S03E142 Self-Empowered Recovery From Substance Use Disorder with Mary Beth O’Connor

What if recovery wasn’t a single path or a sudden epiphany, but a practical system you can build step by step? We sit down with Mary Beth O’Connor, attorney, former federal administrative law judge, and author of From Junkie to Judge, to unpack how trauma, co-occurring disorders, and culture shape addiction and how personalized plans create lasting change.

Mary Beth shares how early substance use and a high ACE score fueled years of chaos, and how prioritizing five core areas, sobriety, trauma care, relationships, work, and debt, became the backbone of a sustainable rebuild. We explore multiple pathways to recovery beyond 12-step programs, including LifeRing Secular Recovery, SMART Recovery, Women for Sobriety, She Recovers, and Dharma Recovery, and why outcomes improve when people choose the peer support that actually fits. We also dig into evidence-based tools like medications for alcohol and opioid use disorders, trauma therapy, and the reality that plans should evolve as life does.

For legal professionals, Mary Beth offers a candid look at why attorneys face double the national addiction rate: relentless pace, perfection pressure, and unpredictable calendars. We connect the dots between impairment and ethics, competence, diligence, and case delays, and point to confidential help through lawyer assistance programs. On stigma, Mary Beth explains how “open recovery” changes minds, brings hope to families, and reframes addiction as a medical, mental health disorder. Families get a clear starting point with CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) and the book Beyond Addiction, which replace ultimatums with positive reinforcement and shared problem-solving.

Reach Mary Beth here:
Website: junkietojudge.com 
My memoir: https://a.co/d/0W8sMrq 
X: MaryBethO_
Bluesky: marybethoconnor 

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