Non 12 Step Programs – The Freedom Model For Addictions: Recent Episodes
The Freedom Model
Addiction is NOT a Disease and There is A Solution! Society tells us there are only two ways to view addiction: it’s either a lifelong disease that renders you powerless or a moral failing caused by weak…
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Addiction is NOT a Disease and There is A Solution! If you’ve ever believed or said, “I just can’t stop,” this episode will change your entire perspective. Mark and Michelle discuss why people often mistake…
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Addiction is NOT a Disease and There is A Solution! In this episode we introduce Certified Freedom Model Coach, Stacie Ysidro whose work explores the powerful connection between sexuality, choice…
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Addiction is NOT a Disease and There is A Solution! Why do we sometimes destroy the very progress we’ve worked so hard to achieve? In this episode Mark and Michelle explore the reasons people self-sabotage and…
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Addiction is NOT a Disease and There is A Solution! In this listener-requested episode Mark and Michelle explore ADD and ADHD beyond just the labels, challenging common beliefs and highlighting how the positive…
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Do you want to be a coach? Would you want to be a Certified Freedom Model Coach? If you are someone who has left AA or NA, has begun to realize that rehab is not the best answer for solving addictions, or you simply want to help people move past their destructive habits – well, then becoming part of the Freedom Model Global Movement by becoming a Freedom Model Certified Coach may be just the…
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If you’re struggling with an alcohol problem, you don’t have to go to a rehab, or meetings with strangers, and you don’t even have to swear off it forever to solve your problem. Freedom Model co-founder and addiction expert Michelle Dunbar provides helpful information on how you can quit drinking or reduce your consumption to non-problematic levels without ongoing struggle and without feeling…
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Addiction is NOT a Disease and There is A Solution! In this episode, Mark and Michelle explore how self-forgiveness can be an important part of solving a substance use problem or other habit. They break down how…
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Addiction is NOT a Disease and There is A Solution! In this episode, Mark and Michelle reveal why the same substance, food, or behavior can feel like innocent enjoyment to one person and “addiction” to another.
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Addiction is NOT a Disease and There is A Solution! In this episode, Mark and Michelle discuss The Freedom Model Movement – what it is, why it matters, and how it’s changing lives around the world.
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Addiction is NOT a Disease and There is A Solution! In this episode, Mark and Michelle sit down with cult expert and host of the IndoctriNation Podcast, Rachel Bernstein. Rachel shares insights from her extensive…
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Addiction is NOT a Disease and There is A Solution! Mark and Michelle break down how lingering beliefs, emotional attachments, and unexamined perceived benefits can keep you from successfully moderating your…
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Addiction is NOT a Disease and There is A Solution! Why The Freedom Model? In this Independence Day episode, Mark and Michelle reveal how the name was born from a bold realization: to truly solve an addiction…
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We released Episode 243 with the wrong title and write-up. That episode was a discussion on the inherent problems of making decisions based on fear. In this Episode Mark and…
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Do you believe you are someone who just can’t moderate their substance use, or other behavior or habit? If you believe that you can’t, then you won’t. The truth is…
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Everyone feels overwhelmed at some point in their lives, and some people struggle with this feeling frequently. Mark and Michelle discuss effective strategies to work through…
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Like so many of my articles in the “addiction” field, what most people think is a straightforward question isn’t actually all that straightforward when looked at from the proper angle. Can a porn addiction therapist actually help you? And if so, what do you look for in the therapy model presented? Let’s hit this straight on – the current “treatments” and various therapy models in existence for…
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Do you feel stuck in a life of utter dissatisfaction? Maybe it feels as if you are perpetually unlucky and your life is always a struggle. Mark and Michelle talk about their…
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How you frame your responsibilities and everyday life activities matters a great deal on how you will feel about yourself and your life overall. Mark and Michelle discuss how…
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Some people solve their substance use problems, escape the 12 step cults, and even embrace The Freedom Model, but still find themselves struggling with other behaviors like…
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When abstinent, many people say they feel happier. They may begin to repair relationships, start new healthier habits, and improve their lives in many ways. So why do these…
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It is time for the world to know that there is an effective alternative to the addiction treatment system that teaches people they are permanently afflicted by a disease that…
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Finding a rehab that is not based on the 12-Step Program and does not refer you to 12-step meetings as aftercare is like seeking a unicorn. Do you believe in unicorns? Yeah, me neither. Here are 5 questions you can ask to determine if the rehab you found that claims to be non-12-step, is in fact, still based on and tied to the 12-step program. Do you have support group meetings (AA, NA…
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We’ve all been there. You have a habit that is very comfortable, but is not satisfying and may be harmful to you. But you keep doing it, and feel resistance when you think…
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This is a difficult question to answer. I know, you think the answer is a simple yes or no; it should be an easy result from your quick internet search for help. But here’s the problem. Porn addiction therapy, the name itself, is a misnomer, and so your search for help might give results that you don’t want or need. Here’s why – “Porn addiction” isn’t what you think it is. Consequently…
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Over the last decade we here at The Freedom Model have received a massive number of questions concerning sexual addiction and the role porn plays in that issue. Within this conversation is the belief that the regular engagement with porn will hijack the brain and compel compulsive porn use. As with so many confusing concepts, the truth lies in the nuances of the situation. Let’s dive into some of…
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Something seems to happen in our minds as school starts again and the days get shorter. The holidays are looming, life gets busier, more stressful, and more serious.
