Breaking the Prescription Cycle: How CBD Transformed My Health

What happens when the very medications meant to heal end up doing more harm than good? Ethan Pompeo knows this struggle all too well. Diagnosed with PANDAS as a child, he spent years cycling through over 40 prescription medications—each one bringing more side effects than relief. Frustrated and desperate for real healing, he turned to alternative solutions, ultimately discovering the transformative power of CBD.

In this gripping episode, Ethan shares his deeply personal journey from feeling trapped by pharmaceuticals to reclaiming his health through natural wellness. Joined by Clare Waismann, Dr. Michael Lowenstein, and David Livingston, this discussion dives into the intersection of medicine, alternative therapies, and the psychology of recovery.

• Is there a better way to heal?
• Can CBD help with neurological disorders, addiction, and pain management?
• How do we break free from the cycle of overmedication and take back control?

Tune in as we explore the real science, the emotional toll, and the power of informed choices in finding true relief.

Transcript:

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: Hello. Oh, and welcome back to a Podcast to Answer Your Questions on Addiction, Recovery and Mental Health, by Waismann Method Treatment Center and Rapid Detox. I’m Dwight Hurst, I’m a clinical mental health counselor and the co-host for the program. Uh, grateful to be with you all again and to be with both you all out there watching and listening. And y’all here, uh, joining me on this panel, uh, always an excellent panel. We have a wonderful guest joining us today. So let me go around and introduce everybody. Uh, Clare Waismann is a registered addiction specialist in substance use disorder, a certified counselor, and she’s the founder of the Waismann Method Opioid Detoxification Specialists, as well as the Domus Retreat. And then we’re also joined by David Livingston, who’s a licensed marriage and family therapist. David is a psychotherapist and expert in the psychological elements of addiction recovery and just the general health management and emotional and mental underpinnings that attend to addiction. Uh, we’re grateful to be joined, of course, by our medical director, Doctor Michael Lowenstein, who’s an internationally recognized expert in anesthesiology, pain management, rapid detoxification, and just general addiction recovery. Um, hello, guys. By the way, all those of you who are always here. And today we’re joined by Ethan Pompeo. Ethan, welcome to our program.

Ethan Pompeo: Hi. Thank you.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: Ethan has personal experience dealing with his own journey and experience with PANDAS, which stands for Pediatric Autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections. I should ask Ethan and Doctor Lowenstein to chime in and see if I said all that correctly, if that’s what PANDAS is. Ethan, uh, is is has become quite an expert in alternative and natural, uh, homeopathic type of alternative treatments to traditional, uh, pharmaceutical treatments, as he found that those were not effective and useful for him and that the side effects were too costly and too high to be considered, really to be doing much good. Particularly, he found a lot of, uh, help through the use of cannabidiol, also known as CBD. And, uh, Ethan, we’re really grateful to have you here to tell us your story and some of the things about these products and the, uh, research that’s been going on with CBD as well. So, uh, once again, very, very excited to have you on today? Um, let’s, uh, could we start out by maybe telling everybody a little bit about your experience and your story? Um, maybe you could start also just by explaining, for those who don’t know and aren’t familiar with the condition of PANDAS, of what that means and how you came to this experience.

Ethan Pompeo: Yeah, absolutely. So you got it right. Um, PANDAS is an acronym that raises eyebrows, right? It’s like, whoa, what is that? Uh, you hear about pandas, and you think the cuddly black and white bamboo munching bear that everyone likes, but, uh, that’s really, uh, has nothing to do with this, right? Um, pandas is a very quick onset pediatric disorder that causes all kinds of neuro neuro function problems. Like, um, we have a Tourette’s syndrome, like symptoms, motor tics. Um, we have all kinds of disruptive behaviors. And for me, my onset started when I was 13 years old and quite, quite literally, I went from being normal, uh, so to speak, and healthy to being disabled with these neurological symptoms almost overnight.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: Right. Um, a lot of people wouldn’t know that when they first recognized it was the diagnosis procedure. Were those kinds of things difficult to get through or did before you even? And what’s the education process like from a patient perspective?

