Why Getting Sober Isn’t Enough: Trauma, Culture & Recovery | J. Carlos Rivera

Are we turning normal life struggles into mental illness and teaching people to see themselves as broken?Dr. Patricia Casey, professor emeritus of psychiatry at University College Dublin and author of 14 books, joins Richard Taite to question how modern psychiatry defines and treats mental health.Dr. Casey explains why grief, stress and sadness are often healthy responses rather than illnesses, what adjustment disorder really is and why it's so often misdiagnosed, why checkbox screening tools can be misused, and how she decides when medication is appropriate and when therapy or a "wait and see" approach comes first. They also discuss trauma and substance misuse, the role of insight and acceptance in recovery, and why listening to music has always helped her through difficult times.This conversation is for general information and is not medical advice. Nothing discussed is a diagnosis or a recommendation to start, stop or change any medication. Consult a licensed clinician about your own care. If you or someone in your family is in crisis, call or text 988 in the United States to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. In an emergency, call 911.The "We're Out of Time" podcast dives into the issues America can't afford to ignore, from addiction and mental health to parenting, resilience, and hope. Hosted by Richard Taite, founder and chairman of Carrara Treatment Wellness & Spa and chairman of 1 Method Centers, the show cuts through the noise with raw truth, real stories, and life-changing conversations. From former addicts and wellness experts to celebrities, athletes, musicians, and influencers, we ask the questions no one else will, educating, empowering, and demanding answers.We're Out of Time is consistently ranked #1 in Mental Health on Apple Podcasts, a 2025 Signal Award winner (Best Video Podcast Guest), and a 2026 Webby Honoree in Health, Wellness & Lifestyle podcasts. New episodes every Tuesday.

Getting sober can remove the drugs and alcohol. But what happens when the trauma underneath is still there?J. Carlos Rivera, founder of Generation Red Road, joins host Richard Taite for a powerful conversation about addiction and recovery in Native and Indigenous communities. Rivera shares his own journey to more than two decades in recovery and explains how historical trauma, cultural identity, spirituality and belonging can shape both addiction and healing.They discuss why traditional recovery models may not work for everyone, what the Red Road approach brings to treatment, the importance of community after someone leaves treatment, and why helping young people also means working with their families.Rivera also shares the moment that changed the course of his own life and why, no matter how many times someone has tried before, you never run out of chances.

Psychologist and NY Times bestselling author Dr. Marisa Franco joins host Richard Taite to unpack the difference between self-worth and self-esteem — and why the people who need love the most are often the ones who reject it.Dr. Franco, a University of Maryland professor and author of Worth and Platonic, explains why confidence isn't the fix for low self-esteem, how childhood memories shape adult relationships, why trauma can live in the body, and a practical exercise anyone can use to start building genuine self-worth today.Topics covered: self-worth vs. self-esteem, secure attachment, childhood memory and trauma, somatic healing, honesty vs. confidence, and the surprising research on friendship and connection.Learn more about Dr. Marisa Franco at drmarisagfranco.com. Her new book, Worth: The New Science of Self-Esteem and Secure Attachment, is available now.New episodes of We're Out of Time every Tuesday. Follow and leave a review — it helps others find the show.

Why are so many boys growing up anxious, isolated and disconnected—and are we waiting too long to ask what went wrong?Richard Taite sits down with Dr. Michael Gurian, who has spent decades studying how boys develop, learn and become men, for a candid conversation about what parents, schools, therapists and culture may be getting wrong about boys.Gurian breaks down his brain-based approach to raising and educating boys, including why traditional talk therapy may not connect with some males, why fathers and male mentors matter, and how movement and side-by-side conversation can sometimes help boys open up in ways face-to-face questioning doesn't. Richard and Dr. Gurian also tackle smartphones and social media, male isolation, discipline versus self-regulation, anxiety and depression, the relationship between childhood trauma and later addiction, and what parents can do before a struggling boy becomes a struggling young man.Gurian shares his “three-family system” for raising boys and one simple piece of advice for parents: cut through the noise, understand the child in front of you, identify his gifts and challenges, and “nurture the nature.” It’s a provocative conversation about boys, mental health and what it takes to help young men grow into connected, resilient adults.

A mistrial. A national conversation. And two doctors ready to explain what postpartum psychosis actually is.This week, host Richard Taite sits down with two experts from Carrara Treatment Wellness & Spa: psychologist Dr. Blair Steele and Dr. Kenneth Spielvogel, who spent nearly 30 years as an OB-GYN, before moving into addiction medicine, about what postpartum psychosis really looks like, how it differs from postpartum depression, and the warning signs families and providers need to know before a crisis hits.They cover the "perfect storm" of hormones, sleep deprivation, and underlying conditions; what command hallucinations and sundowning actually are; why home visits for new mothers nearly disappeared from the healthcare system; and what it would take to catch this earlier.A clinical, honest conversation about a gap in maternal mental health care.Before the conversation, Richard shares an update on his partnership with the CDC Foundation's COPE campaign, matching donations dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000.New episodes of We're Out of Time every Tuesday. Rate, review, and follow the show on Spotify.If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, call One Call Placement: (888) 831-1581