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That’s a question we get a lot here at The Freedom Model. The answer to this question requires some explanation and understanding of what’s at play with this class of challenges. “Porn or sex addiction” or PMO (porn, masturbation & orgasm) addiction as a disorder or disease of the brain is a relatively new idea (compared to the 80+ year substance use addiction disease model). While it hasn’t…
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How you frame stopping your “addictions” can make it feel like a difficult battle and a struggle, or it can make it feel like a natural process of changing.
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Author and former heavy smoker and drinker Jessi Hartnett joins Mark and Michelle to talk about how she solved her “addictions” without rehab, treatment, or 12 step meetings.
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You don’t need something that leads you on a path to deprivation.” Many people believe that if you are struggling with an addiction, you need to check yourself into a rehab for…
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We just released Episode 232 of The Addiction Solution Podcast, and in it, Mark and I discuss the importance of being persistent when solving substance use problems or other “addictions”. And spoiler alert; it doesn’t involve forcing yourself to be abstinent, feeling deprived, and miserable! You can watch this episode by clicking the link below: Episode 232: Solving Addiction With Persistence?
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Sometimes solving an addiction requires tremendous persistence! That is not to say that you must be persistent in denying yourself what you love to do, nor does it mean…
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People quite naturally create habits around behaviors that they value, and struggling to change a habit is normal. Even Mark and Michelle have struggled to change habits.
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For those who have built their entire lives around drinking, drug use, PMO, gambling, or another habit, and those who have built their lives around addiction recovery…
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In this episode Mark and Michelle explain the intense and involved process of writing a new book designed to help people to solve a problem like “PMO addiction.
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Just because you don’t use substances or engage in your preferred behavior moderately, doesn’t mean you can’t, it just means you don’t. Mark and Michelle discuss the reasons…
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Listener requested topic People are told in addiction treatment and 12 step programs that absolute honesty is required to stay sober and drug free while also being told that…
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Last week a long-time friend confided in me that she is struggling with alcohol. I have known Ann since high school, and she has always been self-confident, highly motivated, and a very high achiever. At just 60 years old, she is retiring after a lucrative 30-year career at a very prestigious company. She has every reason to be excited about her future, but is now struggling with depression and…
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When we make the assertion that all people are doing exactly what they want to do at any given moment in time, we get all kinds of responses and reactions.
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What or who are you allowing to dictate your life? Do you realize that you are choosing to relinquish your control to something outside you, and by doing so you are actually…
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AA people like to tell us that being “in recovery” is better than heavy substance use, but is it? The 12 Step addiction treatment model instills misinformation and mythology…
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Research for The Freedom Model began nearly 40 years ago in the early 1980’s. At that time the addiction disease model was spreading across the globe but was largely limited to the substance using demographic. Since then, researchers began seriously questioning the drug and alcohol disease model (and later the brain disease model), and a brave few completely debunked it and wrote about it.
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When we were thrust into addiction treatment and AA 35 years ago we were told by treatment providers to go to AA where we were told by the old-timers, “Do what we did and you’…
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“I never killed anyone!” Nina proclaimed when discussing her past problems with alcohol. Like the majority of people who go to AA seeking help, she was never alcohol dependent…
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Are people drawn to behaviors that are deemed as bad or unhealthy? Is it always a struggle to choose eating healthier, exercising, or other behaviors deemed as healthy or good?
