Aida was addicted to crystal meth and too sick to evacuate when hurricane Katrina battered the coast. Her daughter and family had sheltered in Dallas, but she had to wait out the destruction alone in Baton Rouge, praying for help from helicopters flying overhead. Unbeknown to Aida, a twist of fate was soon to reveal itself. Now Aida and her brother Will share their unbelievable story with host William C. Moyers, reflecting on the power of dignity and hope, especially in the midst of crisis....
Feb 08, 2023•17 min•Ep. 129
Immigrants and refugees are often forced to flee from unimaginable crisis—their lives torn apart by war and other humanitarian disasters. Unfortunately, that trauma doesn't disappear when they arrive in the States. Plus, with no experience, they have difficulty navigating our health systems. To shed light on the subject, and to explain culturally-responsive treatment settings, Damir Utrzan, PhD, and Manuel Garcia join host William C. Moyers.
Feb 08, 2023•17 min•Ep. 150
Daisy VanSlyke from the Cook Inlet Tribal Council shares how they're promoting recovery among Native Alaskan communities. Using culturally-sensitive care and native models of wellness, their organization is able to spread the messages of recovery that really stick and resonate with local communities. The key, according to VanSlyke, is to listen.
Feb 07, 2023•25 min•Ep. 120
Addiction passes from one generation to the next. But so too does the hope of recovery. This was the case for Judy and her family: Her mother was the fourth patient to ever receive treatment at the Betty Ford Center. Then Judy, her brother and her son later followed in those healing footsteps, sharing a multigenerational story of hope and recovery. Now she joins host William C. Moyers to discuss how recovery gets passed down, and she answers the question, "What keeps you sober after 37 years?"...
Feb 07, 2023•18 min•Ep. 127
Indigenous children were stolen from their homes, sent to boarding schools and forced to assimilate. Thus began the cycle of trauma and addiction. Today, the Wellbreity movement responds—providing a cultural framework for healing from those injustices and breaking the cycle.
Feb 06, 2023•27 min•Ep. 118
Host Andrew Williams speaks with his colleagues Cecelia Jayme, Director of Clinical Services, and Sarita McGowan, PhD. As two proud Native women in long-term recovery, Jayme and McGowan, PhD, share their personal and professional insights into addiction within Indigenous communities. And they discuss how it's being addressed, and how allies and community members can partner to create change—honoring the long history of trauma and the very real impact on their community.
Feb 06, 2023•26 min•Ep. 117
Food. Touch. Connection. Music and Laughter. These are medicines, and when a person is healthy and whole, they become good medicine to others. That’s how Celina Mahinalani Garza is bridging the health equity gap for Native communities. Tune in to hear her fascinating outlook on healing.
Feb 06, 2023•32 min•Ep. 119
Emi and Lina didn’t have the tools to process and make sense of their loved one’s addiction. They’re just kids, after all. But once they attended the Children’s Program, they started to speak the language of recovery—and they understood that they will never, ever be alone on this journey.
Jan 24, 2023•17 min•Ep. 116
Has your drinking become problematic? You're not alone: the headlines have focused on opioids and fentanyl, but alcohol remains the most used and abused substance in the country. And the pandemic made things worse. So if you're wondering whether you might have an alcohol use disorder, learn these warning signs and signals—and the healthiest solutions available. Quyen Ngo, PhD, and Stephen Delisi, MD, discuss all that and more with host William C. Moyers.
Jan 13, 2023•16 min•Ep. 115
A beautiful and fun-loving boy transformed when he began to experiment with substances. His father, Stephen, could hardly recognize him: he became "nasty and combative," and their home life was marred by conflict. Willing to do anything, Stephen retired from Wall Street to learn everything he could about parenting an addicted child. Now he joins host William C. Moyers to share some essential life lessons and tools for other families who still hurt.
Sep 14, 2022•24 min•Ep. 114
Mike Heuerman's football career at the University of Notre Dame took a heavy toll on his body. He needed surgery to repair the labrum in his hip and the torn muscles in his lower abdomen. But, as is often the case, the prescription opioids introduced him to addiction. Now Mike is five years sober (and counting), and spreading the hope of recovery to college students at his alma mater. Hear how else he's inspiring people in the full conversation with host William C. Moyers.
