: when we get into chemical addiction and even other addiction 489 00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:59,040 Speaker 2: where like you maybe you are have a shopping addiction 490 00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 2: and you don't have any money, and then you look malnourished. Sure, 491 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:04,600 Speaker 2: but that's I think the issue is so often when 492 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:09,359 Speaker 2: we see somebody who is sick, has maybe cancer or 493 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:12,879 Speaker 2: I don't know, a lot of physical disease, liver disease, anything, 494 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:15,639 Speaker 2: groans like stuff like that, you can see it, and 495 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:19,280 Speaker 2: so it makes sense why they're making the choices they're making. 496 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:21,760 Speaker 2: I have to come back to that over and over again. 497 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:23,440 Speaker 2: I'm like, oh my gosh, we just have We can't. 498 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:26,359 Speaker 2: I can't cut their brain open right now. I mean, 499 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 2: we could take a brain scan, but I don't have 500 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:30,960 Speaker 2: that technology in my office. So I think that's really 501 00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 2: helpful to hear is something that's hijacked their brain, just 502 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:42,879 Speaker 2: like another physical illness can hijack your organs, but your 503 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 2: brain is the one that has all of your moral value, cognition, 504 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:50,840 Speaker 2: all of that, And so it's hard to reconcile that 505 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 2: when you're looking at somebody who looks like their brain 506 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:55,280 Speaker 2: could be all good inside. 507 00:27:55,680 --> 00:28:00,639 Speaker 1: We really fool ourselves into thinking we have we're like 508 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:03,720 Speaker 1: deciding a lot of stuff that's actually just biologically and 509 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 1: organically happening in our systems. I mean that, I think 510 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 1: is what will come down to and in this real 511 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:13,640 Speaker 1: like what it means that we're actually all powerless over 512 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:17,200 Speaker 1: a lot of things in ourselves in some way or another, 513 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:19,240 Speaker 1: which is kind of what addiction is pointing us to, 514 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:22,399 Speaker 1: is that you're powerless over a part of yourself. Like, 515 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:26,840 Speaker 1: you don't decide that your brain fires the neurons in 516 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:29,639 Speaker 1: there right now to like respond. You don't decide that 517 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:34,720 Speaker 1: your body is just doing that, that's just what it does. 518 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:37,800 Speaker 1: You're not deciding to digest your food, You're not decide 519 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 1: you're not deciding how your brain works and what fashion 520 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: it's gonna situate itself in. So I can't even actually 521 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 1: take in those words, and I'm sayingfully, it's. 522 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:52,520 Speaker 2: So so yes, it makes my brain do like cartwheels, 523 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 2: like what do. 524 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:56,000 Speaker 1: You mean that's right? I'm in control of what I'm 525 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:57,600 Speaker 1: saying right now, are you? 526 00:28:57,920 --> 00:28:59,560 Speaker 2: But then like why do you think different things? And 527 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:02,080 Speaker 2: I think we're having this conversation and I think that's 528 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:06,080 Speaker 2: why maybe this topic is so controversial at times, is 529 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 2: there aren't these just like black and white answers that 530 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 2: we can give that just feel like cozy and comfy. 531 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 2: It actually brings more, I think a little more aspect 532 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 2: of fear, of like what do you mean I'm not 533 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 2: decigning this? 534 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:18,200 Speaker 1: What do you mean? 535 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:20,400 Speaker 2: I can't control my body and if it digests its food, 536 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 2: it's like I want to be able to tell it 537 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:23,400 Speaker 2: what it can do and what it should do. But 538 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:26,040 Speaker 2: I can tell myself all day that I should do this, 539 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:27,680 Speaker 2: it doesn't mean that I'm going to actually do it. 540 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:30,960 Speaker 1: The correct response to being out of control of something 541 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:36,960 Speaker 1: is fear. Yeah, And that's also why people resist, like 542 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:39,520 Speaker 1: hell to the idea that they might have an addiction. 