Ep 50. The difference between getting sober and actually living life in recovery, with Benn Veenker

In this week’s episode I sat down with drug and alcohol counsellor Benn Veenker. Benn made the decision to get clean and sober on the 31st of August 2012 and has made it his life’s work to help other people rehabilitate from addiction. Benn shares openly about his journey to rehab and the steps he took to turn his life around. His story is a heart-warming testimony of the healing that can occur when you choose to show up every single day in your recovery. How even loved ones lost can re-emerge and how life can blossom beyond your wildest dreams. Some of the topics we discussed include: Having no off switch – 7:00 Connecting to true purpose – 16:40 Choas and consequences – 21:30 Addiction and mental health darkness – 25:40 Working your recovery – 36:15 Abstinence and harm reduction – 44:25 Healing “lost” relationships – 47:35To see Benn’s Behind The Smile photo, head to Ash’s website. You can follow Ash and Behind The Smile on IG here: @ashbutterss You can find out more about First Steps using the links below:WEBSITE: www.firststep.org.auInstagram: @firststepstkildaIf you or someone you know if struggling with mental health or addiction, please reach out for support. Some support options include:•A healthcare professional•Alcoholics Anonymous•Lifeline or Beyond Blue (Australia)•CheckPoint (global)If you'd like to support the show you can "Buy Me A Coffee" by following the link below:⁠YES I'D LOVE TO SUPPORT BEHIND THE SMILE PODCAST ⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.