Sep 07, 2022•18 min•Ep. 113
How did prescription opioids become a gateway to heroin and fentanyl? When did opioids become the gold standard for pain management, and why did regulation take so long? Chief Medical Officer, Alta DeRoo, joins host William C. Moyers to discuss the opioid epidemic in its entirety, including its origins and escalation, the latest treatment solutions and community responses, and more. Tune in.
Aug 24, 2022•17 min•Ep. 112
Host William C. Moyers speaks with four of his brilliant colleagues about the state of the fentanyl epidemic. Now linked to 70 percent of overdose deaths, the drug is appearing in non-opioids like benzodiazepines, MDMA and marijuana. How did we get here? How can parents and communities limit the deadliness? And how is the medical community responding? Tune in to find out.
Aug 10, 2022•22 min•Ep. 111
Burnout and compassion fatigue reached a fever pitch during the pandemic, but these problems have existed forever: caregivers and service providers get exhausted, then the beauty of their work—caring for and helping other people—is eclipsed by apathy. To help people return to self and rediscover their passion, author and educator Elizabeth Bishop wrote Conscious Service . Now she joins host William C. Moyers to discuss the practices and philosophies that protect us from burnout.
Jul 26, 2022•17 min•Ep. 110
Do we want to help incarcerated women, many of whom are locked up for non-violent crimes, or should we let them fend for themselves? Dr. Stephanie Covington has spent decades trying to help these women, providing them the tools and community resources they need to recover and reintegrate into society, but she believes the whole justice system needs to be fixed. Tune in to hear her important perspectives and remarks in this conversation with host William C. Moyers.
Jul 13, 2022•19 min•Ep. 109
Addiction doesn't discriminate based on income or employment. Employees in any work setting can be affected by the disease, and the culture of the workplace will either encourage treatment and recovery or passively endorse the disease of addiction—with very real effects to the business and, more importantly, to people's lives. Make the shift in culture: join host William C. Moyers and VP of Business Development Bob Poznanovich to get started.
Jun 15, 2022•17 min•Ep. 108
Dr. Kevin Doyle, the President and CEO of the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies, joins host William C. Moyers to talk about the evolution of academia and the changing landscape for addiction counselors. They also discuss the urgent and increasing demand for counselors, and how the Grad School is preparing its graduates to become the next generation of leaders—and a vast network of hope and healing. Tune in to hear this fascinating conversation.
Jun 08, 2022•19 min•Ep. 107
Is it possible to find peace and happiness when a loved one is addicted? Twenty years ago, prized author Beverly Conyers would have said "no." She thought acceptance meant giving up, and she would have sacrificed everything to keep her daughter safe. Now after two decades of learning and living, Conyers has changed her tune: "I have my own life and I have to live it." What other advice does she have for parents and loved ones? Tune in for this hopeful conversation with William C. Moyers.
Jun 01, 2022•17 min•Ep. 106
Can pregnant women safely consume a small amount of alcohol or marijuana? How will prescription medicine affect the baby? Chief Medical Officer and board-certified OB/GYN Alta DeRoo, MD, sits down with host William C. Moyers to answer those questions and more, offering some really simple and thoughtful advice to moms and families who are curious about their substance use—including how to push past the stigma and find whatever help they need.
May 18, 2022•17 min•Ep. 105
Ketamine is the source of some controversy: it works wonders for depression, and fast. But it's also addictive and potentially triggering for people in recovery. It's proven to effectively treat severe depression that won't respond to other medications. But because it affects so many receptor sites in the brain, and because it causes hallucinations and other psychedelic effects, there's a lot to consider. Former Chief Medical Officer Marvin Seppala, MD, joins host William C. Moyers to discuss....
May 04, 2022•17 min•Ep. 104
It's common for moms to feel a little "off" after giving birth—the hormonal changes can cause something called the "baby blues," where mom is a little sadder than usual. But another possibility is postpartum depression, which interrupts the mom's mood for an extended period of time, making it hard to get out of bed or care for herself and her newborn. How can she start to feel better without self-medicating? Host William C. Moyers invited Chief Medical Officer Alta DeRoo, MD, to weigh in.