Ethan Pompeo: So PANDAS is a clinical diagnosis. So there’s no like blood test per se that you can take. That’s just quantitative. Yes. You have pandas. Uh diagnosis is all about looking at blood work and medical history and symptoms in order to put together the pieces to tell you, like, this is what we’re dealing with. And this was 20 years ago when I started having my symptoms. So at this point there was very, very little awareness and understanding of what this was. And so my first experience with conventional medicine was being misdiagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, which was essentially a label that was placed on me in order to prescribe me conventional drugs. And so by the time I was 17 years old, I had been on over 40 different prescription medications, none of which did the trick, many of which the side effects outweighed the benefits. And I was left with a distaste in my mouth for these physicians and doctors that I went to, as you know, the front line defense for what I was dealing with and just really getting nowhere for almost a decade.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: Mhm. And at some point that disenchantment grew into a decision. It sounds like where you’re starting to make decisions. How old were you when you started to decide you were going to pursue something different?

Ethan Pompeo: Yeah. That happened. The turning point was about the time I entered undergraduate school. So when I entered college, I had a lot of life changes going on. Right? Naturally. And so that’s when I decided, you know, I’m. I’m done with these drugs. I’m done trying the pills, and I haven’t I haven’t seen much progress or path forward. And I started to look at alternatives. It was also the time where I actually got in touch with the clinician, who was familiar with PANDAS and knew what they were talking about, which was a huge turning point for me going from this diagnosis of Tourette syndrome, where we didn’t we didn’t know what caused it. We didn’t know how to treat it to a PANDAS diagnosis where we we understood the root cause was inflammatory-based encephalitis of the basal ganglia, which is the motor cortex of the body, and a strep throat infection, which was causing the unusual autoimmune response in my body. So once we kind of identified the culprit of this, it was the key to healing because no longer could I just treat symptoms with drugs, but I could look at this in a new light and forge a new path of treating the actual root cause of my illness in order to mitigate the symptoms more naturally.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: And Doctor Lowenstein, we were just talking about some of the diagnostic procedure and the treatments for PANDAS, and Ethan was telling us a little bit about how the side effects became burdensome. As of the medication, the side effects of treatment had become burdensome as well. Um.

Michael H. Lowenstein, MPH, M.D.: Yeah. And that’s that’s the issue we see with a lot of the medications that affect the, um, the central nervous system, oftentimes side effects such as sedation can be limiting. Um, just can inhibit function, even some of the antidepressants and anxiolytic medications. Um, and then if you’re taking them in combination, you get additional side effects. So someone who’s young and healthy and trying to function. Um, oftentimes it’s the side effects that, you know, kind of limit the ability to get therapeutic benefit.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: Well, what directed you towards working with CBD as a, as a potential solution? Ethan.

Ethan Pompeo: Uh, that my introduction to CBD was all serendipitous. Uh, I, you know, a little bit of background information for that. I, I used to be quite ashamed with what I was dealing with. I was unwilling to talk about it. And part of that is the compulsive behavior that comes with PANDAS, but also the shame and just knowing, like, hey, something’s wrong with me. I don’t know what it is. Uh, that’s quite a hurdle for people to get over, right? Nobody wants to admit that they have a problem. Uh, so I, I think the use of conventional medication was normalized in my mind through those years of trying this drug and that drug and, you know, not really getting anywhere. So when I entered high school, I was introduced to cannabis, uh, recreational cannabis. And I started to use that very heavily because for the first time in my life, it actually gave me some relief. I knew that when I smoked, my symptoms were dulled, my OCD was mitigated, I felt better, I felt more at ease, my anxiety was at rest, and so I relied on that very heavily for me.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: I appears we have a, uh. Is everybody seeing it? Looks like Ethan is frozen on his side. Yep. Yes. Okay. Just want to make sure everybody can see that. We’ll just wait with you here. Um, and, Ethan, you could tell us if you can hear us. Your audio visual just froze up. Let’s see. This will be.

Ethan Pompeo: Sorry about that.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: It looks like Ethan’s audio visual is loading on. It must be an internet issue on it there in Virginia. That’s what it is. It’s the Virginia internet. Hello, Ethan. You’re back.

