A Rehabilitation Program for Excess Alcohol and Drug Use

Welcome to the Living to 100 Club Podcast. Here's our host, Dr. Joseph Casciani. Well, hello to everyone joining us today on our podcast. You're listening to one of the public episodes this month on the Living to 100 Club program, and I'm your host, Joseph Casciani. Each week our conversations educate and inspire, helping you get the best out of all the years we are given, regardless of what obstacles come our way. These public episodes air twice a month. With our premium club membership, paying subscribers can listen to all episodes. So subscribers have access to 2 additional episodes per month. All episodes share this educational and inspiring approach. With practical tips and strategies for aging well. Premium episodes are for subscribers only, so be sure to sign up today at livingto100club.supercast.com. Our guest for this podcast discusses the process of recovering from a history of alcohol or drug abuse. Brandon Turner is our guest, and he discusses his own abuse history while earning awards in professional skateboarding. Now in his 40s, Brandon describes how he managed to stay in peak performance as a professional skateboarder while changing the necessary lifestyle habits to succeed in not only his own recovery, but also rose to become the co-owner of a partial hospital program for others in recovery. What are the alternatives to abusing alcohol or drugs that provide the same or better feel-good opportunities. How does someone fill the empty places that the drugs or alcohol once filled? Join us for this unusual conversation for the Living to 100 Club Podcast. Before we start, I just want to give you a little background on our guest. Brandon is the CEO of Westside Recovery, helping those struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues. He's an active professional skateboarder for Skate Mafia, That's SK, the number 8 Mafia, Independent Trucks, co-owner of clothing and Ghetto Child Wheels. He's also the co-owner of a nonprofit for youth to help create change in our community. Brandon, welcome to our program today.

Hey, thanks for having me.

Yeah, you're very welcome. I'm looking forward to our conversation. I always like to open by asking our guests to talk a little bit about the journey that brought you to where you are today. You've had some some peaks and valleys over the years. Share some of the highlights for us.

Uh, some of the highlights is just going through my, um, own life's experiences through, you know, downfalls, not all downfalls, but ups and downs and learning through those, those experiences to get to, uh, my purpose. And I realized that, you know, now I wouldn't have, when I was going through these, um, things, it seemed like it was the worst. Things possible and why me and, and why am I going through this? But now where I'm at today, it's very clear that it was all constructed so I can get to my purpose.

Yeah, you can see the, the years that offer that learning, those experiences, kind of the finding the purpose and all of that challenge, the ups and downs. Sure. So tell us, um, quickly about the recovery facility that you're operating now, Westside Recovery. What types of clients, length of stay, what can you tell us about it?

It's a 12-step program and we offer, you know, help for people struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues of all ages. It's really, I wanted to create a program that really tailored to not just, you know, the problem. And of course, you know, with group therapy and regular therapy, one-on-one therapy and case management and And getting detoxed off of substances is a big part, but I wanted to create something that helped people get back to their lives, no matter what that may be. And replacing, you know, negative habits with positive ones, with the healthy release of endorphins. Like, you know, we got a skateboarding program, yoga, Pilates, and art, and a music program, and— You know, let that be something that people can really just grasp onto something that they haven't done before so they can start believing in themselves again.

Yeah, I, I like that approach. I mean, the therapy is so important, the group and individual therapy. What you're also offering is, um, kind of some new choices to make in the person's lifestyle to complement what they're learning in their therapy programs, in their treatment programs. So these other programs are really, um, add-ons or complementary of what they're, what they're learning in their treatment. That makes a lot of sense.

Absolutely. Yes. We're excited about this. And then, um, with giving all due credit to who I work for as well as, uh, Healthy Life Recovery, I had some really good mentors, um, that brought me into this industry to kind of show me how it works and how treatment works and what it looks like to help an individual because everybody's so different and everybody has their own individual life path and story. And they really— and I still work with them right now. And my partners over there are the ones who helped me with my journey to open my own facility.

Yeah. So you found some answers and your programs now are set up to help others. Search and find their own answers too.

Absolutely.

Yeah. So if I could ask, um, a little bit more personal question, how bad was your substance abuse while you were growing up? What was that like for you?

