Update and upcoming changes to podcast

[00:00:02] Somebody get this guy some help.

[00:00:12] Hey everybody out there listening to the podcast.

[00:00:15] Hopefully you've enjoyed the material I've put out thus far and are sharing it

[00:00:18] with others, whether they be medical or psychiatric providers or professionals,

[00:00:23] or just people who are generally interested in learning more about the

[00:00:27] U S healthcare system.

[00:00:29] I'm approaching my hundredth episode of the podcast and planning on revamping

[00:00:33] it with a few big changes.

[00:00:36] I'm planning on moving into the YouTube platform and transitioning from a twice

[00:00:41] a week audio only podcast to a once a week video podcasts in hopes of increasing

[00:00:48] viewership or listenership and spreading this important information to a broader

[00:00:52] audience.

[00:00:54] Episodes will continue to trend towards being longer with less

[00:00:58] disruptions or cuts between my guests and eyes conversations.

[00:01:02] I will continue to intermix local and regional in-person guests, but I'm trying

[00:01:07] to get more academically trustworthy experts to provide the most high yield

[00:01:13] and relevant material for my listeners.

[00:01:16] I'm also bringing on some extra help to improve the quality of the audio

[00:01:21] and video editing, which I've been exclusively doing to this point and

[00:01:25] don't have any experience with as well as creating social media reels on

[00:01:29] my accounts to help increase exposure.

[00:01:32] If you'd like to be a guest or have any guests recommendations or connections,

[00:01:37] please let me know and I'll consider hosting them for an interview on

[00:01:40] a relevant topic.

[00:01:42] I plan to release my first video series in July of this year and just

[00:01:46] wanted to update listeners on the planned second iteration of what I'm

[00:01:50] doing.

[00:01:51] My first video series will be a solo series by me alone on a topic that

[00:01:56] I feel very well versed in, in discussing the US drug epidemic history and

[00:02:01] evolution.

[00:02:03] In preparation for that, starting next week, I'm going to release a series

[00:02:07] of older recorded episodes with my friend and colleague, Dr.

[00:02:11] Steven Love on the topic of safer drug use.

[00:02:16] Historically, we've focused so much on abstinence from drugs as a society

[00:02:21] that I think it really does a disservice and doesn't allow those people who do

[00:02:27] choose to use drugs to do it in a safer manner.

[00:02:32] And hopefully this information can help reduce the numbers of overdoses

[00:02:38] that we see and the numerous non-fatal complications of

[00:02:42] licit and illicit drug use.

[00:02:45] I hope you enjoy those recordings and are excited for an expansion into

[00:02:49] video.

[00:02:50] Please reach out to renegadesyke at gmail.com with any questions, comments,

[00:02:56] concerns, challenges to the information I've presented or any other issue that

[00:03:01] tickles your fancy.

[00:03:03] And please, please, please share the podcast with others and help me spread

[00:03:07] the word on social media at renegadesyke on all major platforms.

[00:03:12] Thanks and tune in next week for the introductory episode to the series

[00:03:16] on safer drug use.

[00:03:20] Somebody get this guy some help.

[00:03:30] So what do you think are some of the biggest problems with the way that we

[00:03:35] approach addiction in this country?

[00:03:37] Because the reality is that we're not doing it correctly or else maybe we

[00:03:43] would have numbers that would reflect an improvement in our outcomes

[00:03:47] surrounding addiction.

[00:03:49] I mean, to me, I know we live in the day and age of medicalizing

[00:03:53] addiction, but I see addiction through the lens of a societal problem more

[00:03:57] than anything else on one hand.

[00:03:59] And then on the other hand, from an individual perspective, I think we live

[00:04:04] in a day and age where it is increasingly difficult for an individual

[00:04:07] human being to find meaning and purpose that they can hold onto.

[00:04:13] And I think that drugs are as accessible as they've ever been.

[00:04:17] And lots of drugs provide artificial meaning and purpose.

[00:04:21] And it's hard to argue with that when the world's fucked up.