Infinite Recovery: A New Paradigm with Jason Shires

Infinite Recovery: A New Paradigm with Jason Shires

Curious about how others find their way in sobriety? This conversation between Coach Blu Robinson and psychotherapist / transformative coach Jason Shires leans right into the awkward questions many people in recovery quietly carry. Jason shares a harrowing history of trauma, psychiatric labels and heroin use from age 13, yet speaks from a place of calm clarity that many in recovery will recognise as hard-won.

He talks about losing his dad young, being medicated and diagnosed by age 10, then moving through jails, institutions and homelessness before entering rehab in 1994. But the real focus is what came after. Together, Blu and Jason question the entire idea of labels like *addict*, *disease*, and *substance use disorder*.

Jason explains how diagnoses are often just "a set of subjective opinions from a list of questions," and how people then innocently turn a description into their identity: *"Now I know why I do this stuff"* becomes a trap rather than a key. You’ll hear Jason contrast what he calls "whack-a-mole recovery"—swapping drugs for sex, money, gambling or relationships—with a deeper sense of freedom.

He describes addiction as "an intelligent response to adversity" and stresses that behaviours make sense when seen as attempts by a hurting nervous system to find safety and comfort. The chat also tackles family dynamics. Blu shares how partners often say they want change, but struggle when the returning person has boundaries and opinions.

Jason highlights that loved ones need their own healing too, because for many, "their drug is the other person." This episode suits anyone tired of being defined by a label, professionals questioning old models, and family members who suspect the whole system needs support, not just the identified "addict." It might leave you asking: if the label isn’t really you, who could you be without it?