Apr 20, 2022•15 min•Ep. 103
How can we prevent opioid and drug use among teens? We can dispel the myths around alcohol and nicotine use. We can show them the data, and teach them about the countless effects to the mind and body. We can hold 60 one-minute conversations, rather than one 60-minute conversation, and encourage teens to choose their health and happiness above all else. Want to get started? Tune in for this conversation between prevention specialist Ian Groves and host William C. Moyers.
Apr 06, 2022•20 min•Ep. 102
The pandemic has affected everyone, but young people have been particularly vulnerable to its mental health effects. Teens have been trapped at home and isolated from their friends during a life stage where they seek to express individuality. They've been cut off from academics, extracurriculars and hobbies like never before, and they feel bombarded by rules and regulations. How can adults help out? Dr. Sara Polley sits down with host William C. Moyers to discuss.
Mar 23, 2022•16 min•Ep. 101
The prospect of entering into addiction treatment can be wildly intimidating. Many don't know what to expect from their treatment experience, and they may delay or avoid the process if they can't picture what's to come. What do those early days in treatment look like? How is addiction treated, and how is a person made to feel comfortable? Those questions and more are answered by Vice President Tessa Voss and Clinical Director Cecelia Jayme. Tune in.
Mar 09, 2022•18 min•Ep. 100
Searching for the right treatment program can be overwhelming. It's unfamiliar territory, and it's hard to know who to trust or which information to attend to. "How will we pay for treatment? Why do those mental health services matter? What will keep my loved one safe and sober?" The questions are endless. To simplify the process, Vice President Tessa Voss and Clinical Director Cecelia Jayme sit down with host William C. Moyers to answer those questions and more. Tune in.
Mar 09, 2022•19 min•Ep. 99
Much has changed in the world of prevention since the days of "Just Say No." Now the conversation is nuanced and fact-based, and the methodologies are backed up by data. Kids are given the information, and then they're trusted to make the healthy decision. How else has prevention evolved? How do we empower kids to make the healthy choice? Tune in for this fascinating conversation between Deirdre Flynn, manager of Hazelden Betty Ford's Prevention Solutions, and host William C. Moyers.
Feb 23, 2022•21 min•Ep. 98
After announcing his retirement, Jerry Moe, the national director of the Children's Program, revisits the incredible impact the program has made for countless children and families. He recounts Mrs. Betty Ford's vision and involvement, and her hopeful words to Jerry all those years ago: "This is really important. We have an opportunity to transform people's lives." And indeed they did. Tune in to hear the full story, the lasting legacy Jerry will leave and where the program is headed next....
Feb 09, 2022•17 min•Ep. 97
The Children's Program is a delicate balancing act: it has to respect the gravity of addiction, but it also needs to be a safe space for healing—for having fun and being a kid again. That balancing act was perfected through the years by director Jerry Moe. And now that he's retiring, he reflects on the program's importance with host William C. Moyers, sharing some of his fondest memories that he and those children will cherish forever, and making room for the next generation of hope and healing....
Feb 09, 2022•19 min•Ep. 96
Sara Polley, MD, watched her dad struggle with addiction for much of her life, and she had grown to expect bad news. When she learned of his death, some part of her felt relieved—his suffering was finally done, and he had found peace. Now she serves as a medical director for Hazelden Betty Ford, and she speaks with host William C. Moyers about the family grieving process: it's a storm of emotions, but it's also an opportunity to find empathy, meaning and grace.
Jan 26, 2022•20 min•Ep. 95
Stress is as natural and persistent as the moon and the tides, and people often unwind with a drink. The rough edges of the day are quickly smoothed out by the depressant effects on the mind and the body, and for many, it's the preferred way to relax: a cold beer after work or a glass of red to pair with dinner. But can that small and modest habit become something dangerous? Join host William C. Moyers and Damir Utrzan, PhD, to learn more.
Jan 12, 2022•16 min•Ep. 94
