California dreamer Demi Lovato joins the long list of people who don’t conform to the recovery narrative. Only she’s up front about it. Demi Lovato’s intense substance-use history almost killed her. But Lovato is different: she recognizes that what almost killed her was the recovery narrative: “You’re doomed as an addict from birth; you can stave off destruction with absolute abstinence for as long as you can (in Lovato’s case six years); then we can’t help you. (And, by the way, you proved us r...
Apr 01, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Dr. Stanton Peele and Zach Rhoads respond to news threads that link the recent Atlanta murders to sex addiction. Does this claim make sense or is the "sex addiction" claim simply an insanity plea with no merit? Peele and Rhoads get into the subtleties on today's "Sundays With Stories" ***** FOLLOW on Social Media ***** - Facebook: https://facebook.com/lifeprocessprogram - Twitter : https://twitter.com/lifeprocessprgm - Instagram: https://instagram.com/lifeprocessprogram - LinkedIn: https://www.l...
Mar 22, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Meghan Markel is being used as an example of how speaking openly about depression is invaluable in order to get treatment and avoid suicide. Well, not so fast... Here are some salient facts: America has the most depression treatment and the highest suicide rate (both much higher than in the U.K.) among economically advanced societies. Markel (a) didn’t get treatment, (b) worked through her situation with her husband to change it, (c) seems no longer to be depressed. Can you explain the preceding...
Mar 17, 2021•40 min
Dr. Carl Hart has faced rough seas promoting his new book. As helpers and theorists who have faced similar tempests, Stanton and Zach offer some helpful hints. ***** Learn more about Dr. Peele's Life Process Program at their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/LifeProcessProgram?sub_confirmation=1 ***** FOLLOW on Social Media ***** - Facebook: https://facebook.com/lifeprocessprogram - Twitter : https://twitter.com/lifeprocessprgm - Instagram: https://instagram.com/lifeprocessprogram ...
Mar 11, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 53
An audience member asks 'Is "Sex Addiction" different from "Love Addiction' and can the two concepts be used interchangeably? Stanton explores the differences between the two terms and illustrates a comparative parallel between different genres of 'drug addiction'. ***** SUBSCRIBE to Our YOUTUBE Channel ***** To get more of our content and help us grow: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSYridYK8h1uXu0Gx0Kl2Og ***** CONTACT US ****** - Website: https://lifeprocessprogram.com - Text us: +1 (802) -...
Mar 03, 2021•4 min
Madeleine Dean: We admire you, but you’re thinking about America’s addiction problems is all wrong. Dr. Peele and Zach explain to the Congresswoman how she is going in exactly the wrong direction in her addiction policies following on her son’s recovery in rehab. - - - - - - - - - - ***** SUBSCRIBE to Our YOUTUBE Channel ***** To get more of our content and help us grow: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSYridYK8h1uXu0Gx0Kl2Og * **** CONTACT US ****** - Website: https://lifeprocessprogram.com ...
Mar 03, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 52
An audience member asks 'Is "Sex Addiction" different from "Love Addiction' and can the two concepts be used interchangeably? Stanton explores the differences between the two terms and illustrates a comparative parallel between different genres of 'drug addiction'. VISIT OUR WEB SITE https://LifeProcessProgram.com
Feb 23, 2021•4 min•Season 1Ep. 50
Dr. Stanton Peele and Zach Rhoads discuss Jordan Peterson's work, his views about addiction, and how he handled his own addiction to benzodiazepines (with an understanding that Peterson makes a distinction between "addiction proper" and what he believes was his own "physical dependence"-- a distinction the two discuss in another video). Peterson is an intelligent, compelling, and very famous psychologist whose rise to fame was unexpected, even to him. Much of what he did with that fame was noble...
Feb 15, 2021•41 min
Dr. Carl Hart explains that the vast majority of people who use drugs do so with no problem. In fact, drugs -- yes, even so-called "hard drugs"-- offer more positive than negative experiences. Dr. Hart is a professor (and former chair) of psychology and psychiatry at Columbia University. Today, he opens up to Zach Rhoads about his new book, "Drug Use For Grown-Ups", in which he's comes out of the closet about his own drug use and encourages the rest of us to do the same. And why is he so booster...
Feb 09, 2021•47 min
Dr. Stanton Peele and Zach Rhoads answer the following frequently asked question: Is LPP a “trauma informed program”? They offer a definition of “trauma” in several contexts. Then they discuss differences between traumatic events and adverse conditions in life. Peele and Rhoads also consider what it means to be trauma informed versus believing trauma is responsible for addiction. And, of course, the hosts explain how all of this information applies to their work with clients in the Online Life P...
