Episodios

  • TAM+ EP 96 Celebrating the Little Things: How Micro Wins Drive Your Recovery Journey

    TAM+ EP 96 Celebrating the Little Things: How Micro Wins Drive Your Recovery Journey
    Dec 4 2025

    Download: MICRO WINS WORKSHEET


    In this episode of The Addicted Mind Plus, Duane and Eric Osterlind dive into the importance of celebrating micro wins in the journey of recovery. They discuss how small victories, often overlooked, play a crucial role in maintaining motivation and building resilience. By focusing on these tiny achievements, you can create a positive mindset that fuels your progress toward larger goals. Whether it's putting on your shoes for a walk or writing a single sentence in your journal, these micro wins can significantly boost your emotional well-being and keep you moving forward. Tune in to learn practical tips and hear inspiring insights on how to make the most of your daily successes.


    Key Topics

    • The significance of micro wins in recovery
    • How small victories boost motivation and resilience
    • Practical examples of celebrating micro wins
    • The impact of savoring positive experiences
    • Strategies for incorporating micro wins into daily life

    Key Moments

    1. [00:01:05] - Introduction to micro wins and their importance
    2. [00:02:24] - Discussion on the nihilistic mindset and its impact on recovery
    3. [00:03:00] - The role of small victories in building momentum
    4. [00:04:00] - Research findings on savoring and its benefits
    5. [00:06:55] - Practical examples of micro wins in fitness and personal development
    6. [00:09:23] - Strategies for recognizing and celebrating micro wins
    7. [00:14:00] - Encouragement to start celebrating micro wins and available resources


    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    17 m
  • Episode 362: Overcoming the Fear: Finding Hope and Healing in the Rehab Playbook with Jaime W. Vinck

    Episode 362: Overcoming the Fear: Finding Hope and Healing in the Rehab Playbook with Jaime W. Vinck
    Dec 1 2025
    In this episode, host Duane Osterlind speaks with Jaime W. Vinck MC, LPC, President of Meadows Behavioral Health and a Licensed Professional Counselor with 20 years of experience in the treatment industry. They discuss her book, The Rehab Playbook, which aims to demystify the rehabilitation process and encourage more people to seek help for addiction and mental health challenges.📖 Why the Book Was WrittenJaime was inspired to write The Rehab Playbook during COVID-19, driven by the dedication of treatment staff and the desire to diminish suffering. The book’s core mission is to pull back the curtain on rehab, showing the process from the inside out to help people overcome the fear and stigma associated with seeking treatment.The Gap in Care: Statistically, only one out of ten people who need treatment get it, and it takes the average person 10 years to pick up the "thousand-pound phone" and seek help.Addressing Fear: The book explains the logistics of rehab—from what to bring, the luggage search process, and the healthy use of electronics—to address common reasons people drop out in the first few days due to unexpected rules or procedures.The Why: All rules and processes are explained as being for the patient's own safety and to ensure their treatment success.The Fear and Stigma of Seeking HelpStigma and Labeling: Despite COVID-19 somewhat reducing the stigma, people are still afraid of being labeled, losing their jobs, or being judged by friends and family.Media Misrepresentation: Media portrayals of rehab (like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest or 28 Days) often create an inaccurate and fear-inducing image of the environment.The "No Judgment Zone": In quality treatment centers, the culture is one of carefrontation, not confrontation, where shame and guilt are replaced by trust and normalization. Most staff members have personal experience with addiction or recovery, fostering a deeply empathetic environment.The Cornerstone of HealingStructured Schedule: Days are packed with movement (gym, pickleball, pool), group work, and lectures, starting with early-morning gratitude.Primary Process Group: This is considered the cornerstone of deep addiction treatment. It involves a small group of 6-8 people with a primary therapist where patients share their life story/timeline.Corrective Experience: Group work helps repair early childhood trauma where vulnerability may have been dangerous. Hearing others share their stories reveals more similarities than differences, breaking down isolation and teaching healthy empathy.Experiential Therapies: Modalities like equine psychotherapy (working with horses), ropes courses, and art therapy help patients get their bodies moving and discover they can experience joy and connection while sober.Trauma Work: Treatment includes one-on-one trauma assessments and evidence-based modalities, along with resources like a Brain Center for neurofeedback and neuromodulation.Major Barriers to Treatment:Lack of Awareness of Resources: Many people incorrectly believe rehab is only for the wealthy and are unaware their insurance (like Blue Cross Blue Shield) or employee assistance programs (EAPs) can cover treatment based on medical necessity.Time Off Work: Individuals often don't realize they can take time off through the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or short-term disability.Jaime's final advice for anyone considering seeking help:"You deserve to live a life that's happy, joyous, and free. People get better every day, so don't give up the hope."🔗 ResourcesBook: The Rehab PlaybookWebsite: www.therehabplaybook.comwww.therehabplaybook.comwww.naatp.comwww.meadowsbh.comIf 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.
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    34 m
  • Episode 361: The Healing Revolution: Creating Safe and Transformative Group Environments with Liz Friedman

