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In this powerful episode of The Addictive Mind, host Duane Osterlind sits down with Christian Struthers to discuss his incredible journey from an ego-driven lifestyle of addiction to surviving a catastrophic, near-fatal car accident. Christian shares how a simple shift in perspective saved his mental health, how a German Shepherd named Millie helped him heal, and how he turned his trauma into a mission to give back.Key Takeaways From This EpisodeThe Illusion of "Superman": From the outside, Christian had it all—athletic talent, college baseball scholarships, and a supportive family. However, a lack of consequences fueled a massive ego, leading him down a dark path of alcohol, party scenes, and using prescription pills (like Xanax and painkillers) to regulate his extreme lifestyle.The Crash That Changed Everything: On August 3, 2016, Christian was the passenger in a vehicle traveling 130 mph that flipped end-over-end for a football field and a half. The driver tragically did not survive. Christian suffered catastrophic injuries, including a broken neck, two strokes, a punctured lung, and a shattered pelvis. He survived by a thread, stopping his internal bleeding on the very last available bag of his rare O-negative blood type.The "I Get To" Mindset: Facing the reality of being bedridden and told he might never walk again, Christian fell into deep depression. A profound piece of wisdom from a hospital nurse flipped a switch for him: "Christian, you don't have to do this. You get to do this." This shift from obligation to gratitude changed the trajectory of his recovery.Millie and the Genesis of Dog Dash 3K: Promised a dog by his parents if he survived the coma, Christian bonded with a German Shepherd named Millie. She became his ultimate motivation to heal. To honor her unconditional love, he started Dog Dash 3K, a community event that now donates 100% of its profits to animal shelters.Recovery is a Work in Progress: Christian opens up about the painful loss of Millie to heart disease years later, which triggered a brief relapse into drinking. He shares a vulnerable, vital reminder that sobriety and healing are never linear, and that addiction is often a coping mechanism for underlying pain.Memorable Quotes"My ego—they called me Superman... it started with ego, went to bad choices with no consequences, and then it went to addiction." — Christian Struthers"A nurse looked at me and she said, 'Christian, you don't have to do this. You get to do this.' That right there switched for me... That's what changed my life." — Christian Struthers"Addiction isn't necessarily the problem... it's our answer to the problem. There's an underlying pain." — Christian Struthers"You're one good decision away from completely changing your life. And you get to make that good decision today, right now." — Christian StruthersResources & Links MentionedConnect with Christian Struthers:Websites: christianstruthers.com | dogdash3k.comSocial Media (Dog Dash 3K): Facebook, Instagram, YouTubeSocial Media (Personal/Vlog): Christian Struthers Real Life Rambles (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube)Follow and Review: We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.Supporting Resources:If you live in California and are looking for counseling or therapy please check out Novus Mindful Life Counseling and Recovery CenterNovusMindfulLife.comWe want to hear from you. Leave us a message or ask us a question: https://www.speakpipe.com/addictedmindDisclaimerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode of The Addictive Mind Podcast, host Duane Osterlind sits down with Dr. Brody Miller, a brain rehabilitation researcher and author of Brain Rescue. Dr. Brody shares his incredible journey from suffering a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and deep addiction to uncovering the life-changing power of Neuroplasticity.They dive into the invisible link between brain trauma and substance abuse, how mindfulness physically rewires brain structures, and why massive life transformation actually starts with tiny, everyday "pinky moves."Key TakeawaysThe TBI & Addiction Connection: Research shows that individuals who experience brain injuries or trauma have a significantly higher propensity toward addictive behaviors. When the brain isn't functioning properly, it struggles to produce stable mood-regulating neurotransmitters (like dopamine and serotonin), leading individuals to self-medicate.The Power of 56 Days: Dr. Brody highlights a Harvard study demonstrating that just 56 days of consistent meditation can physically alter the structure of the brain, lowering stress and improving concentration.The Brain Only Cares About Repetition: The brain doesn't differentiate between positive or negative habits; it simply reinforces whatever path you repeat. Whether it's taking pills or going for a walk, repetition builds neural superhighways.Accountability Over Shame: Healing requires looking honestly at your current reality without letting shame keep you stuck. Swallowing the hard pill of accountability is the first step toward building a new identity.Neuroplasticity in Practice: The Power of "Pinky Moves"If you feel overwhelmed by the idea of changing your life, Dr. Brody emphasizes taking micro-steps rather than trying to climb the mountain in one day.Interrupt the Default Mode Network: Humans