Full Throttle Recovery: Racing Out of Opioid's Grip to Counseling's Embrace- Shane Bess

Today, we journey through the exhilarating twists and turns of Shane Bess's life. Once perched atop the pedestals of motocross racing, Shane's gripping tale transitions from roaring engines and victory laps to a more shadowed path—leading him to confront the sinister tentacles of addiction.

In this intimate dialogue, Shane sheds light on the opioid crisis, taking us behind the curtain to expose the role of 'dirty doctors' and sharing his vision for a more compassionate treatment landscape. But that's not all. Shane's metamorphosis from sports stardom to a devoted counselor provides a hopeful narrative, emphasizing the transformative power of empathy and resilience.

Dive into his insights on the opioid epidemic's unnerving entanglement in society, the gaping chasms in our current treatment paradigms, and the grassroots movements essential for a brighter tomorrow.

If there's one episode that meshes the adrenalized world of motocross with the stark realities of addiction, this is it.

Tune in for an inspiring ride that promises both depth and dynamism.

If you wish to contact Shane, to talk for questions about counseling, he can be reached at:  Sbess@monarchiop.com 

We are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies.

Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast

Transcript

Unknown: 0:00

Hey there, crackenback listeners. Today we're diving deep with Shane Bess, once a rising star on motocross tracks, now writing a completely different kind of race, from the high octane world of professional motocross to confronting the shadowy turns of addiction and the opioid crisis. Shane's story isn't just about dirt tracks and adrenaline. It's a raw and real journey of redemption, resilience and recovery from being caught in the clutches of 30. Doctors now standing on the front line as a beacon of hope, and counseling for others. So strap in, because this ride, you won't want to miss a single second with today's guest, Shane Bess, Shane, shame, my man. It's so nice to actually have you on this show you and I have quite the history that we'll get into. But I am so happy to have you on our show. So welcome. But yeah, Dr. T, it's great to see you. And thank you for having me. And yeah, it's really cool. To be back here and talk to you, especially after the journey I've been on since I've met you.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 1:17

Well, let's talk about that journey. For all those listening. This guy was one of the top amateur motocross racers, had the factory connections have the sign ups had the roster list had the path of his future all set? And then a couple of things happen. And so can you walk us through the transitions from your childhood, their amateur racing career to the professional realm, and highlight and come in some of the pivotal moments that kind of paved the way to where we're talking to you today?

Unknown: 1:54

Yeah, for sure. I'm still stings a little bit when I go back there. I hear you say I hadn't had it at all. And it is it is very, very true. But nothing is given. Everything is earned and mistakes happen along the way that deterred me pretty radically. But yeah, the childhood you know, I'm born in Oxnard. Dad has a hard work in roofing contractor. Mom's a hard worker. And we got my dad got into got me into motocross because he grew up with some dirt bikes and Indian dunes racing out here. And all his friends were troublemakers. So when he had a kid, he was like, What can I do with my son you know, he didn't play the normal soccer and baseball this type of ball and that sports and stuff at school. So he started taking the dirt bike riding. And you I used to say unluckily but you know luckily I was good at it. You know? So he's like well damn, I did it. I had to keep them going you know, he's he's doing good and we are going to the nationals really early on. I wasn't good early on but then I had like this breakout race where like I was in a class in my age group. And then it was like a combine the lower age group upper age group, and I had never even won a race and then I win a big moto at a national in Oklahoma. Super random and from there it was just we were all in you know, he definitely was all in I still had no clue what was going on really. But yeah, we did that for 12 years Racing motocross amateur circuit had major major support from cow Saki and then Suzuki for I forget how many years at this point numbers are kind of skewed sometimes but a long time with Suzuki, you know 678 motorcycles getting shipped to the garage door and crates every year. So you know just we had it we had a good deal a lot a lot of amateur national championships. They seem like the they meant the world then. Dad still got some of his favorite ones to me. They're just you know, they don't really mean much to me anymore. But looking back it was it was pretty radical what I was doing as a kid. I have more appreciation for it now. But um yeah, we we did the deal, man. And you know, you know what that's like doing that with your son and it's not an easy deal and it's tough on the family. It's tough on the athlete. homeschool ninth grade pulled out of high school the normal socialization process was different for me, which caused me problems later on. 20 Maybe like 22 to 25 broken bones that's not counting all the soft tissue all the shoulder separations and you know rotator cuffs and did So that are messed up and stuff like that. I did a little list recently and I got to 14 really bad concussions where there was like, like I was signed off from the world kind of concussions, like sleeping dirt nap. So and I know there's more I forgot so but yeah, that's that's that was amateur career good times though man good times it definitely did something some some to who I am as a person and my mentality luckily I was able I was able to reconnect with that person and that helped drive me through some of the real tough times that I was faced with a little bit later in life.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 5:47

Do you mind talking about some of those tough times? What What where you went?

