Let's Talk Addiction & Recovery

Hope Takes Center Stage

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Writer Maggie Moe and composer Joshua Vranas are telling a new story about addiction and recovery that does away with shame and stigma. Instead of nor...

A Fountain of Hope for At-Risk Students

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Susie Brooks, PhD, founder of Veritas Academy, felt powerless when students came into the classroom with substance use issues, or knew someone struggl...

Bullying Prevention and Community Solutions

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bullying causes long-term damage on students' mental health, often resulting in anxiety, depression or PTSD during a critical developmental stage. But...

All-Star Willie Burton – In a League of His Own

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When Willie Burton was taken ninth in the 1990 NBA draft, he lost his defenses against addiction—a sensational talent through high school and colleg...

Story of Hope

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On set, Dedee Pfeiffer hears from other actors, crewmates and directors who are inspired by her forwardness—fearless in her pursuit of love and ligh...

Native Dads: Recovery through Reconnection Part 2

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Intergenerational trauma. Unresolved grief. Stigma and isolation. Such complex and compound stressors can make recovery from substance use and other m...

Flipping the Script on Addiction

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Addiction is often surrounded by shame and stigma—and both have dominated the different arenas of public discourse for much of human history. No mor...

The Next Workplace Revolution

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The next workplace revolution will likely hinge on employers' efforts to empower recovery. Post-covid, 20 percent of employees reported drinking durin...

Walking the Red Road of Wellness

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Honesty. Compassion. Respect. Humility. Many of the guiding values of the Red Road way of life—a Native American path of wellness, balance and spiri...

Radical Love and a Place to Belong

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Philip Robert won't stay silent about the exploitation of his Native brothers and sisters: in Arizona, unregulated sober houses are taking advantage o...

A Life Spent Helping and Healing

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Serving as Chair of the American Indian Advisory Council and spending the past twenty years as an addiction counselor for his Native brothers and sist...

Signs of Teen Fentanyl Use

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Parents are rightly terrified of fentanyl. But what behaviors should set off alarm bells? And how can parents keep the conversation pointed in the rig...

How Kathryn Burgum is Reinventing Recovery

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Shame and stigma kept Kathryn Burgum silent about her recovery for fifteen years. After she became First Lady of North Dakota, she learned from host W...

In Harm's Way: Health Risks of Teen Vaping

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Marketed as safe and cool with fun flavors and clever devices, vapes are hooking a new generation on nicotine. Health experts warn that it's not only ...

John Solomon Gives Voice to Healing and Hope

05 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Out on tour after getting sober, indie-rocker John Solomon made a point of hosting conversations about addiction, mental health and recovery wherever ...

Finding Hope When Addiction Takes Your Son

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

His birthday. His death day. Holidays. Family celebrations. That's when Linda Morrison feels the loss of her youngest son, Mike, most profoundly. But ...

Practicing Recovery from "All the Things"

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As author and advocate Dawn Nickel likes to say, "we're all recovering from something." For her, those somethings include alcohol, cocaine, anxiety, m...

How'd You Do It, Steve? A Personal Story of Hope and Recovery

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Steve thought the world would come crashing when he packed his bags for treatment. A savvy businessman and CEO, he considered himself too successful, ...

How to Help Someone Who's Addicted (Spanish)

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cómo ayudar a alguien que tiene una adicción Nuestro primer impulso es ayudar y proteger a nuestros seres queridos. Pero cuando tienen una adicción...

Protecting Our Families and Communities from Addiction (Spanish)

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Proteger a nuestras familias y comunidades de la adicción Aunque disponemos de más recursos para hispanohablantes que en años anteriores, la cantid...

How to Choose the Right Outpatient Treatment Program

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The search for addiction treatment is exhausting. How do you differentiate one program from the next? What factors are most important? This is unchart...

Why New Mexico Leads the Country in Alcohol-Related Deaths

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What did journalist Ted Alcorn learn during his seven-part investigation into drinking trends in New Mexico? From uncovering why the state leads the U...

Most Common Obstacles to Recovery

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some obstacles to addiction recovery for the Native community are obvious and well documented, like underfunded health systems. But other, less obviou...

