Episode Summary
In this episode, Frank talks about his lifelong journey through addiction and what he’s learned through the trials of recovery. He talks about his documentary “May I Be Frank?” and the impact that it has had on his life.
Highlights
- Frank doesn’t blame his addiction on anybody but himself, but he does believe that his tough childhood helped “clear the runway” and perhaps made him more susceptible to addiction.
- A problem for people staying on path is that they believe that there is one place of ultimate nirvana where everything is ok all the time. This is a false belief and causes stress and setbacks.
- Frank found the Alcoholics Anonymous group incredibly supportive.
- Frank doesn’t believe that not drinking or using drugs is the hardest part of the process. Making amends and restitution are much more difficult.
- Drugs and alcohol are symptomatic of a deeper underlying condition.
- It is not about getting rid of the ego. It is about learning how to make peace with it.
- People must go through an interval of discomfort to have a transformative experience.
- For the documentary “May I Be Frank?”, Frank ate all vegan and raw food for 42 days.
- After the 42-day experiment, the help that Frank had all left him, and it was tough to continue.
- Frank was later treated for Hepatitis C and was given opiates. He started to fall back into his old patterns and went through a dark patch where he almost died and had to go to rehab.
- He then committed to a healthier diet and began to work out and lost 125 lbs.
- Frank has been sober for over 15 years.
- One of Frank's favorite things about having done the film is how open it makes others to speak with him openly and share their stories.
Relevant Links
May I Be Frank - Movie
May I Be Frank - Book
Outwitting The Devil - Napoleon Hill
Gabor Mate - The Power of Addiction - Ted Talk