Unknown: 5:52

Yeah, so I'm turn pro. turn pro, high pressure, you know, factory rider, which is like I was in the big tent with Suzuki and Roger DeCoster which listeners probably don't know, but it's like The Godfather motocross one of them, you know, definitely on Mount Rushmore motocross. Travis was strong you know, the greatest extreme athlete ever to grace a bike you know, those those were teammates and and that's who I was around. Had a big injury. My last amateur year, still had all the speed and rushed through that real quick bone came out of my radius, nerve damage, how to read, learn how to use my hand, but I still mentally was strong. Just went into the pros a little bit too fast had a big concussion at a warmup pro race Supercross and Reno real bad one that set me back mentally I was not right. Scott into the race the pro season. Big Supercross jumps big all everything was just so extreme. Everything's happening so fast I wasn't in the best shape and just little injuries, little injuries, couple collarbones, concussions, arm palm that starts and that kind of just took me through my first year pro got let go the next year with the lower team again. Now I'm starting to live a little bit not right away from the bike, trying to mask it with like marijuana and a little bit of drinking and just girls and just keep myself occupied you know mentally but in the back of my head I'm like you're losing everything you ever worked for your whole life

Dr. Spencer Baron: 7:48

How old were you at that let's see

Unknown: 7:52

going into 19 years old so it was like a rural like if you did the whole 12 years and being a winner and doing all the stuff I did to just complete defeat trouble with me and my dad's relationship real no social supports everybody loved me because I had money and I had you know people to hang out with and parties and stuff had all these friends that helped me not focus on it but it was it was a real dire feeling and thought of like damn this is really going down the drain because the team I was on wasn't the greatest I just came from the greatest team so like I'm comparing what I'm on as far as equipment and I'm like doesn't matter who you put on this bike they're not competing with that so I was just completely defeated kept pushing kept pushing kept pushing try my hardest to live you know when it was turned on time and still train and stuff I had a couple more really big concussions in the summer that season the AMA or I forget who ran it at the time but they they told me I couldn't race for a few weeks because I had back to backs and I was you know they had to peel me off the track one day and then I just quit I quit I quit my mom was helped me with my bank account she was on my bank account I empty my bank accounts disappeared from from mom and dad you know mom was my friend but that was that was kind of gnarly just in a not in a bad way but in a way just wanted you know to push me into for me to earn what I deserve but um yeah, I just went off off the grid and went down this deep, deep dark place. It didn't seem deep and dark at first it seemed like a good thing like yeah, I'm done race and I don't want to do it no more you know I'm done getting hurt. seem like fun for While you know, I did that for like a year and a half and then got re inspired to race and came back and did really good and basically became a Arenacross, which is a, you know, smaller level under Supercross. It's like a Bellator the UFC if you can kind of match those up. One a lot, got second in the championship. They canceled the last round. And I had just came from, like 130 points down to within 20. And I was like winning every, like first and second. Every every weekend. So that really sucked and but things were good. I was figured out how to be a pro I got rid of the bad habits I had buddy Antonin is really guiding me and checking on me and keeping me in line and being like that father figure person for me. I had a great teammate Arenacross really suited me. I could be aggressive and bump people good starter. Not as much, you know, tough competition. And I, I was like, Cool. I'm gonna do this for like 10 years, I'm gonna be like, I'm gonna fall bud man's tracks. You know, this is I'm not really taking huge chances on big jumps. I'm not scaring the shit out of myself twice a lap. This is my niche right here. After my best year, that summer, my girlfriend she passed away from it's kind of a long story accident from four years earlier crushed heart valve, she didn't know four years later, having trouble with what she thought was asthma. They found the problem, they did surgery she flatlines dies, healthy person a model. I'm having all healthy habits at this time. And that set me off again. And I had I didn't like drinking but I had all these medications in the cabinet, right? You get her you take them three, four or five days a week, you're trying to get off them as fast as possible. You're trying to get trained and doing cardio on bikes with in slings and stuff and get the blood circulating. And I knew if I took a couple of those and a little bit of alcohol, it would do the trick because I didn't like drinking a lot. And I wasn't into like doing no party drugs, ecstasy and coke. I had done that stuff for fun here and there. And that wasn't going to fix me. So I started doing that. And it it really, it just progressed into something nasty. It became, you know, four pills, five pills. I got up to like 25 You know, Narcos at a time and again, and went to oxycottons Um, I was part of the oxycontin movement. And once I got on those things, it was like, Oh, it was it was nothing nothing nice no matter how bad I wanted to quit. You go a couple of days or a day without those are a couple of hours it was it would push you to your knees. So yeah, depression looking back depression got me and then the drug addiction. Depression opened the door for the drug addiction to come in. And once that thing latched into me. Already an extreme person, no social supports. People that really didn't. I mean, no one could tell me no anybody anyways, but people that really weren't real ones that could tell me hey, you're out of control. They just were along for the ride too. And that went on into even worse place. But that's what that was the beginning stages of that. So yeah, five, five, really gnarly years of five, six really gnarly years of addiction.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 13:39

Shaped let me ask you, you know what to talk about one of the most deadly pandemics that's going on? And I'm not talking about COVID I'm talking about opioid crisis. And, you know, there's been a lot of discussion over the recent years and want to take a bit of a different twist on it. Let's talk dirty doctors and how they clearly exacerbated the whole crisis and what do you what are your feelings on that and what should be done and how should they be held accountable?

