How to Cut Sugar by 78% in 30 Days

Is Porn Addiction Real? | Truth Behind Porn Addiction ExplainedIs porn addiction actually real — or just a myth? In this eye-opening episode of Cracking Addiction, Dr. Ferghal Armstrong explores what really happens to your brain when watching porn and why some people can’t stop.Discover the shocking science behind porn addiction symptoms like emotional numbness, relationship issues, and even erectile dysfunction — all linked to dopamine overload and the brain's reward system.Ever wondered why millions visit sites like Pornhub daily? What separates healthy habits from compulsive behavior? Is there actually a cure for porn addiction?This episode explains why porn addiction might be more real than you think, highlighting terms like “compulsive sexual behavior disorder” and “self-perceived problematic pornography use (SPPU).” You'll also uncover how early exposure, anonymity, and endless access trap users in harmful cycles.Dr. Armstrong reveals how to overcome porn addiction with real mental health tools — backed by cutting-edge 2025 brain research.If you're looking to understand the truth or want to learn how to quit porn addiction for good, this is the episode you can’t miss.Chapters:00:00:00 Is Porn Addiction Real? – Framing the Debate00:00:56 Diagnostic Controversy: DSM-5 vs. ICD-1100:01:54 The Brain and Porn – Addiction or Moral Conflict?00:02:34 Clinical Impairment and Who Is Affected00:03:24 No Consensus – Assessment Challenges and Terminology00:04:02 The AAA Engine: Why Porn Use Can Become Problematic00:04:50 Patterns, Tolerance, and Coping Mechanisms00:05:37 Clinical Reality: Suffering Beyond Diagnosis00:06:14 Clinical Humility and What’s Next

23 Heinä 7min

Is sugar addiction as powerful as cocaine?Is sugar truly a food addiction? This video explores the neuroscience behind sugar's allure, touching on the brain reward pathway and how sugar hijacks brain. It also considers what this means for our mental health and overall well-being.Dr. Ferghal Armstrong reveals how to break sugar addiction and beat sugar addiction with science-backed insights. Struggling with my sugar addiction or relentless sugar cravings? Discover how to quit sugar and stop sugar cravings as Dr. Armstrong unpacks why sweets are so hard to resist. Did you know rats choose sugar over cocaine in studies, driven by sugar and dopamine?Dive into the neuroscience of sugar addiction, from dopamine and sugar rewiring your brain’s reward system to refined sugar effects mirroring hard drugs. Dr. Armstrong explores sugar binge eating, withdrawal, and tolerance, showing how sugar cravings hijack the nucleus accumbens, just like narcotics. Learn how genetics and early experiences fuel my sugar addiction and why addiction transfer risks new substance use disorders post-weight loss surgery. This episode offers a sugar detox roadmap with practical tips to overcome sugar addiction. From how to break sugar addiction to mastering stop sugar cravings strategies, Dr. Armstrong empowers you to take charge. Perfect for those tackling sugar binge eating or seeking mental health clarity, this video blends refined sugar effects insights with addiction recovery tools.Share your how to quit sugar story below! Chapters00:00:00 Is Sugar Addiction Real? Exploring the Concept00:00:57 Sugar and the Brain: Dopamine, Reward, and Craving00:01:48 Evolutionary Roots: Why Are We Wired for Sugar?00:02:33 Refined Sugar’s Addictive Properties and Animal Studies00:03:46 Clinical Implications: Susceptibility, Symptoms, and Neurobiology00:04:41 Takeaways: Recognising and Addressing Sugar Addiction00:05:19 Closing Remarks#SugarAddiction #BreakTheSugarAddiction #HowToQuitSugar #DopamineAndSugar

