Maureen Cavanagh joins us to talk about her devastating new memoir "If You Love Me:  A Mother's Journey Through Her Daughter's Opioid Addiction", a deeply moving mother-daughter story about love, strength, and hope.

Though anxiety has risen among young people overall, recent research studies confirm that it has skyrocketed in girls.  As a clinical psychologist who specializes in girls, Lisa Damour, Ph. D., has watched this rising tide of anxiety in her own research, private practice, and in the all-girls' school where she consults.  Dr. Damour joins us to talk about her new book UNDER PRESSURE. 

Mike Ferullo began running to help his personal recovery. Before he knew it, he was running the New York City Marathon and getting his Social Work degree.  In 2008 he brought running to a treatment program to inspire others the same way and the non-profit, Boston Bulldogs was born. The only requirement is that you "just show up." Coach Mike, and Bulldog program coordinator Meaghan O'Sullivan, join us.

The voices of drug users are usually not heard in substance use policy discussions. Michael Galipeau, co-founder of the Rhode Island Users Union, describes the difficulties he has encountered in getting them heard and some of his unexpected allies.

Jon and Abby talk about Medication Assisted Treatment or MAT. MAT is part of a evidence-based approach to treating those with opioid and alcohol use disorders and is gaining wider acceptance by behavioral health care providers.  But the practice is sometimes misunderstood by the public and even some members of the recovery community.

Shaleen Title, Commissioner of the Cannabis Control Commission, joins us to break down the recently enacted laws enabling medical and adult use marijuana in the Commonwealth.

As a global C-Suite level marketing star at 35yrs old, Annie Grace found herself drinking almost two bottles of wine a night.  Her life had become a daily battle for sobriety.   Her first book, "This Naked Mind", broke down how alcohol changes us physically and mentally and how she was able to find freedom from alcohol.  Her latest endeavor, "The Alcohol Experiment", aims to change problem drinking by teaching why we drink more than we want, how to change the expectations of drinking, and how to shift your mindset to control your drinking - if not alleviate it all together.

70-80% of people who stop using drugs will experience a lapse or relapse during their recovery. Abby and Jon talk about relapse prevention and why a relapse can be the jarring event that reinforces long-term recovery.

Graphic novelist Jarrett Krosoczka (author of the beloved "Lunch Lady" series) joins us to talk about his profound new graphic memoir "Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt With Family Addiction."  Kroscozka's memoir is a raw and honest portrayal of addiction through the eyes of a child, and shines a light on how love, family, and art helped him survive.

Jon and Abby are joined by some special musical guests, and they’ll also discuss the challenges faced by people in recovery during the holidays and talk about proven strategies for surviving the season.

Family Addiction Specialist Diana Clark, talks about how the shift in parenting methods has affected how families approach the addiction of their children and what families can do to get their loved ones help.

The story of America’s "War on Drugs" usually begins with Richard Nixon or Ronald Reagan. Matthew R. Pembleton, author of "Containing Addiction", argues that its origins instead lie in the years following World War II.  Matthew joins us in an upcoming podcast to discuss how U.S. policymakers had long viewed addiction and organized crime as profound domestic and trans-national threats, and how's America's application of a foreign policy solution to a domestic social crisis. The result is a drug war that persists into the present day.

Personal stories of addiction and recovery touch us the most, and have the greatest potential to heal and educate.  Join us for the fourth installment of our series "Recovery Stories".

November is National Adoption Month and our guest, Lisa Coppola, a therapist at Boston Post Adoption Resources, talks about the challenges people face.

As our most culturally accepted drug, how can alcohol go from casual use to problematic or deadly drinking? What are the societal impacts of it's use and mis-use?  And how can people get help for alcohol use disorders and problem drinking?  Join us as Jon and Abby break it all down in Alcohol 101.

This week on the Right Mind Media Podcast we talk about children's mental health issues with our guest Lisa Lambert, Executive Director of the Parent Professional Advocacy League, a grassroots family organization that advocates for improved access to mental health services for children, youth and their families.

This week on the Right Mind Media Podcast, we talk about trauma and resilience with Lynn Sanford, clinical director of the Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Institute in Brookline, MA

Is the DEA complicit in the opioid epidemic? Our guest, drug policy expert Professor Leo Beletsky, says it’s time to revamp or eliminate the DEA and rebuild America’s drug policy from the ground up.

What do the terms "dual diagnosis" and "co-occurring disorders" mean?  Jon and Abby discuss how addiction and mental illness are entwined, how they are diagnosed, and how they are best treated.

What is harm reduction?  Does it work?  And if so, how?  Jon and Abby breakdown various harm reduction techniques, explain what they do, and why so many cities and towns are adopting harm reduction practices to fight addiction.

Dr. Alex Solodyna, a clinical psychologist, and Madeline Conover, LMHC, break down the roots and symptoms of Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and the treatments available.

Guest Kevin Griffin is a Buddhist author, teacher, and leader in the mindful recovery movement.  He teaches internationally in Buddhist centers, treatment centers, and academic settings.  Kevin specializes in helping people in recovery connect with meditation and a progressive understanding of the 12 Steps.

Jails in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago each house more people with mental illnesses than any hospital. As many as half of all people in America’s jails and prisons have a psychiatric disorder. Journalist Alisa Roth joins us to talk about her new book "Insane", an urgent exposé of the mental health crisis in our courts, jails, and prisons.