have a natural negativity bias wired for survival. You can begin to interrupt these automatic negative thoughts simply by shifting your internal self-talk.Combine Thought with Action: True neural change requires backing up your thoughts with behavior. Your brain will "call BS" on positive thinking if it isn't paired with action.Start Small: Dr. Brody recommends James Clear's Atomic Habits. Committing to a simple 10-minute walk or 5 minutes of breathing exercises daily creates an upward spiral of positive momentum.Words of Wisdom"Just because you feel this way today does not mean that you have to feel this way for the rest of your life. If you start to make small changes, I promise you—from someone who has lived exactly what you're going through—you can start today and make a big change over time." — Dr. Brody MillerResources & Links MentionedBooksBrain Rescue by Dr. Brody MillerAtomic Habits by James ClearBreaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe DispenzaThe Biology of Belief by Dr. Bruce LiptonThe Answer by John AssarafPrograms & ConnectAddiction Rescue Course: Addiction Rescue Team (A neuroscience-backed recovery program co-created with Sean David Cohen).Website: Dr. Brody Miller Official WebsiteInstagram: @Dr.BrodyMillerFollow and Review: We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.Supporting Resources:If you live in California and are looking for counseling or therapy please check out Novus Mindful Life Counseling and Recovery CenterNovusMindfulLife.comWe want to hear from you. Leave us a message or ask us a question: https://www.speakpipe.com/addictedmindDisclaimerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Send us a textIn this powerful episode, I sit down with Bob Martin who transformed his life through mindfulness and spiritual awakening. Bob shares how he left behind a high-stakes world of power and control to become a mindfulness mentor. We dive deep into the parallels between addiction, codependency, and the relentless pursuit of external validation, discussing how mindfulness and self-awareness can help break destructive cycles. Bob explains how addiction rewires the brain, the role of forgiveness in recovery, and practical ways to find clarity, purpose, and peace.Support the show
A couple of weeks shy of his 24th year of sobriety (woohoo), Mick Hall is back for another awesome chat about all things boxing, booze, bad decisions, and bloody great ones too. I quiz Mick on the definition of being a 'recovering addict' when he's a whopping 24 years clean and sober, curious of the mentality behind how we define ourselves through change and personal evolution. Mick shares how boxing taught him more than just how to throw a decent punch and how it became a mirror for life itself, from managing stress to staying grounded when the pressure’s on. We also chat about the addictive mind... what it feels like, how it latches onto self-doubt and shame, and the tools Mick uses to stay clean and thriving. He’s brutally honest about the non-negotiables of recovery, the importance of connection, and why accountability is a game-changer. This episode is packed with so many gold nuggets, whether you’re fighting addiction, dealing with your own challenges, or just looking for a little extra motivation to keep rolling with the punches. Enjoy! JOIN TRWT https://bit.ly/trwt2025 SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au MICK HALL Website: myhab.com.au/ TIFFANEE COOK Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches/ Website: tiffcook.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tiffaneecook/ Facebook: facebook.com/rollwiththepunchespodcast/ Instagram: instagram.com/rollwiththepunches_podcast/ Instagram: instagram.com/tiffaneeandco See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hey everyone, and welcome back to the podcast! On today's episode, I got to interview Isaiah Cruz, a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner that studies addiction and, recently, porn addiction. Me and Isaiah talk about his journey, what lead him to help people with addiction, and his porn addiction. Isaiah also talks about men's mental health and some medications to take if you know someone that needs medication. Ex Tele med, Isaiah's company, uses it to help people experiencing porn addiction. You can click on the link below to listen! Like always, please like, rate, and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Your ratings will help boost the podcast overall. I am also doing counseling and astrology readings. Make sure to click on the link below to schedule a call! Isaiah's Company https://www.instagram.com/no_x.telemed/ https://www.no-x.net/ Josh's Counseling Sessions https://zcal.co/jsanchez
Was Polybius real? In 1981, an arcade in Portland was the scene of countless gamers coming down with migraines, having heart attacks, seizures and strokes. Local teens were suffering from amnesia and having hallucinations. All due to a mysterious game that seemed to arrive out of thin air. The game was called Polybius. And even though playing the game was dangerous, it was highly addictive and caused some teens to become hyper-aggressive. Fights started breaking out at the arcade. One player was stabbed to death. All traced back to people who played Polybius. Why would the government allow the public to play such a dangerous game? Because the government created it. Let's find out why.
