In this episode, hosts DeAnn Knighton and Craig Knighton sit down with James Piacentino co-founder and CEO of Thrive Genetics, to explore how science, genetics, and behavior intersect in addiction risk and prevention. James shares his personal lived experience with intergenerational addiction alongside decades of research and innovation that led to the creation of the Comprehensive Addiction Risk Evaluation System (CARES).

The conve...

Understanding the Real Risks of Alcohol, THC, and Gas-Station Drugs

In this episode of Show Up and Stay: Recovery Discovery, hosts DeAnn Knighton and Craig Knighton sit down with Dr. Aaron Weiner — board-certified psychologist and Executive Vice President at the Prevention Research Institute — to unpack a truth many people still don’t realize: just because a substance is legal doesn’t mean it’s safe.

Dr. Weiner breaks down how alcoho...

In this episode of Recovery Discovery, hosts DeAnn and Craig talk with Dr. Quyen Ngo, clinical psychologist and Director of the Butler Center for Research at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.

Together, they explore the science behind addiction treatment, why recovery support must extend far beyond discharge, and how technology—from wearables to AI—might shape the future of long-term recovery.

Dr. Ngo breaks down:

• Why addiction i...

In this illuminating episode of Recovery Discovery, host DeAnn Knighton and co-host Craig sit down with Dr. Jorja Jamison, psychologist, professor, and author at the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies, to explore how modern neuroscience and psychology shed new light on the 12 Steps of recovery.

Dr. Jamison shares her personal journey — from training as an addiction psychologist while secretly battling her own s...

What if a short snippet of conversation could reveal insights into your emotional, behavioral, and cognitive health and signal risk factors for Substance Use Disorder? In this episode of Recovery Discovery, hosts' DeAnn Knighton and Craig Knighton sit down with Henry O’Connell, Co-Founder and CEO of Canary Speech, to explore how artificial intelligence and voice biomarkers are transforming the way clinicians understand human w...

In this episode of Show Up and Stay, host DeAnn Knighton and co-host Craig Knighton speak with Tamar Blue, founder and CEO of MentalHappy, about how technology is reshaping access to mental-health and recovery-focused support groups.

Tamar shares her personal journey and the inspiration behind building a platform designed to connect individuals with the right group and facilitator—removing barriers of geography, stigma, and safety c...

Topics: 

• Impact of Gut Health on Addiction
• Balancing Body, Mind, and Heart
• Future Directions and Stop Circuit

In this week's episode, DeAnn and Craig record a follow-up to our last episode featuring Adam Sud and the power of nutrition as a tool for sustainable recovery. They discuss the impact of diet and exercise on recovery. Craig emphasizes the importance of a balanced caloric environment, encompassing the types of foo...

Adam Sud, a behavioral wellness and nutrition expert, joins DeAnn to discuss the impact of nutrition on addiction recovery. He shares his personal journey from severe health issues and addiction to recovery through a plant-based diet, reversing diabetes and losing 150 pounds in 10 months. Adam highlights the Infinite Study, the first controlled trial on nutrition's effect on addiction recovery, which showed significant improve...

Why do achievements often leave us feeling unsatisfied?
Why does FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) persist?
Why do people do things they know will harm them? 

DeAnn and Craig Knighton discuss the role of dopamine in substance use disorder, referencing "The Molecule of More" by Lieberman and Long and "Dopamine Nation" by Dr. Anna Lembke. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and reward, play...

DeAnn and Craig speak with Joe Caravella, author of "The Disease of Addiction - A Twenty-First Century Understanding and Beyond" and a fellow Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School alum. Joe steps us through the evolution of addiction treatment, emphasizing the neurobiological aspects and the role of resilience. Joe explains addiction as a brain disease and describes the severing of communication between the prefrontal corte...

In our follow-up to our "Noble Nematode" episode, we move into part 2 of our conversation on the origins of addiction. Craig brings in Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking Fast and Slow," which differentiates between the subconscious (System 1) and conscious (System 2) mind as a framework. Craig admits to his compulsive behavior around sweets, even when he tries to resist. They explore how trauma and emotional state...

Jason Schwartz, a social worker since 1994 and Director of Social Work and Spiritual Care at a Michigan healthcare system, discussed his career at Dawn Farm and highlighted the potential of AI in addiction treatment, noting its use in training and electronic medical records.  Jason shares a troubling case study from an article in Futurism, where an AI chatbot advised a person with methamphetamine addiction to use the drug to stay a...

DeAnn and Craig discuss the potential of AI in therapy, specifically in the context of motivational interviewing (MI). They recap their previous experiment with a chatbot helping a character with alcohol consumption issues. Craig suggests using AI to practice MI, which DeAnn agrees on, given her recent research. DeAnn explains MI's principles, including empathy, rolling with resistance, and addressing ambivalence. They test th...

Luke Wendlandt joins Craig and DeAnn to discuss Cadre, a mental health platform inspired by social media, aiming to support employees' mental well-being. He highlights that 83% of employees have experienced a depressive episode in the past year. Luke shares personal stories, including missing a job opportunity, which led to a transformative role at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. He emphasizes the importance of address...

DeAnn and Craig discuss Craig's recent exploration into "A Brief History of Intelligence" by Max Bennett, which explores the evolution of intelligence and AI. Craig highlights the connection between AI advancements and our understanding of biological intelligence, using the example of the nematode worm, which has 302 neurons and exhibits simple forms of intelligence and addiction. They explore how nematodes' beh...

DeAnn Knighton and Craig Knighton, co-hosts of the Recovery Discovery Podcast, discuss their personal and professional journeys and interest in the current innovations in addiction treatment. DeAnn shares her six-year sobriety journey and her career pivot toward clinical mental health counseling. Craig talks about transitioning from engineering to an internship at Hazelden Betty Ford, focusing on addiction research. They explore th...

This is our final installment (for now) in the Sober Positive Workplace Series. 

Ben Lloyd shared his journey from an only child with a fractured family life to becoming an actor. He described his early struggles with alcohol, which began in college and intensified in New York. Lloyd's turning point came in 1992 when he met his sponsor at a recovery meeting. His sobriety led to a resurgence in his career, including roles in Phi...

DeAnn and Craig (Sober Positive Workplace) discuss the intersection of substance use disorder and suicide prevention, highlighting the work of the Livin Foundation. PT, a media personality and founder, shares his personal loss to suicide and the foundation's mission to remember loved ones for how they lived. Kaitlin, a co-founder, emphasizes the importance of peer-to-peer support and the Livin Foundation's new program to ...

DeAnn interviews Kate Vitela, a board-certified nurse coach and addiction specialist, about her journey in sobriety and career. Kate, a registered nurse for over two decades, discusses her transition from various healthcare settings to behavioral health after getting sober in 2018. She shares her experiences with a state monitoring program for nurses with substance use issues and her eventual success in leadership roles. Kate empha...