Ethan Pompeo: Sorry about that.

Ethan Pompeo: Um, yeah.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: No worries.

Ethan Pompeo: Um, I was.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: You were just, uh.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: Yeah.

Speaker4: Uh, yeah.

Ethan Pompeo: So, you know, I I’m not here to condone cannabis use in any way. I’m certainly just saying that in my naive experience as a young adult, I knew that smoking relieved my symptoms when nothing else did. So I started to just give up on the conventional approach and use what I knew worked, uh, in order to give me some relief. So many years went by of just smoking perpetually throughout the day to mitigate my constant influx of symptoms. And I got to the point where that use model backfired as well. I started to experience paranoia and even increased anxiety from using it. At a certain point, I started to have breathing issues and even run-ins with the law based on the regulations here in Virginia at the time. So I started my life started to spiral out of control as I continued to convince myself that, like using cannabis every day was the right solution. The turning point for me there was when I understood how cannabis was actually interacting with my body. Not that it just made me feel better, but physiologically how it was working. And through studying this plant compounds more and learning about the different active ingredients in cannabis, I learned that CBD is in fact nature’s most powerful anti-inflammatory. And so through using cannabis, the CBD that I was ingesting without even having knowledge that this was happening, it was actually reducing the inflammation in my basal ganglia, which was thereby reducing my symptoms. So I needed to step back from that use model and find a way to get the CBD without the THC or the other compounds or the risks associated with smoking. Uh, and so that’s exactly what I’ve done. And today I’ve completely stepped back from that. I, I’m off all prescription medications. I don’t smoke at all anymore. And I simply rely on CBD and lifestyle change and other anti-inflammatory supplements to get relief.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: That’s we talk a lot on here about the psychological dynamic of, uh, self-medication, right? That people tend to reach out a lot of times, use of what can even be legally illicit substances or whatever. We we tend to treat that as a problem, when in fact, many times it’s an attempt at a solution. Right? Um, and people do tend to seek out something that they, they need. And so it’s very interesting to me that, you know, you got people in your life at that point, legal system in particular, were saying like, this is a problem, this is a problem, the problem. And you’re like, this is helping, though. And it’s amazing that you’re able to find a healthy route to, to isolate the part that was helping the situation to get yourself out of that. That’s that’s pretty impressive.

Ethan Pompeo: I grew up in a very conservative family, and so we, we battled internally with that as well. I mean, my parents busted me. I can’t tell you how many times for smoking and said, you shouldn’t be doing this. And I remember one evening came home from school and, and my dad said, Ethan, have have you been smoking? And I said, Dad, why are you asking me this? And he said, because you’re just so calm. You’re so relaxed, like you’re not having any tics. And I said, dad, like, bingo. Now, do you understand why I’m doing this? And it’s like the light bulb went off in his mind and understood. Yeah. Like, you know, maybe it isn’t just about getting high and having fun, but maybe, maybe there is some truth to this and how it’s helping you.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: David, go ahead.

Speaker4: Good.

David B. Livingston LMFT: Good for you. For, you know, um, hanging in there and getting creative and educating yourself on what it is that’s going to get you where you need to go. Um, I think I think one of the things I talk about sometimes in our other podcasts at times is that often people, um, they don’t get the success in the treatment they need because they it gets frustrating, you know, depending on what course you take. There’s usually limits and coping mechanisms, you know, pretty much all fade out at some point in time. So you have to sort of become more resourceful and creative like you did and, and educated yourself clearly and figuring out what it was specifically that was medicinal for you, which allowed you then to sort of move into another area and then actually create a business and a platform for helping people with, with the products that you create. It’s um, you know, it’s helped you and others, I’m sure.

