One on One With Coach Blu: Are You Mad?One on One With Coach Blu: Are You Mad?
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Coach Blu answers a listener’s question about sudden anger in sobriety, sharing practical tools such as breathing, relaxation and reframing thoughts. He also reflects on wider issues including transgender athletes in sport, the opioid crisis, and supporting children and families through the Addict II Athlete community.
51:51•24 Jun 2021
Are You Mad? Coach Blu Talks Anger, Recovery and Family Healing
Episode Overview
- Anger in sobriety can feel more intense because substances once dampened emotions that are now resurfacing.
- Relaxation tools like diaphragmatic breathing, visual imagery and brief time-outs can lower emotional arousal during anger spikes.
- Cognitive restructuring—questioning whose problem it is and how serious it really is—helps reduce overreactions and protect relationships.
- Clear, honest communication and problem-solving are crucial; saying “I don’t know” blocks the thinking needed to address what’s really wrong.
- Children affected by overdose deaths need long-term support, and family-based activities like the Addict II Athlete minor league can help rebuild connection.
“Anger can be frightening and can be super overwhelming, especially when you find yourself kind of in the depths of that.”
Curious about how others manage their temper once the substances are gone? This episode of Addict II Athlete circles around a raw, everyday issue in recovery: anger.
Coach Blu Robinson, a licensed mental health therapist and substance use disorder counsellor, answers a listener’s plea for help: “I need help with managing my anger… ever since I’ve stopped using, I am at a hair’s trigger.” From there, the conversation digs into what anger really is and why it can spike in sobriety.
Coach Blu challenges the classic cliché that “anger is a secondary emotion,” arguing it can also be a primary one and even a motivator, while still acknowledging that “anger can be frightening and can be super overwhelming, especially when you find yourself kind of in the depths of that.” He walks through practical tools: diaphragmatic breathing, visualising a “calm place”, and simple relaxation habits that can be used in a busy family home.
He then moves into cognitive restructuring – changing the way you think – using a funny but relatable story about getting irrationally wound up over a bathroom light left on. It’s a gentle reminder to ask, “Whose problem is this really?” and to see how overreactions can strain relationships more than they solve problems.
The episode also widens out to bigger topics: a brief listener question on transgender athletes and fairness in sport, reflections on the opioid crisis, Purdue Pharma, and the impact on so‑called “opiate orphans”. Coach Blu shares how the Addict II Athlete minor league grew into a space where parents in recovery and their kids can rebuild connection through sport and shared experiences.
This one suits anyone in recovery who finds themselves snapping more than they’d like, as well as families, helpers, and coaches who want practical ways to respond to anger without blowing up their relationships. What small change could you try today to turn your own anger into something more useful?
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