Unknown: 14:16

Well, definitely, it's it sucks to call them dirty and they are there were some really dirty ones out there. My doctor didn't seem like a bad guy or nothing. I definitely was in there manipulating the process. And you know, trying to get more but by the end when I looked back he was giving me enough for like a family of a couple families of addicts. I think that the system was really broken at the time and they were really persuaded and baited with temptation for you know, bonuses for how many how many pills could they push out the door and they if they hit numbers, they were getting a Um, monetary bonuses and stuff. And you know, we all have to resist, resist temptation. And I think that that's sad too for them, you know, because that that that's evading them. And I don't think that my doctor was a bad guy he was he was a really cool China dude. We laughed and at first he was trying to help me in an honest fashion. I had a I had a messed up knee ligament damage, and I didn't want to get surgery and I wanted to keep racing. And I did, and I just wanted some some pills for for, you know, after days of training or when it was really bad. I was trying not to take them but when I needed it, I needed it. It was it was tore up. And then it progressed into you know, at the end, I looked back I was getting like four pints of promethazine and codeine because I have asthma. That's crazy. That should last you for like, months and months. Just one. It's opiate. I can't just like on that as I did on heroin. It was getting three oxycottons Aedes a day. And then I was getting 240 Narcos for the month. So I was getting I mean, it's crazy. I was taking a car full of friends in you know, one girl with implants, tell them your back hurts one. Another friend that rode dirt bikes for fun and had a couple injuries broke her wrist. Just show him your wrist surgery. Another friend we had we had this whole little hustle, you know. And it was just, I heard that he went to prison. I hate to I hate to see anyone go to prison. And that's a really good place. But um, yeah, there's just there was a lot of them. I know people other motor crossers that we're going to like seven different doctors. I know that they've developed a system more to it's way more difficult. It's a completely different system than when I was doing it in 2007 through 12. I know now, you know, I've had foot surgeries and been stabbed and stuff and I've had to have medication and they'll give you like five days at a time only. I have other friends chronic pain, you know, fuse diffuse backs and stuff like that real, real, like reasons for medication. And, you know, it's a it's a much more difficult system now. And it's good. That's, that's awesome. I'm glad they made those changes. I think that Purdue was oxycontin producer and, and those companies that that implemented those bonus plans should be held accountable. And, you know, I know there's like the lawsuits and all that stuff. But I'm like part of that. And it's been like years and years and years. It keeps getting pushed and pushed and change and push so it'll never be justified or are the wrong will be never. Right. But yeah, it was a crazy era during that during that time. It's just that little 10 year period of of time really, really changed. Families across the nation and for forever, you know, so many. So many people got hooked from those opiates. And then when it was all gone, when they kind of get into more, those bullshit reasons were valid, no more. They're still hooked and heroin was cheaper. And now you got fentanyl and fentanyl is even cheaper than heroin.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 18:37

So speaking of making wrongs into rights, you found yourself and became a counselor. How did that happen?

