RadReads​ - The high performer (who’s always high)

One of the most common complaints from high-performers?

“I can’t turn off my brain.”

So we turn to doomscrolling, alcohol and other substances.

Tara is a former executive at Comedy Central (Key and Peele, David Spade) who used copious amounts of weed to cope.

Until she blacked out and left a terrifying voice message for her therapist.

This week on The Examined Life Podcast we dig into:

(Please note, this episode discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit988lifeline.org)

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🎧 Or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

My Top 3 Takeaways

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Using substances to disassociate
​What are you unwilling to feel? That’s where the “isms” come in — whether it’s alcoholism or workaholism.

→ Watch the clip​
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There is a world without coping
​Drawing from her work using Internal Family Systems (IFS), Tara shows how you can calmly relate to your “parts” (inner critic, task master, perfectionist, etc.)

→ Watch the clip​
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Can you be addicted to weed?
​Heck yeah, yet somehow in the legalization narrative this conversation seems to have disappeared.

→ Watch the clip​

My favorite quote: A DIY approach to noticing your emotions

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Why this episode is important to me

I’ve been a long-time emotional represser.

One who hides behind work and substances while emotionally disassociating.

This is very common Type A (ahem, Enneagram 3) behavior and it’s powerful to talk to someone who crossed the chasm.

If you want to dig deeper

Check out my episode on giving up alcohol and what a post-alcohol life looks like.

Love Letters from our Fans

Hope you enjoy the episode,

Khe

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