Why You Do Not Have A Broken BrainWhy You Do Not Have A Broken Brain
I Love Being Sober
Tim Westbrook and Dr Jason Giles discuss why addiction doesn’t mean having a broken brain, using Jason’s fentanyl story to illustrate how recovery is about re-learning habits over time. They talk about identity change, long-term support, environment, and practical tools for staying sober and taking responsibility in a realistic, hopeful way.
1:09:54•7 Apr 2026
Why Your Brain Isn’t Broken: Rethinking Addiction and Long-Term Sobriety
Episode Overview
- Addiction is framed as learned behaviour – a bad map with a good compass – rather than a permanently broken brain.
- Long-term, structured support over years (testing, groups, 12-step style work) is presented as far more effective than short 30‑day stays.
- Shifting identity to statements like “I don’t drink” and fully committing, instead of “trying” to stay sober, is linked with better outcomes.
- Environment and relationships are described as crucial: spend time with people living the sober life you want and tell on yourself before risky plans progress.
- Responsibility is defined as reclaiming the ability to respond instead of react, using tools such as meetings, breathwork, writing and asking for help.
“If you think of yourself as broken or doomed, your world gets a lot smaller. The only thing wrong with you is you think there’s something wrong with you.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation between host Tim Westbrook and addiction specialist Dr Jason Giles zeroes in on one powerful idea: **your brain isn’t broken – it’s just learned the wrong routes to feeling safe.** Aimed at people in recovery, their families, and anyone curious about addiction, the chat blends medical expertise with hard-won sobriety.
Jason shares his story of going from overworked anaesthesia resident to secret fentanyl use, recalling how “the opiates worked… I felt exactly the way I wanted to feel” – and how that apparent solution became a crisis that nearly cost him everything.
Instead of labelling addiction as a permanent brain defect, Jason explains it as a “bad map with a good compass” – the drive for safety and relief is healthy, but the path (drugs, alcohol, compulsive behaviours) is faulty and over‑practised. He argues that recovery means learning new paths over time, not fixing some imaginary damage.
That’s why he pushes long-term, structured care instead of quick 30‑day fixes and praises monitored physician programmes and 12‑step style support for giving people years, not weeks, to rebuild habits. You’ll hear practical tools, not just theory. Jason talks about changing identity (“I don’t drink” instead of “I’m trying to make it 30 days”), the importance of environment and community, and a simple rule for relapse prevention: tell on yourself early if you’re planning something risky.
He also reframes responsibility, saying it means being “able to respond” rather than react, and insists, “the only thing wrong with you is you think there’s something wrong with you.” If you’ve ever secretly feared you’re beyond help, this conversation offers a different angle: what if your brain is capable, your future is changeable, and you’re worth the effort? What new map are you ready to draw for yourself?
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