EPISODE · May 27, 2026 · 1H 33M
Imposter Syndrome, Self-Sabotage & Why Getting Uncomfortable Is the Only Way - Dr. Brian Pennie
from Made In Chaos with Ryan Curtis · host Ryan Curtis
He Was Addicted to Heroin for 15 Years. Now He Has a PhD in Neuroscience. The Same Brain Did Both.Brian Pennie started using heroin at 16. By 20 he was chronically addicted, every single day for 15 years. He held down a job, sold drugs to fund his habit, and accumulated 50 grand in debt to dealers and money lenders. He had a violent seizure from benzo withdrawal, nearly died, and hit a moment of complete surrender in a hospital on a trolley at 35 years old.What happened next is one of the most extraordinary personal transformations Ryan has ever had on Made in Chaos. Brian went to detox, discovered the human mind, met a doctor who told him he had a sharp brain, and four years later was teaching in Trinity College. He now has a PhD in neuroscience and lectures across Ireland and the world on addiction, trauma, habits and change.What we get into:The operation as a baby with no anaesthetic, and the trauma he didn't know he was carryingWhy heroin felt like "the anaesthetic I never got as a baby"Why the choice theory of addiction is wrong, and what actually drives people to substancesThe difference between Brian and his best mate who got addicted: two traumatised people in the same groupThe ABC habit loop, why tackling the behaviour is completely the wrong starting pointWhy the opposite of addiction is awareness, not sobrietyThe eagle in the chicken coop, and why most people die thinking they're something they're notWhy your brain doesn't care about your happiness, it only cares about avoiding pain and chasing pleasureImposter syndrome reframed: it's not a warning sign, it's a compass pointing toward growthSelf-deception, limiting beliefs and building a wall of evidence instead of self-beliefWhy motivation is bullshit, and what actually changes behaviourSocial media, AI and the terrifying perfect storm quietly destroying our ability to thinkWhat Brian would say to someone who feels completely stuck right nowRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing.Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory
What this episode covers
He Was Addicted to Heroin for 15 Years. Now He Has a PhD in Neuroscience. The Same Brain Did Both.Brian Pennie started using heroin at 16. By 20 he was chronically addicted, every single day for 15 years. He held down a job, sold drugs to fund his habit, and accumulated 50 grand in debt to dealers and money lenders. He had a violent seizure from benzo withdrawal, nearly died, and hit a moment of complete surrender in a hospital on a trolley at 35 years old.What happened next is one of the most extraordinary personal transformations Ryan has ever had on Made in Chaos. Brian went to detox, discovered the human mind, met a doctor who told him he had a sharp brain, and four years later was teaching in Trinity College. He now has a PhD in neuroscience and lectures across Ireland and the world on addiction, trauma, habits and change.What we get into:The operation as a baby with no anaesthetic, and the trauma he didn't know he was carryingWhy heroin felt like "the anaesthetic I never got as a baby"Why the choice theory of addiction is wrong, and what actually drives people to substancesThe difference between Brian and his best mate who got addicted: two traumatised people in the same groupThe ABC habit loop, why tackling the behaviour is completely the wrong starting pointWhy the opposite of addiction is awareness, not sobrietyThe eagle in the chicken coop, and why most people die thinking they're something they're notWhy your brain doesn't care about your happiness, it only cares about avoiding pain and chasing pleasureImposter syndrome reframed: it's not a warning sign, it's a compass pointing toward growthSelf-deception, limiting beliefs and building a wall of evidence instead of self-beliefWhy motivation is bullshit, and what actually changes behaviourSocial media, AI and the terrifying perfect storm quietly destroying our ability to thinkWhat Brian would say to someone who feels completely stuck right nowRyan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing.Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis🖊️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory
NOW PLAYING
Imposter Syndrome, Self-Sabotage & Why Getting Uncomfortable Is the Only Way - Dr. Brian Pennie
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
No similar episodes found.
Similar Podcasts
No similar podcasts found.