Ethan Pompeo: Yeah. Thank you for saying that. It it’s not an easy journey. And I don’t mean to underplay the symptoms that I faced. I mean, this is a devastating diagnosis for the patient and their families. I mean, I had anger and rage associated with not being able to control my motor function. Um, you know, just again, admitting that, like, something’s wrong with me and we don’t know how to get help is an isolating, lonely place to be. And I think regardless of what illness or disability or addiction you face, it’s it’s you feel like you’re all alone in the world and that, like, nobody can help you. And so getting identifying those tools and resources and people who can speak into your life and help you take the next step is key.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: And it goes to something we talk about a lot, which is the importance of healthcare professionals listening to patients and treating them as the experts of their own bodies and their own experience. Um, Doctor Lowenstein, I wanted to ask about some of your experience and knowledge of the research into the anti-inflammatory properties and other, uh, some of those other benefits of CBD.

Michael H. Lowenstein, MPH, M.D.: You know, CBD is a fascinating compound, and it’s very interesting as we have cannabinoid receptors in our body, and our body makes endocannabinoids means made internally. So, you know, there’s and the cannabinoid receptors and cannabinoids and just to say CBD is a phytocannabinoid. So it comes from a plant. And the ones we make, you know, are on our own are endocannabinoids. But we definitely have receptors throughout the body. And the interesting thing about CBD is it kind of modulates the entire nervous system, you know. So there’s different we have neurotransmitters, but CBD kind of has an effect on all the different body systems. It affects the Gaba receptor, which is the same receptor that benzodiazepines like, you know, Xanax works on. It’s alcohol works on the Gaba receptor, it works on the serotonin receptor. So it’s really a very fascinating molecule. And that’s why we see so many benefits from it. It can help pain. It can help inflammation. It can help with seizures. It can help with sleep. Um and CBD, unlike, you know, THC, THC is the psychoactive component where CBD has no psychoactive components. So there’s there’s some really strong literature coming out, you know, with use in seizures, pain, sleep, gut, um, all those things. So I think it’s it’s a really fascinating molecule. And when made properly, um, you know, and when you’re getting good quality CBD, I think there’s a real place for it in pain management.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: Do we see a lot of stigma still surrounding this? Because I know that there’s been there’s the people go back and forth on this argument about the use of cannabis or medical marijuana. And there’s there’s, of course, different attitudes about that. Do you find that people misunderstand what CBD is? I particularly Ethan, I guess, but anybody can can chime in.

Michael H. Lowenstein, MPH, M.D.: Ethan you go then I’ll I’ll come in on that as well. In my pain patient population.

Ethan Pompeo: Well, I appreciate your understanding of the endocannabinoid system. It’s quite fascinating, like you said. And I think it’s designed to be self-sustaining. If we are giving our body the inputs it needs to effectively produce those endocannabinoids, if we’re battling health crisis or we’re not doing things correctly, that’s when we run into perhaps a deficiency where supplementing with phytocannabinoids and these plant-based compounds can be very beneficial. When I started my business in 2015, CBD was still considered hash here in Virginia. I mean, nobody really knew what it was. Uh, the legality was a gray area. Uh, and people thought I was crazy for dabbling with it. And since then, I have just been a proponent for education and promoting awareness for this compound. And so the beginning of my journey, I started making it for my own needs. I knew this worked for me, but being in Virginia, there was no place to get my hands on it. So I reached out to some friends in different states, managed to get some raw materials sent to me, and I started manufacturing different oils and different concentrations and gummies and anything I could do to get this compound in my body to give me some relief.

Ethan Pompeo: And soon family and friends started reaching out to me about it, you know? Hey, what are you. What is this? What are you doing? Granny wanted it to help her with her sleep. Grandma wanted it to reduce her knee pain and friends were interested. And so I started to break down those walls and say, look, this is not a marijuana product. This is something that is safe for everyone to take. Uh, right. My products are completely THC-free. So there. You’re not going to get mixed up, uh, navigating through my website and buy something that’s going to get you feeling intoxicated is. There’s no risk there. This is the idea is to get all the benefits of plant medicine without the inherent risks or, uh, intoxicating aspects of this. So, um, for people who are on the fence or still skeptical about CBD, this could be a great starting point in order to get some relief from your inflammation and these other symptoms that Doctor Lowenstein mentioned. Um, again, without the risks.

