The Addicted Mind Podcast

The Addicted Mind Podcast: How a Little Becomes a Lot with Eric Zimmer
In this episode, Duane welcomes back Eric Zimmer, host of The One You Feed podcast, behavior coach, and author of the new book, How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life.
Eric shares his profound journey from being a homeless heroin addict facing 50 years in prison to building a deeply meaningful life in long-term recovery. Together, Duane and Eric break down why massive life transformations don't happen overnight, but are instead built on thousands of microscopic daily decisions. They explore how to navigate behavioral "choice points," overcome the trap of perfectionism, and beautifully balance the duality of acceptance and change.
Key Takeaways from the Episode
The Fallacy of the "Big Moment": While "moments of clarity" are real and pivotal, they only matter if they are backed up by small, daily actions over time.
Change is a Skill: Struggling to change a habit is not a character flaw or a sign of laziness; it is a skill set that must be practiced and learned.
The Autopilot Pitfall: Many of our worst habits occur completely outside of our conscious awareness. Learning to slow down and introduce deliberation is key to making better choices.
The 80% Rule: Except for active substance addiction, striving for 80% consistency in life (exercise, meditation, healthy eating) protects you from the self-sabotage of perfectionism.
Puzzles Over Problems: Shifting your perspective from "I have a problem" to "I have a puzzle" opens the door to curiosity and solutions rather than shame.

In-Depth Discussion Topics
At 24 years old, Eric was a homeless heroin addict, weighing 100 pounds, jaundiced from Hepatitis C, and facing severe prison time. When he finally agreed to long-term treatment, it wasn't his first attempt. Eric explains how his previous "failures" to stay clean were actually an essential part of his learning process.
Mastering "Choice Points"
A choice point is that exact split-second where you either move toward your best self or fall back into old behaviors. Eric notes that relying purely on willpower at a choice point is a losing game. Instead, behavior change requires two distinct layers:
Structural Elements: This includes your support system, clear protocols, accountability partners, and removing triggers from your environment.
In-the-Moment Skills: This involves recognizing self-doubt, slowing down the urge, and learning how to "trick" yourself into taking action by shrinking the task (e.g., just putting on your running shoes to walk to the mailbox).
"The music producer Quincy Jones has this line, and I love it. He says, 'I don't have problems, I have puzzles.' There's a shift in there that's really important, because a puzzle has a solution. It has an answer. We just haven't figured it out yet." — Eric Zimmer
Moving Beyond the Self-Improvement Project
The episode wraps up with a deep dive into the final chapters of Eric’s book, focusing on presence and radical acceptance. While it seems counterintuitive for a book about behavior change to end on "allowing everything to be exactly as it is," Eric explains that treating your life as a non-stop self-improvement project strips away contentment. True healing happens when we can skillfully change what we can, while holding space for our pain, low moods, and current realities without judgment.
Framework: The 80% Rule vs. The Perfection Mindset
The Perfection MindsetThe 80% Consistency FrameworkViews every slip-up as a total failure.Views slip-ups as temporary data points and "puzzle pieces."Relies heavily on high motivation and intense willpower.Relies on structural support, habits, and reducing friction.Leads to burnout, self-sabotage, and quitting.Leads to long-term, sustainable lifestyle changes."If I can't do it perfectly, why bother?""If I can just hit 80% consistency over a year, I'm winning."
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
Eric Zimmer’s Website: oneyoufeed.net (Find his podcast, behavior coaching program, and new book)
Eric's Book:How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life – A Guide to Lasting Transformation Through Behavioral Science and Wisdom
The Addicted Mind Website: theaddictedmind.com

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Supporting Resources:
If you live in California and are looking for counseling or therapy please check out Novus Mindful Life Counseling and Recovery Center
NovusMindfulLife.com
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Download: Setting Healthy Boundaries Worksheet

Have you ever found yourself lying awake at night, replaying that moment when you said "yes" but every fiber of your being was screaming "no"? In this transformative episode of The Addicted Mind Plus, hosts Duane and Eric Osterlind dive deep into one of recovery's most overlooked yet crucial components: setting healthy boundaries.