Well, growing up, it didn't seem so bad because we all know when we're younger, we can bounce back real fast and life just seems to be going like, you know, you can recover a lot faster and it's, uh, it doesn't you don't have the time that, you know, drugs or alcohol might have to work on your nervous system. So when I was younger, you know, I— some of the bad experience I'd started off as fun and experimenting at first, and I was touring and traveling the world as an amateur and professional skateboarder, and it was okay. You know, you get your occasional you know, bar fights or disagreements or things would happen. But when it really started affecting me was when I was in my, my late 20s and 30s, because I really started to see the effect of being hungover longer, just not feeling, you know, so great the next day and it taking more days to actually recover. And then only thing that would make you feel better is, you know, maybe a couple more beers or something. And it really started affecting now with— I didn't know then, but with my education that I know now, after a while, too much of anything starts affecting you not only mentally but spiritually and physically as well. So I would start waking up with shakes and just feeling irritable, being restless, irritable, and discontent. And some of my relationships started dissolving too, just not only professionally but personally. And I didn't feel okay with myself and would really— and I was able to live through that fine, but then I started getting into trouble with the law, like started getting DUIs because I was always out in the scene in the skateboard community, the art community, the music community. So there's always stuff going on and I was driving around and ended up getting DUIs and eventually ended up having to go to prison and for multiple DUIs and other, other frivolous charges. And I just, I couldn't believe it when I ended up in that situation. And it was a real eye-opener that, hey, maybe I had a problem.

Sure.

Yeah.

Yeah. Thank you for that. Being so open and candid. So you could see that it progressed. And as you said earlier, when you were younger, maybe the same use of these substances, um, didn't hit you so hard, or you could recover quicker. And then into your 20s and 30s, maybe you just stopped recovering, and it, it kind of— the symptoms, the effects stayed with you longer. Yeah. How did it affect your, your performance as a skateboarder?

Well, as a skateboarder, skateboarding being like a fearless sport and stuff, it actually helped at first because it would help me numb my wits, as to say. So when we're doing these crazy tricks and you can possibly die doing them, you know, like, hey, 3 or 4 beers will take that away and help me, you know, now I'm ready to jump down this big set of stairs or this handrail or off of this roof and I didn't really have the fear complex. So a lot in the skateboarder community, just kind of as a lifestyle, a lot of people, you know, drink recreationally to kind of loosen up. And because if anyone who doesn't know anything about skateboarding, you got to be comfortable and loose and not tense. And, you know, alcohol helped with that until it didn't. So After that, it started affecting me wanting to go skate and just being hungover. I just wanted to kind of go get some more, you know, have a couple more drinks and maybe skate a little. And it worked for a long time until I started to notice it really take place in my performance, my professional ability, you know, missing flights, pissing people off, you know.

Yeah, sure. So it took its toll. It, it took its toll. And I'm, I'm thinking you didn't say this, but your skills kind of declined with the excess of the drinking and drugs. It wasn't always a performance enhancer, I would imagine. Sometimes it did make you a less capable skateboarder.

Yes. It's, uh, I would say it would, uh, make, it made me more, um, over time sloppy and less consistent. I was definitely a functioning alcoholic for a long time, saying that to myself. And before, I didn't think I had a problem. I'm just like, you know, I just like to have a few drinks and loosen up. And but when you're starting to drink every single day, you know, and even if it's not to the point of dysfunction, I mean, that, that seems like a problem because it's, you know, it You know, alcohol is a, is a toxin. It's a, it's a poison, you know, and it will affect you over time. And it's a depressant too.

So, sure. We know there's a, a lot of learning and understanding that comes with the recovery process and taking some big steps, some making some important decisions about that. How did you make that decision to start the recovery process? What went on in your mind?

It took a lot. It took a lot, you know, because you would think that with the average critical thinker getting one DUI or a few or even ending up in prison, you would think that, hey, you know, maybe I need to stop drinking completely. But I can never get the idea in my head like, oh, you know, maybe I just, I just need to change this or that. You know, maybe I just need to stay away from hard alcohol. Maybe I just need to only drink beer or wine or or this and that. It was every other problem was a problem except my personal problem with the substance. So even after prison and stuff, I was just like, oh, this was because of this. I had an excuse for any scenario that happened, you know. Hey, I didn't know after you got one DUI it was zero tolerance after that. I only, you know, I only had a few beers this time. Oh, and this time you know, it was another situation and, oh, my designated driver left and I had to drive. It was always some excuse and I never had the capacity to look within and I just didn't see myself as an alcoholic. And my perception of an alcoholic was someone who was a drunk and just couldn't function and didn't have a job or a place or a livelihood. And so I had a, stigma against that and didn't realize that you can have a problem and very well be functioning.

Yeah. So you didn't define yourself as an alcoholic and you saw all of these consequences, the DUIs, going into prison for the multiple DUIs. You found some explanations for that. You found a way around it. So it wasn't that insight itself that changed your behavior. It wasn't all of that. Understanding of the whole journey that made you change? What helped you flip that switch?