Michael H. Lowenstein, MPH, M.D.: And from a from my medical practice standpoint, I have a lot of, you know, chronic pain is very prevalent in older patients, 60s, 70s, 80s. And you give them opiates, or you give them, um, benzos or medicines to sleep or for pain and they’re, they’re sedating. They affect cognitive function. So, um, you’d be surprised how many of the senior patients were willing to give up these prescription meds to try even very low dose CBD? You know, we start very small, like 1 or 2mg and work up from there. And they had some very good results. And, you know, once you explained everything that Ethan just talked about, as far as you know, no psychoactive properties like with THC, they’re really open to, um, to trying it. And you’d be amazed how many seniors are actually using CBD products to sleep in for anxiety and for all the other and for pain.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: And it makes it, uh, it makes it beneficial, as you mentioned, Ethan, to have a source of location where you can find something that isn’t. Many. Many CBD products are sold at a dispensary or a place where you find things with THC. And then, you know, yeah, there’s that, that crossover there. And I guess that one of the biggest risks is that that may keep people away from trying it at all.

Ethan Pompeo: Right. I noticed that was the case from the very beginning. And in fact, the first kind of retail locations, uh, to adopt CBD were the smoke shops. And it seemed counterintuitive. It’s counterintuitive to me to, like, send grandma to go into the tobacco shop to help with her knee pain. It’s like my grandmother would never step foot in a store like that. So I realized, yes, there was demand for this. There was a need for it. But there was really the need was for a product that people could trust.

Ethan Pompeo: Yeah. Well.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: I’m curious with, uh, and particularly David and Claire, what kind of things do you see with the association with long term pharmaceutical use and the some of the psychological effects that that has on people and how it ties in with people coming into detox and treatment.

David B. Livingston LMFT: You want to go, Clare, or I can.

Clare Waismann, M-RAS/SUDCC II: No. Go ahead.

David B. Livingston LMFT: Um, well, this is, uh, you know, as, uh, as being pointed out, uh, you don’t want to develop a, um, uh, a habit or any sort of physical dependency to medications, which, if you stay on them long enough, begin to begins to happen. And the body does adapt in some way. Uh, so if you have a medicine like CBD that can just go directly to help with the inflammation or the pain source, then that is just such an incredible win. And, um, you know, like like we’re talking about the ability to sort of Differentiate from the THC and educate people and help people feel comfortable. I’m sure is immensely useful. And I and I think that, um, you know, one of the things that I see, uh, you know, I talk about this all the time because it’s, it’s true that, um, what drives addiction typically is perceived helplessness along with frustration. So, Ethan, you work through this. You went through immense periods, I’m sure of of helplessness, not sharing. How are you going to get better or getting better, and then having the unwanted side effects of the THC where you were beginning to have the effects of that? So what people are really looking for is just always just a way forward that, you know, that is, um, makes their life better, uh, you know, per se. So you found that and that’s, I think, what you’re talking about with your medicine. And so, um, you know, it always varies depending on what an individual situation is. Uh, but um, uh, a way forward is the key, I would say. That makes sense to people. If you can make sense to people and they can buy into it, and then it has enough of the effect they’re wanting, then then things really do get better.

Ethan Pompeo: That was absolutely my experience. I mean, it was like CBD gave me the relief. I needed to take a deep breath and step back from my situation in order to get a bigger picture of like, what needs to change in my life? Like, what stressors do I need to get rid of? Uh, you know, diet change, getting off the couch and starting an exercise routine, all of these things we know we should be doing in order to benefit our health. But it can be very difficult to do when you’re feeling stuck and alone, uh, dealing with a disability or a chronic illness.

David B. Livingston LMFT: Yeah. Yeah. And the fact that you persisted and were creative that that is, you know, the I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told people that that’s the goal. And it’s hard to do on your own because none of us, you know, I mean, you obviously took a deep dive into this and researched this and really educated yourself, I can tell. And but not everybody does that. And we often need as, as help with that and, um, other perspectives to help us move out of the frustration and the feeling that we’re trapped, you know, and so and, and because once people feel like they’re stuck, that’s when things can get, you know, dangerous or, or really headed in a bad direction as you.