How to Relieve Stress and Anxiety without Substances

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Millions of Americans are trying to medicate their anxiety with alcohol, marijuana and other drugs. This might work for a short time, but it opens the...

The Story of a Healing Spirit

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This is the recovery story of Daisy Vanslyke, a gentle spirit who spends most of her time healing other people. In her every word and wisdom, she spea...

Coordinating the Care My Community Deserves

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chandell Boyd, LADC, joins host Andrew Williams to discuss her work with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, where she's an associate director for the Subs...

What Happens in Outpatient Treatment? Am I a Good Fit?

17 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Much has changed in the world of addiction treatment. The standard model of care used to revolve around a 28-day stint inside a treatment center. But ...

Dispelling the Myths Native Communities Recovery Equity

17 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Let's Talk Recovery Equity, journalist Ted Alcorn talks about his investigation into alcohol use in New Mexico, which has the worst...

The Veteran's Guide to Fighting Pain and Addiction

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Let's Talk, licensed psychologist and military veteran Dustin Brockberg, PhD, and his wife, Kerry Brockberg, PhD, also a psychologi...

How to Heal and Recover from Shame

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Shame and addiction go hand-in-hand. Because of that, some of the most important work in recovery deals with the transformation of shame into somethin...

Aida's Recovery Story - Trapped in the Eye of the Storm

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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,...

How Trauma and Migration Affect the Treatment Process

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Immigrants and refugees are often forced to flee from unimaginable crisis—their lives torn apart by war and other humanitarian disasters. Unfortunat...

Great Work: the Cook Inlet Tribal Council

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Daisy VanSlyke from the Cook Inlet Tribal Council shares how they're promoting recovery among Native Alaskan communities. Using culturally-sensitive c...

A Family's Multigenerational Story of Hope and Recovery

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Addiction

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Indigenous children were stolen from their homes, sent to boarding schools and forced to assimilate. Thus began the cycle of trauma and addiction. Tod...

The Role of Historical Trauma

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Host Andrew Williams speaks with his colleagues Cecelia Jayme, Director of Clinical Services, and Sarita McGowan, PhD. As two proud Native women in lo...

The Medicine of Community: Native Strong Men Project

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Teaching the Language of Recovery

24 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Do I Have an Alcohol Use Disorder?

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Has your drinking become problematic? You're not alone: the headlines have focused on opioids and fentanyl, but alcohol remains the most used and abus...

A Message of Hope for Parents with Addicted Children

14 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A beautiful and fun-loving boy transformed when he began to experiment with substances. His father, Stephen, could hardly recognize him: he became "na...

Gridiron to Guardian: Student Athlete Inspires Change at His Alma Mater

07 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Can We End the Epidemic? The History of Opioids and New Clinical Developments

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How did prescription opioids become a gateway to heroin and fentanyl? When did opioids become the gold standard for pain management, and why did regul...

How Do We Contain the Fentanyl Crisis? A Panel of Experts Weighs In

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 dea...

The Battle against Burnout: How to Rediscover Your Joy and Passion

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Burnout and compassion fatigue reached a fever pitch during the pandemic, but these problems have existed forever: caregivers and service providers ge...

Where Is the Justice in the System? Helping Incarcerated Women Who Face Addiction

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 Cov...

Addiction in the Workplace: Creating a Culture Where Employees Feel Safe

15 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 wor...

An Inside Look: Training the Next Generation of Addiction Counselors

08 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Journey Back to Self: How to Feel Okay Despite a Loved One's Addiction

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 tho...

Pregnancy and Substance Use: What to Know and How to Find Help

18 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Can pregnant women safely consume a small amount of alcohol or marijuana? How will prescription medicine affect the baby? Chief Medical Officer and bo...

What to Make of Ketamine: Dangerous Drug or Miracle Medicine?

04 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ketamine is the source of some controversy: it works wonders for depression, and fast. But it's also addictive and potentially triggering for people i...

What to Make of Ketamine: Dangerous Drug or Miracle Medicine?

04 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ketamine is the source of some controversy: it works wonders for depression, and fast. But it's also addictive and potentially triggering for people i...

Life After Birth: What to Do About Postpartum Depression and How to Find Help

20 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 litt...

