Weekly Podcast

Breaking Addiction’s Grip Real Answers, Real Talk, Real Transformation

Subscribe for expert insights, real talk, and empowering conversations.

Alcohol & You: Myths, Facts, and the Hidden Dangers

Uncover the truth about alcohol—how much is too much, the hidden risks of drinking, and what you need to know to protect your health. Tune in now to learn the facts—don't miss this eye-opening episode!

Meet Dr. Dora
Your Guide to Medicine

Dr. Dora is a leading expert in addiction medicine with years of experience helping individuals and families navigate the path to healing. As a dedicated advocate, speaker, and substance use disorder specialist, she shares evidence-based strategies, real-life stories, and professional insights to empower people toward lasting recovery.

Achievements & Credentials

Board Certified in Family and Addiction Medicine
Fellow In American Society of Addiction Medicine
Diplomat and Fellow of American Board of Family Medicine
Pioneered Probuphine implants in the state of Illinois for opioid substance &nbsp use disorders
First to develop medically monitored detox units (not in a hospital setting)
Lectured in New Delhi, India at the International Society of Addiction Medicine on Treating addictions in a primary care setting
Received a LifeTime Achievement Award from Illinois Addiction Professionals

Latest Episodes
Your Journey Starts Here

The Silent Epidemic: Alcohol and America’s Hidden Struggle

Discover the shocking truth behind alcohol use disorder, its warning signs, and why what you don’t know about drinking could be putting you at risk.

The High Cost of a Good Time: Alcohol’s Devastating Consequences

Uncover the life-altering effects of alcohol abuse, from shattered relationships to dangerous withdrawal symptoms, and why even casual drinking can take a deadly turn.

Latest Episodes
Your Journey Starts Here

DEI in Addiction Medicine: Who Gets Access to Recovery Care? | Ask Dr. Dora

Does every person struggling with substance use disorder have a fair opportunity to recover?

In this Ask Dr. Dora lecture, Dr. Dora Dixie, board certified in family medicine and addiction medicine, ...continues the conversation on diversity, equity, and inclusion — DEI — in addiction medicine.
Dr. Dora walks through some of the most important equity questions in addiction treatment today, including unequal access to medication for opioid use disorder, harm reduction versus abstinence, addiction during pregnancy, racial inequities in drug policy, LGBTQ+ inclusive care, rural versus urban treatment access, stigma in language, addiction and the criminal justice system, social determinants of recovery, and the growing controversy around DEI itself.

This episode asks difficult but necessary questions:
Should access to medication for opioid use disorder be considered a civil rights issue?
Can harm reduction save lives without lowering expectations for recovery?

Does fear of prosecution keep pregnant women from seeking care?
Should addiction treatment actively address structural racism?
Does tailoring treatment improve outcomes for LGBTQ+ patients?
Is geography one of America’s largest healthcare inequalities?
Can changing language change patient outcomes?
Should addiction be treated as a crime or a chronic disease?
Is treating addiction without addressing poverty enough?

Can we pursue equity while maintaining a universal standard of care?
Dr. Dora reminds us that addiction medicine includes science, ethics, public policy, and social justice. We may disagree on the path forward, but the goal remains clear: reducing suffering, restoring dignity, and helping people reclaim their lives.

Subscribe to Ask Dr. Dora for more education on addiction medicine, substance use disorders, recovery, public health, and the magnificent bodies we live in.

Subscribe to Ask Dr. Dora
Watch Next: More Addiction Medicine Education
Have a topic request? hello@askdrdora.com
Learn More: askdrdora.com

Disclaimer: This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, legal advice, or policy guidance. Please consult qualified healthcare, legal, or public health professionals for personal or organizational decisions.

#AskDrDora
#AddictionMedicine
#DEI
#SubstanceUseDisorder
#RecoveryEquity
#HarmReduction
#OpioidUseDisorder
#RecoveryIsPossible
#PublicHealth
#mentalhealthmattersShow More

DEI in Addiction Medicine: Who Gets Access to Recovery Care? | Ask Dr. Dora

Does every ...

The Child of an Addict Speaks: Neglect, Survival & Healing | Courtney Jones

What happens to ...