    Episode 361: The Healing Revolution: Creating Safe and Transformative Group Environments with Liz Friedman
    Nov 24 2025
    In this episode, host Duane Osterlind speaks with Liz Friedman, CEO and Co-founder of GPS Group Peer Support, about the vital role of peer support and group modalities in addressing the widespread mental health crisis. Liz shares her personal journey into the work, stemming from a severe mental health crisis after childbirth, which revealed significant gaps in the healthcare system. The conversation delves into the definition, profound impact, and structured model of peer support, emphasizing its effectiveness in fostering connection, resilience, and lasting change.Key Discussion PointsDefining Peer Support: Peer support is fundamentally about landing in your own lived experience and offering it as a tool and gift to others. It is about saying, "I've survived some really hard things. I believe you can too. Let's take the next step together," to break through isolation, stigma, and shame.Lived Experience as a Modality: Liz's personal motivation comes from her own struggles and the realization that connection is the key factor in healing. This understanding is deeply rooted in the recovery field.Peer Support vs. Professional Therapy: While professional therapy is crucial, peer support offers a unique, complementary therapeutic modality where participants share their lived experience to inspire and resource one another. Peer support minimizes the hierarchy and clinical barriers often present in traditional settings, enhancing rapport.The Need for Structure and Training: Despite the organic nature of groups, there is a limited evidence base and a lack of training for running effective peer support groups—even among clinical professionals. Liz's organization, GPS Group Peer Support, focuses on training facilitators to create a structured, trauma-informed, and trauma-responsive container that allows for genuine authenticity and courageous sharing.The GPS Group Peer Support Model: The model integrates evidence-based modalities (like CBT, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness) seamlessly into a very set, stepped structure. Key elements include:Ritual Beginning: Starting with a mindfulness moment for grounding and landing.Heightened Confidentiality: Confidentiality is framed relationally to promote transformation, where the very act of saying something can change it, and prevent "locking" a person into their past truth.No Interruption/Advice: A completely device-free zone that eliminates crosstalk, advice-giving, and conflict. This trusts the participant's ability to find their own path and fosters self-trust.Realities and Principles: An honest preamble that names the challenges (realities) specific to the population while affirming principles of hope, dignity, and recovery for everyone.Equal Protected Time: Every person receives the same amount of protected time to share, ensuring the group is never dominated by a single voice and allowing the collective story to emerge.Addressing the Mental Health Crisis: The shift to group therapeutic care and support groups is critical for the future of mental healthcare. By utilizing a group model, costs can be reduced, access can be dramatically expanded (serving millions more people), and care can be de-stigmatized and normalized.💡 Listener TakeawayLiz Friedman encourages anyone struggling and considering joining a group with this powerful message:"Sharing your story with other people is the most courageous act that you can do. It's revolutionary, it's transformative, and it's healing. And I urge you today, today, right now, to go find someone you can share your precious story to and with, because that will help you with your connection with your path. It will make everything else possible. You're not alone."Episode CreditsIf you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you. 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.
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    40 m
  • TAM+ EP95 The Science of Hope: Training Your Brain for Recovery Success