10 Heinä 5min

Struggling with porn addiction or supporting someone who is? This episode of "Cracking Addiction" delivers real talk, clinical insight, and proven strategies for lasting recovery. 🚨 Subscribe for more expert-led content on addiction and recovery! 🚨Join Dr. Ferghal Armstrong as he tackles the complex truth about porn addiction help, from hidden signs of porn addiction to the emotional toll of shame and porn addiction. Whether you're seeking pornography addiction treatment or just beginning to question your habits, this video is a compassionate, evidence-based guide to healing.🔑 In this episode:How CBT for porn addiction rewires behaviorThe power of peer support porn addiction communitiesWhy accountability in addiction recovery is a game-changerPractical tools for tracking porn useThe link between mental health and pornYou’ll hear how real people break free from secrecy, moral conflict, and isolation—proving that porn addiction recovery isn’t just possible, it’s transformative.Perfect for individuals, clinicians, and families navigating the path to overcoming porn addiction. Learn what works, what doesn’t, and how to create lasting change in a judgment-free space.💬 Leave your thoughts below | 👍 Like & Share to support awareness | 🔔 Subscribe for moreChapters:00:00:00 Who Seeks Help for Pornography Addiction?00:00:41 The Role of Shame and Barriers to Treatment00:01:16 Why People Seek Treatment: Life Collisions and Moral Incongruence00:02:29 What Helps: Validation, Structure, and Accountability00:03:03 The Power of Peer Support and Tracking Behavior00:04:04 Removing Judgment and Supporting Individual Goals00:04:23 Barriers: Systemic, Cultural, and Personal Challenges00:04:57 Keys to Recovery: Awareness, Support, Connection, and Language00:05:27 Closing Thoughts and What Makes Treatment Possible#pornaddictionhelp #pornaddictionrecovery #mentalhealthandporn #CBTforpornaddiction

7 Heinä 5min

Solstice-Induced Mood Disorders and Relapse PreventionDoes the summer solstice mental health shift hit your addiction relapse prevention? In Cracking Addiction: Solstice-Induced Mood Disorders and Relapse Prevention, Dr. Ferghal Armstrong unveils how seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and solstice and mood changes impact seasonal mood affective disorder in recovery. Curious about seasonal affective disorder with drug addiction? This seasonal affective disorder guide explores why seasonal affective disorder triggers like longer summer days or darker winters disrupt circadian rhythm and addiction.Dr. Armstrong breaks down summer seasonal affective disorder and reverse seasonal affective disorder, revealing how seasonal affective disorder alters serotonin and melatonin, risking winter blues recovery or relapse. Learn what is one of the best treatments for seasonal affective disorder—from light therapy for depression to sleep hygiene and nutrition tweaks. This episode offers SAD recovery tips for both hemispheres, tackling seasonal affective disorder with drug addiction with science-backed addiction relapse prevention strategies.Whether you’re battling seasonal affective disorder triggers or seeking summer solstice mental health tools, Dr. Armstrong shares actionable SAD recovery tips. Master your circadian rhythm and addiction with light therapy for depression, build a robust recovery routine, and stay motivated to avoid isolation. This video is a must for anyone in addiction relapse prevention or navigating seasonal mood affective disorder.Chapters:00:00:00 Solstice Shifts and Their Impact on Mood00:00:53 Sunlight, Brain Chemistry, and Circadian Rhythm00:01:35 Defining Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)00:02:24 Why SAD Matters in Recovery00:03:10 Warning Signs and Early Detection of SAD00:04:21 Light Strategies for Solstice Mood Management00:04:52 Structured Routine, Exercise, and Nutrition Tips00:05:23 Social Support and When to Seek Professional Help

3 Heinä 6min

From Dopamine to Disease: Understanding the Addiction-Cancer Connection.What’s the hidden link between addiction and cancer? In this Cracking Addiction episode, Dr. Ferghal Armstrong and UC San Diego’s Dr Raphael E. Cuomo reveal how lifestyle and cancer risk intertwine. Discover how cancer prevention and healthy lifestyle choices can transform your health and lower risks, including skin cancer and lifestyle choices like sun exposure or smoking.Dr. Cuomo debunks the myth that lifestyle and cancer are solely genetic, diving into how addiction and cancer connect through neurobiology—think dopamine, mesolimbic pathways, and epigenetics. Learn how modifiable habits, from processed foods and red meat to screen time and stress, fuel lifestyle and cancer risk. Skin cancer and lifestyle choices, like neglecting sunscreen, and behavioural addictions, like binge-watching or social media scrolling, silently drive disease. This episode empowers you with cancer prevention and healthy lifestyle strategies to break free from self-sabotaging cycles.Dr. Armstrong and Dr. Cuomo unpack actionable health tips, showing how lifestyle and cancer are shaped by daily choices. From understanding addiction’s grip on your brain to adopting cancer prevention and healthy lifestyle habits, this science-backed guide offers hope for addiction recovery and long-term wellness. Whether you’re aiming to reduce lifestyle and cancer risk or live healthier, this video delivers insights on the biology of wellness and proactive prevention.Get The Book Crave: The Hidden Biology of Addiction and Cancerhttps://raphaelcuomo.com/craveSubscribe for more addiction and cancer insights! Share your health journey below! Chapters:00:00:00 Introducing Dr. Raphael Cuomo: Background and Professional Focus00:01:59 Lifestyle Factors and Cancer Risk: Beyond Smoking00:02:44 The Role of Diet, Sugar, and Red Meat in Cancer Development00:04:42 Addictive Behaviors and Lesser-Known Cancer Risks00:05:29 Moving Public Health “Upstream”: Changing Mindsets, Not Just Behaviours00:06:29 Why We Struggle to Establish Healthy Habits00:07:52 Addiction Pathways: Dopamine and Lifestyle Diseases00:08:08 Cancer as a Modifiable Lifestyle Disease00:09:01 Brain Pathways Involved in Addiction00:10:11 Dopamine: “Wanting” vs. Pleasure, and the Hijacking of Reward Systems00:12:10 How Addictive Foods and Behaviours Fuel Chronic Illness00:13:43 The Modern Difficulty with Rest, Repair, and Reflection00:15:03 Linking Lifestyle Addiction to Cancer: The Prevention 2.0 Model00:16:29 Are Addictive Substances Directly Carcinogenic00:17:55 How Process Addictions like Food and Screen Time Affect Cancer Risk00:20:10 Epigenetics and How Lifestyle Changes Influence Cancer Outcomes00:22:39 The Chain: Addiction, Lifestyle, Epigenetics, and Cancer Risk00:23:22 Professor Cuomo’s Book: The Hidden Biology of Addiction and Cancer00:24:49 Closing Remarks and Reflections on Healthy Change#AddictionAndCancer #CancerPreventionAndHealthyLifestyle #LifestyleAndCancerRisk #SkinCancerAndLifestyleChoices

25 Kesä 25min

The Truth About Pill Testing: Myths, Facts, and Public Health Impact.Ready to uncover the truth behind pill testing news? Dr. Ferghal Armstrong dives into pill testing Australia, revealing what is pill testing and its impact on public health. Forget myths—pill testing at festivals uses drug testing techniques like gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify dangerous substances in party drugs, with up to half containing unexpected or deadly compounds like fentanyl or nitazenes, as seen in recent 7 news pill testing reports.Dr. Armstrong explores pill testing music festivals, from groovin the moo trials to Victoria’s Beyond the Valley, where over 700 festival-goers used pill testing at music festivals in 2024, with one in six discarding drugs after results. Does pill testing work? Data shows nearly 20% of users avoid drugs post-testing, debunking the pill testing debate myth that it encourages use. The victorian governments pill testing stance has shifted since Dan Andrews pill testing opposition, with 2025 trials expanding to festivals like Pitch Music and Arts, supported by drug testing advocates.These confidential, judgment-free services offer harm reduction advice without condoning drug use, aligning with global pill testing australia trends. Learn how pill testing at festivals saves lives, as highlighted in 7 news pill testing coverage of NSW’s Yours and Owls trial, where 10% of drugs were mislabelled. Whether you’re a festival-goer, parent, or health advocate, this episode unpacks festival safety and party drug dangers.Join the push for smarter drug testing policies! Chapters00:00:00 Introduction: What is Pill Testing?00:00:46 Drug Use at Festivals and the Role of Pill Testing00:01:37 How Pill Testing Works: Scientific Analysis and Harm Reduction00:02:36 Confidential, Non-Judgmental Advice for Users00:03:35 What’s Really in Party Drugs? Surprising and Dangerous Results00:04:27 Does Pill Testing Encourage Drug Use? Evidence and Myths00:05:06 Pill Testing and User Behaviour: The Impact of Results00:05:59 Confidentiality, Legal Protections, and Access to Help00:07:18 Pill Testing’s Influence on Drug Policy and Public Health00:08:20 Conclusion: Pill Testing as a Life-Saving, Compassionate ServiceShare your thoughts below!#PillTestingAustralia #PillTestingMusicFestivals #DoesPillTestingWork #HarmReduction