What happens to the child when addiction takes over the home?

In this episode of Ask Dr. Dora, Dr. Dora Dixie speaks with Courtney Jones, a chef and adult child of ...a mother who struggled with substance use disorder.

Courtney shares what it was like growing up in a home where “normal” was hard to define. She talks about the good memories, the chaos, the silence, the neglect, going to school in wet clothes, relying on television to wake herself up for school, not always having food, and learning very young how to survive.

Courtney also opens up about becoming “the parent” in the household, finding safety and structure in school, using creativity and imagination to cope, and realizing in high school that other families lived very differently.

This conversation explores the long-term emotional impact of childhood neglect, verbal abuse, body shaming, family dysfunction, isolation, anger, therapy, boundaries, resilience, and the complicated love a child can still carry for a parent who could not consistently show up.
Courtney’s story is also a reminder that children of addiction need protection, support, structure, and someone who sees them.

Her message to children growing up in similar situations is powerful:
“You are greater than your environment. This is happening around you.

Don’t let it become you.”
If you or someone you love is struggling with substance use, help is available. Visit FindTreatment.gov to search for treatment resources near you.

Subscribe to Ask Dr. Dora for honest conversations about addiction medicine, substance use disorders, trauma, recovery, family healing, and the magnificent bodies we live in.

#viralvideo #podcast #askdrdora #addictionrecovery #interview #childhoodtrauma #healingjourney #healing #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealth #breakingcycles #recoveryispossible

Disclaimer: This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, mental health treatment, substance use treatment, or therapy. Please consult a qualified professional for personal support.Show More

Why Addiction Treatment Still Fails People | Dr. Andrea Barthwell on Policy, Stigma & Recovery

Addiction is ...

Addiction is treatable — but why is treatment still so hard for people to access?
In this powerful episode of Ask Dr. Dora, Dr. Dora Dixie sits down with Dr. Andrea ...G. Barthwell, a nationally respected addiction medicine physician, former Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and past leader in addiction medicine advocacy.
Together, they discuss the real-world intersection of science, policy, stigma, methadone treatment, harm reduction, insurance barriers, medical education, and recovery. Dr. Barthwell brings decades of experience from clinical care, federal drug policy, addiction treatment leadership, and advocacy for people living with substance use disorders.
This conversation goes deep into the questions families, clinicians, policymakers, and communities are still asking:
Why is addiction still treated differently than other medical conditions?
Why is methadone so heavily regulated?
How does stigma shape policy?
What has changed in addiction treatment since the 1990s?
Why do we still have unmet need when treatment capacity exists?
And what would it take to redesign addiction care in America?
If you or someone you love is struggling with substance use, help is available. As Dr. Dora reminds us in this episode: even when the world may shame you, do not be ashamed to get the help you need.
Visit FindTreatment.gov to search for treatment resources.
Subscribe to Ask Dr. Dora for real conversations about addiction medicine, recovery, substance use disorders, health, healing, and the magnificent bodies we live in.

Topics Covered
Addiction medicine
Substance use disorder
Recovery
Methadone treatment
Harm reduction
Drug policy
Fentanyl
Opioid addiction
Behavioral health parity
Mental health and substance use treatment
Recovery capital
Medical education
Stigma and addiction
FindTreatment.gov
Ask Dr. Dora Podcast

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Welcome to Ask Dr. Dora
01:38 Meet Dr. Andrea G. Barthwell
03:52 Why addiction medicine became her life’s work
05:18 Science vs. policy: facts, values, and addiction care
07:45 Addiction treatment in America compared to other countries
09:58 Dr. Barthwell’s role in federal drug policy
10:56 Prevention, intervention, and improved treatment
12:56 Why good policy does not always reach patients
13:36 Unused capacity, unmet need, and funding gaps
16:13 How the drug landscape has changed since the 1990s
21:20 From heroin to fentanyl: what changed?
24:02 What are barbiturates?
26:55 Fentanyl, carfentanil, and the danger of potency
30:38 Insurance barriers and behavioral health parity
35:59 What has improved in addiction treatment?
37:54 Medications, recovery capital, and workplace recovery
40:11 Why more doctors do not prescribe addiction medication
43:13 Why methadone is still so heavily regulated
45:50 Stigma and the “mark of shame”
48:27 Harm reduction, drug dependence care, and keeping people alive
52:41 Three things Dr. Barthwell would change about addiction treatment
56:04 Closing reflections and how to find treatment