    TAM+ EP95 The Science of Hope: Training Your Brain for Recovery Success
    Nov 20 2025
    Worksheet: Hope Building BlueprintWhat do you do when your hope tank is completely empty? When you're going through the motions of recovery but deep down don't believe things will ever really get better?In this powerful episode of The Addicted Mind Plus, hosts Duane Osterlind and Eric Osterlind tackle one of the most critical—and often overlooked—elements of lasting recovery: hope. But this isn't a conversation about wishful thinking or waiting for motivation to magically strike. Instead, they dive into the practical science of hope and show you exactly how to cultivate it, even when you're starting from bare ground.Many people in recovery struggle with a toxic sense of hopelessness—that gray, heavy belief that the future will just repeat the past. It's the voice that whispers, "Lasting recovery is for other people, not me. I'm too broken. I've failed too many times." This feeling drains motivation and makes recovery feel like an exhausting chore rather than an opportunity for a better life.Here's the good news: positive psychology research shows that hope isn't just a feeling you have to wait for. It's actually a trainable cognitive skill you can build, just like going to the gym and strengthening a muscle.Duane and Eric break down Dr. C.R. Snyder's groundbreaking Hope Theory, which identifies two essential components of hope: pathway thinking (the belief that you can find routes to your goals—the "how to" part) and agency thinking (the belief in your own ability to use those paths—the "I can do this" part). When you feel hopeless, it's usually because you've lost one or both of these elements.The episode gets wonderfully practical with two concrete action steps you can start using today:Action Step #1: Set One Hopeful, Achievable Goal - Choose one small, realistic, and measurable goal you can work on this month (or even just today). Not something vague like "be happier" or "fix my life," but something specific like "spend 10 minutes outside three times this week" or "make one phone call to a supportive friend." Writing it down literally creates a pathway forward in your brain.Action Step #2: Visualize Your Success - Take 2-3 minutes to close your eyes and vividly imagine yourself achieving that goal. Don't just see it—feel it. Imagine the pride, relief, and satisfaction of crossing it off your list. This isn't just positive thinking fluff—it's neuroscience. Elite Olympic athletes use this exact technique to improve their performance, and research shows visualization can be as beneficial as additional physical training.The hosts explain that this process directly builds self-efficacy—your belief in your ability to succeed. Hope isn't just believing things can get better; it's taking small steps that create evidence they ARE getting better.Throughout the episode, Duane and Eric's compassionate approach shines through. They acknowledge that both pathway thinking and agency thinking can be incredibly difficult to access in recovery, but they offer genuine encouragement that these skills can be developed over time.To support your journey, they've created a free Hope Building Blueprint worksheet—a simple one-page guide to help you define your hopeful goal, brainstorm the pathway to get there, and list your motivation and visualization strategies.If you're struggling with hopelessness in recovery, this episode offers both the science and the practical tools to start building hope today. You deserve to believe in a better future—and now you have a roadmap to get there.Key Topics• The Neuroscience of Negativity - Why our brains are wired to focus on negative emotions and predictions first• Dr. C.R. Snyder's Hope Theory - The two essential components: pathway thinking and agency thinking• Pathway vs. Agency - Understanding which element of hope you're struggling with most• Small Goals Build Self-Efficacy - How tiny, achievable wins create evidence of progress and fuel motivation• The Power of Visualization - Using Olympic athlete techniques to prime your brain for success• Actionable Hope-Building Steps - Two concrete practices to start cultivating hope today• Free Hope Building Blueprint - Downloadable worksheet to guide your goal-setting and visualization practiceTimestamp List00:00 - Introduction: What is the most powerful fuel for recovery?02:00 - The pain point of hopelessness and why it's toxic to recovery04:00 - Why our brains are wired for negativity and how positive psychology offers a new lens06:00 - Breaking down the two essential parts of hope: pathway thinking and agency thinking09:00 - Action Step #1: Setting one hopeful, achievable goal that's specific and measurable11:00 - Action Step #2: Visualizing your success using neuroscience-backed techniques14:00 - Recap and introduction to the free Hope Building Blueprint worksheetSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    17 m
  • Episode 360: Beyond Rock Bottom: Brenda Zane's Journey to Empower Parents

