1 Every 5 Minutes1 Every 5 Minutes
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Coach Blu Robinson reacts to record overdose deaths by arguing that addiction is rooted in unaddressed pain, not just one drug or policy. He shares his own story of neglect and offers a practical framework for families and individuals to build a strong home-based approach to recovery.
1:07:30•19 Nov 2021
One Every Five Minutes: Coach Blu on Pain, Core Issues and Home-Team Recovery
Episode Overview
- Overdose deaths have climbed to over 100,000 in a year, which Blu frames as one person dying every five minutes, and he argues this reflects a broad addiction crisis rather than a single-drug problem.
- Focusing blame on one substance or policy gives a false sense of security; meaningful change starts within families and communities, not solely with governments or systems.
- Blu outlines an “awareness cycle” to find a core issue – usually some kind of pain – by tracing first use back about two years and examining the beliefs and feelings formed around that event.
- He emphasises that people often use substances more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure, and that avoiding emotional pain with drugs or medication stops real healing from happening.
- Through his own story of neglect and confronting his mother, Blu shows how clear, difficult action and honest conversation can remove the underlying excuses to keep using and strengthen a person’s ‘home team’ support.
“I’m a firm believer that the troops are not coming. We are the troops.”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? Coach Blu Robinson uses this hard-hitting episode of Addict II Athlete to shine a harsh light on the latest overdose statistics and what they mean for every family. With more than 100,000 deaths in a 12‑month period, he reminds listeners that “that is one person passing away every five minutes,” and if that doesn’t rattle you, nothing will.
Rather than blaming a single substance or one policy, Blu keeps stressing that “this isn’t just an opiate issue… This is an addiction issue.” He questions the current treatment industry, the focus on one ‘bad drug’, and the idea that someone else will come and fix everything. As he bluntly puts it, “I’m a firm believer that the troops are not coming.
We are the troops.” You’ll hear him break down his “awareness cycle” and the idea of a core issue beneath every addiction – usually some kind of pain. Blu explains how people often use substances either for the experience or to cover hurt, and how our obsession with avoiding pain pushes us towards quick fixes instead of healing.
He walks through a practical process: tracing use back to an activating event, identifying painful beliefs and feelings, then deciding what you actually want for yourself, your family and your wider community. In one of the most personal parts of the episode, Blu shares his own core issue of neglect, the scars of childhood abuse, and the brave step of confronting his mother in a letter.
That action, he says, helped him stop neglecting his own needs and removed one of the main excuses to keep using. This is aimed at anyone affected by addiction – whether it’s your own or a loved one’s – who’s ready to hear some straight talk about pain, responsibility and how a strong “home team” can literally save lives. What core issue might you be avoiding that it’s finally time to face?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.