"The Addicted Mind Podcast" offers hope, understanding, and guidance for those dealing with addiction, with real stories and research to inspire and show the journey to recovery is worth it.
The One Thing Shame Does Not Want You to Do
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Hi Reader, Let me ask you something. If being hard on yourself really worked, would you still be struggling? Most of us think that criticizing ourselves will somehow motivate us to do better. But research tells us the opposite. When shame takes over, the brain shifts into a threat response. It becomes harder to think clearly, solve problems, and make healthy choices. That is not because you are weak. It is because your nervous system is trying to protect you. This is where self-compassion comes in. Self-compassion is not making excuses or letting yourself off the hook. It is treating yourself with the same kindness and understanding you would offer a good friend who is having a hard time. That simple shift helps calm the nervous system, improves emotional regulation, and creates the conditions for real change. The next time you make a mistake, try asking yourself, "What do I need right now?" instead of, "What is wrong with me?" Healing grows much faster in an environment of compassion than one of criticism. Your brain is listening to how you talk to yourself. Make it a conversation worth hearing. Keep growing, Duane |
The Addicted Mind Podcast
"The Addicted Mind Podcast" offers hope, understanding, and guidance for those dealing with addiction, with real stories and research to inspire and show the journey to recovery is worth it.
Hi Reader, Are you giving yourself enough credit for the little victories? Recovery is not about getting everything right. It is about noticing the moments when you are doing something different, making a healthier choice, or simply showing up for yourself. Maybe you handled a trigger without falling into an old pattern. Maybe you reached out instead of isolating. Maybe you caught a negative thought before it took over. Maybe you got through a difficult day without giving up. Those moments...
Hi Reader, This week on the podcast, I sat down with Joanna Conti, founder of Conquer Addiction and the Vista Research Group. Joanna’s story is personal. After years of helping her daughter navigate severe alcohol addiction and multiple treatment programs, she wanted to know something simple: What actually helps people stay in recovery? That question led her to build a system that has now tracked more than 100,000 people in treatment and followed more than 50,000 after treatment. One finding...
Hi Reader, Have you ever picked up your phone to check one thing, only to look up twenty minutes later wondering where the time went? You are not alone. There is a name for that drained feeling many of us experience after spending too much time on our devices. It is called digital fatigue. Our brains were not designed to process a nonstop stream of news, videos, messages, emails, and notifications. The constant switching of attention can leave us feeling mentally tired, distracted, and even...