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Many people who follow our podcast are former AA members or people in the process of leaving AA and they are hyper-sensitive to anything that sounds like AA jargon – and…
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Do you have strained relationships in your life? Have you ever thought, ‘if he would just do this, then I will be happy’ or ‘if she behaves differently, then we will have a…
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The accepted thinking in mental health and western culture is that people are run by their brain chemistry. The big pharma, porn, gambling, alcohol…
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With the cult of AA as a familial backdrop in her life since childhood, Emma, like so many others in her situation, is enticed into the cult at the first flush of trouble in…
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What is The New Freedom Model’s New Solution to Addiction? What is the solution to addiction? That’s a question that’s been asked for more than a century, with no clear answer – until now. The Past and Its Failed Policies and Programs We currently have more treatment, more money spent on recovery programs, and more medical resources and training on the topic of addiction than anytime in human…
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“The only stuff you can’t get over is the stuff you’re hanging onto!” This is a quote from a book written by Gary John Bishop called Wise as Fu*k. It is absolutely brilliant in…
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Is there a solution to addiction? Addiction treatment providers and nearly all addiction help models will tell you that there isn’t, yet nearly everyone gets over their…
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At 15, Finn was caught smoking weed in school and that led to his first stint in an abusive rehab for teens. That initial 28 day program in 1983 was just the beginning of a 35…
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The Netflix Documentary “The Program” exposes the shocking truth about the multi-million dollar troubled teen industry. What you may not know is it has its roots in AA’s ego…
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There are those that wear their “battle with addiction” like a badge of honor, but there are many more who consistently feel like they are losing that battle. The thing is…
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Like Mark and Michelle, Leslie’s exposure to Alcoholics Anonymous began in childhood. That may have been one of the reasons she became susceptible to being lured into cults.
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Life coaches, sober coaches, recovery coaches…it seems everywhere you turn there are people “in recovery” peddling their coaching services. They are going to show you what they…
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From the suburbs of Boston to the streets of south Florida; from a 2-sport collegiate athlete to spending 20 years as an integral cog in the Florida rehab shuffle.
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When learning The Freedom Model, there can be a tendency to get some of the information and begin your experimentation with abstinence and moderation. We explain why this kind of “experimentation” is not helpful, and can actually reinforce the beliefs that are keeping you stuck.
Can pleasure and addiction be explained with neuroscience? Can thought, behavior, habit, change, and all matters of the mind be shown on a brain scan? What about your likes and dislikes? Where do they originate? If you think the “science” is settled on this stuff, think again. Don’t forget to Enroll in our FREE Move Past Addiction Masterclass. You can enroll by Clicking Here: Move Past Addiction...
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We have gotten many requests to talk about other behavioral “addictions” wondering if The Freedom Model can help.
We often get this question from people in the recovery society; “How does The Freedom Model help people?” Mark and Michelle discuss why it’s so difficult for people in the recovery society to understand The Freedom Model and what it means to actually move on from addiction.
Addiction disease proponents often accuse The Freedom Model of preying on vulnerable “addicts” for a profit while AA and 12 Steps are "Free".
There is a lot of “feel good” nonsense and platitudes out there, but have you ever actually broken any of them down and learned what they mean?
When you understand The Freedom Model fully, then solving addiction becomes easy, and maintaining an addiction free lifestyle is effortless.
The main argument for the disease theory of addiction is that it is the more compassionate view. This couldn't be further from the truth. Find out Why!
In this episode, We give you The Freedom Model’s perspective on brain chemistry and addiction.
In this episode, We give you The Freedom Model’s perspective on brain chemistry and addiction.
Do emotions just happen to you? Are you truly a victim of your brain chemistry? Or do you have control over how you feel at any given moment in time?
This discussion on human behavior takes Mark and Michelle in some interesting directions in this cant miss episode!
There’s no need for “recovery” or identifying as a “recovering addict/alcoholic” or any other label that endlessly ties you to your past version of yourself.
Did you know that most people can actually solve addiction in a single day? It’s true. find out how in this episode!
We all know that heavy substance use can wreak havoc in families, but what no one is talking about is the devastation addiction recovery can do to families too!
Is it good advice to wait a year to start dating after you’ve stopped heavy substance? Mark and Michelle discuss this common recovery recommendation, and break it down for you, so you can make your own decision. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEW FAMILIES MOVING PAST ADDICTION MASTERCLASS. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Addiction Solution Podcast on your favorite streaming service so you can be...
