Doc Jacques: Your Addiction Lifeguard
by Dr. Jacques de Broekert
Doc Jacques Your Addiction Lifeguard" podcast is like your friendly chat with a seasoned therapist, Dr. Jacques de Broekert, who's all about helping folks navigate the choppy waters of addiction and mental health. Join Doc Jacques on a journey through real talk about addiction, therapy, and mental wellness. Each episode is like sitting down with a good friend who happens to be an expert in addiction recovery. Doc Jacques shares his insights, tips, and stories, giving you a lifeline to better understand and tackle the challenges of addiction. From practical advice to stories of resilience, this podcast dives into everything - from understanding addiction's roots to strategies for healing and recovery. You'll hear about different therapies, how to support family and friends, and why a holistic approach to health matters in the recovery process. Tune in for conversations that feel like a breath of fresh air. Doc Jacques invites experts and indi
Episodes
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Just Where Is The Bottom?
Send us Fan Mail When everything has crashed and you feel like giving up, the bottom isn’t the end. Dr. Jacques talks to the addict at the hardest point of the fall and lays out what to do next. If you’re in danger, call or text 988. Support the show
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The Rooms Aren't A Dating Pool
Send us Fan Mail The rooms are for recovery, not romance. Here's why swiping right in a meeting can cost you your sobriety, and what to do instead. Support the show
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The Destruction of Distractions
Send us Fan Mail Why would you distract yourself from the work of recovery and stability? Because your addiction wants to keep you imprisoned. Support the show
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Don't Mask It, Deal With It Part 2
Send us Fan Mail For those of you who are family members listen to this episode on stopping the masking of addiction, but learn to deal with it. Support the show
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Don't Mask It, Deal With It Part 1
Send us Fan Mail This weeks episode is a 2 part series. This first episode is for people who are addicts and can't get used to the idea of how to be open and honest with themselves about the real issue. Triggers are not the problem, it's the thing that triggers the real problem that you just have...
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The Truth Will Set You Free
Send us Fan Mail Living the truth is different than just speaking the truth. Support the show
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The Tell Before The Tell
Send us Fan Mail Some people think relapse kicks the door down. It doesn't. It tiptoes in wearing a disguise made of "totally normal" excuses — and by the time you notice, it's already been there for weeks. Doc Jacques on the tell before the tell. Support the show
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Learning To Swim Without The Lifejacket
Send us Fan Mail Ever quit your drug of choice and realize it was the only tool in the box? Feelings you haven't met in years are fully caffeinated and ready to rumble. Doc Jacques breaks down real coping skills to replace the ones that were slowly killing you — because luck is not a recovery…
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When Sobriety Breaks Up The Family
Send us Fan Mail Getting sober was supposed to fix everything, right? The family reunites, the credits roll, everybody hugs. Yeah, well — nobody told your wife, your kids, or your brother who hasn't called since Thanksgiving. Turns out recovery doesn't come with a guarantee that the people who...
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Sober Isn't The Finish Line - Peaceful Is
Send us Fan Mail Congratulations — you stopped using. Now what? Turns out sobriety is just the opening act, and Doc Jacques has some news about the rest of the show. The good news: peace is real and you can get there. The bad news: you actually have to do the work. No shortcuts. He checked.…
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Why The 12 Steps Are Important
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Doc Jacques: Your Addiction Lifeguard, we talk about why stopping drugs or alcohol is only the beginning of recovery. I break down why the 12 Steps matter early in sobriety, why people resist the work, and how addiction survives through isolation, secrecy, and...
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The Comparison Trap
Send us Fan Mail You walk into a meeting, look around the room, and think one of two things: "I'm not as bad as that guy" or "I'll never be as good as that guy." Either way, the enemy just won. This week, Doc Jacques breaks down how comparison is quietly destroying recoveries that had every…
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It Was an Accident, Not a Relapse — Here's Why That Matters
Send us Fan Mail You slipped. It happens. But before you burn down everything you've built — let's talk about the difference between an accident and a relapse, because they are not the same thing Support the show
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Sobriety Doesn't Fix Character
Send us Fan Mail Sobriety is a powerful first step—but it doesn’t magically fix character. In this episode, I break down the hard truth that stopping the substance doesn’t automatically change the patterns underneath it. We’re talking about honesty, accountability, and what real recovery actually...