18 Kesä 8min

Ever felt gut feeling vs anxiety and wondered how can you listen to your gut feeling when you have anxiety and OCD? In Cracking Addiction: Anxiety & The Gut, Dr. Ferghal Armstrong unravels the gut brain connection behind anxiety gut feeling. Discover how the gut brain axis and enteric nervous system—your “second brain”—link mental health to digestion. Struggling with relationship anxiety or true gut feeling? This video reveals how to calm down anxiety gut feeling naturally!Dr. Armstrong dives into the vagus nerve and mental health, showing how the gut microbiome and mood are tied through serotonin production in gut—90% of your serotonin comes from your gut, not your brain! Learn how gut health and anxiety connect via leaky gut anxiety, inflammation and mental health, and the gut brain axis. Stress and gut health can worsen anxiety disorder, but probiotics for anxiety, fiber rich diet gut health, anti inflammatory gut foods, and omega 3 for brain health offer relief.Packed with holistic approach anxiety tips, this episode explores coping strategies like cognitive behavioral therapy gut strategies, mindfulness for anxiety, and DBT TIP skills to manage stress management gut issues. Dr. Armstrong shares how foods for gut bacteria and a fiber rich diet gut health can boost mental health and digestion. Curious about how to calm down anxiety gut feeling or distinguish intuition from anxiety disorder? This video has answers.Whether you’re exploring gut health and anxiety or seeking a holistic approach anxiety, this science-backed guide delivers. Download our FREE mental health tools infographic—link in the show notes! Subscribe for more mental health insights! Share your anxiety gut feeling story below! Chapters00:00:00 Gut Feelings: How Your Brain and Belly Are Connected00:00:50 The Enteric Nervous System: Your “Second Brain”00:01:31 Serotonin, Gut Microbiota, and Mental Health00:02:15 Three Routes from Gut to Brain: Neural, Hormonal, Immune00:03:01 Chronic Inflammation: The Link Between Gut, Anxiety, and Depression00:03:47 Treating the Mind Helps the Gut—And Vice Versa00:04:22 Simple Gut-Healthy Habits: Diet, Movement, and More00:05:17 Final Thoughts: Why Supporting Your Gut May Reduce Anxiety#GutFeelingVsAnxiety #GutBrainConnection #MentalHealth #AnxietyGutFeeling #HolisticApproachAnxiety

11 Kesä 6min

A Step-By-Step Emergency Plan for Coping With Panic and Anxiety.Are you battling sudden anxiety attacks or panic attacks and need how to stop anxiety attacks right now? In this Cracking Addiction episode, Dr Ferghal Armstrong delivers your emergency anxiety toolkit—a step-by-step plan for anxiety and panic attack help! Whether you’re seeking how to stop panic and anxiety attacks for good, tackling anxiety at work, or fighting how to stop anxiety attacks and overthinking, this guide has you covered.Dr Ferghal Armstrong explains why panic attacks strike, unpacking the role of adrenaline and hyperventilation in your body. Learn coping strategies and mental health tools like the 54321 technique for grounding techniques, square breathing, and 4-7-8 breathing to calm your mind fast. Discover paced breathing and progressive muscle relaxation to ease tension, plus dialectical behavior therapy tricks like DBT TIP skills (Temperature, Intense exercise, Paced breathing) to stop anxiety attacks in their tracks—whether at home or anxiety at work.Curious about how to stop anxiety attacks at work or when diazepam fits into anxiety treatment? Dr. Armstrong reveals when meds help and why your own anxiety management tools often outshine the medicine cabinet. From grounding techniques to environment tweaks, these science-backed mental health tools empower you to take control, no matter if anxiety attacks are new or longstanding.For instant anxiety and panic attack help, grab our FREE downloadable Emergency Anxiety Toolkit infographic—link in the show notes! Save it, print it, or keep it on your phone for how to stop anxiety attacks right now, anytime, anywhere. This episode blends actionable coping strategies, expert insights from Dr Ferghal Armstrong, and hope to not just survive but command your next panic attack with confidence.Download the Emergency Toolkit PDF.https://meducate.now/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/MeducateEmergency-Anxiety-Attack-Toolkit.pdfChapters00:00:00 Understanding Anxiety and Panic Attacks00:00:40 Symptoms and Reality—Why Panic Attacks Aren’t Dangerous00:01:02 The Importance of Having a Clear Plan00:01:35 Step 1: Acknowledge the Anxiety Attack00:01:55 Step 2–3: 5-4-3-2-1 Technique)00:02:42 The Role of Breathing—Hyperventilation and How to Stop It00:03:07 Breathing Techniques: Square Breathing and 4-7-8 Breathing00:03:38 Gentle Movement and the TIP DBT Technique00:04:21 TIP: Temperature, Intense Exercise, Paced Breathing00:05:19 Progressive Muscle Relaxation 00:06:02 Why Fast Breathing Happens and How to Reverse It00:06:26 Practical Slow Breathing Exercise00:06:54 Medication Use: Diazepam Explained00:07:35 Practice and Preparation: Emergency Anxiety Toolkit00:08:03 Recap of the Go-To Anxiety Attack Strategy#AnxietyAttack #PanicAttack #HowToStopAnxietyAttacksRightNow #DrFerghalArmstrong #MentalHealthTools

3 Kesä 9min