They explore why boundaries aren't walls that keep people out, but rather fences that let the right things in. The hosts break down common misconceptions about boundaries, explaining why they're not selfish acts but essential tools for self-respect and healing. Through practical examples and clear guidance, they show how proper boundaries can actually lead to deeper, more meaningful relationships while protecting your recovery journey.

What makes this episode particularly valuable is its practical approach. The hosts provide a step-by-step guide to setting and maintaining boundaries, from starting small to handling pushback. They emphasize that while setting boundaries might feel uncomfortable at first, especially for those who haven't seen them modeled in their lives, they're skills that can be learned and improved over time.

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Welcome to the Addicted Mind Podcast. Today, we are delighted to bring you the wisdom and expertise of Dr. Adina Silvestri, EdD, LPC as she talks about her research on women seeking addiction treatment.Dr. Adina Silvestri is a licensed Professional Counselor in Richmond, Virginia and the founder of Life Cycles Counseling. One of her specialties is helping women that are struggling with substance abuse recover from shame to find hope and healing.
In this podcast, she discussed how it is important to support women with a relational focused treatment approach as opposed to using a confrontational style. She uses the adage, “tend and befriend” when beginning substance abuse treatment for women as she has determined that style helps women decrease the stress hormone cortisol.
She also discusses how it is difficult for many women to get support because they are often the primary caregivers for children. The complicated issues around finding child care to allow women to participate in substance abuse treatment add to this difficulty. Often women leave treatment early because of child care issues. This creates a consistent problem with women trying to build a recovery support network.
Dr. Silvestri reports that often women are not supported by their partners when seeking help. She reports that it is common for women to be introduced to addictive substances by their partner. She states that getting treatment can often cause relationships to break down as one person seeks recovery and the other does not. This results in circumstances in which partner does not support treatment.
She also found in her research that women often put off seeking treatment for approximately four years, adding to the compounding difficulty of getting recovery. Dr. Silvestri encourages all women who are struggling with this issue to reach out for help and tell somebody.
Here are some topics discussed in this episode:
Barriers to treatment such as child care and pregnancy.
Fear of losing custody of their children.
A lack of insurance and employment.
How women may present differently when starting treatment.
The role of shame and cultural stereotypes.
The importance of relational treatment when working with women in an addiction treatment program.
Domestic abuse and violence.
The increased potential for sexual exploitation.
Get more information:
adinasilvestri.com
adina@adinasilvestri.com
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Supporting Resources:
If you live in California and are looking for counseling or therapy please check out Novus Mindful Life Counseling and Recovery Center
NovusMindfulLife.com
We want to hear from you. Leave us a message or ask us a question: https://www.speakpipe.com/addictedmind
Disclaimer
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Download: Growth Mindset Worksheet

Ever felt like feedback in your recovery journey hits you like a punch to the gut? You're not alone. In this eye-opening episode of The Addicted Mind Plus, hosts Duane and Eric Osterlind dive into why criticism can feel so painful during recovery and share game-changing strategies to transform those tough moments into opportunities for growth. Drawing from cutting-edge research in neuroscience and psychology, they explain how our early life experiences shape our sensitivity to criticism and why some people struggle more than others with feedback. But here's the good news: by adopting what scientists call a "growth mindset," you can learn to receive feedback differently and use it to strengthen your recovery journey. The brothers share practical, easy-to-implement strategies that can help you shift from feeling defensive and ashamed to seeing criticism as valuable feedback for your growth. Whether you're in recovery or supporting someone who is, this episode offers essential tools for turning difficult feedback into stepping stones toward lasting change.

