In this deeply moving and inspiring episode of The Hanley Effect, Dr. John Dyben and Dr. Rachel Docekal welcome Florida State Senator Darryl Rouson, a Hanley Center alumnus, longtime recovery advocate, and dedicated public servant, whose journey powerfully illustrates that recovery is not only possible but life-changing.

Senator Rouson shares his remarkable path from addiction and repeated treatment attempts to long-term recovery, public leadership, and legislative impact. With honesty, humility, and profound insight, he reflects on the “gift of desperation” that brought him to Hanley Center in March of 1998, and how that moment became the foundation for a life devoted to service.

Growing up in a supportive family, attending Catholic schools, and becoming the first African American prosecutor in Pinellas County, Senator Rouson’s early success masked a deepening struggle with alcohol and cocaine addiction during the height of the 1980s. After nine years and eight treatment programs, it was at Hanley where recovery finally took root, through dignity, accountability, spirituality, and connection.

From sleeping on the floor of an office building early in recovery to leading the NAACP, serving eight years in the Florida House of Representatives, and now the Florida Senate, Senator Rouson speaks candidly about owning his story, living with integrity, and refusing to let his past define his future.

Today, his lived experience informs his legislative work, particularly around mental health and substance use disorders. He discusses two of the bills he is most proud of:

• Senate Bill 282, which formally recognizes and supports peer recovery specialists, and
• Senate Bill 1620 is landmark legislation improving access, accountability, and quality of care for mental health and substance use treatment in Florida.

Throughout the conversation, Senator Rouson emphasizes the irreplaceable value of peer recovery, the importance of recovery support after treatment, and the need to treat addiction as healthcare, not a moral failing or a crime.

He also shares the deeply personal practice of carrying the journals he began writing during his first days at Hanley, a reminder of where he started and why he continues to give back. Looking ahead, Senator Rouson reflects on his upcoming book, A Journey Through Addiction to Public Service, and the honor of having the Darryl E. Rouson Center for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Research named after him at the University of South Florida.

This episode is a powerful message of hope for individuals in recovery, families, clinicians, policymakers, and anyone who believes in redemption, second chances, and the transformative power of compassion.

As Senator Rouson reminds us: “We do recover.”

To learn more about Hanley Center visit www.hanleycenter.org.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of suicide and suicidal ideation. Listener discretion advised. If you’re struggling, call or text 988 (U.S.).

Comedy and mental health collide in this powerful, heartfelt episode of The Hanley Effect with Frank King, The Mental Health Comedian. Frank shares how a lifelong career in stand-up and joke-writing, including 20 years writing for Jay Leno and The Tonight Show, evolved into a mission: using humor to help people talk about suicide, reduce stigma, and save lives.

Frank speaks candidly about living with major depressive disorder and chronic suicidal ideation, and why naming those experiences can be life-changing for people who have silently carried similar thoughts. With hosts Dr. Rachel Docekal and Dr. John Dyben, the group unpacks why asking directly about suicide does not “plant the idea” and why meaningful prevention often starts with something simple: showing up, noticing, and starting the conversation.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

- Why Frank calls himself “The Mental Health Comedian” and what that really means

- Chronic suicidal ideation and how hearing it named can reduce shame and isolation

- How humor can create emotional “breathing room” so people can absorb difficult truths

- Frank’s story of hitting bottom during financial collapse, and the unexpected moment that helped interrupt his plan

- A moving story from a construction site that illustrates why workplace suicide prevention is essential

- Why “Are you OK?” can be one of the most important questions you ever ask

- The role of peer mentorship and lived experience in recovery and healing

- A simple way to help someone in crisis: encourage them to reach out before their “time runs out”

Crisis support mentioned in the episode:

If you or someone you love is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 in the U.S. the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Help is available 24/7 and connects you to trained support.

About our Guest

Frank King is a comedian, TEDx speaker, and suicide prevention speaker with 30 years of experience helping audiences laugh, learn, and leave presentations loving life. He began stand-up in 1985 and holds a record for 2,629 consecutive nights on the road performing without a home, just a PO Box and an answering service. He has shared the stage with many of the biggest names in comedy and entertainment and spent two decades writing for Jay Leno and The Tonight Show. Today, Frank uses his lived experience and comedic skill to make suicide prevention conversations more approachable and actionable.

Frank’s Website: mentalhealthcomedian.com

How to Connect

Learn more about Hanley's mental health and substance use treatment programs visit: hanleycenter.org

Admissions & info: 844‑502‑4673

In this episode of The Hanley Effect, neurologist Dr. Carolyn Larkin Taylor shares how three decades in practice shaped her view of addiction as a brain disease, not a moral failing. She traces her path from early training in Philadelphia to many years of practice in Washington State, explains why the developing brain is especially vulnerable (“wet cement”), and offers concrete examples of how addiction shows up in neurology clinics (e.g., withdrawal‑related seizures, B12 deficiency from nitrous oxide). Together, hosts Dr. John Dyben and Dr. Rachel Docekal with Dr. Taylor unpack the “rock bottom” myth, the fine line between compassion and enabling, and why family education changes outcomes.

• Dr. Taylor’s path in neurology: From training and early practice in Philadelphia to decades of patient care in Washington State, including building group practice and an MS‑focused center.
• Addiction is a brain disease: Why language matters, how stigma blocks care, and the role of dopamine pathways, stress reactivity, and metabolism in vulnerability.
• Genetics & risk: Twin/adoption research suggests 40–60% heritability; we can’t predict which young person will be most at risk, so prevention and education are essential.
• The adolescent brain (“wet cement”): Early exposure can re‑wire maturing circuitry and raise adult addiction risk (4–6×); abstinence and healthy routines can still support re‑wiring, but it’s harder later.
• What neurologists see:
• Alcohol/benzodiazepine withdrawal seizures in teens and adults.
• B12 deficiency (e.g., from nitrous oxide) presenting as numbness/tingling.
• Seizures are misattributed to other conditions when withdrawal is the driver.
• Rock bottom is not a treatment plan: Why earlier intervention saves lives; how families can “raise the bottom” with boundaries and support.
• Compassion vs. enabling: Understanding survival‑driven brain changes (craving feels like “air/water”) while guiding loved ones toward care.
• Systems & solutions: Family education (including intensive family programs), the limits of punishment/incarceration, and the urgent need for more mental‑health resources.
• Continuing education for clinicians: How required CME around substance use (spurred by the opioid crisis) is improving clinical literacy.

• Learn more about Hanley Foundation treatment programs and family education: hanleycenter.org
• Admissions & info: 844‑502‑4673