I started going to, um, AA meetings and, um, started listening to people's stories and, and their perceptions of different things that they went through with drugs or alcohol and stuff. And I started to realize that I had more in common with these people than I didn't. And everyone's different. And I'm like, you know, it's easy. To walk into a room full of people and see the differences because we're all different. So I started to just pay attention to the similarities. And that helped me to make a decision for myself and distinguish the type of drinker I was because you have, you know, your hard drinker, you have your binge drinker, you have your, you know, only on the weekends or I deserve a drink after work drinker. And everybody's different and everybody reacts to different substances different. But when it starts to affect your life in any way, I think it'd be a good idea to take a look at that. And it doesn't mean something's wrong with you if you have a problem. It's just anything in life that you abuse could be bad for you, even water.

Yeah. So you saw the similarities. And we don't always see those similarities until we hear the stories. And, you know, I, I like to say that we're, we're not defined by who we were yesterday. We can change that self-definition. We're not defined by who I was or what I did yesterday or last year or 20 years ago. We can always change that self-definition, if you're following me, Brandon. And I wonder if that was part of the recovery process for you. You, you, you could see yourself as, okay, now I'm, I'm in the recovery, and I, I'm not the person who was abusing alcohol, uh, like I used to be. And now I'm, I'm seeing this as a way to maybe some new ways to cope with my, my stresses, or some new ways to, to manage the difficulties instead of the drug abuse. So we're learning new coping mechanisms, right? We don't rely on the same old coping mechanisms. Does that, does that resonate at all with you and kind of redefining yourself?

Yes, absolutely. And, um, what I came to realize after doing this work, working on myself, you know, through the 12 steps and stuff, which I didn't believe in too. I just thought it was, uh, I was like, hey, you know, that may work for you, but not for me. But what I realized is what is known in the AA community is like 30% of the problem is the substance and the other 70% is mental. So I had an underlying issue of like past trauma and stuff that I didn't know how to deal with or get the right help or tools to deal with that I had buried inside of me that I never got to work through. And it was unconscious that I had stuff in me that, you know, a lot of pain and a lot of resentment and a lot of fear. And, uh, trauma that I, I didn't have the resources before to actually work through and, and get the help for. And once I was able to do that, the, the obsession went away.

Yeah, that's, uh, that's great. That's a, a very good way to explain it. It's seeing that, um, yeah, in the past I, I didn't have a lot of tools to deal with these negative experiences, the memories, the whatever trauma you encountered. I didn't have a lot of tools to deal with that. And now you're saying, yeah, there are other ways to deal with this. There are other ways. It's not like it didn't happen. It's still real and it happened, but it doesn't have to have such a heavy kind of limiting, inhibiting effect on you because you can learn some other ways to deal with those traumas.

Yes, absolutely. And healthy way. And I'm into health. I like health. I like feeling good.

Yeah.

You the way our, our body chemistry works. It's, uh, it's endorphins, you know, and there's cheap, fast, and easy ways to get it, or you can do some work and get it in other healthy ways that are more lasting and profitable to yourself.

Yeah. Can you share some of those with our listeners? What, what are some of the, uh, kind of changes in your lifestyle that you adopted?

I would say the number one is exercise. Like any form of exercise, like, has a healthy release of endorphins. It gives you, you know, that feel good, that feeling of accomplishment. And that's what I tell everyone, you know, a program isn't a place. The program is yourself. It's your CPU. Like, you are a program. So with the working out and then, you know, eat healthier, start reading and writing and Finding some other tools to deal with yourself so you can learn how to take your own inventory and see what's going on with, with your system. But if anybody's into anything like swimming, going to the gym, or anything that's active, I think that's the best way for the healthy release of endorphins.

Yeah. Yeah. That's good. That regular physical activity, fitness exercises, strength training. Whatever it is, that is really a benefit on so many levels, right?

Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah. So when we talked on the phone, you, you mentioned that some people struggling with their own recovery are worried about what, um, you know, what things will be like when they're off drugs, like what's going to replace that, or there's going to be some emptiness, or something will be missing when they give up the alcohol or drug abuse. Can you help us understand that a little bit more?