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider for personal medical guidance.
#AskDrDora
#AddictionMedicine
#Recovery
#SubstanceUseDisorder
#MethadoneTreatment
#HarmReduction
#AddictionRecovery
#OpioidUseDisorder
#MentalHealthMatters
#RecoveryIsPossible
#education
#Viral
#ViralVideosShow More

Raised by Addiction, Placed in Foster Care… But She Broke the Cycle | Tara Jenkins Ricard

She grew up ...

Adult Children of Alcoholics: What It Really Does to a Family

You can grow up ...

How do you know if someone is on opioids—and how fast can addiction start?

What does ...

38 Arrests, Heroin + Xanax, and a Mother’s Comeback | Lady Katherine’s Recovery Story (Ask Dr. Dora)

Lady Katherine ...

Lady Katherine shares a raw, honest recovery story—from first using marijuana at 14 to heroin addiction, Xanax dependence, arrests, detox, methadone, and ultimately rebuilding her life as a mother. In ...this episode of the Ask Dr. Dora Podcast, Dr. Dora Dixie (board-certified Family Medicine + Addiction Medicine) explores the realities of substance use disorder, stigma, relapse risk, Narcan, and what it takes to fight for your life and your family.

This conversation covers the hard truths: how addiction starts, why it’s not “just a choice,” what withdrawal and detox can feel like, and how recovery becomes possible—one decision at a time.

If you or someone you love is struggling, there is hope. Support exists through detox, inpatient treatment, outpatient programs, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and recovery communities like NA, AA, and SMART Recovery.

In this episode, you’ll hear:
~How early exposure to alcohol and marijuana shaped her “normal”
~The moment “Special K” turned out to be heroin—and she couldn’t stop
~Living with heroin addiction for nearly a decade
~Xanax dependence, withdrawal, and seizures
~Pregnancy, methadone, and a baby detoxing in the NICU
~DCFS involvement, guardianship, and the fight to get her daughter back
~Working with survivors of sex trafficking and what she learned
~Narcan, overdose risk after sobriety, and why relapse can be deadly
~What a “good day” in recovery looks like now

Subscribe to Ask Dr. Dora for real conversations on addiction, recovery, medicine, mental health, and healing.
Like, comment, and share this episode with someone who needs hope today.

#AddictionRecovery #OpioidCrisis #Sobriety #RecoveryStory #AskDrDora

00:00 Intro + meet Lady Katherine
01:05 Who she is today: mother, daughter, advocate for recovery
02:10 Life before addiction: Chicago upbringing, private school, family context
04:05 First use: marijuana at 14 (peer pressure + normalization)
06:20 Dropping out + boyfriend influence
07:35 “Special K” revealed: heroin + instant hook
10:05 Heroin daily + Xanax dependence begins
12:35 Consequences: arrests, theft, prostitution, survival behaviors
15:10 Motherhood: first pregnancy (2011) + DCFS intact case
18:10 Methadone, pregnancy, and trying to stabilize
20:10 Baby #2 (2014): NICU, methadone detox, preemie reality
23:10 Guardianship vs DCFS custody + fight to get her daughter back
27:05 Rebuilding the bond with daughter #1
29:35 Family reunification timeline (custody restored)
31:10 Detox vs treatment: 40+ detoxes and what changed
33:10 Working with sex-trafficked women (what she witnessed)
36:10 Trauma, scapegoating, and numbing pain with drugs
38:10 Turning point: refusing to repeat history
39:30 Methadone taper + sleep struggles in early recovery
41:10 Stigma: “people still judge you”
42:30 Addiction explained: disease, progressive, deadly
43:40 Xanax withdrawal seizures + getting off benzos
44:45 Sobriety date + how many people she’s lost
45:45 Narcan + relapse danger after sobriety (tolerance drop)
46:55 Life in recovery now + message to anyone struggling
47:40 Warning about fentanyl/xylazine today + closing hope

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@askdrdorapodcast
Website: askdrdora.com
Contact/Guest inquiries: hello@doctordoraShow More

From LSD to Heroin: How Addiction Hijacks the Brain | Ask Dr. Dora

Addiction ...

