Beyond Well With Sheila Hamilton

Many people are curious about what would happen if they stopped their drinking habit. Whether it's one glass of wine, or several cocktails a night, Dry January is gaining in popularity as people test the limits of their personal sobriety. What if you made the one biggest mistake of your life while under the influence? How do you rebuild a life without alcohol in a culture built around drinking? Angela Teuscher's story of drinking while parenting is riveting and serves as a cautionary tale for other parents.

There is no more powerful testimony as to the challenges and rewards of sober living than to hear from former addicts turned recovery champions. Monta Knudson describes the difference in the way he interacts with family and clients as he helps others navigate sobriety, and Kelly Stromberg became an Addictions Counselor Supervisor after getting the help she needed to live without substances. Raw, emotional, and uplifting, these interviews are aptly timed for Dry January, when many people are considering cutting back or quitting alcohol and drugs.

People in toxic relationships need help from friends, family, and professionals to commit to change. There is no AA or NA for this. Changing is a process and not simply a decision. In this interview, Dr. Izmirian and Goff discuss the warning signs of a toxic relationships and the important steps partners need to take to heal. (If you are being physically, verbally, or sexually abused in a relationship you need to exit it immediately and seek help.)

Dan Devaney and Taj Dashuan were both incredibly successful college athletes, Dan at the University of Oregon, and Taj at Stony Brook University. But when the rigor, concentration and training of sports went away for Dan and Taj, so did their will to live. Both men struggled with substance abuse and depression. Dan found himself seriously considering suicide.   Through an excruciating journey of self discovery and giving back, both men have found the ability to connect with other former athletes who are struggling with addiction and mental health problems. 

Emotionally Focused Therapy is based on clear, research-based conceptualizations of individual growth, health and dysfunction. It is particularly useful in couples therapy, and as Dr. Izmirian explains, allows clients to explore and change strategies and interventions in a supportive and respectful setting. ETF has been validated by over thirty years of empirical research.

Rabbi Brian Zachary Mayer grew up rational on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Asking the question why led him to rabbinical school. His love of humanity pushed him out of organized religion and to run Religion-Outside-The-Box, an internet-based congregation of 1,000’s. He loves living in Portland, Oregon with his partner and their two children.       

Some people with ADHD have fewer symptoms as they age, but some adults continue to have major symptoms that interfere with daily functioning. In adults, the main features of ADHD may include difficulty paying attention, impulsiveness, and restlessness. Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Many adults with ADHD aren't aware they have it — they just know that everyday tasks can be a challenge. Adults with ADHD may find it difficult to focus and prioritize, leading to missed deadlines and forgotten meetings or social plans. The inability to control impulses can range from impatience waiting in line or driving in traffic to mood swings and outbursts of anger.

Brittani Warrick is a producer and social media strategist behind some of music's biggest names, including her aunt, singer Dionne Warwick. Warrick uses her savvy and power in media to open conversations about mental health, what wellness really looks like, and how maddening it is to navigate the mental health system. An inspiring inter-generational conversation with one of America's most promising young advocates.

Adam Stern was a student at a state medical school before being selected to train as a psychiatry resident at one of the most prestigious programs in the country. His new and initially intimidating classmates were high achievers from the Ivy League and other elite universities around the nation.  In his memoir, Stern pulls back the curtain on the intense and emotionally challenging lessons he and his fellow doctors learned while studying the human condition, and ultimately, the value of connection.  In this interview, Stern combines his clear-eyed concern for the field of psychiatry as well as poignant memories about his residency at Harvard.  A must-listen for anyone considering psychiatry.    

Why is it so hard to set boundaries? Oftentimes, it signifies a deeper value set. If you’re the type that always wants to be there for people you care about, it’s because you value relationships. If you’re the one at work who says yes to every project, it reflects how much you value learning. But when we only say yes, we might be missing chances to invest our time and energy in ways that help us take our values and our goals to new levels.

Dr. Jim Polo talks about somatic disorder; characterized by an extreme focus on physical symptoms— such as pain or fatigue — that causes major emotional distress and problems functioning. You may or may not have another diagnosed medical condition associated with these symptoms, but your reaction to the symptoms is not normal. What to do when the body goes offline due to psychological suffering. 

Ivan Maisel is well-known as one of the country's experts on college football. But the terrain of grief was something he'd never explored in-depth until the suicide of his son, Max. Maisel's memoir, 'I Keep Trying to Catch His Eye', gives voice to the hundreds and thousands of families who have lost someone to suicide and explores in intimate detail the journey one takes in order to accept grieving as an act of love. 

Emotional Intelligence refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions. While emotional intelligence can be learned and strengthened, those who possess the inborn characteristics of EI have more meaningful relationships, excel in most work situations, and report easier times managing the complexities of work/life balance. How do you learn to understand, interpret and respond to the emotions of others if you lack emotional intelligence? Dr. Jim Polo weighs in.

Post-traumatic growth describes the positive psychological change experienced due to struggling with highly challenging, highly stressful life circumstances. Many people who have gone through traumatic experiences relate how the experience deepened their beliefs, relationships, or spiritual understanding. Dr. Jim Polo talks about whether post-traumatic growth is possible during the pandemic and what we can do to be open to the possibility.

During the course of researching, producing, and reporting on this series, Sheila Hamilton's nephew died, presumably of an overdose.  Dr. Jim Polo talks about the complicated grief created by the death of an addict.

How do you begin to get help for a person who is addicted to a substance? Where do you turn for evidence-based, trauma-informed care? Fora Health's Kevin Mahon and Nerissa Heller detail the steps involved in in-patient, outpatient, and remote treatment, along with the pathways to coverage. 

The pandemic has been difficult for people in recovery. There has been a thirty percent increase in deaths by opioids and a sharp uptick in the number of people who are using substances to cope with the isolation, pain, and loneliness of quarantine. Dr. Amit Shah talks about the public response to the epidemic and why one person who believes in the person's recovery can make a difference.

Dr. Eowyn Rieke is a primary care physician who saw how the opioid epidemic was overshadowing any kind of preventative care she could offer her patients. She specializes in the treatment of addiction and offers her patients medications to help treat the addictions. In this episode, Dr. Rieke breaks down addictions by substance and details the evidence for using medications to help treat various addictions.

Dr. Paul Conti is a board-certified Psychiatrist and the Author of Trauma: the Invisible Epidemic. Imagine, if you will, a disease―one that has only subtle outward symptoms but can hijack your entire body without notice, one that transfers easily between parent and child, one that can last a lifetime if untreated. According to Dr. Paul Conti, this is exactly how society should conceptualize trauma: as an out-of-control epidemic with a potentially fatal prognosis. Dr. Conti discusses the role of trauma in addiction and substance use.

Kelly Williams Brown is the NYTimes bestselling author of Adulting, a charismatic and charming redhead whose manners and signature dresses evoke another kinder century when people's manners were still intact. Kelly is also a person who attempted suicide after the worst 700 days of her life. We can be polar opposite things, whipsmart and suicidal, not doing well and extremely talented, hopeful, and perseverating around all of our failures. Kelly talks openly about how the wrong medicine and a string of failures led her to the very worst thing and how folding small stars into tiny shapes (and other crafts) saved her life.