Unknown: 18:53

Yeah, Did I did I definitely found a good path that good mountain to climb. You know, I was in I had gone achievement a few times. I mostly left like within the first week. One time I stayed. I was suicidal, substance induced psychotic, full time auditory and visual hallucinations. It lasted for I can't remember exactly. I believe it was like within the three to four month range when I was clean after I was done like it was full time it was it. It sucked of the visual stop. But the auditory was still there and I really really thought I really damaged myself upstairs. I was suicidal over it. Because it's just so tiring to like deal with like deciphering the mind or dialogue and this this these voices. So I told myself and we're going to treat me I didn't tell nobody because I was real serious about what I was going to do if I had to do it. I'm gonna go to treatment and really try my hardest one time. You know, I know I never had tried my artist I know that I was half assed and I'm gonna go, I'm gonna try Madame artist. And that way I know when I decide what I'm gonna do. I'll be able to live with it because it was it was really tiring to deal with that. And I didn't know if it was permanent. So I went, I found out. I was like 10 days out of detox. I was around 20 days, and there was six different counselors. One of them was my dad's friend who helped me get in another one was a real hard asked from, you know, prison dude, swastikas and shit on him. He he gave everybody a hard time, but he knew my uncle. He was real cool to me. I connected with him and my other dad's friend. They were all saying the same thing. But I thought the other four were jackasses and but those two are the coolest guys. Right? And, you know, I was like, I got no skills in life. I don't really want to be a wrestler with my dad, like my dad. Like, that's, that's real rough, tough stuff. My body's beat up. Not that I'm not a hard worker, but just what my injuries don't work good with the stuff like that. I have no other skills. What am I gonna do? And I was like, Man, I talked to the one guy with a swastikas and stuff and and he was getting them taken off and stuff. But um, he's like, I'm go to school and do this. And I was like, okay, that's, that could be cool. And I'm like, 20 days and I'm like, I'm gonna be a drug alcohol and drug counselor. Do five minutes their relapse one month out, didn't like it. No more. They told me my heart would be ruined. I did that relapse for a month. And I was told my dad, I don't I don't like I didn't like it. I gained 25 pounds and rehab gym every day a new little girl was talking to you know, she see me start using she's like, Nah, bro, you're that's not that's not cool. I'm out of here. I lost my weight. And I was like, No, I want to go back to the shame that I just was in treatment like, and I got right on my own. I didn't go back to treatment. I just kicked in my van that I had totaled in the back of my dad's house. He said he'll let me in the house when uh, when I'm done kicking, because it was like a little exorcism. You know, like you hallucinate and all it's pretty scary. I did it. And I got right. And then my dad's my dad was like, see if you could borrow a bike from somebody, you know, get out and have some fun for a little bit, you know, some part a bike, I started riding with a with a buddy, you know, spent a few months doing that. And I felt good. And my dad's like, do you want to get a good bike, like, I'll buy your bike, as long as it's just stay out of trouble. So I was like, let's buy a bike, do some local racism, I'm not going to do nothing serious, but just do some local races, vet races and get back hooked up with my old trainer and, and then I hit the ground real hard. And it's just like, I just Yardsale myself, I'm in a bunch of pieces break a collarbone knocked out. And I was like, Man, this is gonna be rough. But it didn't really determine. I was like, No, I'm still going to do some races until I figure out, you know, my dad's supportive of this, I'm still going to do it. And my trainer introduced me to Dr. T. And then he sent me that way to go try to get healed up and stuff. And Dr. T was talking to me and in one day, he reminded me of that thought is like why don't you go to school and do something with your experience. And you know, you can reach so many people. And I hadn't thought about it at all since like that day. 20 or, you know, first couple months of treatment when I had that thought and it it vanished. I didn't even remember I was already back motor costs only like I'm gonna do this for a while I can I could probably make enough money to survive and do this a few years. I was still 20 Almost 29 and Dr. T told me that and it was just right at a time where I was like, Ah, man, this is gonna suck. Damn, not as young as I used to be. I don't bounce like I used to be, you know, and he said that and I was like, that's, that's a good fucking idea. So I just went forward with it. And I went and signed up at school. My dad's like, what for you know, he didn't go to school and I was like, I'm gonna go back to school and try to be a counselor and he wanted me to write he really wanted me to race he he thought I had some good years and he still and it was it was one or the other. You know, it was either say goodbye to motocross like that, you know, have a bike have a little weed be a weekend warrior, which is real tough to do as an old pro. You know a lot of old pros they don't even like to feel how they feel on if they don't feel great on bike they don't want to know part of a bike. And I knew I had to let go of it and had to go chase this. This new this new car respiration. You know, I, I love treatment. I love jail. I love rehab. I love detail. I loved it all. I loved all the characters in there. It was funny. I'm not like a funny person. I'm like, real serious guy, just motorcross made me that way. So I love being around funny people, because it's like, I'm not that way. So I didn't want to be a client and treatment no more. But I was like, How can I still be with these people? Maybe help them? Maybe not. But it'd be fun school will be something on my time. And I just went after it.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 25:32

You know, I'm a jack, for all you listeners out there listening to this the past 20 minutes. This man just graduated a week ago. And he's now a full fledged counselor and what this guy has gone through and, and the work is, it brings me to tears every time I see him. He's married has a kid. He's a hell of a father. And he's become a huge inspiration. So first off, thank you for the kind words, but your dude you did on your own? So that's amazing. Yeah. I want I want you have some personal experience with the downfalls of addiction. Can you shed some challenges and gaps in the current treatment, the way they're currently treated, that you saw as gaps that hopefully you want to maybe with some empathy, fix a couple things that you saw as a guy in the deep hole that you think can be fixed?

Unknown: 26:27

Yeah, that's a super loaded question. And it? It's tough, because I'm just like, little old me, you know? And it seems like such a big system that it's overwhelming to think about. How not great it is, it's really tough. It's kind of like

Dr. Terry Weyman: 26:49

a rough track where you have to jump 50 feet. Yeah. It's the same thing.

