Written by Henry Cullen AKA D.A.V.E. the Drummer I was asked to write this an embarrassingly long time ago but actually I think it's probably about the right time to do it. It’s been 4 years 8 months now since I cleaned up my act. At first I was very keen to join online groups […]
Gill Tietz from Sober Powered talks about neuroplasticity and the brain's ability to adapt. Gill Tietz is the host and creator of the fabulous Sober Powered Podcast. She is a recovering alcoholic and has a BS in chemistry and an MS in biology which gives an incredible platform for the foundation of this conversation. She […]
Alex from Wonk Unit reflects on some of the gifts that getting sober has given him. You can watch the full episode below. In the episode, I speak to Alex Wonk from the legendary Wonk Unit who are key players on the UK punk scene. Alex battled Alcoholism and drug addiction from a young age. […]
After 27 years of addiction to alcohol and multiple suicide attempts, Tim Lodgen finally made the decision to get help. Watch the full episode below In the episode, I talk to ex US marine and MMA fighter Tim Lodgen about his 27 year battle with alcoholism and other substances. Tim tells us that he doesn't […]
I spoke with my friend and fellow ketamine addict Josh Rhodes to discuss the impact that ketamine had on our bladders. We describe what it was like during our heavy use as well as the recovery our bladders have made since ceasing to use. In the full episode, I talk to Josh about ketamine addiction, […]
Josh thinks that the first time he knew he was addicted was when he had health issues because it just seemed like fun before that. He had friends looking in on him from outside of addiction seeing him in screaming pain with no comprehension of why he continued to use. During active addiction, we both […]
Porn Researcher Jo Robertson gives us an objective rundown of the porn landscape. James shares some of his insights from the perspective of someone who has consumed porn daily to someone who made the decision to give up. He noticed a dramatic difference in his concentration levels and mental state. In the full episode, we […]
Alika talks about the role of honesty in his recovery journey. He stated that he had to learn how to tell the truth. He said there is nothing harder that he has ever had to do than be honest with himself. Alika states that the more good decisions he made in recovery the easier it […]
Zowie talks about what is was like for her growing up with a mother who was addicted to heroin. She says that she had a good awareness of addiction from a very young age. She had no concept of what a healthy relationship was which has caused her great difficulties in her own life. She […]
How do you change your life? James talks about some of the steps that help you to change your life including your physical and psychological environment.
Entrepreneur and TED speaker Michael Brody-Waite has been sober for 17 years. He states that addicts wear masks to try to present themselves to the world in a certain way but they suffer from not being authentic. He states that there are 4 masks people generally wear: 1. Saying yes when you should say no […]
Mathew Kratiuk grew up on the streets involved in drugs, guns, and gangs. He describes an incident that changed his entire life. He was addicted to methamphetamine and had been given an opportunity to attend rehab. In a heated moment, he screamed at the 'rehab boss' wife. Matt described what this woman showed him as […]
Maddie Kitchen from Sobriety Films talks to us about her relapses and the subsequent anxiety and depression that followed. She describes the first time that she resisted a craving and realised she would be able to stay sober. "I don't have to say yes to this compulsion" Maddie Kitchen has been in recovery from alcohol […]
I speak to my best friend Harry McGill about our decision to leave the UK where we were both addicted to ketamine. This is a particularly special podcast because I got to talk to my best friend of over 12 years. We talk about our journey, which documents our struggles with drug addiction, suicidal thoughts, […]
Gill talks about the role of dopamine in alcoholics and addicts. She explains that the brain recognises a large release of neurochemicals such as dopamine as something important to survival so it prioritises the use of the substance. Gill Tietz is the host and creator of the fabulous Sober Powered Podcast. She is a recovering […]
Brooke Robichaud from Soberbizco gives us her advice for friends and family who have lost loved ones to overdose. She tells us about some of the tools that she has used to navigate her grief, that her grieving process is up and down and she speaks about the perspective that losing her brother has given […]
Alex from Wonk Unit talks to us about recovering from an addiction. He talks about the idea of "rock bottom" and how the longer he stays sober and the more knowledge he gains about recovery the less likely he feels like he will relapse. He talks about the importance of putting recovery first. You can […]
Acharya das speaks about the reality of trying to stop engaging in an addictive activity. He states that there is a deep spiritual answer to the question but he speaks to practical realities. He speaks about ways to build motivation and take personal responsibility for the situation. You can watch the full episode below We […]
I was asked this question by spiritual teacher Acharya das and I didn't have a good answer. He pointed out that drugs temporarily relieve the feeling of emptiness, purposelessness, and pain. He states that the mind is separate from who we are and it can become a greater enemy, or friend, to us than anyone […]
Tim runs us through his experience with the 12-step program. At first, he thought they were nonsense but he realised that they made him accountable for his actions and he began to become more grateful. His big realisation was that they were not just steps to get you sober they are steps to help you […]
Kate talks about breaking the chain of habit. She has noticed that having a good diet, working out regularly, good sleep etc. keep her in a good head space. However, if she stops doing one thing she starts to come undone in what she describes as a downward spiral. She has also noticed that just […]
Josh Rhodes warns us about the consequences of the recreational use of ketamine. He describes ketamine cramps and the vicious cycles the drug causes. It causes painful symptoms and then temporarily takes away the pain with its anaesthetizing properties. He describes difficulties urinating and other urinary complications as well as one of the treatments he […]
Sex therapist and porn researcher Jo Robertson gives us some advice for addressing sex addiction. She recommends talking to a professional or support networks, often to address shame. Disclosing to someone that you feel safe with. Researching useful websites such as intheknow.co.nz Using apps such as Fortify 'Finding your why' - understanding your motivating factor […]
Alika Gambill from @pro_recovery_power tells us that not drinking alcohol and doing drugs is the smallest part of the blessing he got from recovery. He acknowledges that the thing he struggled with more than the drugs and alcohol was his relationship with himself and his own insecurities. He stated that his best thinking got him […]
This article was written by James Dear for Meditation New Zealand Happiness... For practically my entire life I have attempted to crack the code. I jumped from one fix to the next, trying to squeeze as much fun out of it as possible, until it was exhausted. Upon facing the dark and empty void within, […]
I got bullied a lot when I was in primary school, so when I started secondary school I felt like I had a point to prove. I started trying to be a hard man. I would pick fights with people for no reason. The way that this usually ended up was by someone's older brother […]
Guest author Marius Cuit In 2014 I left my normal life in Lithuania to follow my heart. It lead me to Austria to snowboard and to see the mountains. My aim was to find a job that could pay for food and accommodation so that I could spend all day living the dream. This is […]
Written by James Dear Since doing work on various bad habits, and one serious addiction, I have come to realise that everyone is self-medicating in one way or another. Self-medication can be in the form of food, shopping, alcohol, illegal drugs, medical drugs or almost anything that you find comfort in. I realised that I […]
Guest author - Anonymous Hi James, I have read your story and it has unexpectedly made me want to share my story with you. So here goes… Growing up I had an abusive father who drank heavily, although never physically hurting me or my brother, we witnessed my mum getting beaten. He would call the […]
Guest author Eddie Jury After reading Mr Dear's blog I felt inspired and reading his story compelled me to share my own in the hope that it can help someone too. Here’s my story (I promise there is a happy ending) We are the same age and we partied in the same circles, but we […]
Written by James Dear I feel that I am doing fairly well in life at the moment, but things have not always been this way. Through my stupidity, I have become rich in the wisdom of hard lessons and I would like to start giving back what so many have previously given to me. I […]