Yes. So when I drank and I had, um, friends and, uh, colleagues who I would, you know, we would have places we went to, you know, on Friday night, or we're going to watch the game, or we're going to go do this and that, and, you know, we have our vices, we have our drinks. I'm just having drinks with the friends. And that's why it's so hard with alcohol because it's so normalized and it can get at the same time it could just, it could get out of hand and when you're not paying attention, you know, it could, it could affect you in a real negative way and it could be a slow burn too. And so the question of, you know, of the identity crisis is like I tell people it takes time. I had to take some time away from hanging out with certain friends because it was so powerful for me just to want, you know, to have a good time, have, you know, a glass of wine with them or whatever. And I didn't want to be looked at as weird, like, oh, you don't drink? Oh, what's wrong with you? Or, you know, there's a stigma, like, oh, you're a Mormon. You know, I just, uh, my ways of learning with that is like, I always use this one joke I have. I just, uh, have them, they're like, oh, oh, you don't drink? Or, oh, you're sober? And I'll just be be like, oh no, I'm allergic. They'll be like, allergic? And I'm like, yeah, break out handcuffs.

Yeah, that's the heart of it right there. Sure.

I'm still able to hang out with friends who drink, and yeah, that's fine for them and stuff. It's just I look at it like, it's like, hey, you know, I've been there and done that. It's not going anywhere. I enjoy feeling good and healthy and being in control. Being able to drive anywhere I want, anytime I want, and having to worry about something that's limiting for me personally.

So you talked about like when you were drinking so much, you had certain routines. You would get together on Friday nights and do certain things, and it was kind of a familiar, comfortable place for you. That was your comfort zone, so to speak. So what you're saying is You can stop drinking and you can find other comfort zones. You can find other places that are just as kind of pleasant for you. It's okay to give up that old behavior, those old routines, because there are good replacements for it, right?

Yes, absolutely.

Yeah.

If you really want it, you can't be lazy about it. You kind of gotta, you got, you gotta be creative, you know, like, uh, when I'd go out with my friends and stuff, you know, I order a non-alcoholic beverage and still get my appetizers, watch the game. My time is more valued though. I don't just, I don't sit around all night anymore, you know, I go and I have boundaries for myself when, if people start getting out of hand or anything, you know, I just, I just leave, but I'm still able to go and enjoy the friendships I value.

Yeah. You know, that reminds me of what someone said. I had a guest on a few months ago and he talked about binge eating. And how easy it is to overeat. And, you know, you fall into these routines about, you know, certain favorite foods and all that. He said it takes a lot of discipline. And this is what you're saying. It— you have to make some real decisions about what's going on at the time and how to make your choices. But that discipline gives you freedom. There's a certain amount of freedom once you have that portion of your life under control, you have a lot of freedom to do any number of things, right? It's not controlling you anymore. So you take those, you make those tough choices, and that's what gives you the freedom, the liberty to, to live your life. That makes sense to you?

Yeah, absolutely. And, um, someone told me some— I'm like, uh, going to a bar, just even going over to a friend's house, and I was just like, I feel displaced, I feel weird. Not drinking. And, um, you know, someone told me that, you know, like, hey, you have the real power. You're, you know, you're, you're, you're there, you're present, you know what's going on, you remember everything, and you're able to engage in a healthy way.

Yeah, that decision-making is very powerful. We, we have a lot of control over ourselves, more control than we think. Yes. Yeah. So, you know, a lot of my listeners are in the 50 and over age group, Brandon, what's your thinking about people who might have some trouble stopping their alcohol abuse? Or what do you say to the 50 or 60-year-old who's, you know, have a problem with drinking or drug abuse?

I would say, you know, check out a support group, check out an AA meeting, just go, it's free. You can just go there and listen to and talk to some people that would be completely open with you to talk about it. You know, even if you don't think you have a problem, you might not have a problem, but I think it's important in our lives to— we have connection, you know, to keep your connection and your community alive. And that's what it is. It's a resource for our community. And it doesn't just have to be just that, you know, you might meet someone there that you can relate to who is who does other healthy things that can kind of divert you into a healthier path of your lifestyle. And there's plenty of other support groups you can look up on for all different types of age groups, young, old, and that's diverse with all ages that can really help spark that feeling of, you know, with the, with the age barrier. I think no matter what age you are, it's good to be friends and to be a part of all communities. Because I know when I was young, I always liked hanging out with older people because they would tell me so much knowledge and so much useful things that I used, you know, throughout my life. I didn't always listen, obviously, but—

We never do. I mean, don't hold it.

But I remember just going back like, oh, that That man, he really cared. He, you know, he told me some good stuff and now I can see what he's talking about. And so everybody has their value and especially older people in their 50s and 60s. Like, I would rather hang around somebody who's 50 to 60 than someone, you know, I'm not going to say rather, but I value it more because of the more experience.

Sure. Yeah.

Yeah.

