ABOUT THE SHOW

The Recovery Machine Podcast is a show hosted by two former healthcare workers who have struggled with drug addiction. Full episodes feature interviews with guests who are either experts or individuals with lived experience, or both. Other content focuses on specific drug-related topics of discussion. Recovery Machine is available on all major audio and video platforms. 

We discuss substance use in healthcare workers along with the following topics:

• Substance abuse disorder policies for healthcare workers, including the Independent Medical Evaluation (IME), Relapse Prevention Agreement (RPA), and Return to Practice Agreement. 
• Drug policy at the provincial and federal levels, and drug policy in general. 
• The differences between recreational drug use and drug addiction. 
• The diagnostic criteria of drug addiction.
• Human rights related to drug use.
• Legal issues and conflicts of interest in the drug addiction treatment industry.
• The lack of evidence behind current drug addiction treatment protocols.
• Drivers of substance use as a coping mechanism include PTSD and trauma-informed care, individual biochemistry/genetics, concurrent mental health issues, the stigma around substance use, workplace stress and lack of support structures, and the importance of self-care. 
• The psychology of drug addiction and how drug addiction is a learned behavior.
• Cognitive Behavior Therapy’s (CBT) role in treating addiction. 
• Peer support as a foundation for mental health.
• Workplace dangers associated with trauma and burnout.
• The current Toxic Drug Crisis.
• How stigma surrounding drug use drives policy and how the language we use affects us.
• The failed war on drugs.
• The media’s role in perpetuating myths about substance use.
• The importance of harm reduction and safe supply. 

In short – to help. We’ve been through the drug addiction treatment process for healthcare workers in BC, and there are many things we wish we’d known before starting. So, one of our goals is to provide current, accurate information to other healthcare workers who might be struggling with substance use. 

We believe that by informing people about their options and the possible outcomes of their decisions, individuals will be better prepared to deal with the obstacles they will face. 

We also want to offer authentic, meaningful, factual discourse on substance use. We want to help change how people who use drugs are perceived. Recovery Machine is a tool we hope to use to dispel myths, improve understanding, and fight the countless drug policy injustices taking place right now in our society. 

Knowledge is power and when you’re at your lowest, surrounded by the darkness of the unknown, we’d like to offer you a light, a hand, and if you’re interested – a map.