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Have You Crossed A Line?
Send us Fan Mail Nobody plans to become addicted—it’s more like you casually wade in and suddenly can’t touch the bottom. In this episode, I break down how that invisible line gets crossed and why if you’re negotiating with yourself, you’re probably already in deeper water than you think. Stay…
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Why Addicts Sometimes Want to Destroy Themselves
Send us Fan Mail Why would someone whose life is already falling apart keep making things worse? In this episode, Doc Jacques explores one of the strangest parts of addiction — the urge to keep digging when you’re already in a hole. With some straight talk and a little humor, he looks at the...
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Alcohol and the Hijacked Brain: Why They Can’t Think, Remember, or Decide Like They Used To
Send us Fan Mail This week on Doc Jacques: Your Addiction Lifeguard, we’re taking a clear-eyed (but not doom-and-gloom) look at how alcohol hijacks the brain—why memory goes missing, logic goes offline, and families feel like they’re arguing with a wall. You’ll learn what’s really happening under...
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The Addiction Identity Crisis
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Doc Jacques: Your Addiction Lifeguard, we tackle a sneaky problem nobody warns you about: getting sober… and then getting stuck in the identity of being “the recovering addict.” With a few lifeguard analogies and some straight talk, Doc breaks down the…
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The Enemy In The Parking Lot
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Doc Shock: Your Addiction Lifeguard, we talk about the relapse trigger nobody expects: the people who come strolling back in with a smile, a memory, and an invitation—“the enemy in the parking lot.” Doc breaks down why old using friends can time-travel you…
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Intervention: Lifeline or Landmine?
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Doc Shock: Your Addiction Lifeguard, Doc pulls the curtain back on interventions—what they really are (a clinical tool), what they’re not (a TV-style ambush), and why timing and follow-through matter more than volume and panic. If you’re a family trying to help…
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Why Relapse Is Not Failure: Learning From Our Mistakes
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Doc Jacques: Your Addiction Lifeguard, we take the heat off relapse and put the spotlight where it belongs: what it’s trying to teach you. Doc breaks down the difference between an “accident” and a full relapse, the three common relapse patterns, and how to…
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Not Your 70s Weed — What Today’s THC Levels Mean
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Doc Jacques: Your Addiction Lifeguard, Doc breaks down the real “THC then vs. THC now” problem—because what people call “just weed” today often looks more like rocket fuel than a 1970s joint. We talk concentrates, vapes, and edibles, why potency (and the…
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Dry Holiday In A Wet World
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Doc Jacques: Your Addiction Lifeguard, we talk about surviving the holidays sober in what can feel like a Hallmark movie sponsored by a liquor store. From the “just have one” uncle to the overconfident I got this voice in your own head, Doc lays out practical...
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At The End Of Your Rope - When Addiction Stops Working
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Doc Jacques: Your Addiction Lifeguard, we talk about what happens when you finally reach the end of your rope—and realize the rope was never actually saving you in the first place. If you’re “sick and tired of being sick and tired” but still somehow negotiating...
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How To Recognize Trauma
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Doc Shock: Your Addiction Lifeguard, we clear up the confusion about trauma—because it’s not the event, it’s the impact the event leaves behind. Two people can go through the same thing and only one walks away wounded, and those wounds often show up later as...
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When You Feel Like Giving Up
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Doc Jacques: Your Addiction Lifeguard, we tackle the moment nobody likes to admit out loud—the quiet “I’m tired… I can’t do this anymore” phase of recovery. Doc Jacques breaks down why people drift, experiment, or fully surrender back to addiction, how stress,...
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Coping With Burnout
Send us Fan Mail What is it like to reach compassion fatigue and coping with it through addiction. Special guest Ashlea Dillard, retired Firefighter and now mental health counselor, as she discusses compassion fatigue and burnout with negative and faulty coping mechanisms. Her podcast is...