Unknown: 26:55

A rough track and it. It's just so tough, because it's a lot of times what I've seen, it's business model oriented. Money, money is money, there's good people all up and down and treatment, you know, but there's always going to be the business owners that it's more about money. And it's tough because it's tough to get the clinicians there's there's a ton of good clinicians I've been mentored, I have great people that I'm involved with. But it's just tough to it's, it's they get overloaded, that no matter how great you are overloaded, overwhelmed or taken on people stuff, and it burns you out. Then there's people like me who really been through it. You know, because there's people that just went to school for it maybe inspired by family members stuff, or other mental health stuff or their own, maybe they had no problems and just went to school, then there's people like me who went through it all. But a lot of people like me don't really stay climbing that mountain to get in the doors to really do the work. And then or they do and then they get burnt out because there's so many people that need help. It's just tough man. It's really tough. Just finding like, insurance, private insurance. That's that's really tough for people to have if they don't have it. I mean, if you haven't major major problems, most likely you probably already lost your job and you're in your your private insurance. You know, the ability to be on that to get resources because without private insurance. There's just really not enough state funded places. You know, we have, we don't even have one, I think we have one here a woman's one. The mill when I went to is no longer serving our county, you have to go all the way out to Tarzana treatment center. If you're meditel. That's the only one that I know of there might be another one or something in LA, but there's just our county doesn't really have one.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 29:10

So So Shane, you and I talked about that, about this. And you talked about how you weren't a good motocross or when you started and you just put in the work and you became one of the best. You and I talked about on the phone about some opportunities that you saw that you know, whether it's reading a book or this or that were some if you were to make a business and mission statement, taking you're coming from an athlete not coming from a student, but coming from an athlete who's been down there. And you can only help one person at a time. So what is your thought process for affordable high quality support for those battling addiction?

Unknown: 29:50

What is the thought process like as a business?

Dr. Terry Weyman: 29:53

Yeah, and how you proceed going on with your life to fill these niches that are being lost and so following In the same path as everybody else, would you see doing little different with your background? To make a difference? Yeah. So

Unknown: 30:07

you know, I'm a program director at our facility right now, it's intensive outpatient. It's called monarch recovery here in Ventura. I think just networking. You know, we do lunch lunches and stuff with other providers in the county, all the way up to like incognito. Just just knowing the good places, and sober livings in the area, we have a couple of those two and affiliates that we work work together. And it's like, we give scholarships year round, you know, we can't do Oh, you're not full of scholarships, but we will always have a scholarship or two, I like to have two or three. Right now we have two people have breakdown in insurance. So we had a client, great insurance, he didn't talk to his job, tell him the truth. They basically fired him after him have after him on his third month to leave, his insurance got canceled, he called and told him the truth. They said, We wish you would have told us sooner because we really, you know, adore you, and we would have gladly helped you until you finish that process. So now he's got no insurance, he's on day like 45 a treatment for that's too soon to let him go. The goal was 90 days, like so he's another scholarship to finish his treatment, you know, like, not just focus on on business model, like if that's what you're in this, you know, feel the work for, like, shame on you. It's really about helping save lives. And I think I think, you know, the business end will take care of itself and, and everybody should be able to take care of their families. But it's sad to see when places soon as the money is not available. Cut, you're out the door. We don't, we don't really care. And I've been in places like that I know what happens, I'm not just guessing at it, I've seen it and it's not, it's not okay, so yeah, just being tight with your community and the other resources, if, if, if clients come in, and they're not a fit for us. Maybe they have different mental health more severe, or maybe just whatever is maybe they're not getting along with the community, you got a lot of different personalities, not just keep them in my doors to collect their insurance money and find someone in my network to put put them to where it would be a better fit for them for the client, you know, to get them the care that they need. And for them to be able to focus. So just being Client Center man, and trying to give back when we can as much as we can. Our facility you know, the sober living more so that it's separate from the treatment IOP in the in the sober livings but there's guys, the owners are the same owners, they get them out to the lake, you know, get them out wakeboarding and get them out to Big Bear to snowboard on on the winter. Day, take them on a camping trip. We wish we could do more. I do boxing with with guys. I've inspired a bunch of dudes about boxing, hiking, just different things where it's like, this is what you could do, you know, give them just different experiences, not just like Treatment Treatment Treatment group group group. Okay, you're out the door, good luck, like, just give them a little glimpses of like, these are different things you could do with your life, you know, and just tried to inspire myself to share my story and my love for my kid and my family and school. I've had a bunch of clients be like, Dude, you inspired me, I want to do school too. I want to do something with my life. Like, you know, they, they see me I'm open. I don't try to be a closed book. I try to like, let them know. Yeah, I got two hours of sleep last night. I said 12 and the baby and I may go to sleep. I'm here with you guys. And I just show up. That's what I do. You know, and we still have a great day and just try to share what has worked for me.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 34:09

Shane, you've been on the streets if you and then you continue speaking to people that are still struggling and now you're part of a solution. And I mean, this question has two parts to it. Do you see a big difference or a difference in the big picture happening is there or why is it still such a big problem? And is it you know, factors involving you know, fentanyl getting shipped into this country in the droves? Is it is it is it their doctor still? I mean, you already clarified that they're not prescribing they're a little more restricted, but you know, is the heroin the profit What is what's still happening at this point right now?

