Why do we need to hear speakers talking about recovery?
Learning for Ourselves
If you are worried about how alcohol or other drug use is affecting you and people you love, then you may want to learn more about substance Use Disorder (SUD) and addiction. If you are already aware that substances are a problem for you, if you are getting ready to stop using, or if you have already been sober for a while and are looking to maintain your recovery, learning more about SUD and addictions can be a very useful tool.
Learning for Others
If you are not worried about substance use in your own life, but know someone who is, learning more about the process and challenges can go a long way towards helping you be more understanding and empathetic–which may be one of the most valuable tool you can offer someone in need.
Learning Differently
If you are learning a lot from books like AA or NA, SMART, etc., then you may find watching videos of knowledgeable speakers compliments and adds depth to what you are already learning. For others who are not a book readers, educational videos are a great alternative.
With these thoughts in mind, here are 3 of the top speakers everyone interested in recovery should take the time to learn from:
Dr. Gabor Maté
Dr. Gabor Maté believes many of us who are struggling with addictions, to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, gambling, compulsive work habits, sexual seeking or spending. What is amiss with our lives that we seek such destructive ways to comfort ourselves? And why is it so difficult to stop these habits, even as they threaten our health, jeopardize our relationships and corrode our spirits? Dr. Maté’s main teaching is how childhood trauma creates addiction. This understanding can have a huge impact on how we think about living with SUD, about the assumptions we may be making about what is helpful in making changes around substance use.
Video: Brain Development & Addiction with Gabor Maté (2009)
Book: In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts – Close Encounters With Addiction
Mackenzie Phillips
Video: Mackenzie Phillips’ Road To Recovery (2018)
Book: Hopeful Healing: Essays on Managing Recovery and Surviving Addiction
The daughter of Mamas & Papas singer, Mackenzie Phillips, became a teen star, famous for her roles in American Graffiti and One Day at a Time. Her life spiraled out of control when she started using and abusing alcohol and other drugs. It’s been a very long road to recovery for her, including 11 stints in rehab.
Mackenzie is now Hollywood’s go-to person on recovery, and a visible and outspoken advocate for SUD and addiction awareness and education. As a speaker and author, she opens up about her very public fight for sobriety, and shares her personal experiences as a guide to help others who are trying to overcome substance use.
Mackenzie will be in Winnipeg to speak at the FREE Recovery Day Winnipeg event on September 14!
Johann Hari
Video Everything You Know About Addiction is Wrong (2015)
Book: Chasing the Scream: the First and Last Days of the War on Drugs
Johann Hari started to wonder why we treat addicts the way we do — and if there might be a better way. As he shares in this deeply personal talk, his questions took him around the world, and unearthed some surprising and hopeful ways of thinking about an age-old problem of what really causes addiction — to everything from cocaine to smart-phones–and how can we overcome it?
Which speakers made an impact in your life?