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Why the Steps Matter: The Blueprint for Lasting Recovery
Send us Fan Mail Why it is so important to have structure around you while you work your recovery. Support the show
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Dealing with Sadness in Addiction — Learning to Feel Without Drowning
Send us Fan Mail How do you survive sadness in recovery? Let's find out Support the show
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Hidden in Plain Sight — Why You’re Trying to Hide Your Addiction
Send us Fan Mail Why is it that your addiction makes you hide your addiction? Support the show
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THC: The Hidden Hook — Understanding the Addictive Dangers of Modern Marijuana
Send us Fan Mail THC is popular and more dangerous than ever. Support the show
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What To Do When Tragedy Strikes
Send us Fan Mail What are you supposed to do when tragedy strikes and you feel depressed or angry about a severe loss when you are in recovery? Support the show
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Why Addicts Resist Seeing Trauma as the Root
Send us Fan Mail Why do addicts not see trauma as a problem or something that they have experienced? Support the show
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The Hidden Grief In Addiction
Send us Fan Mail Do you have an addict that you love and who you feel like your losing? Many times hidden grief is what is going on and you don't even realize it. Support the show
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Why Do I Keep Sabotaging My Own Recovery
Send us Fan Mail Just why are you sabotaging your own recovery? Let's find out. Support the show
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Isolation Is Addictions Best Friend
Send us Fan Mail Learn why isolation is so commonly used by addicts to make it possible to increase their usage of their substance of choice. Support the show
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The Issues That Can Cause Discomfort
Send us Fan Mail Today our world is in crisis and it is effecting so many people. What do you do if you are triggered into feeling really uncomfortable by world events? Support the show
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Step 9: A Very Particular Part Of Recovery
Send us Fan Mail There is a specific part of Step 9 that I always feel I need to address when working with people working on recovery. Support the show
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The Push And Pull Of Discomfort
Send us Fan Mail Do you know someone who is an addict and just can't seem to tolerate discomfort? Or are you that person who can't tolerate discomfort? Support the show
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Addicts and Loved Ones Suffer Bitterness
Send us Fan Mail As an addict are you full of bitterness? How about replacing it with betterness? Support the show
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Finding A Good Therapist Is Important
Send us Fan Mail Why is it important to find a good therapist? And how do you know if you found one that is good? Let's find out. Support the show
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The Brain Changes On The Journey To Recovery
Send us Fan Mail Your brain and mental health changes when you start your journey into getting clean and sober. Support the show
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Step 12: How To Spread The Good News
Send us Fan Mail Spreading the message of recovery and living the principles of recovery are good goals. That's what Step 12 is all about. Support the show
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Do You Know How To Self-Sooth?
Send us Fan Mail It is important to know how and when to self sooth when you are uncomfortable. Support the show
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Change Your Perspective, Change Your Addiction
Send us Fan Mail Something as simple as working on your perspective can alter your recovery that maybe has stalled out or you are struggling to start. Support the show
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Alice In Wonderland Can Teach Us Something About Our Addiction
Send us Fan Mail Through The Looking Glass is a children's story that is a metaphor about growing up with addiction. Support the show
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The Trauma Response Trifecta
Send us Fan Mail There are three areas of us that get affected by trauma. Do you know that this is happening? Support the show
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Where To Return As A Prodigal Child
Send us Fan Mail Ever person working on recovery ultimately becomes a returning prodigal child. But what to do when you have no where to return to. Support the show
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The Enemy Wants Your Soul
Send us Fan Mail Addiction is a spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical warfare. Are you able to engage in the battle alone without armor and weapons? Support the show
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What Is It Really Like Going To Rehab?
Send us Fan Mail Find out what it's really like going to rehab for the first time. What did you expect it to be like? Support the show
About this show
Doc Jacques Your Addiction Lifeguard" podcast is like your friendly chat with a seasoned therapist, Dr. Jacques de Broekert, who's all about helping folks navigate the choppy waters of addiction and mental health.
Join Doc Jacques on a journey through real talk about addiction, therapy, and mental wellness. Each episode is like sitting down with a good friend who happens to be an expert in addiction recovery. Doc Jacques shares his insights, tips, and stories, giving you a lifeline to better understand and tackle the challenges of addiction.
From practical advice to stories of resilience, this podcast dives into everything - from understanding addiction's roots to strategies for healing and recovery. You'll hear about different therapies, how to support family and friends, and why a holistic approach to health matters in the recovery process.
Tune in for conversations that feel like a breath of fresh air. Doc Jacques invites experts and indi
Hosted by
Dr. Jacques de Broekert