Opioid Prevention: How to Help Teens Flourish and Make Healthier Decisions

06 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Youth Mental Health: How to Help Young People through the Lingering Pandemic

23 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic has affected everyone, but young people have been particularly vulnerable to its mental health effects. Teens have been trapped at home a...

What Can You Expect to Happen during the Treatment Process?

09 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The prospect of entering into addiction treatment can be wildly intimidating. Many don't know what to expect from their treatment experience, and they...

How to Choose the Right Treatment Program for You and Your Family

09 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

How to Keep Kids Healthy: Honest Conversations and Modern Prevention Plans

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Chance to Be a Kid Again, and an Era of Wonderment, Healing and Love

09 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Champions for Children: Jerry Moe's Legacy and Alliance with First Lady Betty Ford

09 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After announcing his retirement, Jerry Moe, the national director of the Children's Program, revisits the incredible impact the program has made for c...

The Family Grieving Process: How to Heal and Find Meaning within the Madness

26 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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, so...

Stress Relief or Something More? When Casual Drinking Becomes Problematic

12 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 o...

The Science and Spirit of Recovery: A Farewell Conversation with Marvin Seppala, MD

15 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Before he retired as Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marvin Seppala shared a few of his quintessential lessons and memories from the past 40 years. To name ...

Jeff Goldring Speaks about His Ongoing Recovery

01 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff Goldring has a uniquely intimate perspective on addiction and recovery. His family's storied history is all about distilled spirits and he himsel...

The Healing Power of Love, Communication and Acceptance

17 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Addiction passed from one generation to the next, and Reyna watched her family succumb to alcohol-related disease and death. She never had a chance to...

The Moment Everything Changed: Edgar's Story of Asking for Help

17 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Edgar was sitting at the family dinner table—sick, sleepless and withdrawing from drugs at 5 a.m.—while his father was getting ready for work. Unt...

Hope in Every Language: A Family's Combined Efforts to Heal

20 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Host William C. Moyers speaks with two incredibly supportive parents, José and Juanita, and their son Edgar who is now in recovery. They describe the...

Improving the Human Condition, and Grace as a Conduit for Change

06 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Joseph Lee spent his mornings in the inner city of Baltimore providing basic necessities to lower-income students, then he spent his afternoons tr...

A Candid Conversation about Race, Recovery and Personal Transformation

22 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Hayden, PhD, always sees an opportunity to help. Even when his family is blindsided by tragedy—the likes of which no parent should endure—he...

Never Too Famous: Andrew Zimmern's Story and His Principles for Humble Recovery

08 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Before he won his Emmy and James Beard awards, and before he became a famous TV personality, Andrew Zimmern was essentially homeless, living in an aba...

A Closer Look: The Mental Health Realities for Military Veterans

18 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Returning service members and military veterans often confront trauma and other mental health challenges, and when they don't receive help, it often e...

How Faith Leaders Are Planning to Disrupt the Opioid Epidemic

04 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rabbi Schusterman used to view addiction as a "moral failure," and he admits that his opinions were manipulated by stigma. Now he sees the opportunity...

Everything You Need to Know about Gender-Responsive Care

21 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Addiction affects men and women differently, and women's stories often involve very specific kinds of trauma. To learn more about these differences (a...

The Other 90 Percent: Saving People Who Can't Access Treatment

16 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Beyond the statistics related to addiction, there are precious human lives that need and deserve help. But only 10 percent of the addicted population ...

A Support System to Heal the Family

02 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The family can recover together. Without a reliable system in place, though, the family will default to negativity, often digging up the past and reli...

The Populated Intersection between Trauma and Addiction

19 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the expert opinion of Dr. Stephanie Covington, it's unwise to ignore trauma when treating addiction and co-occurring disorders. In fact, a failure ...

The Opportunity and Aftermath of Distanced-Learning

05 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic has had profound effects on every student and educator, and has demonstrated the inviolable need for close relationships. Angela Jerabek,...

Compelling Interventions That Motivate the Entire Family

21 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Best-selling authors and interventionists Jeff and Debra Jay share their profound wisdom on the process of getting a loved one sober. They sit down wi...

