Apr 24, 2018
This week’s episode is with Dr. Adi Jaffe. I discovered Dr. Jaffe through his podcast, IGNTD, which he hosts with his wife Sophie. They are so candid and real about everything they discuss, including their relationship, parenting, and so many other topics that people often struggle with in silence.
Dr. Jaffe is a nationally-recognized expert on mental health, addiction, and stigma. He lectures in the Psychology department at UCLA and was the Executive-Director and Co-Founder of one of the most progressive mental health treatment facilities in the country. Now, he has transitioned his focus into treating people online and through his IGNTD programs. Dr. Jaffe’s work and research are focused on changing the way Americans think about, and deal with mental health and addiction. He uses his personal experience with addiction as an incredibly effective inspirational and motivational tool. Most recently, he has a book that will be coming out called The Abstinence Myth: A New Approach For Overcoming Addictions Without Shame, Judgment, or Rules.
IN THIS EPISODE WE TALK ABOUT:
Jaffe’s early alcohol and drug use, which led to his arrest, time in jail/rehab Dedicating himself for the last 15 years to studying addiction and figuring out what happened in his own life so he can help others Opening a rehab clinic and ultimately transitioning into an online program to reach more people for less money How online treatment helps reduce shame Why he is not a licensed clinician, despite having the requisite education and hours What he believes the crux of addiction is Four factors in addiction: psychology, biology, environment, spirituality How substances act as crutches to manage reality, and how his approach is like “physical therapy” to strengthen before removing the crutch How addiction is different for each person Why our current approach to addiction is excluding the majority of people from recovery Why having a whole toolkit to help people is crucial Why he starts with changing belief structures before all else with his clients Plus so much more…
QUOTES
“Looking for the single answer has been the reason we struggle so much. It seems silly to me to even think that everybody would be the same.”
“The biggest system we have out there is AA, and the first step is to admit that we are totally powerless. People don’t like that; nobody likes to feel powerless. I think that’s a mistake.”
“Imagine if you broke your leg and then you walk around with the crutch, and people say, you don’t need that crutch.”
“They are relying on their substance—their porn, their gambling, their food—to manage their reality.”
“They can’t fathom that somebody would become an ex-addict. In their lexicon, that’s not allowed; that doesn’t exist.”
“We use the fact that people have a hard time recovering, given the system we have now, as evidence that they never can.”
“The rate of drug addiction has not changed in this country in decades.”
“We continue having only 15-10% of people that want to engage in treatment.”
“I think we need to start embracing the individuality of the people that are struggling and stop looking for a silver bullet.”
“The way I look at the world—you lose when you stop learning. You fail when you accept that the reality you are in now can never get better and there is nothing you can do to improve it.”
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Mentioned:
IGNTD Podcast
IGNTD Recovery Program
The Abstinence Myth
AA
NLP—Neurolinguistic Programming
IGNTD couples workshop
Connect with Dr. Jaffe:
Website: http://www.igntd.com/
Instagram: @dradijaffe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dradijaffe/
Twitter: @DrAdiJaffe
TedX talk
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