Addiction doesn’t start with heroin — it often starts with trauma, curiosity, and early exposure.

In this powerful episode of Ask Dr. Dora, Michael Ferguson shares how substance use disorder quietly ...took 17 years of his life—and how recovery finally began.

Dr. Dora Dixie, board-certified in family medicine and addiction medicine, leads a medically guided, trauma-informed conversation that walks viewers through the real progression of addiction—from early childhood trauma and LSD use to cocaine, prescription opioids, heroin, homelessness, and ultimately recovery.

This episode is not glamorized. It is educational, honest, and grounded in medical reality.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• How childhood trauma increases vulnerability to addiction
• What early LSD and hallucinogen use can do to the developing brain
• How “functioning addiction” hides in plain sight
• The role prescription opioids played in the OxyContin epidemic
• Why heroin creates such a powerful neurological “rush”
• How addiction shifts from choice to survival
• What accountability and recovery actually look like long-term

If you or someone you love is struggling, help is available.
📞 Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Helpline:
1-800-662-HELP (4357) — Free, confidential, 24/7

🌐 Learn more at AskDrDora.com

👉 Subscribe to Ask Dr. Dora for medically accurate, life-saving conversations about addiction, recovery, and healing.

Timestamps

0:00 — One decision that changed everything
0:48 — Welcome to Ask Dr. Dora
1:20 — Who Michael Ferguson is today
3:05 — Growing up in Joliet, Illinois
5:10 — Childhood trauma and sexual abuse
8:30 — Family loss and unresolved grief
11:45 — First drug use at age 14 (LSD)
15:30 — How LSD affects the brain
19:10 — Escalation into cocaine use
22:50 — “Functioning addiction” and working while using
26:40 — Workplace injury and prescription opioids
30:15 — The truth about OxyContin withdrawal
34:40 — First time using heroin
38:20 — The neuroscience of “the rush”
42:30 — Homelessness and survival mode
46:50 — Accountability inside addiction
50:20 — Beginning recovery
53:30 — Life today: work, family, and healing
56:10 — What people misunderstand about addiction
58:00 — Final thoughts: knowledge is power

#askdrdora
#addictionrecovery
#substanceusedisordersShow More

Get Expert Advice +A Free Recovery Guide!

Sign up for our newsletter and receive Dr. Dora’s exclusive eBook: “Breaking the Cycle – 7 Steps to Overcoming Addiction.” This powerful guide offers actionable steps, expert insights, and support strategies to help you or your loved one on the journey to recovery.

What People Are Saying

Dr. Dora, your stories were powerful and gave me hope that I could truly recover.

Thank you for taking the time to teach me about addiction and how to prescribe Buprenorphine. You're a great teacher!

Dr. Dora, you saved my life—I wouldn’t be where I am today without your guidance.

If you have a loved one struggling with addiction, you NEED to hear this. It’s eye-opening and life-changing.

For the first time, I truly understand what my son is going through. This podcast gave me hope and a plan to help him.

I used to think I had everything under control, but this podcast opened my eyes. Now, I’m taking the first real steps toward recovery.

Breaking Addiction’s Grip Real Answers, Real Talk, Real Transformation

Meet Dr. Dora Your Guide to Medicine

Achievements & Credentials

Latest Episodes Your Journey Starts Here

The Silent Epidemic: Alcohol and America’s Hidden Struggle

The High Cost of a Good Time: Alcohol’s Devastating Consequences

Latest Episodes Your Journey Starts Here

DEI in Addiction Medicine: Who Gets Access to Recovery Care? | Ask Dr. Dora

Get Expert Advice +A Free Recovery Guide!

What People Are Saying

Contact Details

Meet Dr. Dora
Your Guide to Medicine

Latest Episodes
Your Journey Starts Here

Latest Episodes
Your Journey Starts Here