Learn More about Sober is Dope Founder POP Buchanan
Excerpt from a recent Media Interview
It’s an honor to speak with you today. Why don’t you give us some details about you and your story? How did you get to where you are today?
My name is POP Buchanan and my story began with surrender. Eight years ago, I gave my life back to God. I found the will to heal from my addiction. I devoted my life to healing my trauma. It was trauma from the loss of my Dad, my mental health and depression, and my substance abuse. I realized that I had to break the generational curse of addiction and find permanent healing from my traumas, depression, and addiction. I found extreme success in recovery by taking an “all in” approach. The first step was admitting that I was powerless over my addiction. I prayed to God in the middle of New York City for a second chance. I found the courage to go to detox, rehab, and AA. I sought out professional therapy, psychiatry, and pharmacotherapy for my mental health. I learned about comorbid addiction (multiple conditions that are simultaneously appearing in a patient) and comorbidity and understood that to successfully heal from my addiction, I needed to deal with my bereavement issues with my father, my depression, and my mental health. I also utilized prayer, meditation, exercise, gratitude journaling, music therapy, forgiveness, cognitive behavioral therapy, and a plant-based diet, to heal from my addiction and trauma. Today, I feel healed. I have no desire to use any addictive substances and I am leading the campaign for addiction recovery. I decided to share my story and process with the world. That is why I started Sober is Dope!™️
I’m sure your success has not come easily. What challenges have you had to overcome along the way?
My biggest challenges were, of course, my addiction and depression. Mainly, the addictive and toxic cycle of substance abuse, relapse, and shame spiral. I blamed myself for my addiction and I thought I was alone and destined for a lifetime of torment. I woke up one day and could not stop drinking. I tried to quit cold turkey and even tried Harm Reduction with little to no luck. My addiction kept ruining any semblance of a normal life for me. I eventually lost friends, romantic relationships, jobs, and all feelings of hope. I was afraid and hurt. I was lost and broken. I had to figure out how to heal from this addiction. I was raised in a Catholic household, so I had a decent understanding of God, Jesus, and faith. Navigating the darkness of addiction challenged my faith and I started to feel like death was imminent. I was tired of running from my life and responsibilities. On December 15th, 2012, I dropped to my knees in the middle of Brooklyn and pleaded to God for help. I needed to be rescued from myself. Addiction had made me a willing participant in my capture, and I wanted to be free. Dropping to my knees and surrendering my life to God, gave me a vital spiritual experience. I felt God and mercy were upon me. This day was the first step in my transformation. I am healed because I did not want to die. God answered my prayers.
Let’s talk about the work you do. What do you specialize in and why should someone work with you over the competition?
I am a holistic sobriety coach, recording artist (ASCAP), motivational speaker, published author, and the host of the Sober is Dope! Podcast. The Sober is Dope! Podcast is the top podcast on addiction science, mental health, motivation, and addiction recovery. I help people make sense of their addictions and also their life in addiction recovery. I share my unique “all in” approach to recovery with my dedicated and loyal audience. I am hands on with everyone from the recovery community and I am always accessible if needed. I help people uncover their trauma and release the shame and guilt associated with addiction. I teach the benefits of having gratitude, exercising forgiveness, prayer, meditation, using positive affirmations, and how to deactivate the parasympathetic response to stress and fear and activate the sympathetic response to healing. I approach addiction recovery as an investigator and student. I interview the top Ph.D. professionals in the fields of mental health, health, trauma, addiction, therapy, education, faith, and happiness. I educate my audience on relapse prevention, the stages of relapse, and how to repair dopamine levels in the brain. I customize prayers and affirmations for my audience and I also provide a free book on self-discipline. Sober is Dope! is more than a podcast. It is a lifestyle that promotes human optimization, physical and emotional sobriety, and self-actualization. I use Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a template for growth and encourage my audience to utilize creativity as a means of transformation.
What’s your best piece of advice for readers who desire to find success in their life?
If you want to find success in your life, try to identify what excites you. Examine your life and find out what you are truly passionate about. Look for indicators like talents, creativity, and curiosity. Success can be measured financially, spiritually, and emotionally. You can have the dream job and make a million dollars and still be miserable and depressed. Meaningful success is tied to service, love, compassion, and a burning desire to create. True success leaves little to no regrets and leads to a legacy. Find your calling today by being honest with yourself. Identify what makes you happy. True success is tied to happiness. Success must lead to fulfillment. Ask yourself: Are you making the world a better place? Are you building your dream or someone else’s? Will you wake up 20 years from now and regret the decisions you made today? Are you exploring your purpose? Do you feel forced to press the alarm clock in the morning or are you eager to jump out of bed in the morning? If you are not eager to jump out of the bed, make your world a better place, and be of service to others and then you won’t feel unsuccessful but fulfilled. Remember this: Be honest and courageous when pursuing success. Think of the biggest dream in your heart and fight like you never fought before to make that dream a reality. Then and only then will you be happy. Happiness is the key. The key to success.
Speaking of success, what does the word mean to you?
“Success is the process of creating abundance from doing a service that benefits people and aligns with your dreams and God-given purpose.” – POP Buchanan
Can you make a lot of money while doing what you love and helping people in the process? If the answer is “yes”, then you are close to success. If the answer is “no” then you know what to look out for. Have you ever heard of the depressed billionaire? The addict movie star? The sad comedian? These are examples of people who have financial and social success but are emotionally and spiritually bankrupt. Find out what makes you happy, feel alive, free, and energized. Then make that thing your career. Then you will be successful.
What’s next for you?
The next step for POP Buchanan and Sober is Dope! is reaching critical mass. I want to spread the message of recovery to as many people as possible. I want to help break the stigma on addiction and mental health. I want people to understand that addiction is a brain disease that usually starts from abuse, loss, and extreme trauma. I want to make people aware that Addiction and Mental Health can coexist together via a dual diagnosis known as Comorbid Addiction. Seeking treatment for both addiction and mental health can lead to addiction recovery. I want people to know that a psychic or spiritual change can enact a DNA change and help transform the individual. This can be through an act of faith, a vital spiritual experience, or God. I want to talk with more influential people about addiction. I plan to drop a new Hip Hop album called the “Sober is Dope Program” and produce a documentary called Sober is Dope! I will publish my next book in 2021 called “My Sober is Dope! Handbook”. Lastly, I would like to do a motivational tour talking about Sober is Dope! experience and the miraculous power of healing and transformation.
Finally, how can people connect with you if they want to learn more?
I started Sober is Dope! and Monk Healing to spread positive messages of transformation, healing, and recovery. I am almost 9 years sober. I promote mental health, love, health, and freedom from addiction. Here are the links to the podcast, shop, and a FREE Personal Transformation BOOK. Highest Blessings. “It’s never too late to be amazing!” – POP Buchanan
Sober is Dope World: https://linktr.ee/Soberisdope
Sober is Dope! Podcast: https://anchor.fm/soberisdope
Sober is Dope! Gift Shop: https://soberisdope.net Youtube (Subscribe)
Sober is Dope: https://www.youtube.com/c/Soberisdope
FREE Transformational E-BOOK: https://bit.ly/2Dh67xi
POP Buchanan https://popbuchanan.net
Please follow my other pages.
Instagram
https://Instagram.com/popbuchanan
https://Instagram.com/Soberisdope
