In this powerful episode, Duane sits down with filmmaker Benjamin Flaherty to discuss his hard-hitting documentary, Shuffle. The film pulls back the curtain on the "Florida Shuffle"—a predatory cycle in the billion-dollar addiction treatment industry where vulnerable individuals are "brokered" between facilities for insurance payouts.

Benjamin shares his own journey of recovery and explains how his personal experience allowed him to gain unprecedented access to a community often silenced or exploited. This conversation explores the dark intersection of greed and healthcare, the resilience of the human spirit, and why the current treatment system desperately needs transparency.

Key Discussion Points

• Benjamin’s Recovery Journey: How a moment of clarity at age 41 led Benjamin from "professional alcoholism" to a transformative experience in treatment.
• The Origins of Shuffle: A chance conversation in an AA meeting revealed a disturbing trend: recovery call centers becoming a primary source of employment for those in early sobriety.
• What is the "Florida Shuffle"? Benjamin explains how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) unintentionally created a loophole where "patient brokers" poach insured individuals, profiting from their relapses.
• The Statistic that Shocks: There are currently more private substance abuse treatment centers in the U.S. than there are McDonald's restaurants.
• Witnessing the Cycle: The emotional weight of filming Corey and Nicole—two individuals caught in the cycle of being "bought and sold" by treatment facilities.
• The "Driveway Recordings": Why Benjamin chose to use raw, iPhone voice memos for the film's narration to maintain emotional authenticity.
• Maintaining Hope: Despite the systemic corruption, the film highlights the incredible resilience of those in recovery and the fact that healing is still possible.

Notable Quotes

"Stopping a substance is the entry card for admission. That’s not the whole thing. There’s a lot of work to do, and none of us know that until we find it out in our own way." — Benjamin Flaherty

"We’ve now made relapse profitable. We’ve incentivized the struggle by providing substandard care because an insurance card is like a blank check." — Benjamin Flaherty

"I approached my time with Corey not as a filmmaker first, but as a person in recovery. I had to witness it to make it impossible to ignore." — Benjamin Flaherty

Resources Mentioned

• The Documentary: Shuffle (also referred to as Stop the Shuffle)
• Website: stoptheshuffle.com — Find theater locations, tickets, and upcoming streaming info.
• Social Media: Follow the movement on Instagram @StopTheShuffle.

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Download: OVERCOMING BLACK OR WHITE THINKING WORKSHEET

Welcome to the Addicted Mind podcast! Have you ever caught yourself thinking, "I'm either a success or a complete failure"? This episode is for you.

In this episode, we dive deep into the pervasive issue of black-and-white thinking, also known as dichotomous thinking and its impact on addiction recovery. Join Duane Osterlind and Eric Osterlind as they explore how this rigid mindset can create emotional instability and hinder progress. Drawing on principles from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), they discuss practical steps to move from extreme thinking to a more balanced, nuanced approach. You'll learn mindfulness techniques, how to challenge your thoughts, and the importance of embracing the gray areas in life. By the end of this episode, you'll have valuable tools to help you think more dialectically and support your journey to recovery. Plus, don't miss the downloadable worksheet in the show notes to further your practice!

Key Topics

• Understanding black-and-white thinking and its impact on recovery
• Introduction to Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Practical steps to shift towards dialectical thinking
• Importance of mindfulness and self-compassion
• Challenging extreme thoughts and seeking clarification
• The role of language in shaping our perceptions

Timestamps

1. [00:00:00] Introduction and overview of black-and-white thinking
2. [00:02:15] The impact of black-and-white thinking on recovery and relationships
3. [00:06:15] Why our brains default to black-and-white thinking
4. [00:08:40] How to become a gray thinker: Practical steps
5. [00:10:58] Seeking clarification and the role of community support
6. [00:12:42] Reframing negative thoughts and focusing on positives
7. [00:14:11] Call to action: Download the worksheet and join the community

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, let’s journey through the realms of neuroscience, addiction research, and the promising future of treatment strategies for substance use disorders. On this episode, Duane speaks with Dr. Paul Kenny, a distinguished figure in neuroscience and addiction research. He unravels his research on signaling cascades in rodents’ brains, providing fascinating insights into addiction-like behaviors.

The discussion turns engaging as Paul illuminates his groundbreaking work with certain treatments and their potential role in addressing cravings and motivation in substance use disorders is nothing short of fascinating.

They also steer the conversation towards an area often overlooked, which is the relationship between drugs, addiction, and satiety. Paul dissects how potent drugs like cocaine and heroin trigger extreme pleasure and consequently, substance use disorders. He shares his insights into how the satisfaction derived from drug use and the ritualistic patterns of drug consumption could be altered to reduce dependence.

This episode sheds light on the promising field of addiction research and the need to raise public awareness of the issue. This is a testament to the incredible work being done by Cure Addiction Now. By understanding the brain’s role in addiction, we can potentially change the way we approach substance use disorders and find innovative ways to help those struggling with addiction.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Groundbreaking research on addiction treatment
• Exploring medications to control cravings and motivation
• Drugs, addiction, and satiety relationship
• GLP-1 enhancers and their potential to treat drug addiction
• Exploring GLP-1 modulators for addiction treatment
• About Cure Addiction Now

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple ‘+’ in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Supporting Resources:

Cure Addiction Now

https://cureaddictionnow.org/

NovusMindfulLife.com

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.