#43

Moving beyond addiction to change and growth

Brian Pennie

Brian battled a 15 year addiction with heroin and overcame all obstacles to completely transform his life. He is a qualified psychologist and is a final year neuroscience PhD student and lecturer in Trinity College and UCD, where he lectures on the topic of the neuroscience of addiction.

He is a keynote speaker and consultant to some of Ireland’s leading corporations. His journey is documented in his autobiography ‘Bonus Time’ published last year. Brian believes that change is possible for everyone. He offers a number of courses on various subjects such as mastering self-talk and breaking bad habits.

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Summary

2:55 Brian’s experience of putting his life story down on paper

He wanted to share the tools and lessons he learnt from his journey
It was a very therapeutic and cathartic experience
He was getting back in touch with his emotions after a few years clean

4:50 What being a functional addict is like day-to-day

Functional addicts are much more common than people believe
Alcohol is a drug
Started taking heroin from the age of 17
Brian used heroin every day for 15 years, but still held down a job, went on holidays, etc.
The misconception with heroin addicts is that they’re high most of the time – the reality is that they’re sick most of the time, trying to get to a baseline level with the drug
He took drugs to get relief from anxiety, but over time the drug use made the anxiety worse

8:59 The common misconceptions about addicts

“Just because drugs are illegal, it doesn’t mean that they’re dangerous”
Interesting research from American psychologist and neuroscientist Carl Hart
Most Western countries struggle with prescription drug addiction such as Valium
Addiction is “if you need to use the drug on a regular basis and it starts to cause problems”
Addiction is a spectrum

12:08 Is addiction a primary or secondary issue?

Majority of the time it’s a secondary problem
Trauma can lead to addiction
“Addiction is medicating some kind of emotional problem”
The driver is to get away from yourself

13:53 Self-deception and its part in recovery

“My addiction was more about self-deception”
Learning about the lies he told himself through treatment
He still checks in with self-deception daily

17:26 Changing identity as part of the recovery process

‘The false sense of self’
Our feelings and body change all the time
The true self is the ‘observer’
Learn to overcome the fear of change

23:06 Brian’s definition of happiness

It’s about having a high energy and being in pleasant surroundings with nothing to worry about, and a lack of material attachments
He calls himself the happiest person he knows
Action is a huge part of happiness
Happiness is “what is in front of you”, family and connections

25:27 Lessons from ‘The Power of Now’ by Ekhart Tolle

The book helped Brian’s recovery
Depression lives in the past, anxiety lives in the future
He’s learnt to be the observer, rather than consumer, of his emotions
“I have a wonderful relationship with anxiety today”
Don’t resist reality
On the art of ‘just being’
“Happiness is our natural state” – Anthony De Mello

33:04 When Eastern philosophies of the mind intersect with Western psychology: how practical is this?

The issue is when people have the knowledge but they don’t practise it
“Knowledge is not where the game is played”
Brian practises meditation, gratitude and visualisation every day

37:17 Staying in the present moment

When presence slips away, it’s a form of of relapse
He got caught up in the rat race with his academic studies
“When I put my mental and emotional welfare first, I excelled with my studies”

44:19 Having core values or a ‘higher force’

It gives you direction
Inner-peace, boldness and curiosity are some core values for Brian
It’s a blueprint for when you’re struggling
Be in tune with your nuanced core values
What do you value in other people?

53:05 The role of human connection

Addiction is a lonely existence
On meeting his girlfriend and the power of love
Nurture the connection with yourself
Vulnerability is a huge strength

55:39 What drew Brian to neuroscience and academia?

Doing a PhD with the Institute of Neuroscience and teaching on that subject in Trinity and UCD
His PhD finishes in September 2021
He was first interested in self-talk
His recurring negative self-talk was “I can’t cope”

1:02:25 Turning negative self-talk into positive self-talk

The ‘ABC’ model: Adversity, Belief, Consequences – it’s used as a framework that allows you to restructure beliefs about an event, and adapt a healthier response
Additional ‘DE’: Dispute your self-talk, the Effect of your assumptions
Dispute the reality of your situation
The power of affirmations
In a challenging situation, how do you speak to yourself?
“Treat yourself like you would treat a friend”

1:08:18 The balance of stillness and ambitious actions

Self-care and mental health will always come first
Listen to the body

1:10:14 Brian’s morning routine

The MAVIG technique: Meditate, Affirmations, Visualisation, Inner-child and Gratitude
10 minute routine
Breath meditation

1:13:05 Advice to chronic overthinkers

There’s no magic wand
Consistency creates pathways in the brain
Cut off any negative ties, including friends or social media
Get the basics right: sleep, nutrition and exercise

1:15:58 Brian’s brain scan taken in 2013 versus 2018

Conducted Brain-Predicted Age analysis
Reduced the age of his brain by 6 years
Meditation plays a huge role in the brain’s age: improved focus and awareness
Health benefits of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: within 8 weeks of the program, the brain changes structurally

1:20:09 Brian’s current neuroscience research

Researching negative emotions
The amygdala is the ‘fear centre’ of the brain
The 6 major emotions
80% of serotonin is created in the gut
Relational Frame Theory: the relationship between language and reality

1:25:40 Making our children emotionally resilient

“Kids only listen to kids”
We need to change the landscape of mental health
Focus more on excelling and thriving, as opposed to escaping from anxiety or depression
We need to teach kids soft skills in creative ways

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Moving beyond addiction to change and growth

Brian Pennie

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Summary