Beyond Talk Therapy: Dr. Q on Tools for Addiction, Emotional Balance and RecoveryBeyond Talk Therapy: Dr. Q on Tools for Addiction, Emotional Balance and Recovery
Chasing Heroine: Addiction Recovery Podcast
Clinical psychologist Dr. Q talks with Jeannine about addiction as a nervous system survival strategy and shares simple tools like breathwork, music and movement to support emotional balance. Their conversation highlights self-compassion and returning to baseline rather than chasing perfection in recovery.
1:01:11•25 May 2026
Why Your Drug of Choice Makes Sense: Dr Q on Nervous Systems and Recovery
Episode Overview
- Addiction is framed as a survival strategy driven by the nervous system, rather than simply self-destruction or pleasure seeking.
- Different substances and behaviours can signal what state someone’s nervous system is trying to achieve or escape.
- The 5-5-10 breathing technique, intentional music choices, movement and dance offer accessible ways to calm or energise without substances.
- Co-regulation with pets, trusted people and warm memories can be a powerful support when self-compassion feels out of reach.
- Success in recovery is described as shortening the time it takes to return to baseline, not avoiding anxiety or triggers altogether.
“Success means learning how to return to center sooner with more awareness, compassion, and safety.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation with clinical psychologist Dr. Quinica – known warmly as Dr. Q – brings a fresh angle to addiction, anxiety and recovery by focusing on one core player: the nervous system. Jeannine chats with Dr. Q about why addictive behaviours so often make "sense" to the body, even when they’re wrecking someone’s life. Drawing on years in methadone clinics and her doctoral work, Dr.
Q reframes addiction as a survival strategy: substances, work, people-pleasing, even overachievement can all be ways the nervous system tries to feel safe.
As she puts it, people don’t come to her for judgement: "If I wanted to judge you, I’d go to law school." You’ll hear how different drugs can hint at what someone’s nervous system is trying to do – calm down, speed up, numb out or stay alert – and why recovery means learning new ways to regulate without heroin, meth, chaos or burnout. Dr.
Q shares simple, practical tools anyone can try at home, like her 5‑5‑10 breathing pattern, using music intentionally, cold and warm drinks to read your state, movement and dance to shift mood, and even co-regulating with pets or trusted people. There’s plenty here for people early in sobriety and for long-term abstinent folks who still lean on caffeine, sugar or overworking. Dr.
Q keeps bringing it back to self-compassion: success in recovery doesn’t mean never feeling triggered again; it means "learning how to return to centre sooner with more awareness, compassion and safety." If you’ve ever wondered why you keep going back to the same self-destructive patterns, this chat might help you see your nervous system – and your story – in a completely different light.
What would happen if you treated your recovery as caring for your nervous system, rather than fighting yourself?
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