KEY TOPICS
Understanding why criticism hits harder for some people
The connection between early childhood experiences and sensitivity to criticism
How the brain's stress response system affects our reaction to feedback
Dr. Carol Dweck's research on growth mindset
Three practical strategies for developing a growth mindset
The role of criticism in sustainable recovery
Practical tools and worksheets for implementing these strategies

TIMESTAMPS
[00:01:07] Introduction to criticism's impact on recovery
[00:02:45] Understanding sensitivity to criticism through attachment theory
[00:06:00] Introduction to growth mindset concept
[00:08:00] Real-world examples of criticism in recovery
[00:11:11] Three practical strategies for developing growth mindset
[00:13:21] Practicing affirming statements
[00:14:57] Resources and community support information

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In this episode, host Duane Osterlind sits down with Dr. Muhamad Aly Rifai, a dual-trained internist, psychiatrist, and addiction medicine specialist with over 25 years of clinical experience. Together, they dive deep into a rising public health concern—Kratom and 7-OH products—and unpack the complex neuroscience of how substance abuse alters brain architecture.
Dr. Rifai shares insights from his book, Hijacked Mind: How Addiction Rewires the Soul, exploring the reality of permanent brain changes, the sliver of hope offered by neuroplasticity, and how a holistic Biopsychosocial model can help individuals rebuild their lives.
About the Guest
Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD, is an internist, psychiatrist, and addiction specialist. He serves as the medical director of an addiction treatment center and has spent the last two decades treating individuals facing co-occurring psychiatric disorders and chemical dependencies. He is also known online as "The Virtual Psychiatrist."
Key Takeaways & Discussion Points
1. The Kratom Crisis: Natural Leaf vs. 7-OH
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. While traditionally used as a tea for pain relief, a massive commercial market has emerged around it in the United States, creating two distinct camps:
The Natural Leaf Camp: Powdered or dried leaves primary containing mitragynine. Many users report it offers relief from chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and fatigue when used responsibly.
The 7-OH Camp: Highly potent, biochemically isolated 7-hydroxymitragynine sold in gas stations and smoke shops as pills, extracts, and drinks.
The Clinical Reality: Because these products are completely unregulated by the FDA, consumers often don't know what they are ingesting. Dr. Rifai notes a dramatic rise in patients requiring medical detoxification from 7-OH products, experiencing severe withdrawal syndromes comparable to high-dose opioid or fentanyl withdrawal.
2. The Neuroscience of a "Hijacked Mind"
For years, addiction wasn't fully understood as an architectural shift in the brain. Dr. Rifai explains the sobering realities of what happens when a substance takes over:
Down-Regulation: Severe drug use causes a decrease in the number and sensitivity of opioid receptors.
Apoptosis: Substances like fentanyl trigger programmed cell death in areas governing executive function, emotional regulation, and perception.
Permanent vs. Adaptable Changes: While some cellular damage is irreversible, neuroplasticity allows the brain to build new neural pathways around damaged areas through targeted treatment.

3. The Biopsychosocial Model for Recovery
Overcoming severe addiction requires a 360-degree approach. Dr. Rifai breaks down the essential framework for a successful recovery program:
Dimension Core Interventions & Strategies Biological Complete abstinence, Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) like buprenorphine or methadone, treating underlying psychiatric comorbidities (depression, anxiety), and neurostimulation (like Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / TMS).Psychological Addressing cognitive distortions "on steroids," processing trauma (which is present in 60% to 70% of addiction cases), and utilizing evidence-based therapies like CBT and DBT .Social Building a supportive network through family involvement, peer support counselors, prescription digital therapeutics (specialized apps), and 24/7 accessible support groups like AA/NA via Zoom.
Words of Hope
"Help is out there. Even if you're hopeless and see no way out, help is available. There is a way out and there is somebody out there to help. So reach out."
Resources & Links Mentioned
Dr. Rifai’s Website: alirifai.com
Dr. Rifai’s YouTube Channel: The Virtual Psychiatrist
Dr. Rifai's Book: Hijacked Mind: How Addiction Rewires the Soul (Available on Amazon)
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (Available 24/7, free, and confidential)

Follow and Review: We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Supporting Resources:
If you live in California and are looking for counseling or therapy please check out Novus Mindful Life Counseling and Recovery Center
NovusMindfulLife.com
We want to hear from you. Leave us a message or ask us a question: https://www.speakpipe.com/addictedmind
Disclaimer

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.