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People can feel nostalgic about leaving all kinds of relationships, even those that are hurtful and negative. And when moving on from recovery, depending on how long you’ve spent in AA or other recovery groups, you will likely have some mixed feelings – from elation and relief to fear and yes, nostalgia. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEW FAMILIES MOVING PAST ADDICTION MASTERCLASS. Don’t forget to...
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Do you let your circumstances dictate your mood? Do you let your mood dictate your circumstances? What if we told you that you have more control than you think over both? Well you do! Listen as Mark and Michelle explain that you truly can always choose happiness. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEW FAMILIES MOVING PAST ADDICTION MASTERCLASS. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Addiction Solution...
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Addiction exists in your mind, and that’s the only place you can solve it! Mark and Michelle talk about the key role free will and mental autonomy play in solving addiction. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEW FAMILIES MOVING PAST ADDICTION MASTERCLASS. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Addiction Solution Podcast on your favorite streaming service so you can be notified every time a new episode is...
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So many people say, “Just don’t give up!” “Persistence always pays off!” But does it always pay off? Isn’t there a time when you should call it quits. Mark and Michelle break this down in this week’s episode of The Addiction Solution! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEW FAMILIES MOVING PAST ADDICTION MASTERCLASS. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Addiction Solution Podcast on your favorite streaming...
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A common misunderstanding about The Freedom Model is we’re saying you have to be happy to stop your addiction, which is not true at all! Mark and Michelle clarify that unhappiness is not the cause of addiction which means you don’t have to find happiness to solve it. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEW FAMILIES MOVING PAST ADDICTION MASTERCLASS. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Addiction Solution...
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Taking on the addict/alcoholic self-image can make moving past addiction seem impossible! Even those people who don’t think addiction is a disease can unknowingly take on the self-image of an addict and it can keep them stuck struggling with heavy use. In this episode we break down how to grow past harmful relationships that foster the addict and alcoholic self-images, as well as the benefits that...
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We make the case that 12 step programs and addiction treatment based on it can cause significant harm to relationships, which often makes struggles with heavy substance use worse, not better. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEW FAMILIES MOVING PAST ADDICTION MASTERCLASS. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Addiction Solution Podcast on your favorite streaming service so you can be notified every time a...
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When you get to that point where you are continuing heavy drinking or drug use, or another behavior, and you’re hating the consequences, and you’re hating yourself, but you can’t seem to stop doing it, how do you stop? Mark and Michelle provide some valuable insights into how you can move past this difficult stage. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEW FAMILIES MOVING PAST ADDICTION MASTERCLASS.
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The Addiction Solution welcomes a special guest, Beverly Schechtman, Director/Vice President of The Doctor Patient Forum (https://www.thedoctorpatientforum.com/) , an advocacy group for pain patients and prescribing physicians. Because of the massive misinformation campaign against opiates, many pain patients are now being denied medications that have helped them to maintain a higher quality of...
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Addiction treatment doesn’t actually help people to solve addiction, it makes them “accept it” under the guise of helping them. It creates lifelong customers who continue to struggle with a problem that should have been temporary. Addiction experts, Mark Scheeren and Michelle Dunbar discuss what it is going to take to replace this outdated, ineffective, and harmful system. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP...
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Listener topic request: Why do some people gain an understanding of The Freedom Model but occasionally drink or use drugs heavily? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEW FAMILIES MOVING PAST ADDICTION MASTERCLASS. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Addiction Solution Podcast on your favorite streaming service so you can be notified every time a new episode is released. ~|apple~|font-awesome~|solid...
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Everything changes for you once the people in your life see you as “an addict”. Whether you labeled yourself or that label was thrust on you by well-meaning friends, family, or treatment professionals, fully moving past addiction sometimes requires educating those close to you. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEW FAMILIES MOVING PAST ADDICTION MASTERCLASS. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Addiction...
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A podcast listener asked us this question and he used the example of David Goggin’s book, Can’t Hurt Me, where he explains how he motivated himself to achieve many remarkable accomplishments by talking critically to himself. Why did these negative motivators seem to work so well for him when we say they are not effective motivators for stopping heavy substance use or other “addictions”.
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Everyone knows there are long term effects from heavy substance use, but what no one talks about are the long term effects of being “in recovery” and there are many! On this episode, Freedom Model Addiction Experts discuss the many long term effects we have helped our guests work through over the years and how you too, can undo the long term effects the recovery society may have had on you!