Hello beautiful people! Today we're having a chat about sobriety or being sober curious from alcohol. **TRIGGER WARNING**: This poddy discusses addiction and substance abuse. In this poddy I go over: My journey with sobriety Grey-area drinking Alcohol and drugs - why are they separate? Reframe app and other sobriety tools What addiction does to our brain Neuroplasticity of the brain The addictive voice Quit lit Sober Instagram Helpful things to have in your sobriety toolkit NOTE: I am not a doctor or medical professional - I am purely speaking from experience and reference all those who I have learnt off in the podcast. If you find value or enjoyment from this podcast ep, please subscribe to my channel! Feel free to follow me on Instagram at @nathugillcreative. Quit Lit referenced: The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Gray The Sober Girl Society Handbook by Millie Gooch This Naked Mind by Annie Grace Reframe app: https://www.reframeapp.com/
Christy is the owner and founder of Sano Counseling Center. A mental health facility that works with an array of psychological problems. With over 15 years of experience in clinical psychotherapy, Christy Cosper has poured her expertise and personal discoveries into co-writing a book designed for healing and growth from addictive behaviors. Transforming the Addictive Mind book contains a variety of voices who have treated and struggled through addiction. The exercises, meditative activities, and narratives are written simply enough to follow while having the elements needed to foster honesty, compassion, and gentleness with one's self and relationship to others.
This is part 1 of Luke Storey. Luke is a motivational speaker, meditation and metaphysics teacher, and lifestyle design expert who shares transformative principles of health and spirituality. He is the host of the top rated podcast the life stylist podcast and founder of school of style the worlds premier online fashion school for stylists. Luke recovered from a heroin, alcohol, and crack addiction at 26 years old and went on to achieve amazing things in his life. In this episode he shares his story, how psychedelics came into play in his recovery to help him expand his consciousness heal from trauma and move into a deeper more meaningful expanded life. he has been featured in the Hollywood reporter Los Angeles magazines men's fitness and has appeared on numerous TV networks including style network VH1 and MTV his podcast the Life stylist podcast has received over 75,000 downloads to date, guests including Dr. Joe Dispenza
See all series | See all talksTeacher: Tim GeilDate: 2021-04-12 MondaySeriesDhamma in Daily Life (2021) 2021-01-11 Steve Wilhelm, Tim Geil, Tuere Sala Practice and Reflection Start to notice the subtle expressions of the addictive mind. How does it show up in ordinary moments? Practice releasing the addictive mind with: Clearly knowing the suffering Using death as an advisor Disenchantment with the sense of self that the addictive mind revolves around
See all series | See all talksTeacher: Tuere SalaDate: 2021-04-04 SundaySeriesSunday Morning Meditation & Dhamma (2021, Dhamma in Daily Life) 2021-01-01 Aravind Moorthy, Lauren Wilson, Lyndal Johnson, Sooz Appel, Susan Alotrico, Tuere Sala
See all series | See all talksTeacher: Tim GeilDate: 2021-03-29 MondaySeriesDhamma in Daily Life (2021) 2021-01-11 Tim Geil, Tuere Sala Practice and Reflection: Addictive Mind Pick one area of addiction to explore dharmically. The intention is to understand and learn, instead of overcome and eliminate. Reflect on what structure or process would help you pause and be mindful during the activity of addiction. With this mindfulness, notice where the pleasure is with this activity. Notice where the benefit lies. Then notice where the suffering and pain resides. This recording was edited and prepared for publication by volunteer Aruna Bala.
the earnestness of the dented cans / technology vs spirituality / we are products, not prisoners, of our past / the auto-prompt conditioning in the mind / increasing & decreasing free will / self-improvement between the surging urges / the power of affirmative resolutions / addiction is like a snowball / we are possessors of programmable machines / spiritual actors / guilt, self-loathing & loneliness on the spiritual path https://www.thespiritualscientist.com http://bhakticenter.org/yoga-of-writing/
the earnestness of the dented cans / technology vs spirituality / we are products, not prisoners, of our past / the auto-prompt conditioning in the mind / increasing & decreasing free will / self-improvement between the surging urges / the power of affirmative resolutions / addiction is like a snowball / we are possessors of programmable machines / spiritual actors / guilt, self-loathing & loneliness on the spiritual path https://www.thespiritualscientist.com http://bhakticenter.org/yoga-of-writing/
This is a very special episode featuring Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, addiction psychiatrist, author, app developer, and associate professor of psychiatry at Brown University School of Medicine. Jud is a seasoned researcher of mindfulness interventions for addiction and developer of novel habit-change apps for abating anxiety and craving. A longtime Buddhist meditation practitioner Jud is a relentless data hound not an evangelist. He was among the first to use real-time neurofeedback and fMRI to study meditation and its effects. Our dialogue is devoid of hype and chockfull of useful insights on addiction, its true causes, and empirically-based self-applied applications for cessating craving, urges, unwanted substance use. Jud's website https://judsonbrewer.com Jud's lab Brown University School of Public Health Mindfulness Center Jud's habit-change Apps Craving to Quit Unwinding Anxiety Eat Right Now Jud's book The Craving Mind Disclaimer: The information in this episode or on groundlessground.com is intended for information and entertainment purposes only, and does not claim to be or constitute therapeutic advice or mental health treatment.