Clare Waismann, M-RAS/SUDCC II: Well, let me ask you a question. Would you, um, indicate CBD to everyone or is there patients that there’s contraindications for? Does it act with other drugs. You know would you be concerned if somebody had an addiction issue.

Michael H. Lowenstein, MPH, M.D.: Um, so I, I think one of the places where there’s still some questions is pregnancy. So I wouldn’t add at this point, advocate for a pregnant patient or maybe even a, someone who’s breastfeeding. Um, in my experience, in looking at the literature, you know, there could be some side effects, but it seems to be very well tolerated. Um, I don’t think there’s any specific contraindications with prescription medications. Kind of what Ethan touched on also is, well, people get have issues with even opiates or, or um, marijuana or THC, anything that produces euphoria. I think people get tolerant to that effect. And that’s what people will use more and more and more right with CBD, since you don’t have that psychoactive or euphoria associated with, um, I don’t I don’t see the same issues with people just dose escalating. So they kind of figure out that lowest effective dose and kind of stick with it. So I haven’t in my experience, which is limited. But, you know, I have used it for my pain patients. I haven’t seen the issues associated with those drugs that have more psychoactive effects.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: What’s been your experience with that, Ethan? With what you’ve you’ve observed.

Ethan Pompeo: So what’s interesting about CBD is although it’s derived from cannabis or hemp plants, uh, there have been several clinical trials that have revealed that CBD can actually help with addiction therapy program. So people who are on painkillers or opiate drugs have an easier time withdrawing and eliminating those compounds from their life while taking CBD. Um, I like to compare it to, uh, immunotherapy. So I took allergy shots as a child with the idea of, uh, exposing your body to these allergens in order to build up a tolerance to them. And one thing they told me before my appointment each day is to take an antihistamine. And the purpose of the antihistamine is to reduce the risk of anaphylaxis or negative reaction. Right. You take the antihistamine to give your body a fighting chance against the allergens that are being injected in your body, so that it’s a little bit easier to cope. The effect, the immunotherapy and the tolerance build up of those allergens is the same, but the antihistamine makes it a little bit easier for your body to cope and adjust to to that so that you don’t have a bad reaction. I view CBD as kind of having the same effect. Um, with these other issues we’re talking we’re talking about, so it makes it a little bit easier for your body to adjust while taking CBD. I use it in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy, which has also been studied to show that there’s kind of a synchronization synchronicity between the two. Um, while doing my cognitive behavioral therapy training and retraining my brain to respond differently to external stimuli, which drove me crazy and triggered my tics. Uh, taking CBD before those therapy sessions actually made it a little bit easier so that I could make progress in my CBT training, um, without, you know, losing my patience or going crazy. So it’s been very helpful and kind of redirecting my journey there and making my training a little bit easier.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: Ethan, uh, as we were, it was interesting as we were setting up for the recording, uh, you and Doctor Lowenstein were talking about some of the ongoing research, and I was curious if if either of you would like to comment a little bit on what kinds of studies are being done and what’s being investigated currently. And, Ethan, I know that your company is involved in in some of that, right?

Ethan Pompeo: We are. Yeah, we’re currently we’re based in Charlottesville, Virginia, and we’re currently working with University of Virginia on a clinical trial for oral CBD for chronic pain management. So, osteopathic surgeon at UVA who’s leading the charge on that, he’s interested in seeing, you know, is CBD an alternative for opioids or other conventional pain management medications for people who are recovering from surgery, which I think is incredible, because, you know, there’s that classic notion of people going in for surgery, getting out, taking opioids, and becoming completely, helplessly addicted to it because, you know, with good intentions. They went into this and now they’re hooked on a substance. And so we can offer a product that’s non-addictive. Much, much safer and clinically studied. That could be a wonderful alternative for people.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: Well, let me say I have a final question for you, Ethan. But before I do that, is there any other questions that other members of our our panel here have for Ethan? We’ll give you guys a crack at it.

David B. Livingston LMFT: Alright.

David B. Livingston LMFT: Here we go.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: Yes.