    Episode 360: Beyond Rock Bottom: Brenda Zane's Journey to Empower Parents
    Nov 17 2025
    This week on the podcast, host Duane Osterlind welcomes Brenda Zane, the founder of Hope Stream Community. Brenda is a former high-level advertising executive who completely shifted her career after her son struggled with severe substance use disorder, including multiple fentanyl overdoses. Her experience led her to realize the lack of effective, compassionate, and actionable resources for parents dealing with a child's addiction—so she built them.Brenda shares her powerful, deeply personal journey, discussing the profound shift in perspective that occurred after her son's near-fatal experiences. She realized her demanding corporate life was "meaningless" compared to the urgency of her family's struggle. This episode is a must-listen for any parent, caregiver, or family member grappling with a loved one's addiction, offering a powerful message of hope, empowerment, and practical advice.Key Topics The Power of Perspective Shift: Brenda discusses how a crisis can force a re-evaluation of what is truly meaningful in life, leading her to leave her high-powered career to focus on supporting other families.Challenging the "Rock Bottom" Myth: The conversation directly addresses the harmful, disempowering message that parents are helpless and must simply "let them hit rock bottom." Brenda emphasizes that parents can take action to change their family system and build connection.The Importance of Parental "Internal Work": Brenda highlights that showing up effectively for a child struggling with substance use requires the parent to do their own deep internal work. This includes letting go of the ego, dismantling the need to rescue, and distinguishing between blame and responsibility in the family dynamic.The Backpack Analogy: A key concept discussed is allowing your child to struggle and face natural consequences (filling their "backpack" with life lessons), rather than constantly rescuing them (leaving them with an "empty backpack").Setting Boundaries with Compassion: Learn how to create a plan with your therapist to set boundaries that protect your sanity while still maintaining a loving relationship with your child. Brenda stresses the importance of understanding that your child's substance use is a symptom, not an action against you.The Value of Non-Judgmental Connection: Brenda shares practical examples, like meeting her son for breakfast with the rule of no talk about substance use, just to connect on a human, person-to-person level.Focusing on Support: Support anything that moves your loved one toward healthy relationships and healthy behavior, whether that's treatment, a mentor, or simple connection. Don't fall for "imaginary haircuts" (e.g., giving money for things you know will be used for substances).Healing in Community: The segment on Hope Stream emphasizes the need for a non-judgmental community where caregivers can find support, share experiences, and receive education on communication tools and the complexities of addiction, trauma, and ambiguous grief.The Mandatory Self-Care Message: Brenda's final advice to a struggling mom is concise and crucial: Take care of yourself. It is mandatory, not selfish.ResourcesWebsite: hopestreamcommunity.orgPodcast: hopestreamcommunity.org/playlistsE-books: hopestreamcommunity.org/resourcesNovusMindfulLife.comhttps://www.theaddictedmind.com/community 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.
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    38 m
  • TAM+ EP 94 Finding the Silver Lining: The Art of Benefit Finding

    TAM+ EP 94 Finding the Silver Lining: The Art of Benefit Finding
    Nov 14 2025
    Worksheet: Growth & Gratitude Journal PromptsWhat if the experiences that broke you could also be the source of your greatest strengths?It's a radical question, especially when you're standing in the aftermath of addiction and trauma, surrounded by what feels like nothing but devastation and regret. But what if within that rubble, there were seeds of profound growth waiting to be discovered?In this powerful episode of The Addicted Mind Plus, hosts Duane Osterlind and Eric Osterlind explore the transformative concept of benefit finding and post-traumatic growth. This isn't about pretending the past wasn't painful or toxic positivity that dismisses real suffering. Instead, it's about learning to hold two truths at the same time: your pain was real and devastating, AND you can grow stronger because of how you navigated through it.The episode tackles a pain point many in recovery face: feeling permanently defined by the worst things that have happened to you. When you look back and see only a wasteland of mistakes, regrets, and broken pieces, it becomes incredibly difficult to build a hopeful future. That narrative of victimhood and brokenness can feel impossible to escape.Duane and Eric introduce the concept of post-traumatic growth (PTG)—significant positive psychological change that comes not from the traumatic event itself, but from the struggle with that event. Think of it like a forest fire: the fire is devastating, but the struggle for survival can lead to new, significant growth in the ecosystem afterward.The hosts identify five key areas where people often experience growth after trauma: improved relationships with deeper, authentic connections; new possibilities and opportunities that weren't visible before; a greater sense of personal strength and resilience; spiritual development and a broader sense of meaning; and a deeper appreciation for life and gratitude for things once taken for granted.Throughout the episode, Duane and Eric emphasize the critical importance of validating pain before exploring growth. You can't skip over the hurt to get to the healing. As Duane explains, you have to sit with the pain and acknowledge it's real before you can discover the benefits—but you don't have to stay in that pain forever.The episode offers two gentle, reflective exercises for listeners. The first invites you to identify one personal strength—like resilience, empathy, patience, or determination—that has been significantly enhanced because of what you walked through. The second is a journal prompt: "What is one important lesson I've learned about myself, about others, or about life through this journey so far?"These reflections help reframe the narrative of your life. As Eric powerfully states, you stop being just the victim of your past and become the person who faced immense challenges and found strength and meaning in the struggle. This doesn't change what happened, but it can change what it means to you today.Duane shares one of his favorite quotes from Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning": "When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." That's the heart of this work—changing ourselves in response to what we've endured and finding real purpose in that transformation.To support listeners in this gentle process of exploration, Duane and Eric have created a free Growth and Gratitude Journal Prompts worksheet, available in the show notes at theaddictivemind.com.This episode is a compassionate invitation to look at your past through a new lens—not one that erases the pain, but one that helps you discover the unexpected gifts that emerged from your struggle. If you're in recovery and wrestling with feelings that your past is only a story of damage, this episode offers hope and a path forward.Key Topics • Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG): Understanding how significant positive change can emerge from struggling with major life crises and traumatic events• The Importance of Validating Pain First: Why you must acknowledge and sit with pain before you can discover the benefits and growth that followed• Five Key Areas of Growth: Exploring improved relationships, new possibilities, personal strength, spiritual development, and deeper life appreciation• Holding Competing Truths: Learning to acknowledge that an experience was 100% painful while simultaneously recognizing the growth that came from navigating it• Reframing Your Life Narrative: Shifting from a story defined by damage to one of growth, resilience, and meaning• Practical Reflection Exercises: Two actionable steps for identifying strengths gained and lessons learned through adversity• Viktor Frankl's Wisdom: Applying the principle that when we can't change a situation, we're challenged to change ourselvesTimestamps[00:01:00] - Opening question: What if the things that broke you could be your greatest strengths?[00:03:00] - The pain point: Feeling permanently defined by your past ...
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    13 m
  • Episode 359: Exploring Drug Courts and Their Impact: An Interview with Dr. John Gallagher on the Criminal Justice System