In this podcast Swami Sitaramanandause talks about the use of yoga to heal addictions. Yoga teaches us to practice self surrender and by doing this we can understand better how the mind works. When the mind is very active there are many thought waves which causes us to look outwardly for external objects to bring happiness. We identify with these thoughts and create an attachment to the objects which leads to addiction. When we repeat these negative thoughts we suffer. We must learn to practice detach so we are not at the mercy of negative thoughts. Detachment helps us to connect to our True Self because we no longer identify with the thoughts. We become content in our Self and no more energy is give to the negative thoughts.
We delve into what inspires me to do this aside from the fun I have. Aiding others in solving addiction is a priority to me, and being that it is not so hard, but a topic filled with confusion. Join me in this podcast as I outline what the many layers facing an addict and what recovery means!
Mindfulness is a powerful tool to teach addicts how to see the thoughts generated by the mind and not to engage in these thoughts. It teaches addicts how to disconnect from the thoughts in part because there is acceptance that they are there to teach you something. Listen as Carol the Coach interviews Darrin Ford who co-wrote with Cristy Cosper the groundbreaking book: Transforming the Addictive Mind.
Everyone has a soundtrack to their lives, and being both in the grips of the grape and in recovery is no different. I share my thoughts on the power of music, and also share your personal choices of music before and after recovery. AND I announce the name for Lisa Neumann's fabulous book giveaway - "Sober Identity: Reprogramming the Addictive Mind". Listen up if it's your name I call! Thanks for all the musical choices guys - some wonderful songs out there of despair, hope and change!
I talk to the wonderful Lisa Neumann - author, blogger, life skills coach, recovery coach, founder of the Empower Recovery Center, Bioenergetic Health Practitioner and Theta Healing Practitioner. We discuss her book, her practices and her approach to coaching...and life. BOOK GIVEAWAY - Lisa was kind enough to give a copy of her book "Sober Identity - Reprogramming an Addictive Mind" for one of the listeners. To get a chance to receive a copy, go to the www.buzzkillpod.com website, and click on the "subscribe" button on the top. Enter your name and email address and you will be entered into the draw. One lucky winner will be sent a copy of Lisa's fantastic book. Enter today! Buzzkill Briefs: You can find Lisa at: http://empowerrecovery.com/ https://soberidentity.com/ Thanks to Lisa and please check out her work!
Twice-monthly show offering you support in your recovery from addiction—NOT intended to take the place of a 12-step program or your individual therapy. Love-Based Thinking Criticizing or yelling at someone is a poor method of improving their behavior. The same goes for you--negative self-talk will lower your sense of self-worth and likely increase your attempts to cope with addictive behavior. This episode of RECOVERY SUPPORT will help you identify harmful thinking patterns you've adopted and offer alternatives that you can practice and master. Today, Kevin Bergen shares part of Healing the Addictive Mind by Lee L. Jampolsky, Ph.D. Call now to leave your question to be answered on a future episode of RECOVERY SUPPORT with Kevin Bergen: (310) 697-8893 (international callers, dial 00 1 310-697-8893) RECOVERY SUPPORT is brought to you by The Center for Counseling, Recovery, & Growth and by Guy Stuff at CCRG Theme music: Recovery Support theme music by Dana Bisignano Incidental music for this episode by Chad Lawson from the albums, Set on Hill and The Piano
After the untimely death of the once Pop Princess, Whitney Houston – many are wondering if it is even reasonable to believe that addiction can truly be overcome. Life coach and recovered alcoholic, Lisa Neumann, author of Sober Identity: Tools for Reprogramming the Addictive Mind, lends advice from life experience and professional training to help you understand … Read more about this episode...