Clare Waismann, M-RAS/SUDCC II: Me too.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: It’s been and it has been super informative. I’m learning, uh, a lot of things that that. Yeah. I’m just thinking of all the people that I want to share this with. Kind of. My last question for you, Ethan, is, uh, if there was one thing that you wish more people understood about healing, uh, what would that be?

Ethan Pompeo: I would say that you’re not alone. Uh, for a long time, I suffered with self-inflicting anxiety about my situation. I. Right? I didn’t want to admit that there was something wrong with me. I felt isolated, felt alone. I, uh, I felt like nobody could help me. Right. And that’s just, uh. It’s it’s so far from the truth, right? The opposite is true. When I learned that it’s okay to talk about what I’m dealing with and be open and honest with others about my situation, it completely changed my perspective. And I think sometimes we can get in the way of our own healing by telling ourselves, look, you’re never going to get better or you’re the only person who’s dealing with this. Um, buying into those lies, like, the mind is so powerful and integral in our healing journey and getting over that, getting out of that mindset of woes me is so important. So just realizing you’re not alone and learning to just be okay with yourself regardless of what obstacles you’re facing. Uh, it can be very healing in and of itself, and it can definitely put you in the right direction and being open to trying other things, continuing the research, pushing forward and not giving up. So that’s what I recommend.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: And is that.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: Go ahead.

Speaker4: David.

David B. Livingston LMFT: So that was so well said. I appreciate you saying all of that. I mean, you just kind of summed up the core of what, um, what interactive treatment is when it goes well is like the two people coming together and figuring things out together and through the ease and the good understanding and things open up and there becomes more potentials, more creative solutions, more options and more ease. Right? And when there’s more ease, the whole body, that’s what you’re talking about with the CBD, that it creates a certain type of ease chemically in the body. And and same thing psychologically when there’s an ease, when there’s a relaxation, when we and one of the great things, one of the amazing things I think about just being human. Is that the more we can relax into anything, the less we suffer from it. And that that is both chemically, psychologically and emotionally. It goes across the board. So, um, you know, your ability to what you just said. So. Well, you know, I couldn’t agree with that more. And so, you know, CBD, um, and talking and relaxing and having somebody you can do that and understands it and you open up and things get better from that. So thank you for thank you for that.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: Well and it’s a wonderful example of, of creating and, and uh, resources that are not there that you that are not there for you to find them and research them and create them. It’s it’s a very good example, uh, I think for all of us. And I’m so grateful, Ethan, for you being here to share that story with us and and those insights. Do you want to tell people, uh, where do they find you to follow your work online?

Ethan Pompeo: Yeah, absolutely. My website is Green Valley nutrition.com. I have a blog on there where I talk more in depth about my battle with pandas and my journey and other lifestyle changes I’ve made that have been integral to my healing process. Um, but it’s a wealth of information on there. I mean, anything you want to learn about CBD or Pandas resources, advocacy groups, uh, and just general information about our products. It’s all on there. Um, you can also use our chat or email feature or even call us if you have specific questions. We’re here to help. And again, our goal is not to get you on CBD and keep you on it for the rest of your life, right? Like the idea is use this as a tool or a stepping stone to your healing journey so that it can make things a little bit easier for you to adjust and make those changes necessary to fully heal.

Dwight Hurst, CMHC: Well, thank you again. And, uh, speaking of resources and speaking of wanting to help, we want to help. That’s why we’re here. And we want to hear from you listeners as well. We want to know what your questions are about addiction recovery, mental health, and oh, gosh, just about anything that we talk about on here, which is a lot. There’s a lot out there. So please reach out to us. You can email us at info@opiates.com. Go to our website opiates.com. Or really you can find us by using the hashtag #WaismannMethod on all of your favorite social medias. Um, this show is a production of the Waismann Method Opioid Treatment Specialists and Rapid Detox. Our introductory music is the song Medical by Clean Mind Sounds. And on behalf of myself and the rest of our team here, I want to thank everybody for listening. Please share and rate and review on your podcatchers of choice so that our message can go out to to more and more people. I want to remind everyone out there to keep asking questions, because when you ask questions, you can find answers. And when you find answers, you can find hope. We’ll be back with you again soon. Thanks a lot. Have a great day.