039: "Recovery in the Now" Warren Broad, a Therapist and Addictions Counselor shares his 15 year battle with addiction and drug abuse.039: "Recovery in the Now" Warren Broad, a Therapist and Addictions Counselor shares his 15 year battle with addiction and drug abuse.
The SHAIR Recovery Podcast
Therapist and addictions counsellor Warren Broad talks about his 15-year struggle with marijuana, the shame of a double life and the moments that pushed him towards change. He shares how treatment, mindfulness, spirituality and coaching helped him reshape his thinking and build a more balanced, goal-focused recovery.
44:51•10 Nov 2015
Recovery in the Now: Warren Broad on Addiction, Mindfulness and Finding Balance
Episode Overview
- Internal dialogue and unchallenged thoughts can keep addiction firmly in place, so learning to question and reframe thinking is crucial.
- Mindfulness, meditation and cognitive techniques can reduce the power of cravings by showing that a person is not the same as their thoughts.
- Spirituality can be approached flexibly, focusing on shared principles like love and respect rather than rigid religious dogma.
- Exercise and big goals can support recovery, but the addict tendency to go to extremes means balance and rest are just as important.
- Consistently working a chosen programme and having faith that change is possible over time helps build strength and stability in recovery.
“I'm not the exception to the rule. It's going to work because it's worked for so many. And why would I let ego actually have me believe that I'm the exception to this rule?”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? This conversation between host Omar Pinto and guest Warren Broad offers a candid look at how long-term drug use, grief and mental health can twist together – and how recovery can slowly untangle the knot.
Warren, a therapist, counsellor and creator of the “Recovery in the Now” programme, talks through his 15-year struggle with marijuana and other drugs, starting with his first hit at 13 after years of anxiety and childhood trauma, including his brother’s suicide. He explains how cannabis became his “salvation”, even as daily use turned him into, in his words, a deeply secretive and increasingly depressed person who was always worried about running out.
You’ll hear how shame, hiding and a double life affected his work, his health and nearly destroyed his marriage. Rather than a single dramatic incident, Warren describes a series of lows – like being caught by his wife smoking behind a car at a social event – that gradually pushed him towards treatment and, later, a more sustainable recovery. A big focus here is mindset.
Warren points to “internal dialogue” as the main thing that kept him stuck, and shares how mindfulness, meditation and cognitive work helped him see he was “not just [his] thoughts”. Books such as Eckhart Tolle’s *The Power of Now* and Dan Millman’s *Way of the Peaceful Warrior* played a key part in shifting how he saw his brain, his urges and his past.
He also talks honestly about the addict tendency to go to extremes, even with healthy habits like exercise, and why balance and spiritual practice matter just as much as clean time. His message to newcomers is simple: “Have faith for whatever amount of time it takes.” If you’re wondering whether change is possible despite relapse, shame and a noisy mind, this story might be exactly what you need to hear today.
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