Episode 29: John Breen
Today’s guest, John Breen, is a recovered alcoholic who turned his life around and founded Fitness in Recovery. In his conversation with Danny, John shares what his battle with addiction looked like and what resources helped him find sobriety. He discusses how the support of his community, God, and fitness have helped him establish a healthier mindset, as well as help others do the same. John and Danny talk about the mental struggles behind addictions and other various aspects of mental health that you can learn to navigate. Join Danny in this conversation to learn more about John’s story and how you too can rewrite your story.
Show Highlights:
· John shares his story growing up in Philadelphia
· John talks about his progression of struggling with alcoholism
· Withdrawal can be mistaken for anxiety and you have to learn how to manage it
· John discusses when he hit rock bottom and the pivotal moment it took for him to become sober
· Poor mental and physical health are both contributors to mass preventable deaths
· John shares how he founded Fitness in Recovery
· What is mental health and are there levels of it
· How do we get the positive chemical releases in our day-to-day life
· Improving our unconscious contact with God can improve our mental health
· Anything that benefits our nervous system is very valuable
· Meditation has a psychological response to improve our health
· The support of the community and asking for help is the most supportive way to stop substance abuse
· We often compare ourselves to others and think that we can’t achieve what others do because they’re different
· John’s experiences with sobriety has put him on a spiritual path
· John talks about the new online course Fitness in Recovery is launching
Links:
Contact John:
Quotes:
“What more looked like was every day”
“You can actually make an addict whether there’s a predisposition to it or not”
“Addiction is the biggest cause of preventable death”
“The brain rewards competency”
“I’m sober today by the grace of God”
“We can act our way into good thinking”
“The easiest thing to do is look for an AA meeting locally”
“At any and all times, if I choose to use alcohol, I am not at my best”
“Good is the arch-enemy of great”
“I’m sober because I simply prefer it”
“Where I used to see excitement, now I see contentment”
“Don’t quit before the miracle happens” – Sidra Ghafoor