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“I wake up in the morning and have great resolve! I’m not going to drink today! Then at 5:00 it goes out the window and I start my binge again! I must be one of those who will never get it.” If this is you, then this episode was made especially for you! Don’t forget to subscribe to The Addiction Solution Podcast on your favorite streaming service so you can be notified every time a new episode is...
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When criticizing an accepted paradigm and 80 year old institution such as the addiction disease theory and the original 12 step program, Alcoholics Anonymous, you better have a thick skin! For our 160th episode of The Addiction Solution Podcast, Mark and Michelle answer their critics directly. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Addiction Solution Podcast on your favorite streaming service so you can...
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We’ve all heard this mantra: your “recovery” must come first! Whatever you put in front of it, you’ll lose! Is this true? And is it helpful to think this way? This great topic was sent in by a listener. Keep those great ideas coming! Don’t forget to subscribe to The Addiction Solution Podcast on your favorite streaming service so you can be notified every time a new episode is released.
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If you think “addiction recovery” is a good and positive thing, listen as Mark and Michelle explain the immense inherent problems with identifying yourself in this way, and the massive benefits of moving on from recovery! Don’t forget to subscribe to The Addiction Solution Podcast on your favorite streaming service so you can be notified every time a new episode is released. ~|apple~|font...
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“Dry January” has become “a thing” over the last decade as more and more people spend more and more time on social media. We were asked the question by our fans, “What does The Freedom Model think of Dry January?” Is it valuable? Is there any reason to do it? Mark and Michelle explain their take on this more recent social media trend. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Addiction Solution Podcast on...
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In this episode Mark and Michelle explore and explain the unholy marriage of medicine and religion that the 12 step model created to treat the “addiction disease”. Is it a spiritual disease? Is it a brain disease? It’s neither; and that matters a great deal when trying to solve it! Don’t forget to subscribe to The Addiction Solution Podcast on your favorite streaming service so you can be notified...
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Happy New Year Everyone! Do you have New Year’s Resolutions? Are there areas in your life you want to improve? These things are all in an effort to make you happier in your life. Mark and Michelle talk about how you can become happier in your everyday life. Don’t forget to subscribe to The Addiction Solution Podcast on your favorite streaming service so you can be notified every time a new episode...
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A special Christmas episode of The Addiction Solution where Mark and Michelle talk about real people who have transformed their lives with The Freedom Model. It’s important to know that no matter who you are, how long you’ve been struggling, or how severely you have messed things up in your life, you can solve your addictions and build the life you truly want! Don’t forget to subscribe to The...
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Many people struggling with addiction have beliefs about their self image that are part of an addict or alcoholic identity. Here's how you can break those beliefs
One of the criticisms of The Freedom Model we hear is, “You guys say The Freedom Model is the only way!?? Isn’t that just like AA?” No, and here's why!
12 Step beliefs are pervasive society today, and those who are involved in 12 Steps underestimate how programmed with misinformation they truly are.
The Cult Awareness Network posted a list of criteria online on how you can tell if you are in a cult. Does Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Fit the criteria?
The Cult Awareness Network posted a list of criteria online on how you can tell if you are in a cult. Does Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Fit the criteria?
“But AA works for some people.” Mark and Michelle take to task the popular idea that some people need a 12 step program, and that it “gets them sober.”
In the US, virtually every inpatient rehab, outpatient clinic, or other form of treatment for drug use is based on the 12-step model or a strange deviation of it.
Is lying to people about addiction justified? No - which is why The Freedom Model will always speak the truth, regardless of popular opinion.
When a star dies, the media parrots the same statement, he or she has “lost their battle with addiction.”
Is addiction a spiritual malady? Do you need to adopt a spiritual lifestyle to solve your addiction? Listen as we provide the history behind this question.
Is addiction caused by Trauma? Many people think emotional issues cause addiction, however the research does not support this thinking.
This topic is a listener request! We discuss Shame - and the idea that you have much more power over your emotions than you think you do.
In this episode, we explain our 30+ years of experience of working to change the addiction treatment paradigm, and what it will take to effect real change.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a household name, often credited with saving countless lives despite having an abysmal success rate. How can this be?
Addiction treatment and recovery can trap people for years and tragically, some people never make it out!
Is it possible AA and the entire addiction treatment industry is built on a cult? Learn some tips on how you can tell if you’ve joined a cult.