Matt Tompkins, host of It’s The Fix Podcast, talks about recovering from an opioid addiction and coming to terms with his mental illness while managing a career in TV & Radio.
We dive into the differences in looking for a short term fix to issues vs investing in long term fixes. Matt, an avid fitness enthusiast also explains how fitness alone won’t save you.
He tells the story of coming out about his addiction to his coworkers and employers to be surprised at the support he received. Matt also tells some stories about how to relate mindfully in conflict (a popular topic we recently covered with Margo Helman in “Calm in Conflict”) as well as a piece of advice that has become a pillar of the Happy You Are Here show:
You can only focus on the things that you can control and you need to release the things that you cannot control.
Craig Inzana, Host of Happy You Are Here
Backstory on It’s The Fix:
“When I was battling my addiction to opioids I learned that the short term fix is never going to be enough. But I also realized that these fixes aren’t just drugs or alcohol, these fixes are the fast food we eat, the 10 hours straight of binge watching TV, our phones and social media apps that we can’t look away from. We fall for the short term fix because it numbs our mind and body so that we don’t have to deal with reality.
What if instead we invested in a long term fix?
I was sober for 2 1/2 years – but I still felt miserable. I was at what should have been the pinnacle of my career, hosting a morning radio show and a #1 rated television show – but I still felt miserable.
But then, about a year ago, I slowly started to cut those short term fixes out of my life and guess what – I didn’t feel as miserable. I started working out, changed my nutrition, changed my lifestyle and 9 months later I found myself 40 lbs lighter and mentally healthier than I had been since I was 23 years old. “
