"One Man With a Chamber — Battling CTE" with William Person
Avoiding the Addiction Affliction
Release Date: 01/14/2026
"What to Eat (and Drink) Now" with Marion Nestle
Avoiding the Addiction Affliction
Recently the federal government released new guidelines for alcohol and food. Marion Nestle discusses those new guidelines and her lifetime’s work as a nutrition expert and nutrition policy advisor. Marion is a Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University in the department she chaired from 1988-2003 and from which she retired in September 2017. She has a PhD in molecular biology and an MPH in public health nutrition from the University of California. Marion is a past senior nutrition policy advisor in the Department of Health and...
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"Bringing Hope to Rural Communities" with Tania Reindl
Avoiding the Addiction Affliction
Rural communities in America have a shortage of resources for mental health and substance use disorders. That shortage makes services provided by rural schools so important in the lives of students and families. Tania Reindl talks about the challenges and opportunities that working in rural communities presents. Tania is a Mental Health Navigator in a small, rural school district in Wisconsin. She has worked as a county social worker and has also worked with the Department of Corrections. More information about rural communities and mental health can be found at . The State of Wisconsin's...
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"Heart to Heart" with Donna Pope
Avoiding the Addiction Affliction
The mission of the Heart to Heart Foundation is to support programs providing services to children needing homes, biological parents making crucial decisions for their children, and adoptive parents hoping to provide the families and homes that children long for. Donna Pope is the Director of Heart to Heart Adoptions based in Sandy, Utah. She talks about their work and the joys and challenges of raising adopted children. Heart to Heart, and Donna, can be reached at . The State of Wisconsin's Dose of Reality campaign is at . More information about the federal response to the ongoing opiate...
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"Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder" with Guida Brown
Avoiding the Addiction Affliction
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) is often overlooked, misdiagnosed, and understudied. Individuals with FASDs and their families also face persistent stigma, negative stereotypes, and harmful biases, due to public misunderstandings. Guida Brown talks about how we can assist women and families both during and post pregnancy. Guida is the Principal for Guided by Guida and serves as a Community Relations Consultant for the US Drug Testing Laboratories in Des Plaines, Illinois. She also serves as President of the board of Orchids FASD Services Wisconsin, the Wisconsin affiliate for FASD...
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"Journey Out of the Bottle" with Jane Musgrave
Avoiding the Addiction Affliction
Jane Musgrave grew up on the outskirts of Brisbane, Australia. She endured a troubled childhood that led her to seek an escape in alcohol. What began as a coping mechanism quickly grew into an all-consuming addiction, shaping decades of her life and leading to a series of difficult choices. She details those struggles and her recovery in her terrific book, “My Journey Out of the Bottle: Four Rehabs and a Recovery.” and . The State of Wisconsin's Dose of Reality campaign is at . More information about the federal response to the ongoing opiate crisis can be found at . The views and...
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"A Recovery-Supportive Campus" with Tim Rabolt
Avoiding the Addiction Affliction
As college students everywhere are returning to campus following winter break, some are struggling with substances. Those in recovery navigated the holidays soberly. And a few, like Tim Rabolt, are there to help anyone on a college campus who has substance use issues. Tim is the Program Manager for “Recovery at Marquette,” an urban university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is a Past Executive Director of the Association of Recovery in Higher Education (ARHE). Tim has 14 years of sobriety and is a proud girl dad to Nina. . The State of Wisconsin's Dose of Reality campaign is at . More...
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"One Man With a Chamber — Battling CTE" with William Person
Avoiding the Addiction Affliction
William Person is a former nine-year Team USA Bobsled athlete whose career left him battling the devastating effects of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy). At his lowest point, he could barely get up off the floor, lost in confusion, depression, intense headaches, and a deteriorating brain. Hope came when he discovered Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, which restored clarity in his thinking, color to his vision, and purpose to his life. William shares his story to raise awareness of brain damage in sports, the military, and other lifetime collisions and share the importance of protecting and...
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"Section Yellow - One Game At A Time" with John Plageman
Avoiding the Addiction Affliction
John Plageman wondered how, as a newly recovering person, he would navigate social events he enjoyed. Concerts, ballgames, and just going out were cause for anxiety. He discovered, however, that at every event there were folks who, like himself, wanted to enjoy themselves without alcohol and other drugs. A while later, he helped establish a welcoming non-using presence at Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers, by creating a non-drinking initiative called Section Yellow. By day, John is a social worker with the Brown County, Wisconsin, Aging and Disability Resource Center. Find out more...
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"Parallel Recovery" with Lisa Katona Smith
Avoiding the Addiction Affliction
People don’t have substance use disorders in isolation. Their family, friends, and colleagues all experience, as Lisa Katona Smith, M.Ed., says, “feelings of anger, fear, and shame that fracture relationships with loved ones at a time when they are needed most.” Lisa is a certified Peer Recovery Specialist, family consultant, TEDx speaker, and author of the book, “Parallel Recovery: A Guide for Those Who Love Someone Struggling with Substance Use Disorder.” Inspired by her personal experience navigating a family member’s addiction and motivated by the limitations of traditional...
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"Needed Angels" with Eva Welch
Avoiding the Addiction Affliction
When people find themselves without shelter, warmth, or food, having angels on the streets helps. Eva Welch is a Co-Founder and Director of Street Angels in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Eva is a fierce advocate, action activator, and self-described fun instigator. She studied psychology and earned her BA from Ottawa University. Together with Shelly Sarasin, Eva co-founded Street Angels and expanded the mission of feeding and assisting our neighbors without homes. . The State of Wisconsin's Dose of Reality campaign is at . More information about the federal response to the ongoing opiate...
info_outlineWilliam Person is a former nine-year Team USA Bobsled athlete whose career left him battling the devastating effects of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy). At his lowest point, he could barely get up off the floor, lost in confusion, depression, intense headaches, and a deteriorating brain. Hope came when he discovered Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, which restored clarity in his thinking, color to his vision, and purpose to his life. William shares his story to raise awareness of brain damage in sports, the military, and other lifetime collisions and share the importance of protecting and healing the brain. His mission is to open a nonprofit CTE Recovery Center to help athletes, veterans, and civilians heal from brain injuries -- at no cost to them. To realize this mission, he’s launched a GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/93ff9c6e, which will help him raise funds to purchase a medical grade hyperbaric oxygen chamber to open a CTE Recovery Center where anyone battling CTE and brain injury symptoms can get free treatment. William's YouTube channel is at https://www.youtube.com/@BrainInjurySurvival.
The State of Wisconsin's Dose of Reality campaign is at Dose of Reality: Opioids in Wisconsin.
More information about the federal response to the ongoing opiate crisis can be found at One Pill Can Kill.
The views and opinions of the guests on this podcast are theirs and theirs alone and do not necessarily represent those of the host or Westwords Consulting.
We're always interested in hearing from individuals or organizations who are working in substance use disorder treatment or prevention, mental health care and other spaces that lift up communities. This includes people living those experiences. If you or someone you know has a story to share or an interesting approach to care, contact us today!
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