Feb 05, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 48
Questions of family often appear in relation to addiction and drug issues. As with all questions in these areas, discussion is misled by disease beliefs, which leave people muddled and mystified about how to proceed constructively. Nonetheless, basic human values often assert themselves, allowing people— especially young people— to free themselves and to display bravery. Examples in the news are the women in Russian protest group Pussy Riot, Masha Gessen (Russian-American radical journalist) who...
Jan 31, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 47
On today's episode, Dr. Stanton Peele and Zach Rhoads (of the Life Process Program) discuss current events in addiction and harm reduction. The key note: Shia Labeouf's Love Addiction! - - - - - - - - - - Shia Labeouf has made the news for his movies and even for his recovery from alcohol and drugs. Unfortunately, despite years of "programming" for his addiction issues, Labeouf's behavior is still relatively unstable. Zach and Stanton, however, believe that drugs and alcohol are NOT the influenc...
Jan 18, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Stanton Peele answers questions from social media followers, listeners, and YouTube viewers. Today, Zach Rhoads reads Stanton a question from a Facebook follower: "Why do people call addiction a disease, and what is addiction REALLY?" Want to ask Stanton a question?? He will answer on video or on the podcast. You can reach us using any of the links below. - - - - - - - - - - - LPP MAIN WEB SITE - https://lifeprocessprogram.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/lifeprocessprogram Twitter: http://tw...
Jan 04, 2021•8 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Today Zach Rhoads speaks with Michael Galipeau (AKA Mikey G) about his upbringing in a state-run institution, his years of homelessness, and his relationship (positive and negative) with illicit drug use. As is par for the course here at "Sundays With Stories", Mikey G's "recovery story is NOT your standard Hollywood-infused story. He describes a traumatic past (which he's not bogged down by), and he describes a relationship with drugs for which he is very thankful. Once homeless and down on his...
Dec 14, 2020•1 hr 54 min•Season 1Ep. 45
The actor, podcaster, and AA advocate Dax Shepard has decided to turn his sobriety count from 16 years all the way back to one day. This is the result of a recent decision to take narcotic pain killers off-script. Dr. Stanton Peele and Zach Rhoads discuss why Dax's own personal development is being stymied by 12-step ideology, and why he either cannot OR refuses to acknowledge that fact. - - - - - - - - - - (Part I -- Current Events) Dr. Peele and Zach Rhoads begin the show by reviewing some rec...
Dec 01, 2020•59 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Today's episode is a "Sundays With Stories" edition and our guest today is a man named Jason Terrell. Jason was kind (and brave) enough to spend time talking about his upbringing, his addiction history, his time in treatment (which actually bogged him down more than it helped), and how he ultimately overcame addiction by using his own best thinking! All of this and more on episode 43! - - - - - - - - - - Follow Jason's Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/826135524802818 - - - - - - -...
Nov 23, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 43
On episode 9, Stanton and Zach talk about film director Peter Bogdanovich and his history of love addiction. In fact, the two argue that love is the worst addiction of all! - - - - - Zach and Stanton begin by discussing current events, including Oregon's recent push to decriminalize all drugs. The new policy is a welcome movement away from incarceration for drug possession. But the devil (as is always the case) is in the details. . . . . Will the drug reform bill end discrimination against drug ...
Nov 15, 2020•51 min•Season 1Ep. 42
We have a truly remarkable LPP “Sundays With Stories” — Aaron’s story. Put simply, Aaron’s life has been . . . well, it might be rejected by Netflix as unbelievable. And it has left him firmly in the LPP camp. Just up front, Aaron is an outreach manager for a national opioid treatment provider. He combines his position on MAT with his non-disease, non-trauma-fixated LPP coaching. (More about this later.) The podcast covers Aaron and his 11 siblings singing in churches, restaurants and streets ar...
Nov 08, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Not so long ago, I p ublished a blog comparing and contrasting SMART Recovery with the L ife Process Program. Shortly after doing so, The president of SMART Recovery wrote to me and offered reflections on the piece. That made me a little nervous.... but he liked the blog. (WHEW!) But he did have a bone to pick with me.... I wrote that SMART Recovery is an abstinence-based program and, evidently, they are no longer focused on abstinence from drugs, alcohol or any other involvement. I invited him ...
Nov 05, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 40
In today’s episode of Sundays With Stories, Stanton and Zach discuss current events. This week a New York Times article bemoaned the failure of addiction specialists to adopt a proven tool for treating drug addiction, “contingency management.” That is, paying meth, cocaine et al. users for abstinence. That’s right: experienced, one might say addicted, “speed” (“crank”) users will desist drug use if you give them money — and not colossal sums at that. This has been Carl Hart’s research with meth,...