543 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:42,400 Speaker 1: Is because you're asking them to step into being out 544 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:45,280 Speaker 1: of control of themselves, like to step into an awareness 545 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:48,080 Speaker 1: or an acceptance or truth that they don't have control 546 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:48,720 Speaker 1: over what they do. 547 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:52,760 Speaker 2: That's really scary, and especially when we live in a 548 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 2: world who that as a whole rejects that idea. H 549 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:00,320 Speaker 2: whether we want to admit it or not. A lot 550 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:02,360 Speaker 2: of the functions in our world are to be able 551 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 2: to control outcomes or circumstances or things. It feels cozy. 552 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 2: So no wonder we have addiction all around us is 553 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 2: because we're resisting and natural currents that's everywhere. 554 00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:20,880 Speaker 1: Yeah we yeah, I mean, and and the recovery you 555 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 1: know process, especially in the twelve step program, it I 556 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:27,560 Speaker 1: acknowledges that you need something to catch you. Like if 557 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:31,840 Speaker 1: if this place really is chaos and uh, and we're 558 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:33,640 Speaker 1: out of control a lot of most of what's happening, 559 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:35,640 Speaker 1: then I'm gonna have to find something to do with 560 00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:37,800 Speaker 1: that reality and the fact because I can't live in 561 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:40,240 Speaker 1: that fear every day, So how do what do I 562 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:40,720 Speaker 1: rest in? 563 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:41,080 Speaker 2: You know? 564 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 1: Like and and that's why it's like it takes you 565 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 1: something to something greater. It takes you to something greater 566 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:51,000 Speaker 1: than believing that you're in control all the time and 567 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:54,240 Speaker 1: having to hold on to that, Like there is something 568 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:57,280 Speaker 1: peaceful that comes in the surrender of letting go of 569 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:00,600 Speaker 1: those things. So I think there's a lot of clues 570 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:03,440 Speaker 1: to the deep human. 571 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:08,360 Speaker 2: Truth in this issue of addiction that people don't want 572 00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:09,280 Speaker 2: to touch. 573 00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:12,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's scary to step into, which I think in 574 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 1: some of what we're talking about with the brain staff 575 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:18,720 Speaker 1: also answers the question about the genetic piece. What we 576 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:23,080 Speaker 1: know over the years and especially as technology gets better, 577 00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:29,440 Speaker 1: is that just like any physiological disease, similar to all 578 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 1: mental illness, is that people have predispositions. If there's a 579 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:35,680 Speaker 1: lot of heart disease in your family, you have a 580 00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:38,960 Speaker 1: higher likelihood of something activating heart disease in you. You 581 00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:42,480 Speaker 1: probably have to take more steps to take care of 582 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:45,640 Speaker 1: your heart and to eat certain foods and do certain 583 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:49,600 Speaker 1: things to decrease the likelihood of that becoming activated in you. 584 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 1: And that's similar with what we understand about really, I 585 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:58,560 Speaker 1: think all addictions, and same for depression and anxiety and 586 00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:04,720 Speaker 1: all those things, is there's certain kind of experiences in life, stressors, 587 00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:09,440 Speaker 1: traumas that can turn that on. That's like, okay, now 588 00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:12,480 Speaker 1: we need this because this is how we deal and 589 00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:17,080 Speaker 1: that those kind of mechanisms are passed down in the 590 00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:21,160 Speaker 1: body from our ancestors, from other people. So it can 591 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:24,880 Speaker 1: be genetic for sure. You can have a predisposition just 592 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:29,000 Speaker 1: by the nature of people and your family having had 593 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:33,440 Speaker 1: those issues, having had those disorders before. It's not one 594 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 1: hundred percent like that means you're definitely going to be 595 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:38,800 Speaker 1: an addict because your dad was an addict. There's a 596 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:41,040 Speaker 1: lot of factors that have come into play with that. 597 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:49,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, yes, what would you say to somebody who asked 598 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:51,320 Speaker 2: you our addicts bad people? 599 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:53,720 Speaker 1: The first thought that comes to mind is similar to 600 00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:55,880 Speaker 1: what we've been talking about, which is, if they are, 601 00:32:55,960 --> 00:33:01,480 Speaker 1: then so am I Because I have an addictive brain 602 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:07,920 Speaker 1: and body too, and I certainly like it's possible for 603 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:12,000 Speaker 1: me to be an addict. It's possible for anyone to 604 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:15,440 Speaker 1: be an addict to any of the isms, the things, 605 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:19,480 Speaker 1: And so just by that like kind of baseline, it's like, 606 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:22,760 Speaker 1: if it's actually possible for possible for anybody, I'm not 607 00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:25,080 Speaker 1: saying I'm saying it's more likely for certain people, it's 608 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:29,160 Speaker 1: less likely for other people all the things. And if 609 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:32,200 Speaker 1: it is possible for anyone to be one, are we 610 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:35,000 Speaker 1: all bad? Then are we all bad? That's where that 611 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:37,920 Speaker 1: question takes us. The words I like to offer people 612 00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:43,160 Speaker 1: instead is they're sick people. Addicts are sick people if 613 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:44,680 Speaker 1: they're in their active addiction. 614 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:49,320 Speaker 2: Which oh, going back, when you are in relationship or 615 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:51,840 Speaker 2: working with maybe you are therapist listening to this. You're 616 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:54,480 Speaker 2: working too with a client who's struggling in the midst 617 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:58,000 Speaker 2: of active addiction. Again, we forget that because we see 618 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:00,760 Speaker 2: them and they're like, oh, all of these you can walk, 619 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:03,640 Speaker 2: you can talk, you can drive a car, and then 620 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:05,640 Speaker 2: you're doing all these things. It's like, oh my gosh, 621 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:09,160 Speaker 2: you forgot that they maybe have illness running rampant in 622 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:12,400 Speaker 2: their brain. It almost is like, oh, like is that 623 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:14,520 Speaker 2: bad to say they're sick? No? Is it bad to 624 00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:17,120 Speaker 2: say that somebody whose cancer is sick? No, they're literally sick. 625 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:19,719 Speaker 2: So why would I be afraid to call this person sick? 626 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 2: And we have to remember that because when I say 627 00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:24,960 Speaker 2: something in plain English to somebody who has a brain 628 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:28,120 Speaker 2: that is sick and this actually is all mental illnesses, 629 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:33,040 Speaker 2: like think about like ADHD from that to bipolar to depression, 630 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:35,400 Speaker 2: all of that. If I'm saying this, I'm playing English 631 00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:37,880 Speaker 2: to somebody, why would I think that they would be 632 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:39,799 Speaker 2: able to understand it if I also know that their 633 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:41,439 Speaker 2: brain is not well. 634 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:44,080 Speaker 1: I mean, we have our reactions to words depending on 635 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:47,200 Speaker 1: our stories with them. Of course, But for me, for 636 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:50,880 Speaker 1: the most part, and for what I've experienced with most people, 637 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:54,160 Speaker 1: is sick feels just kind of like a fact word. Yeah, 638 00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:56,560 Speaker 1: it's like I'm sick today, I have a fever, you know, 639 00:34:56,800 --> 00:35:00,520 Speaker 1: Like it doesn't feel like a value statement word, like 640 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:02,880 Speaker 1: a judgment based word. It's like, you're either sick or what. 641 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:05,839 Speaker 1: We kind of have enough, I think because we use 642 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:08,200 Speaker 1: it in the physical illness world, we kind of see 643 00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:10,160 Speaker 1: it kind of like plainly. 