My guest today is a fascinating character and a real Pracademic when it comes to addiction and rehab. Jack Nagle was a teenager with a promising future in sport until recreational drug use turned into an addiction that spiralled into suicide attempts and a near-death overdose. 

After going through rehab, he made it his mission to start real conversations about drugs and he now runs sophisticated rehab programs for addicts, as well as a range of social media initiatives. 

In today’s episode, we discuss the social, emotional, genetic and epigenetic factors involved in drug use and addiction and explore  a wide-range of novel treatment modalities  - and the politics holding them back.

You can find out more about Jack's work and programs at realdrugtalk.com.au,  and connectionbasedliving.com.au as well as on instagram @realdrugtalk

In this episode we discuss a wide range of topics, such as:

Start:   Jack's journey into & out of drugs
6:07   The ravages of ICE / Crystal Meth
12:58   From drug addict to rehab program director
14:35   Is addiction a disease?
19:06   Your brain on drugs
22:30  The role of emotional and spiritual voids in addiction
26:40   The pleasureful side of drugs and alcohol
29:00   Environmental & genetic influences on risk of addiction
35:30   Epigenetics & neuroplasticity
44:20   The effectiveness (or lack thereof) of traditional rehab programs
50:32   The potential for therapist-guided journeys with psychedellics as a treatment
1:04:46   The role of the gut microbiome in treatment 
1:07:46   Jack's ultimate rehab program