Every parent thinks they're protecting their kid, until one day they realize they're not.Pediatrician Dr. Ken Ginsburg joins Richard Taite to unpack "lighthouse parenting," the balanced style he developed after finding it cut teen car crash risk in half. They get into why hovering backfires, how to let kids fail safely, and the one question ("tell me the drama") that gets teenagers to actually open up.A real, sometimes uncomfortable conversation for any parent trying to figure out where to hold on and where to let go.Guest: Dr. Ken Ginsburg, pediatrician and founder of the Center for Parent and Teen Communication (parentandteen.com), author of Lighthouse Parenting.Follow We're Out of Time and leave a rating — it helps more parents find this conversation.

Relationship coach Stephan Speaks joins Richard Taite to explain why healing, not chemistry, is what makes love last, and why so many of us keep choosing the wrong partner.Stephan Speaks is a bestselling author, certified relationship coach, and speaker whose advice reaches millions through his videos, coaching, and his book The Man God Has for You.In this episode: why unhealed pain drives bad partner choices, why chemistry can blind you to red flags instead of warning you about them, why women need to feel safe before they can fully show up in a relationship, and why couples who never define their roles set themselves up for conflict down the road. Plus, what's really driving the decline in marriage today, and why understanding the root of a behavior matters more than demanding someone change.Before the interview, Richard shares an update on his partnership with the CDC Foundation's COPE (Community Overdose Prevention Efforts) campaign, matching every donation dollar for dollar up to $25,000. Learn more or give at cdcfoundation.org/cope.Find Stephan Speaks: YouTube, Facebook and Instagram @StephanSpeaks, or shop at stephanspeakshop.comExplore more about Richard Taite, We're Out of Time, and Carrara Treatment Wellness & Spa: https://linktr.ee/richardtaiteNew episodes every Tuesday. Follow the show so you never miss one.

What if we've been approaching addiction treatment all wrong?Richard Taite sits down with Dr. Jonathan Avery, Vice Chair for Addiction Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and Medical Director of the NBA's anti-drug program, for one of the most honest and wide-ranging conversations about addiction medicine we've had on this show.They tackle whether "substance use disorder" is the right language or whether owning the word "addict" actually helps more people heal, what modern psychiatry still gets catastrophically wrong about addiction, why social media and sports betting are becoming the most dangerous addictions of our era, and what working with NBA players has taught Dr. Avery about recovery that no textbook ever could.Dr. Avery is the author of the upcoming Thriving with Addiction and host of the Thriving with Addiction podcast. Find him and the free SAFE family support program at Weill Cornell by searching his name.New episodes of We're Out of Time drop every Tuesday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Overdose deaths have touched nearly every community in America — and this episode, released for Overdose Awareness Month, brings on two women working from inside the system to change that. Host Richard Taite sits down with Dr. Judy Monroe, President & CEO of the CDC Foundation, and Terri Perez, JD, a public health analyst and former deputy district attorney of 31 years, for a conversation about why overdose prevention has to be treated as a public health issue, not just a criminal justice one.Dr. Monroe explains what the CDC Foundation actually is and how it differs from the CDC itself, shares stories from her early career as a rural physician in Appalachia, and walks through a real public health investigation that stopped a multi-state outbreak before it made headlines. Terri Perez brings a rare dual perspective — decades prosecuting narcotics cases in San Diego, and her own family's experience with addiction and recovery. Together they talk about stigma, the partnership between law enforcement and public health, harm reduction on the ground, the new drug trends they're watching most closely, and what ordinary people can do in their own communities.This episode is part of the CDC Foundation's Community Overdose Prevention Efforts (COPE) campaign. Richard is matching every donation dollar for dollar, up to $25,000, to help expand education, strengthen communities, and give more people a chance to get help before a crisis becomes a tragedy. To learn more or donate, visit: cdcfoundation.org/COPEIf someone you know is struggling, One Call Placement can help, affiliated with Carrara Treatment, Wellness & Spa and 1 Method Centers.

Dr. Kent Berridge spent 40 years at the University of Michigan asking why people keep chasing things that stopped making them happy. He's the neuroscientist who discovered that dopamine isn't pleasure, it's wanting, and his research changed how addiction science understands craving.Richard sits down with Berridge to break down the wanting versus liking theory, why some people develop sensitized cravings and others don't, and why a smell, a street, or a song can trigger an urge years after someone gets sober. Richard brings 25 years of his own recovery experience to test the science in real time. They cover genetics and vulnerability, GLP-1 medications and craving reduction, why people tend to gravitate toward one substance over another, and what Berridge's rat studies reveal about how the brain assigns addiction to a specific target.A conversation for anyone trying to understand the neuroscience behind compulsive behavior, whether it shows up as substance use, food, gambling, or something else entirely.If you or someone you love is dealing with substance use, One Call Placement can help you find the right resource. Call (888) 831-1581.New episodes every Tuesday. Follow We're Out of Time so you never miss one.