644 00:35:09,920 --> 00:35:11,160 Speaker 2: There's not any moral value. 645 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:14,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, and you know, we can get a little pity. 646 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:17,759 Speaker 1: Oh you're sick. That's not always hell Like that's where 647 00:35:17,800 --> 00:35:20,360 Speaker 1: it starts to have energy to it. That's different. But 648 00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:24,560 Speaker 1: even still, I think it just feels kind of neutral, like, oh, 649 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:26,400 Speaker 1: got it, you're sick, and it. 650 00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:30,839 Speaker 2: Can offer like instead of pity, this empathy, this understanding. Yes, 651 00:35:31,080 --> 00:35:32,920 Speaker 2: like oh this this is clicking. Now. 652 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:35,959 Speaker 1: It's a compassionate phrase, because I don't know most people 653 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:38,279 Speaker 1: that aren't going to have some level of compassion for 654 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:39,040 Speaker 1: someone who's sick. 655 00:35:39,239 --> 00:35:41,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, like I have a migraine. Oh, I get why 656 00:35:41,080 --> 00:35:43,920 Speaker 2: you weren't very chatty today, or I get why you 657 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:49,920 Speaker 2: had to cancel our plans anywhoy? All right, So moving along, 658 00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:54,640 Speaker 2: I want to talk more about I understand what this means. 659 00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:58,799 Speaker 2: I get that we can be addicted to anything. Okay, Well, 660 00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:01,279 Speaker 2: if I identified that I have an addiction, what I 661 00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:04,960 Speaker 2: know from the general world is that, oh, you're an alcoholic, 662 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:07,280 Speaker 2: you should get sober. So because I have an addiction, 663 00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:11,200 Speaker 2: I've identified that should my goal be, or should somebody's 664 00:36:11,239 --> 00:36:15,000 Speaker 2: goal be to be sober from that thing? Abstinent from 665 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:19,319 Speaker 2: that thing? Which, remember, everybody who's listening, we are talking 666 00:36:19,320 --> 00:36:25,440 Speaker 2: about shopping, sex, food, alcohol, drugs, relationships. 667 00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:29,279 Speaker 1: Yes, so there's a lot of schools of thought on this. Yeah, 668 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:33,439 Speaker 1: from my experience, and you know, I'm not great about 669 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:36,600 Speaker 1: just like memorizing research and like looking it up all 670 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:42,040 Speaker 1: the time, and it changes, it changes from what I'm remembering, 671 00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:47,480 Speaker 1: even of research that lines up with my experiences with substances, 672 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:53,680 Speaker 1: in particular sobriety. Stopping using abstinence, especially in the beginning 673 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:58,960 Speaker 1: of someone trying to change that behavior, is essential. It's 674 00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:04,000 Speaker 1: actually changing it. And for most people, a maintenance of 675 00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:08,239 Speaker 1: abstinence from substence from substances that they're addicted to has 676 00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:13,120 Speaker 1: the highest results of success. And so I think that 677 00:37:13,880 --> 00:37:18,160 Speaker 1: it can vary for some people Some people can stop 678 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:21,040 Speaker 1: using things for a period of time that were super problematic, 679 00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:26,160 Speaker 1: and five years later they have no issue drink recreationally. 680 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:27,160 Speaker 2: I don't know. 681 00:37:27,239 --> 00:37:29,200 Speaker 1: They might have an issue. There might be an issue, 682 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:31,480 Speaker 1: but it might not be enough of an issue, or 683 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:34,000 Speaker 1: it might be a lower level, or it might not 684 00:37:34,080 --> 00:37:36,640 Speaker 1: feel like it, or there really might not be an issue. 685 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:39,960 Speaker 1: There's a lot of variance, of course, because human beings 686 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:45,520 Speaker 1: are complex. But I think in the majority, most people, 687 00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:49,880 Speaker 1: when I've been working an addiction, have found that trying 688 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:55,080 Speaker 1: to manage entering substances back into their lives at some 689 00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:58,680 Speaker 1: kind of less or degree has not worked. That's not 690 00:37:58,800 --> 00:38:02,080 Speaker 1: been sustainable in the law term. It's inevitably turned back 691 00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:03,880 Speaker 1: into an out of control issue. 