Jack’s first step into the world of addiction was around the age of 12 when he smoked pot behind Chadstone shopping centre with a mate’s older brother's friends. It quickly escalated into drinking and taking MDMA.
By the age of 17 he was a fully blown ice addict stealing from his family to fuel his habit.
It was a moment of clarity when he realised he didn’t have enough money to buy a Big M – and the symbolism behind that – that saw him reach out to his family for help, that started his path to recovery.
In this episode Jack and I discuss:
· The honest reasons why people take drugs
· Rehabilitation that saves but sometimes keeps people in perpetual fear
· Alternative methods of recovery that have better outcomes
· Not seeing relapse as inevitable
· Changing the underlying programming that fuels the fire of addiction
· Giving yourself permission to forgive
Jack is the kind of person whose story stays with you long after you stop listening to him talk. The fact that he survived addiction, psychosis and his multiple suicide attempts is testament to the fact he was meant to share his story and change the perception of standard addiction treatment.
Believing in what you know and what you see to be true, and standing up for what you feel in your gut is the right path, takes courage in a world where people’s lives are at stake.
Show notes:
1.48 – The first time, around the age of 12, that I used drugs and why
4.09 – A desperate need to feel accepted and to fit in
8.02 – Hiding it from my parents wasn’t difficult
9.48 – When the wheels of the ‘normal’ life start to fall off
13.00 – People do drugs because it is an amazing experience
14.12 – ‘I love you, but we can’t keep living life like this and I have to protect your younger brother.’
18.23 – People have multiple rock bottoms
19.55 – Reaching out to family for help for the first time
21.40 – Where is the disfunction in a family who lives with an addict?
26.44 – Crossing the line you never think you will cross
29.44 – How the words you use around disease and recovery, matter
34.22 – Stepping outside the standard systems of rehabilitation
37.09 – I believe in asking the question why
39.50 – Universal law and adaptation
42.40 – Chaos cycles
44.08 – Giving yourself permission to change your mind
45.21 – Connection Based Living
52.17 – Spontaneous remission
54.40 – Working outside government mandates
57.08 – Building a program that is proactive rather than reactionary
You will find Jack here:
https://connectionbasedliving.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/realdrugtalk/
https://www.instagram.com/connectionbasedliving/
You will find Tanya here: