Give up medicine, stay a junkie. A freeing thought followed by the shock of conscience changed everything for Dr. Nicole Labor. Nicole takes us inside the real mechanics of addiction and recovery, from the double life of a high-achieving medical student using drugs to the slow, steady rebuild that turned a bottom into a calling.
Together we walk through the moments most people skip: how unprocessed trauma and genetic risk met early alcohol use, why “high functioning” is a seductive lie, and what happens when detox alone can’t hold. Nicole shares the relief and terror of telling the truth, the humility of relapsing, and the surprising force of a sponsor’s simple authenticity. We unpack the “cake recipe” for the 12 steps, which include "ingredients" like honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness, plus the coaching role a sponsor plays to turn process into lasting change.
Then we widen the lens: Codependency, Al-Anon, and the “three Cs” reframe control and boundaries for anyone caught in someone else’s chaos. We also explore the neuroscience of recovery. Nicole’s journey comes full circle as she returns to the historic home of Dr. Bob Smith, now writing protocols, educating communities, and translating hard-won wisdom into clear, evidence-based care.
For more on Dr. Nicole Labor:
https://linktr.ee/theaddictsdoc
https://www.theaddictsdoc.com
Out Of The Blue:
For more: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org
For exclusive content: patreon.com/podcastOOTB