692 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:06,000 Speaker 2: Is that worth the risk? Exactly? 693 00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:08,080 Speaker 1: That's always I think the question you have to ask 694 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:11,920 Speaker 1: yourself if you're in that position. For other process and 695 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:16,239 Speaker 1: behavior addictions, obviously that's going to vary. I don't know 696 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:19,080 Speaker 1: how you could not buy things in this world like 697 00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:21,160 Speaker 1: we're hily going to get your food. I don't know 698 00:38:21,280 --> 00:38:24,040 Speaker 1: if you're a shopping addict, if you have food, if 699 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:28,640 Speaker 1: you have an eating disorder, got eat, you gotta do so, 700 00:38:29,600 --> 00:38:32,960 Speaker 1: got to figure that out sex also is a natural part. 701 00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:36,239 Speaker 1: You could choose abstinence for the rest of your life 702 00:38:36,360 --> 00:38:39,480 Speaker 1: if you wanted to do that valve chastity for some reason. 703 00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:43,359 Speaker 1: And that is not the expectation in terms of if 704 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:47,040 Speaker 1: you're working with anyone in sex addiction world, the expectation 705 00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:48,960 Speaker 1: would not be abstinence for the rest of your life 706 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:52,840 Speaker 1: from that behavior. So love addiction, we would still be 707 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:55,160 Speaker 1: in relationships, We would still want you to find love. 708 00:38:56,160 --> 00:39:00,439 Speaker 1: Really almost I think all of the process addictions would 709 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:05,400 Speaker 1: be inviting a different sign sort of recovery because abstinence 710 00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:09,200 Speaker 1: usually isn't an option for those things. So then that 711 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:13,279 Speaker 1: becomes a real journey for people to figuring out. You 712 00:39:13,360 --> 00:39:15,960 Speaker 1: could probably speak a lot about how there's a lot 713 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:21,560 Speaker 1: of variation in like eating disorder recovery that is going 714 00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:24,200 Speaker 1: to be And I will say, I think you know 715 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:27,000 Speaker 1: the work the clients that I've had that have struggle 716 00:39:27,040 --> 00:39:29,480 Speaker 1: with eating disorders, you also maybe had a substance addiction. 717 00:39:30,120 --> 00:39:32,520 Speaker 1: They can feel frustrated by the idea that it isn't 718 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:35,560 Speaker 1: as simple as abstinence, right Like that would feel like 719 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:39,520 Speaker 1: almost I wish that your option, even though it's hard 720 00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:42,040 Speaker 1: to do. Once you you know once you get there. 721 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:46,960 Speaker 1: But I've heard this great analogy. You probably heard it too, 722 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:51,200 Speaker 1: But like having an eating disorder is like being an 723 00:39:51,239 --> 00:39:54,719 Speaker 1: alcoholic who has to go to the bar three times 724 00:39:54,719 --> 00:39:56,800 Speaker 1: a day, I tend not drink or something like that. 725 00:39:56,960 --> 00:39:58,640 Speaker 2: I will tell when people get in the midst of that, 726 00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:00,480 Speaker 2: they're like, this is so freaking hard, And I'm like, 727 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:02,680 Speaker 2: because when I was working at that treatment center, I 728 00:40:02,840 --> 00:40:04,799 Speaker 2: was in the eating disorder program, So I mean there 729 00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:07,520 Speaker 2: was eating disorders everywhere, which talks about the nature of 730 00:40:07,520 --> 00:40:11,200 Speaker 2: addiction and it's pervasiveness. But I would say, yeah, I 731 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:13,680 Speaker 2: will would agree, you might be in one of the 732 00:40:13,719 --> 00:40:17,400 Speaker 2: most difficult places to be at this treatment center because 733 00:40:17,480 --> 00:40:20,440 Speaker 2: you're essentially trying to figure out how to take your 734 00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:24,200 Speaker 2: drug of choice like cocaine and use it responsibly. That's 735 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:27,400 Speaker 2: exactly right, which is a crazy thing to think about, 736 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:31,240 Speaker 2: which in a nutshell how I would answer this question. 