Real Medicine

Episode 9: Addiction: Real Addiction, Real Recovery: A Story of Hope

In this deeply moving episode of Real Medicine, Laurie opens up about his battle with alcohol addiction, beginning with early life experiences and the heartbreak of raising a child with cancer. With raw honesty, he reflects on the pain he tried to numb, the moments that broke him, and the community that helped him heal. Through the lens of AA, Laurie shares how recovery gave him not just sobriety—but his life, his purpose, and his family back. This is a story of vulnerability, hope, and the quiet therapy of connection.  If you or anyone you love is struggling and wanting to connect with the speakers please email janderson@cannabisdoc.ca. Alternatively you can reach out to aambco@aamanitoba.org or call the national help line at 1-877-942-0126.  Music Copyright Jason Houghton 2025 Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2389591/support]

Episode 8: Addiction: Real People, Real Medicine: A Story of Sobriety

In this episode of Real Medicine, we sit down with John to hear his powerful journey from the depths of alcohol addiction to the clarity and connection he found through recovery. With honesty and heart, John shares what led him to seek help, how the 12-step program changed his life, and the role of community in his healing process. This is a story of resilience, transformation, and hope—because sometimes, real medicine starts with one person's truth. Music copyright 2025 Jason Houghton  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2389591/support]

Episode 7: Beyond the Substance: Understanding Addiction as a Survival Strategy (Part 2)

In Part 2 of this series, we explore how addiction goes far beyond substances — showing up in our daily lives through food, phones, productivity, and the constant chase for approval or control. We dive into the science of dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical, and how overuse of certain behaviors creates dopamine withdrawal — a state that leaves us feeling anxious, restless, unmotivated, or numb. This isn’t a failure of willpower. It’s a survival response rooted in trauma, stress, and nervous system dysregulation. I share personal stories and insights from Dopamine Nation and Sick Enough, alongside clinical reflections on how people — including teens, caregivers, and high performers — often use these behaviors to self-soothe and survive. We also explore how to rewire our brains for long-term healing. You’ll learn how intention, small dopamine breaks, nervous system regulation, and compassionate curiosity can help restore balance to your reward system and build new, healthier patterns of coping. This episode is about shifting from shame to self-understanding, from autopilot to awareness — and beginning the work of choosing what actually supports your healing. > Because when we stop asking “What’s wrong with me?” >  and start asking “What am I using this for?” >  —we begin to take back control of our own story. music copyright 2025 Jason Houghton  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2389591/support]

Episode 6: Productivity, Praise, and Pain: Rewriting the Story of Addiction

What if addiction isn’t just about substances — but about the habits we use to survive? In this episode, I invite you to get curious about the ways addiction shows up in all of us — in our work, our need for approval, our phones, and even in the drive to constantly be productive. These behaviors often begin as coping strategies, but over time, they can quietly take control. Through personal stories and insights from Dopamine Nation, we begin to unpack what addiction really is — and why the key to healing isn’t shame or willpower, but curiosity and intention. If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t stop a certain pattern, or felt stuck in habits that no longer serve you — this episode is your invitation to pause, reflect, and begin taking control of the habits that have been controlling you. Because the first step to freedom is not fixing yourself — it’s understanding yourself. Music copyright 2025 Jason Houghton  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2389591/support]

Episode 5: Real Medicine: Addiction, Trauma, and the Path to Healing

In this episode of Real Medicine, Dr. Jennifer Anderson explores the deep connection between trauma and addiction through a compassionate, trauma-informed lens. Drawing from both her personal story and professional experience, she unpacks how addiction is not a failure, but a survival strategy often rooted in unprocessed pain. Using the powerful framework of genetics and epigenetics, Dr. Anderson reframes healing as something we can influence—through therapy, connection, plant medicine, and safety. She reflects on her own family lineage, including her ancestor Chief Johnstone, and how intergenerational trauma and resilience shape our stories. Listeners will also hear insights on how trauma affects the nervous system, how we can begin to rewire it, and how we can support ourselves and others through moments of overwhelm, relapse, or burnout. This episode is a call to shift from judgment to compassion, from symptom management to root-cause care—and to reimagine what real medicine can truly be. Podcast music copyright 2025 Jason Houghton  Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2389591/support]