Herby Bell joins us on The SHAIR Podcast. Herby is a recovery and wellness coach and you can find Herby at his website, www.recoveryhealthcare.me and he also has a podcast called Sober Conversations.
“First and foremost, a sober/wellness lifestyle is the only way to go. I know this because I am a man in long-term addiction recovery and I have experienced firsthand, the destructive forces of active addiction personally and in my family. But also, there’s a true, transformational gift in addiction recovery that seems to elude us–until we commit 100%. Commitment includes recruiting help, and I can help.
Addiction affects three out of four of our families and I am comforted in knowing I am joined by many others who are looking to heal themselves–and their families. If you are one of these people, thank you for looking into this work!”
- Dr. Herby Bell
Omar: Herby, let's dive right in. First, tell us a little bit about what your daily routine is like and how you incorporate recovery in the mix?
Herby: It's my experience, I love to talk about the experiment of one. The scientific term is n equals one, and the test is me. My experiment of one taught me in recovery that I need to be eating well, I need to be moving well, I need to get exercise. I need to be thinking well, some kind of cognitive or psychological process. I need to work on my emotional intelligence and I need to be sleeping well. I like to call those the high five essential nutrients for my mind, body, spirit. Those things get wrapped into my day on a daily basis. Otherwise, I do get hungry, angry, lonely and tired.
Herby: I think it's different for everybody that way, but those are the basics that generate the good brain chemicals that we need as recovering people to be stoked, and that's what we want.
Omar: Absolutely. I agree a hundred percent. What about meetings? Do you participate in any twelve-step fellowship?
Herby: I go to twelve-step meetings periodically. I've got my favorites. I go to a men's group regularly and I go to the Church of the Pacific with my surfing practice regularly and I seem to get those vitamins and nutrients I need that way as well.
Omar: Beautiful, beautiful. How do you maintain your spiritual condition, that conscious contact with a higher power on a daily basis?
Herby: I have a meditation practice and that surely helps if I'm spiritually discontent. Surfing is a huge spiritual practice for me, and to tell you the truth, the way that we do, it seems to me with twenty-first century brain science and addiction medicine, we know that people in long-term recovery actually rewrite the architecture of their brain. They rewrite the way the brain works. I don't really make too many distinctions about what is spiritual and what isn't. It all seems to be a spiritual experience to me, and I'm completely grateful for that.
Omar: Herby, so tell me, how much clean time do you have and when is your anniversary date?
Herby: May 2nd, so twenty-two years this last, just a couple of weeks ago, I guess, or a month ago.