737 00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:33,480 Speaker 2: And I think what you're really saying is it's not 738 00:40:33,600 --> 00:40:38,000 Speaker 2: that simple. And you know, when I started, I was 739 00:40:38,080 --> 00:40:42,720 Speaker 2: in an environment that heavily looked upon the twelve Steps, 740 00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:45,880 Speaker 2: which I think is a huge, wonderful, amazing tool that 741 00:40:46,080 --> 00:40:48,840 Speaker 2: is available, and it was very the space I was 742 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:52,880 Speaker 2: in was very opposed to harm reduction, and as I 743 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:57,960 Speaker 2: have learned more about people and the differences in people's resources, 744 00:40:59,239 --> 00:41:02,800 Speaker 2: I've become more open to that idea because we have 745 00:41:02,920 --> 00:41:06,880 Speaker 2: to treat every single person just like, Okay, I'm going 746 00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:08,680 Speaker 2: to keep bringing this up. You look at somebody with cancer, 747 00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:11,200 Speaker 2: not every cancer treatment is exactly the same. You have 748 00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:13,000 Speaker 2: to look at all the other parts of that person 749 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:16,279 Speaker 2: and how those might affect that type of cancer. And 750 00:41:16,360 --> 00:41:18,839 Speaker 2: it's the same thing where well, if I can help 751 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:23,200 Speaker 2: somebody stay alive and keep a job and maybe have 752 00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:27,319 Speaker 2: a relationship or two, that is really fruitful. Who am 753 00:41:27,360 --> 00:41:30,960 Speaker 2: I to say that that's the wrong route to go. 754 00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:33,279 Speaker 2: If this other route, they're never going to be able 755 00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:35,839 Speaker 2: to grab onto. So you have to tread so lightly 756 00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:37,879 Speaker 2: because I don't say that to give people of like, oh, 757 00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:40,040 Speaker 2: you can drink every now and then, if you just 758 00:41:40,080 --> 00:41:42,680 Speaker 2: do on the weekends, that's not what I mean. I 759 00:41:42,760 --> 00:41:45,360 Speaker 2: think the biggest thing you have to ask yourself in 760 00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:47,320 Speaker 2: some of those spaces is this worth it? Is this 761 00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:51,160 Speaker 2: risk worth it? And with some of these process adictions, 762 00:41:51,200 --> 00:41:54,960 Speaker 2: you don't sometimes have that option, So it's a no. 763 00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:58,040 Speaker 2: You don't have to be sober sometimes that is the 764 00:41:58,120 --> 00:42:01,800 Speaker 2: best route and the safest route. But there's more to it. 765 00:42:02,120 --> 00:42:04,799 Speaker 2: And so when we're looking at people who are maybe 766 00:42:04,880 --> 00:42:07,759 Speaker 2: have had an issue in the past, I think it's 767 00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:09,879 Speaker 2: very easy to pass judgment if you're like, oh my god, 768 00:42:09,920 --> 00:42:12,440 Speaker 2: I sound someone so drinking or this or that or 769 00:42:12,480 --> 00:42:15,400 Speaker 2: the other. It's like, there's more to it. Yeah, that 770 00:42:15,480 --> 00:42:18,040 Speaker 2: could mean that they're they've re left and they're going 771 00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:20,920 Speaker 2: down this path. It also could mean that today was 772 00:42:20,920 --> 00:42:21,759 Speaker 2: a really good day for them. 773 00:42:21,760 --> 00:42:25,040 Speaker 1: I don't know, Yeah, I mean. The thing that I 774 00:42:25,200 --> 00:42:28,000 Speaker 1: also have found to be true is that if folks 775 00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:31,560 Speaker 1: who struggle with any kind of addictive issue or behavior 776 00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:35,880 Speaker 1: is if they are in a place where they're like 777 00:42:36,080 --> 00:42:41,400 Speaker 1: safe enough, they'll be able to know for themselves, like 778 00:42:42,160 --> 00:42:44,240 Speaker 1: there may be a lot of mental blocks to getting 779 00:42:44,280 --> 00:42:48,040 Speaker 1: honest about whether I can actually or I can't, or 780 00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:50,320 Speaker 1: I'm using this and it still doesn't actually feel like 781 00:42:50,400 --> 00:42:53,960 Speaker 1: I'm being my truest self. Like that, if they can 782 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:56,800 Speaker 1: get into a place where they can actually pull the 783 00:42:56,880 --> 00:43:00,360 Speaker 1: mirror up and try to see what feels like truth 784 00:43:00,440 --> 00:43:04,880 Speaker 1: to me, they all know. I think people know. I 785 00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:08,600 Speaker 1: think we all really know somewhere deep down, what's like, 786 00:43:08,920 --> 00:43:11,520 Speaker 1: oh that I think this actually is a problem for me. 787 00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:13,840 Speaker 1: I think this is something I probably need to stop. 788 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:17,279 Speaker 1: I think, what do you think it takes to get there? 789 00:43:17,920 --> 00:43:22,080 Speaker 1: And what are you're from a clinician's perspective? What are 790 00:43:22,160 --> 00:43:26,760 Speaker 1: your thoughts and beliefs around telling somebody what they should 791 00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:29,960 Speaker 1: and should not do when it comes to this. So 792 00:43:30,560 --> 00:43:33,880 Speaker 1: the first question puts me in my second seat that 793 00:43:34,200 --> 00:43:37,680 Speaker 1: is supposed to be for next episode. What it takes 794 00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:38,680 Speaker 1: for someone to get there? 795 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:41,560 Speaker 2: We can say that we can leave people on a cliffhanger. 796 00:43:42,920 --> 00:43:47,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean because it Honestly, I've seen the things 797 00:43:47,120 --> 00:43:49,640 Speaker 1: that are like, Okay, these are generally the things that 798 00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:53,200 Speaker 1: get people there, those things I could kind of speak to. 799 00:43:53,680 --> 00:43:56,000 Speaker 1: But I've also seen lots of people have that list 800 00:43:56,080 --> 00:43:58,000 Speaker 1: of things and still not get there. Yeah, And that 801 00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:01,520 Speaker 1: I think is the sort of mystery of the world, 802 00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:05,759 Speaker 1: like why do some people starve to death? And why 803 00:44:05,960 --> 00:44:08,080 Speaker 1: do I have everything I need every day? 804 00:44:08,239 --> 00:44:08,359 Speaker 2: Well? 805 00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:11,719 Speaker 1: And I feel like sort of that area of spiritual 806 00:44:11,840 --> 00:44:13,240 Speaker 1: chaos questions. 