Unknown: 35:06

Yeah, fentanyl is a whole nother crisis and all the heroin addicts use here. You know, heroin is not even like really a thing anymore. It's just fentanyl only, it's super cheap. It really fills. I'm not a conspiracy guy whatsoever. But it feels like a chemical warfare on America honestly. And it really is not, it really kills them quick. So that's, that's a whole nother ballgame here. I mean, I've lost six clients in eight months. Yeah, and that those numbers are, are astounding, like it used to be, you know, client a year or something two years, or something that's still terrible, but it's like, they're just rapid fire. Now. My Facebook, it's a big lot of recovery individuals in there. So a lot of people I don't know, but that my friends in recovery know. And I'm seeing them posting goodbyes and Rest in pieces. And it's, it's tough man. It's tough working in the field, but the Fed No. just life in general, the strains and the requirements to survive the pressures of the world. Everything is inflation stuff. And it's tough on people, and it causes stress and people don't know how to cope. I think that mental health awareness has come a long way. And, you know, that was something that I'm not like, super big speaker and I'm kind of introvert, but I know like when opportunities like this come up, just to speak about mental health and addiction, I have to take that opportunity. Just to share because I know there's still people that try to hide it and don't feel okay, you know, they want to, they don't want to be vulnerable and allow themselves to be seen for what they are and seeing that they're struggling. I think I think that it is getting better, in a sense, but also worse, in a sense, you know, I still have a lot of hope. I think people are becoming more aware of what they're dealing with if they have like a mood disorder, personality diagnosis or something. And, you know, like, there's support groups and, you know, going and seeing a psychiatrist is okay, you know, there is reasons is that is helpful. And some people it isn't some people it is but seeing a therapist, having a counselor getting that stuff out there and trying to see if you can learn any tools to, to, you know, help yourself and in helping yourself with help you know, the others around you, your kids and, you know, husbands and wives and try to share the knowledge. You know,

Dr. Terry Weyman: 38:12

you mentioned when we were talking one time you mentioned a book that you said is a really good book that if anybody is looking for some help to read it, remember, what was that book? Oh,

Unknown: 38:23

man, I got quite a few books. Um, I can't quite remember exactly, but I have a little list that's my kind of like gold playlist of books that I really try to share with clients. Codependency no more by Melody Beatty is something that I started off with. And I realized my codependency I didn't know what that term meant. That was really helpful to learn boundaries and learn I felt like I'd always get let down as a person I always did too much for people and I always tried to be the best friend and and it wasn't returned and it would emotionally trigger me it would give me bummed out and that really helped get that knowledge so codependency no more like this book attached teaches you about your attachment style, a lot of people should learn about their attachment style because again in relationships, emotional triggers, being let down, learning how to read people a little better and learning about how we what what criteria goes along with our attachment style. And there's like a really good test on the attachment project on online each particular attachment project and it'll come up you can take a 10 minute quiz and it'll give you a you know, you'll go down a little rabbit hole on that so But that book attach really goes deeply into it. This, this book, A Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. He was in the concentration camps. He is such an inspiring book and it really helped me dig down and dig deep to get through school. And I try to give that My clients because I know they're in a spot and this guy was literally skin and bones and still kind of shares with you, you know, they can take everything from you, but they can't take like, your attitude, you know? How How, how are you going to look at things. And what else I got the body keeps score, understand, you know, if you've been through trauma, the effects that it has on you long term and how to how to manage that and how to free yourself of some of the symptoms of that that's a really, really good book. Yeah, I can't think of any others right now at the top of my head. But those are some really good ones. There's another one Daughters of alcoholics, even if you're a male or female, it's a great book to see you kind of learn about how we're affected, growing up in an alcoholic family, and the things that does to us as far as you know, seeking attention, and that, you know, poor boundaries with people. And all these things, I really think recovery and mental health illness, it's not like I always tell my clients like, it's not about just clean up cups, you could be clean for years, but still have not really done the work to change the person I really believe in character transformation. In this stuff, like these books, you know, they really can help modify that character and give you give you a understand yourself, because we think it's all external, the world is just happening to us. But so much of our problems are external, yes, but internal, how, you know, happiness is an inside job. And we have to go in there. And it's tough, you don't even know where to start, you just see like psychology books, and a bunch of self help and how to unfuck yourself and all these different things in the subtle, subtle art of not giving a shit or something, it's like, some of them are good, some of them aren't. But there's so many. So these are all books that we've referred to me, from my mentor, my therapist mentors, I have a couple friends that were ahead of me and becoming therapists. So they were like, read this book, read this book, read this book, or my supervisor who's got a PhD society, read this book, shame read this one. And it's like, you know, so those are some of those titles. And I have so many, many, so many more, I just can't think of them right now. But um, those ones are all really, really, really good. I think another chance it's a family of alcoholics. So it teaches you really like different identities, how the family kind of dances getting through alcoholism. That's very helpful, helpful to another chance, it's written in the 80s. But it's like a bible of family of alcoholics. So yeah.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 42:55