I like that advice about looking, looking for the support groups, finding some resources in the community. Because as you said, it's not just dwelling on the problems that someone has, but it's also seeing the positives, seeing the upside, seeing what can come from those discussions and making new friends, new relationships, and learning, you know, maybe picking up some tips or what worked for someone else might work for, for myself. So there's— it's really focusing on the upside, the, the good things about these support groups. It's not just a time to, I mean, I'm not minimizing the talking about the stresses and the problems. That's important, but it's also an opportunity to see the pluses that can come out of this.

Absolutely. Because my biggest problem with, uh, my traumas and the things I've been through in my life is I thought I was the only one who went through my unique problems. And one thing that I really had to, a hard lesson that I had to learn was we all think we're unique and we are in our own special ways. But when it comes to certain things, like, you're not unique, especially when it comes to alcohol. And the great thing about it is, is the positive aspect you're talking about is the relatability. And I think the most problem with not people with just alcohol or in their 50s, 60s, or even Even young kids, they feel like they're the only ones going through what they're going through. I think it's so important to get tapped into your community and a support group and realize that we're here all together and you're not alone and there's great resources out there like this podcast. Thanks.

Yeah. Yeah, that's such an important statement to make. We see that we're not alone. We might feel like nobody really has gone through what I have, and that may be true to a point, but there, there's so many similarities even with our differences. That's what makes us so similar, I think, that we, we have so many differences. That's what makes us alike.

Yes, absolutely.

Yeah, yeah. So we're just about out of time. Any, uh, any advice or recommendations for the audience that What would you hope people take away from this conversation?

I hope people take away from this conversation, you know, some relatability. I hope I was able to help with some of my insight and experience that I've had. And I just want to empower people to, whether they have a problem with alcohol or drugs or not, you can have no problems. I just want people to know that they are not alone wherever they're at in their journey, whatever age. There's plenty of communities and people that will accept them open, open arms. And then, you know, and like I said before, like young people value the wisdom that old people, older people have to bring. So I think it's a duty for older people to share their experiences with the young and same age and older, just so we can have that. We can all have that support together.

Yeah, that's some great advice. That's some great advice. Thanks for sharing your own personal story, Brandon. This is helpful, and I, I know the listeners will get a lot out of it. There's a positive side to sharing the unpleasant events and, you know, sorry history that we have. There is really a positive side because it helps us get through that. Otherwise, we can stay stuck, and we want to get through it and, you know, find that there are some bright spots. There are some solutions to the stresses, the baggage that we're carrying around. And you're a good example. You're a good proof of that. So well done. You know, I give you a lot of gold stars for accomplishing what you have. I think you've done a great job.

Thank you, and coming from you, that means the most. Leave it at this with my commercial break. Anyone or any loved ones, young and old, need help with substance abuse or mental health issues and need any type of help in that area, family members, loved ones, my website's westsiderecoverysd.com, like San Diego, and healthyliferecovery.com. And for mental health, mhcsandiego.com. And you can reach out direct line to 619-796-9611. And thank you all for your time and taking the time to hear our conversation.

Yeah, well, okay, let me make sure we have that Westside Recovery mhcsd.com, healthyliferecovery.com, mhcsandiego.com.

Yes, for mental health.

For mental health. And the phone number is 619-796-9611. Well, that's great. I was going to ask you for your contact information and you, um, you shared that, so thank you for that. So, uh, Brandon, it looks like we're outta time for today, but before we wrap up, I just wanna remind our listeners to visit my website, livingto100.club, sign up for our email list and download a free copy of my 9 tips to make living longer enjoyable. You'll also see an option to contact me with your questions and comments. I welcome your feedback. Finally, be sure to subscribe to this podcast series as a premium club member so you don't miss any episodes. Maybe the episode that could seriously affect your decisions, your outlook, or your actions. Sign up at livingto100club.supercast.com. Brandon, thanks again for being a guest on our program. It was a wonderful conversation and I know it'll be helpful to our listeners.

Thank you so much. I'll be into so much. Appreciate it.

You're welcome. And thanks to all of our listeners for tuning in. Hope to see you next time.

All right. Bye.

It's time to rethink, renew, and reimagine retirement. Hey everybody, Jared Sylvester here, host of Retire Repurposed. Now, this podcast is about the non-financial parts of retirement, which many times can be even more challenging than the financial. We believe retirement is not the end, rather the beginning of what could be the most impactful, purposeful, and fulfilling season of a person's life. So don't retire, become repurposed. To listen now, search Retire Repurposed on your favorite podcast platform, Senior Resource, or Life Audio.