807 00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:15,359 Speaker 2: And doesn't that fit right into the other argument we're 808 00:44:15,400 --> 00:44:17,920 Speaker 2: making is why does that person cancer? Why can they 809 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:19,400 Speaker 2: beat it but this other person couldn't? 810 00:44:19,960 --> 00:44:24,680 Speaker 1: Why did I not develop a substance addiction and my brothers. 811 00:44:24,400 --> 00:44:27,480 Speaker 2: Did exactly and are you a bad person? 812 00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:30,600 Speaker 1: I think the how people get there if I were 813 00:44:30,640 --> 00:44:33,040 Speaker 1: to just to offer something to it in this episode, 814 00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:35,719 Speaker 1: and we can, I think, come to the other side 815 00:44:35,760 --> 00:44:38,120 Speaker 1: of the struggle of being you know, a loved one 816 00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:42,600 Speaker 1: who's seen it not get people there like I think 817 00:44:42,680 --> 00:44:47,360 Speaker 1: it's well compassion. I think people who can be mirrors. 818 00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:49,680 Speaker 1: That's what I think is the most powerful thing about 819 00:44:49,719 --> 00:44:53,439 Speaker 1: twelve step spaces for all the addictions. There's a lot 820 00:44:53,560 --> 00:44:57,600 Speaker 1: of those a's out there, and it's to see someone 821 00:44:57,960 --> 00:45:01,720 Speaker 1: who I happen to see myself in and they're talking 822 00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:05,879 Speaker 1: about it, they're owning it, they're better, they're whatever, they're 823 00:45:06,680 --> 00:45:10,719 Speaker 1: offering me help, they're not judging me. I think that's 824 00:45:10,760 --> 00:45:13,640 Speaker 1: a very powerful tool that gets people to be able 825 00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:15,520 Speaker 1: to see things that are really hard to see in 826 00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:20,880 Speaker 1: our own biased minds. And that's usually the biggest thing, 827 00:45:21,040 --> 00:45:24,080 Speaker 1: is like, can I have something to look to to 828 00:45:24,200 --> 00:45:27,560 Speaker 1: help me see myself through that isn't just someone pointing 829 00:45:27,600 --> 00:45:32,880 Speaker 1: at my behavior? And yeah, safe space to be honest. 830 00:45:33,320 --> 00:45:36,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, when you have somebody yelling at you, telling you 831 00:45:36,239 --> 00:45:39,719 Speaker 2: what to do and arguing with you, this is from 832 00:45:39,760 --> 00:45:42,160 Speaker 2: a clinician standpoint, I'm not talking about the loved one 833 00:45:42,800 --> 00:45:48,040 Speaker 2: because that's such a different experience. When you have this clinician, 834 00:45:48,120 --> 00:45:51,279 Speaker 2: I guess expecting results from you or expecting you to 835 00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:56,320 Speaker 2: understand something or do something correct change your behavior based 836 00:45:56,360 --> 00:45:59,399 Speaker 2: on these things that I told it doesn't feel very 837 00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:04,880 Speaker 2: safe and doesn't feel very compassionate from my experience. And 838 00:46:05,040 --> 00:46:07,839 Speaker 2: so when I ask about, like, what do you think 839 00:46:07,840 --> 00:46:10,080 Speaker 2: about people like telling you what to do? I think 840 00:46:10,120 --> 00:46:13,560 Speaker 2: I probably used to. Well, I went into this space thinking, well, 841 00:46:13,600 --> 00:46:16,799 Speaker 2: I'm going to tell them how to be, even though 842 00:46:16,840 --> 00:46:18,560 Speaker 2: we're told like that's not your job. I want to 843 00:46:18,560 --> 00:46:19,759 Speaker 2: tell them what they need to do and they just 844 00:46:19,840 --> 00:46:23,520 Speaker 2: have to follow the directions. And that does not offer 845 00:46:23,640 --> 00:46:27,240 Speaker 2: any relationship one between you guys that can be fruitful, 846 00:46:27,600 --> 00:46:32,120 Speaker 2: but also it's it's missing everything that addiction is. If 847 00:46:32,160 --> 00:46:34,840 Speaker 2: they could do that, they would would do it. 848 00:46:35,160 --> 00:46:38,920 Speaker 1: That's the choice thing too. I'm like, if it were 849 00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:43,600 Speaker 1: a choice, then I'm pretty sure someone who's literally selling 850 00:46:43,640 --> 00:46:46,759 Speaker 1: their body for heroin and doesn't have a home would 851 00:46:46,840 --> 00:46:48,279 Speaker 1: choose to do that. 852 00:46:49,120 --> 00:46:53,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, it feels so. I mean, anybody who's inquot's choosing that. 853 00:46:53,200 --> 00:46:55,520 Speaker 2: Again goes back to like it doesn't make sense, so 854 00:46:55,680 --> 00:46:59,279 Speaker 2: clearly there might be some disordered things happening in their brain. 855 00:46:59,480 --> 00:47:02,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, the important thing is get heroin. So anything I 856 00:47:02,280 --> 00:47:03,640 Speaker 1: have to do to do that, I will do to 857 00:47:03,719 --> 00:47:06,160 Speaker 1: do that, which includes crazy shit, right. 