Thanks, Shane, that was quite a library you have stored in your head there. Thank you for sharing. I have to go back a little bit and ask you a question. It aroused my curiosity, and that was how people are dying from fentanyl. I mean, just instantly, sometimes, and how's that made an impact? Because the statistics would could easily show that there are less addicts because they're dying faster. You know, whereas, you know, years ago, you could be an addict for and, and, you know, go through treatment multiple times, and not die. Now. It's just, you know, you know, 111 dose one snort one, and you're instantly gone. So, is, is the solution working? Or is it just they're dying more.

Unknown: 44:05

That's a, that's a, that's a tough one to call is it is. It is tough. That's why That's why I feel like it's, you know, it's a bad business model, fentanyl. So, as a drug dealer, you don't want to kill your clients. So that's why I feel like it's chemical warfare because it's like, it's, it's, it doesn't make sense, you know, to want your clients to risk them. But you know, I think there's just so many there's millions of people here in America, and people are just jumping on that getting on that wagon all the time by the just daily, you know, being introduced to it. And, you know, an addict is real smart in the tolerance is built over time. So I know a girl and she used to do like a whole syringe full of fentanyl, no problem she had built up to that, you know, Over Over the years, and yeah, then I know big men who, you know, they have 30 days clean, and then they relapse, the very first inhale when they go back, and then they come back to me. And they're like, I just inhaled a little bit too long when I was smoking it. And I was, I almost died like that. And so that tolerance, it's, it's really such a statistics show, like after you really start trying, and I have experienced to, really, when you want to get clean, and you're really sick and tired, and you're going to try, that's when I started having my overdoses back, which is heroin, which was way safer, which is crazy to say, but it's really, you see, when people will go to jail when they get out of jail, that that period, right, then the numbers are through the roof. And when they really want to get help and really get right. And if they have a little bit of clean time, and they slip up. There's no room for slips with that stuff. And that's, that's really scary. It's, it's crazy. So I couldn't tell you. overall picture is getting better. I don't know. I know more and more and more people are being affected by losing someone from fentanyl. So I hope that by now the awareness should be there. But hopefully more awareness and more just deterrence is to stay away from the stuff and yeah, it's not it's not nothing to mess with.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 46:33

How do you feel about the drug that they just allowed for over the counter use two that anybody could carry with them? I I'm blanking out on the name of the one that revived somebody. Narcan, or does it Narcan? Yeah. How do you feel about the fact that they've now made it available to anybody?

Unknown: 46:55

You know,

Dr. Spencer Baron: 46:56

to minimize the deaths?

Unknown: 46:58

We have a connection with the company we handed out, it needs to be around somewhere. But then it's like, people use it, or are people going to use it as a safety net? You know, or, Hey, I could I've been clean, I could use it just I got Narcan. Like, you know, I don't know how that's going to work out. But it needs to be around somewhere for people. But I'm sure it's going to be misused and not used in the right way. You know, but, I mean, it gives you at least you can give someone a second chance hopefully with it, but I know there's gonna be those people out there that are like, well, I could do this because I got that and care. Just watch me make sure I don't die, you know, but don't ruin my high. Yeah. There's such polarities with all that stuff. You know, there's always like both sides of the coin. It's man, I think he's we got to educate our kids early on about what's out there. I have seven nieces and nephews and son going to be very open with my drug use and letting them know like, you know, I don't want them to hide it and they need help early on. And like the difference in THC and fentanyl and all these different things, sentinels and cocaine's animals on there, put in everything, so like, just helping them to stay away from it and try to show them some other life experiences that are much funner in for them to learn how to be high on life in a healthy way, you know, mountain biking or this or that anything, you know, just just not that, like, just don't go down that road.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 48:42

Okay, Shane, we've been pretty serious over the past 45 minutes, and I'm gonna go ahead and enter into what we call our rapid fire round five questions. We're gonna throw him out here. And you're going to answer him as, as simply and as fast as you can, which tends to not ever happen. We get hung up on a cool answer. We can do more about it. Are you ready? Ready? All right, man. Rapid fire. Question number one. I understand you have a lot of tattoos. What's your favorite Jesus, man? Oh, my Jesus. He's right here. Yeah, you didn't hesitate for exactly what you want. Well, I'm glad it wasn't on your butt. Yeah. Very good. Very good. When was that done?

