Optimizing Performance and Sobriety with Dr. Douglas Brackmann and Steve DistanteOptimizing Performance and Sobriety with Dr. Douglas Brackmann and Steve Distante
I Love Being Sober
Psychologist Dr. Douglas Brackmann and entrepreneur Steve Distante talk with host Tim Westbrook about sobriety, brain health, entrepreneurship and performance tools like breathwork, cold plunges and TMS. The conversation stays candid and practical, especially for driven people in recovery who want high performance without sacrificing their spirit.
1:14:25•18 Feb 2025
High Performance, Cold Plunges and Staying Sober with Dr. Doug Brackmann & Steve Distante
Episode Overview
- THC can feel spiritually disconnecting and act as a "trickster" for people with addictive wiring, even when framed as plant medicine.
- Practices like breathwork, meditation, cold plunges and sauna can build willpower, calm stress and support emotional balance in recovery.
- Entrepreneurs in recovery benefit from clear values, strong boundaries and facing problems directly instead of avoiding them.
- Neurodivergent, driven brains may need both structure and conscious spiritual grounding to stay sober and productive.
- TMS offers a non-invasive way to sharpen focus and increase emotional capacity without the side effects of many medications.
“THC is a coyote in the medicine world. It is a trickster. It teaches you something very valuable, but it’s a liar.”
What insights can experts and survivors share about addiction? This conversation on "I Love Being Sober" brings together psychology, entrepreneurship and hard-earned sobriety in a way that's both sharp and pretty funny. You’ll hear psychologist and long-time meditator Dr. Douglas Brackmann share his journey from “high school dropout living in a car” to decades of abstinence, a detour into plant medicine, and a THC relapse that forced him to recommit to being sober.
He calls THC “a coyote in the medicine world… a trickster” and talks frankly about how it can give “the illusion that you’re more present, but you’re not,” especially for people wired for addiction. Entrepreneur and author Steve Distante brings the business side of recovery into focus.
He’s been selling since childhood and now supports impact-driven entrepreneurs, but he’s clear about the inner work too: avoidance is, in his words, “the cancer of all emotions.” His stories about values-based leadership, moving people into the right seat on the bus, and facing challenges head-on will resonate with anyone trying to rebuild life in recovery while running a business.
The group digs into ADHD, stimulants and so-called “fake flow,” contrasting meds like modafinil and Vyvanse with practices that genuinely strengthen the brain and spirit. Tim, Doug and Steve swap experiences with breathwork, meditation, cold plunges and sauna, showing how these daily rituals can calm the mind, boost willpower and help you feel “I’m okay” even in stressful seasons.
There’s also a look at TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation), as Doug and Steve try it and describe feeling sharper, more focused and more emotionally centred, without surgery or drug side effects. If you’re sober or trying to get there and also driven to perform at a high level, this chat shows how you can push hard, stay ambitious and still keep your spirit bright.
How might your recovery change if you treated your brain and business as parts of the same growth journey?
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