858 00:47:06,440 --> 00:47:06,640 Speaker 2: Yeah. 859 00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:09,799 Speaker 1: One thing that I do does come to mind when 860 00:47:09,800 --> 00:47:13,000 Speaker 1: I actually think about how I work with clients around 861 00:47:13,600 --> 00:47:16,400 Speaker 1: gaining awareness about where do they fall on the spectrum, 862 00:47:16,400 --> 00:47:19,600 Speaker 1: because I literally do this work with people, so it's 863 00:47:19,800 --> 00:47:22,920 Speaker 1: I do have like methods and one of the most 864 00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:28,480 Speaker 1: effective is literally just having people go through every negative 865 00:47:28,520 --> 00:47:31,000 Speaker 1: impact this has had, this behavior has had on their 866 00:47:31,120 --> 00:47:34,600 Speaker 1: entire life in as much detail as we possibly can do. 867 00:47:35,280 --> 00:47:39,480 Speaker 1: And if you make that full and honest list and 868 00:47:39,960 --> 00:47:42,160 Speaker 1: you sit with yourself on the other side of that, 869 00:47:42,320 --> 00:47:45,560 Speaker 1: and there are certain things on there that you would 870 00:47:45,719 --> 00:47:49,840 Speaker 1: never choose to have impacted in such a way. For 871 00:47:50,760 --> 00:47:54,640 Speaker 1: a drink, a substance, the behavior that you're engaging in 872 00:47:54,920 --> 00:47:57,279 Speaker 1: that you would say, there's no and you're right, most 873 00:47:57,360 --> 00:48:00,560 Speaker 1: clearest true it self, I would never even think of 874 00:48:00,680 --> 00:48:04,440 Speaker 1: doing that. If it were to have impacted this part 875 00:48:04,520 --> 00:48:07,800 Speaker 1: of my life in this way, then that usually is 876 00:48:07,880 --> 00:48:10,760 Speaker 1: the place it's like, oh well, then if you wouldn't 877 00:48:10,800 --> 00:48:14,400 Speaker 1: have chosen to do something like that with an effect 878 00:48:14,560 --> 00:48:17,960 Speaker 1: like that, what does that tell you about your relationship 879 00:48:18,040 --> 00:48:20,800 Speaker 1: with this behavior? And that usually sets you in the 880 00:48:20,840 --> 00:48:23,000 Speaker 1: place of, well, I must not be having a lot 881 00:48:23,040 --> 00:48:27,800 Speaker 1: of choice. I am in some way powerless, and so 882 00:48:28,040 --> 00:48:30,960 Speaker 1: that I mean, and that's that's not my genius. That's 883 00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:34,640 Speaker 1: step point of the twelve steps. There's a really you know, 884 00:48:34,840 --> 00:48:37,479 Speaker 1: they know what they're doing, and so to help people 885 00:48:37,560 --> 00:48:40,360 Speaker 1: get there, it's to really look at how is this 886 00:48:40,760 --> 00:48:44,080 Speaker 1: actually affecting my life? And as many ways as I 887 00:48:44,120 --> 00:48:46,239 Speaker 1: can see it's had an impact, that's probably going to 888 00:48:46,320 --> 00:48:49,160 Speaker 1: tell me something about my relationship with it. Yeah. 889 00:48:49,239 --> 00:48:53,000 Speaker 2: And also there was some with this, like relief in 890 00:48:53,160 --> 00:48:57,080 Speaker 2: you saying that, because when you do that with somebody, 891 00:48:57,560 --> 00:49:00,520 Speaker 2: there is so much The feeling that I was coming 892 00:49:00,560 --> 00:49:02,480 Speaker 2: up in my head at first was oh the shame. 893 00:49:03,160 --> 00:49:05,320 Speaker 2: But what that does is it takes you from a 894 00:49:05,400 --> 00:49:08,560 Speaker 2: place of I want to avoid this because the truth 895 00:49:09,040 --> 00:49:10,360 Speaker 2: I would feel so much shame. I don't know if 896 00:49:10,360 --> 00:49:13,480 Speaker 2: I can handle that. To once I acknowledge that and 897 00:49:13,640 --> 00:49:17,600 Speaker 2: I can see, oh my gosh, I'm powerless over this, 898 00:49:18,440 --> 00:49:22,160 Speaker 2: it helps you move from a place of shame to 899 00:49:22,600 --> 00:49:27,480 Speaker 2: compassionate understanding and owning the truth. And this isn't a 900 00:49:27,600 --> 00:49:30,480 Speaker 2: moral failure of you. This is something that's outside of 901 00:49:30,520 --> 00:49:32,279 Speaker 2: your control and you keep trying to control it and 902 00:49:32,400 --> 00:49:33,720 Speaker 2: it's not working. 903 00:49:34,040 --> 00:49:35,120 Speaker 1: Yeah for sure. 904 00:49:35,520 --> 00:49:40,520 Speaker 2: Okay, So perfect place to stop and leave you, guys 905 00:49:40,800 --> 00:49:44,440 Speaker 2: wanting the other side of this conversation because we're trickling 906 00:49:44,520 --> 00:49:47,279 Speaker 2: into it now as we're talking. If you have any 907 00:49:47,360 --> 00:49:51,919 Speaker 2: questions or feedback or anything around this topic, feel free 908 00:49:52,000 --> 00:49:54,239 Speaker 2: to send it to me Catherine at You Need Therapy 909 00:49:54,280 --> 00:49:57,160 Speaker 2: podcast dot com. We can use those questions maybe for 910 00:49:57,280 --> 00:49:59,360 Speaker 2: couch talk. We might be able to implement them in 911 00:49:59,400 --> 00:50:02,719 Speaker 2: a future episode, but feel free to send those and 912 00:50:03,440 --> 00:50:06,799 Speaker 2: stay tuned because we are taking you from this more 913 00:50:07,040 --> 00:50:13,600 Speaker 2: clinical standpoint, more basic understanding of what addiction is to Okay, well, 914 00:50:13,760 --> 00:50:16,879 Speaker 2: what happens if you are somebody who loves somebody who 915 00:50:16,960 --> 00:50:19,600 Speaker 2: is struggling with this. You guys sent in a lot 916 00:50:19,640 --> 00:50:23,880 Speaker 2: of questions that were basically all the same, and so 917 00:50:24,080 --> 00:50:26,759 Speaker 2: that tells us there's one thing that is really hard 918 00:50:27,280 --> 00:50:28,920 Speaker 2: for a majority of people out there, and we're going 919 00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:30,719 Speaker 2: to tackle that. So if that was you, or if 920 00:50:30,760 --> 00:50:33,360 Speaker 2: this is made you start thinking about those things, you 921 00:50:33,520 --> 00:50:36,000 Speaker 2: might want to subscribe to this podcast, so when it 922 00:50:36,040 --> 00:50:37,839 Speaker 2: comes out next week, you'll get that and you'll get 923 00:50:37,840 --> 00:50:40,360 Speaker 2: to hear that part of it. You can follow the 924 00:50:40,440 --> 00:50:43,200 Speaker 2: podcast at You Need Therapy podcast and me at Kat 925 00:50:43,239 --> 00:50:47,839 Speaker 2: dot Defada, And I'll be back with Tara next week. Bye.