Unknown: 49:36

I was done. Probably about five years ago. Five years ago, I had some space and and yeah, I found God during my my phone my higher power and during my recovery and I thought perfect. I saved this arm for a reason and and it just was meant to be very good.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 49:56

CFO. Question number two. What's your tip for people fighting addiction to take their mind off their want.

Unknown: 50:04

Best tip, get with other healthy people get a healthy hobby. Exercise, I would say like exercise no matter what, no matter how bad you feel, even if it's 510 minutes, sunshine, exercise, water, you know, get outside, you know the house

Dr. Spencer Baron: 50:24

will love it. Question number three, if they're going to make a movie about your life, who would you want to play?

Unknown: 50:33

Who would I want to play me? Yeah, that's it. I'm not very good with actors and actresses names. Let's see. Shoot. I don't know that I gotta answer for you. I'm terrible in that world. I don't ever pay attention to nobody's names and that are better actors and actresses.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 50:55

Terry, who do you think she plays

Dr. Terry Weyman: 50:56

with Cisco and Jason Momoa?

Dr. Spencer Baron: 51:07

Must be your hair just being here. Thank you. Question number four. What's your favorite activity now to get that adrenaline rush

Unknown: 51:18

favorite activity for Jenna? Oh, Pickleball is my new thing. So I was boxing. I'm hitting 40 I need to stop getting hit in the head. And it's been replaced with pickleball lately, and playing with 60 year old ladies the other day, and they were they were they were really good. And I don't know, man, it just gives me that. It just makes me real happy. You're in the sun. You know, have some good rallies. And it really relaxes me.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 51:45

That's fantastic. Man. Plus for we used to say CrossFitters would keep chiropractors in business. But now it's pickleball pickleball. I just saw another one this morning. If last and final question. If you go back in time, who would you like to meet? And what question would you ask?

Unknown: 52:05

What question what I asked? Who would I like to meet? Man? I would love to meet Muhammad Ali. Yeah, I would love cool. And I I don't know what question I would ask him though. I would just love to be in his presence for like one of his training camp days or something, you know, and just hear him joking with everybody and how charismatic the guy was. And yeah, I would love to see what he said about my mullet. Question How do you like my hair?

Dr. Spencer Baron: 52:42

You just do that out there. I didn't

Dr. Terry Weyman: 52:49

I've met him before and he would probably just love that.

Unknown: 52:55

That's cool. Yeah, I think I know he was so

Dr. Terry Weyman: 53:00

beautiful. Alright, but Well, we're gonna wrap this up. But I do want to. I do want to ask you one final question and considering your transformation journey. And for again, I'm gonna drill this into people listening, you went from the streets living out of a car, broken down the deepest hole, and now you're in a position. You're married with a kid, you're a counselor, you've done so much. And the same respect that has you're as a racer, because you went from a kid that could barely ride to one of the greatest so your life right now is mimicking your present life and I can see just getting better and better. Is there one piece of advice you can offer individuals currently belly and addiction? And what would that be? With? What message would you like to send to communities institutions to better support those that are recovering in their journey as well? What lessons you believe everybody with institutions people listening? What's the message you I leave because you've from your journey? Um,

Unknown: 54:04

you know, I think it's just institutions, I would hope that they would do some more scholarships and make it more affordable. And to people just to reach out, not to hide it not to live without shame. It's okay, we all we all, you know, everybody's gonna go through shit. Everybody's got their baggage stuff that they carry along with them. And just to reach out and start, you know, there's low cost therapy everywhere. I'm in I worked out at one low cost therapy place and, you know, go see a professional that's been trained and get to work, you know, there is hope. But I'm drowning yourself with drugs and alcohol. You know, that's another thing. You got to detox. You got to get social supports. Meetings are great. But, you know, therapy is great. But start taking action because it's gonna get worse for sure. And I was really, I was using big time, like I was not messing around, I was an extreme athlete, I was using drugs in extreme way. And I pulled out of it, and anybody could do it. Anybody could do it doesn't take, you know, you don't have to have a superpower. You just have to. You just have to get started and get to work, get some professional advice, get some, you know, even if you don't have money for professional meetings, there's been in there for 25 years and, and they'll give you pointers and give you tips and you know, soul food just for today, something to get you through the day, mantras, positive affirmations. Most of all, disconnect from all the bad people. You know, and for me, that meant everybody except I knew I was safe with my grandma, my nephews, my sister, my dad, and that was that's that's who I started with, you know, then I got to school and then I had, you know, healthy young students that were good my box gym, I had a couple people got plugged in there. Just start building in life. You know, it's doable. There's people out there that can

Dr. Spencer Baron: 56:22

Excellent. Thank you so much. Thank you for listening to today's episode of The cracking backs podcast. We hope you enjoyed it. Make sure you follow us on Instagram at cracking backs podcast. catch new episodes every Monday. See you next time.