Steven

One of the ways that many of us understand addiction, if we haven't experienced it directly in our own lives, is we look up at role models on TV and in sort of celebrity pop culture. And we see these role models who, you know, we see on stages start to deteriorate and deteriorate in the public eye.

And ultimately, it seems often like it's inevitable that someday the TMZ headline is going to ring out and say that this person has passed away. And that happens all too often. We think about Whitney Houston or I guess Michael Jackson's even been associated with dying from an addiction to, I think it was painkillers or something.

And ultimately, it seems often like it's inevitable that someday the TMZ headline is going to ring out and say that this person has passed away. And that happens all too often. We think about Whitney Houston or I guess Michael Jackson's even been associated with dying from an addiction to, I think it was painkillers or something.

Prince, Elvis Presley, Mac Miller, who a lot of people will know as well, Anna Nicole Smith. And even now in the public eye, there are certain individuals where we're starting to see this sort of erratic behavior. They're posting on their Instagrams. They're showing up in society in a slightly different way. When you see that, in the line of work that you operate in, what is your natural reaction?

Prince, Elvis Presley, Mac Miller, who a lot of people will know as well, Anna Nicole Smith. And even now in the public eye, there are certain individuals where we're starting to see this sort of erratic behavior. They're posting on their Instagrams. They're showing up in society in a slightly different way. When you see that, in the line of work that you operate in, what is your natural reaction?

How does it make you feel when, you know, because there's a couple of people I'm thinking about at the moment who the world are talking about that, you know, we think they have an addiction, we think they need help. What is your natural reaction to that? And what is it that those people need?

How does it make you feel when, you know, because there's a couple of people I'm thinking about at the moment who the world are talking about that, you know, we think they have an addiction, we think they need help. What is your natural reaction to that? And what is it that those people need?

I remember I had this one particular friend who had an addiction. And I remember always the life of the party. And I remember this one day he came up to me at an event. And he sat down in front of me and said to me, he said, he whispered to me, I'm in so much pain. And he told me about rehab and how it failed him, etc.

I remember I had this one particular friend who had an addiction. And I remember always the life of the party. And I remember this one day he came up to me at an event. And he sat down in front of me and said to me, he said, he whispered to me, I'm in so much pain. And he told me about rehab and how it failed him, etc.

But it just, it almost sounded unbelievable that someone with such a big smile on their face would whisper to me, especially a man, because men don't really talk much about their emotions. I'm in so much pain.

But it just, it almost sounded unbelievable that someone with such a big smile on their face would whisper to me, especially a man, because men don't really talk much about their emotions. I'm in so much pain.

And then funnily, I then see how the world treats that individual, him having whispered that to me one day and the world, how the world responds to his behavior and attacks him and criticizes him. But I was privy to the whisper. And that one whisper helped me to kind of reframe how to treat that person, but also really what was at the heart of what was going on.

And then funnily, I then see how the world treats that individual, him having whispered that to me one day and the world, how the world responds to his behavior and attacks him and criticizes him. But I was privy to the whisper. And that one whisper helped me to kind of reframe how to treat that person, but also really what was at the heart of what was going on.

Because I would have been like the rest of the world. I would have just thought, oh, what an idiot. What a dickhead. What's he doing that? That's strange behavior.

Because I would have been like the rest of the world. I would have just thought, oh, what an idiot. What a dickhead. What's he doing that? That's strange behavior.

You must have had many cases that broke your heart.

You must have had many cases that broke your heart.

Can you tell me about one that changed you?

Can you tell me about one that changed you?

If you were president of the United States, for example, let's just use this country as an example, and you had to make upstream changes to the way society was designed in order to mitigate the downstream symptom of addiction, addictive behaviours, etc. What are those things that you would change about the way that our society is designed? You could change anything.