    Episode 359: Exploring Drug Courts and Their Impact: An Interview with Dr. John Gallagher on the Criminal Justice System
    Nov 10 2025

    In this episode, Duane Osterlind interviews Dr. John Gallagher, an associate professor of criminal justice at Alvernia University, about the criminal justice system’s approach to addiction, specifically focusing on drug courts.

    Dr. Gallagher brings extensive experience in addiction and mental health treatment, with over 25 years of practice as a licensed clinical social worker and addiction counselor. He discusses his background, his work intersecting addiction studies with criminal justice, and the role of drug courts in addressing substance use issues within the justice system.

    Tune in as they explore the effectiveness of drug courts, the challenges they face, and their potential as a pathway to recovery for individuals involved in the criminal justice system. Whether you're interested in addiction recovery, criminal justice reform, or both, this episode offers valuable insights from a seasoned expert.


    Key Topics

    - Dr. Gallagher’s background and experience in addiction and criminal justice

    - The role of drug courts and their effectiveness

    - Challenges and issues within the current drug court system

    - The intersection of addiction treatment and criminal justice

    - Education pathways in addiction studies and criminal justice

    Resources

    Alvernia University

    John Gallagher Faculty Profile

    NovusMindfulLife.com

    https://www.theaddictedmind.com/community

    Episode Credits

    If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    1 h y 17 m
  • TAM+ EP 93 From Wounded to Whole: Nurturing Your Inner Child for Lasting Recover

    TAM+ EP 93 From Wounded to Whole: Nurturing Your Inner Child for Lasting Recover
    Nov 6 2025

    Download: THE INNER CHILD WORKSHEET


    In this episode of The Addicted Mind, Duane and Eric Osterlind dive into the powerful concept of the inner child. They explore how past traumas influence our present reactions and behaviors. Understanding and healing your inner child can lead to profound personal growth and recovery. Learn about the history of the inner child concept, its impact on addiction and recovery. Start your practical steps to your healing journey. Join us as we provide compassionate insights and actionable advice to help you nurture your vulnerable inner child and create a healthier, more balanced life.



    Key Topics

    • What is the inner child and its historical background
    • How past traumas influence current behaviors
    • The connection between inner child work and addiction recovery
    • Practical steps to heal your inner child
    • The importance of community and professional support in healing

    Timestamps

    1. [00:00:00] - Introduction to the topic of the inner child
    2. [00:01:06] - Overview of the inner child concept and its importance
    3. [00:03:32] - Signs of a wounded inner child
    4. [00:04:45] - Historical background: Carl Jung and John Bradshaw
    5. [00:06:21] - The impact of a wounded inner child on adult life
    6. [00:09:55] - How inner child work aids in addiction recovery
    7. [00:13:15] - Practical steps and resources for inner child healing


    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    17 m