Nov 01, 2020•41 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Dr. Stanton Peele is the founder and creator of the Life Process Program: http://LifeProcessProgram.com - - - - - - - - - - Dr. Peele and Zach Rhoads return for episode 6 of "Sundays With Stories". They select two more prominent non-12-step “recovery” stories — these with “addicts” who, themselves, were earmarked for hell — Lindsay Lohan and Robert Downey Jr. Lohan seemed doomed by her alcoholism (according not only to her father, but seemingly Oprah). She instead partnered in a group of beach c...
Oct 25, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Dr. Peele received an email from a documentary film company, asking him to participate in a documentary about addiction. He happily agreed, and then the company sent him a list of questions that he needed to be prepared to answer. Unfortunately, they were all leading questions-- ones which implied that a.) addiction is a disease; b.) drugs cause addiction; c.) addiction is unescapable and none of us are safe! Stanton had to wonder, "have these people ever read any of my work?" But he's a man of ...
Oct 19, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Today, Dr. Stanton Peele and Zach Rhoads talk about two popular shows and their satire of standard AA / Trauma addition theories. The two shows are "South Park" (a classic episode poking fun at AA) and "The Good Place"-- which is, in essence, a show that pokes fun at the idea of over-focusing on past events, as per the extremes of Trauma Theory. For more about Stanton and Zach's addiction ideas, you can connect with the Life Process Program: - - - - - - - - - - Email us - info@lifeprocessprogram...
Oct 13, 2020•28 min
Today, Zach and Dr. Peele discuss Stephen Glover’s (AKA Steve-O) addiction story. Steve-O is the TV personality who produced and starred in the Jackass movies. During and subsequent to his rise to his movie career, he developed addictions to drugs and alcohol. He went to a disease-based rehab and has abstained from alcohol and drugs ever since (which LPP doesn’t necessarily discourage, but we don’t demand it either). Later in life, however, Steve-O developed a sex addiction , and decided he want...
Oct 07, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Welcome to Episode 34! In this episode of Sundays With Stories, Dr. Stanton Peele and Zach Rhoads tell the not-so-recovery stories of two ultra-famous musical legends, Elton John and Bob Weir. Some key notes from the episode: I. Addiction and recovery narratives, and why people adopt them II. There is a Grateful Dead / Jerry Garcia narrative which may be more or less true. But it wasn’t true for Robert Hunter (who died last December), and ceased to be true for Bob Weir. And, when tells his truth...
Oct 01, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Welcome to episode 33! This episode is the audio version of a new weekly segment, produced by LPP and hosted by Stanton Peele and Zach Rhoads, called "Sundays With Stories" Each week, Zach and Stanton tell the story of a celebrity-- well, COUNTER-recovery story. That is: they tell the stories of celebrities who outgrow their addictions, and whose stories actually oppose the standard addiction and recovery bromides that we've all been told. This week's celebrity: Drew Barrymore! (More on "Sundays...
Sep 25, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Welcome to the LPP Podcast! Today's episode is a segment of our interview with LPP Coach Dee Cloward. In this segment, Dee talks about her work at SMART Recovery and compares/contrasts it with her work for the Life Process Program. Dee loves both programs, but notes that there are meaningful differences between them-- differences which she outlines in today's discussion! - - - - - - - - - - Here's LPP's recent blog about this topic: https://lifeprocessprogram.com/smart-recovery/ - - - - - - - - ...
Sep 14, 2020•16 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Welcome to episode 31! Today we want you to take care of you. So enjoy this 15 minute mindfulness meditation and free your mind so that you can make reasoned, responsible, and good decisions about how you'll behave for the rest of today. If you'd like to learn more about mindfulness and meditation and how they relate to overcoming addiction, make sure you check out last episode of the podcast, where I spoke to Toby Sola (the CEO of Brightmind Meditation App): https://anchor.fm/lifeprocessprogram...
Sep 04, 2020•15 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Welcome to episode 30! Today's guest is Toby Sola. Toby is the CEO of Brightmind for a living ; he practices and teaches meditation as a livelihood . Brightmind is a meditaion app that helps people-- of all personalities, persuasions, and goals-- achieve a more mindful way of living. Today we discuss the ways in which mindfulness and meditation can help you notice, acknowledge, re-frame, and OVERCOME addiction. Some relevant discussion-points: - Toby's back-story (how he became a meditation expe...
Aug 28, 2020•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Welcome to episode 29! Today's guest is LPP's own Dee Cloward. Dee has been a Life Process Program coach for four years now. Prior to that, she was with SMART Recovery for 15 years in many capacities, primarily as a volunteer, and served there as Program Manager for Court Outreach and Special Events Coordinator, and Director of Training to mention just a few. She was highly beloved in the online community and beyond and continues to facilitate SMART meetings locally in the county jail and online...
Aug 21, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 29