Building Trust and Recovery within Communities of Color

07 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"If we can see good, then goodness will come," believes Peter Hayden, PhD. So he founded a safe, culturally informed treatment center for the Black co...

Breakaway to Recovery: NHL Icon Grant Fuhr's Story

12 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Early in his National Hockey League hall-of-fame career, goalie Grant Fuhr realized his cocaine use had crossed the line. He needed help. But was he r...

Legal Marijuana: Higher Potency Brings Higher Risks

03 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As more states legalize recreational marijuana, the availability of high-potency cannabis products raises the potential for health risks—including a...

Parenting in Recovery: Accentuate the Positive

17 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Parenting involves navigating a multitude of issues, even when everything's running smoothly for a family. Add a major stressor—like the challenges ...

Person-Centered Addiction Care for LGBTQ+ People

03 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Studies indicate that members of the LGBTQ+ community experience substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders at twice the rate of the gener...

How Person-First Language Reduces Stigma

20 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Words can hurt, and words can heal—especially words used by health care professionals concerning substance use and mental health disorders. Listen i...

Emerging Adults and Mental Health Issues

06 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Even before the stress and isolation of pandemic life, troubling mental health trends started to surface among America's young people. Of all age sect...

What If Your Teen's in Trouble with Drugs?

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Where have you been? What were you doing? Who were you with? Even though these questions come from a place of love and concern, parents who suspect th...

Together, We Will Overcome Addiction

02 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In championing transformational growth, innovation and collaboration, Mark G. Mishek has positioned the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation like no other o...

Recovery Parity: From Coverage to Integration

18 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After a decades-long struggle, federal legislation now deems addiction treatment an essential health care benefit, mandating insurance coverage on par...

How's Your Mental Health? Self-Care and Support Resources

04 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"How are you?" has never been such a loaded question. From the COVID-19 pandemic to civic and racial strife to the economic downturn, everyone's on st...

Why Virtual Rehab Is Here to Stay

21 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

While the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the expansion of telehealth treatment services, experts predict continual advances and growth in virtual care ...

A Tour of the Betty Ford Center with Susan Ford Bales

07 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sharing poignant memories and historical context at every turn, Susan Ford Bales guides you on this singular walking tour of the Betty Ford Center in ...

How a Car Accident Sent Her to Prison--and Saved Her Life

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Blackout drunk and behind the wheel, Jessica H. caused an accident that sent her first to the hospital and then to a jail holding cell. As a social wo...

Telehealth: Making Treatment a Virtual Reality for More People

16 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Accelerated in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, online addiction treatment and recovery services have rapidly become more widely available. But how effe...

Precautionary Measures: Providing Addiction Treatment Amid COVID-19

02 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the first chaotic days of the coronavirus pandemic, addiction treatment providers found themselves contending simultaneously with two potentially f...

Healing from Trauma and Addiction: A Conversation with "Blackout Girl"

26 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

At age 12, Jennifer Storm was raped after drinking beer and passing out. Alcohol and drugs then became Storm's escape route from feelings of fear, sha...

Is It Addiction? Questions to Ask Yourself

19 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Known medically as "substance use disorder," addiction is a complex, chronic disease marked by compulsive alcohol/drug use that leads to actual change...

Betty Ford's Healing Legacy: A Conversation with Susan Ford Bales

05 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Former First Lady Betty Ford put a stunning new face on recovery in 1978 when she openly sought treatment for addiction. Four years later, she cofound...

Addiction Treatment: Evolving Care and Closing the Access Gap

15 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Far too many people who have addiction aren't getting the care they need and deserve. But advances in virtual services, outpatient care, targeted medi...

A Nurse's Healing Story: Admitting Her Truth about Addiction

01 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Nina O. knew all about addiction. As a child, she grew up in a family hurt by substance use. As a nurse, she recognized addiction as a chronic disease...

Help for Children in Families with Addiction

17 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When a parent is in active addiction—no matter how they might try to hide the situation—a child can sense that something's wrong. Why is Mom sleep...

New Frontiers in Addiction Medicine: Genetic Research and Biomarkers

03 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What if a simple blood test indicated the most-effective treatment medication for individuals with alcohol or opioid addiction? "Biomarker" research u...