After 20 years of severe intravenous cocaine and heroin addiction, multiple prison stints, and failing every traditional treatment center imaginable, Todd Youngs finally found continuous sobriety.
In a candid look at raw psychedelic integration, Todd (now a dedicated addiction specialist) details a critical turning point: a 2009 Ayahuasca ceremony that unlocked a felt sense of self-compassion when Alcoholics Anonymous alone wasn’t enough for addiction recovery. He explains how he bypassed the severe depression of Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) by grounding plant medicine insights directly within the structured principles of the 12 Steps. Today, Todd bridges this personal transformation with groundbreaking academic research at UCSF to help others find a new path to genuine healing.
In this conversation:
> How AA and Ayahuasca Saved My Life When Rehab Failed
> The Raw Reality of 20 Years of Hardcore Heroin & Cocaine Dependency
> Why multiple prison stints and treatment centers didn’t keep me sober
> The Unexpected Intervention: Entering the Ayahuasca Ceremony
> Feeling Self-Compassion: The difference between theoretical and “felt” knowledge
> Ayahuasca and the “void” of Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS)
> Why the 12 Steps are the transmission for the Ayahuasca engine
> Humility and recovery communities vs. the trap of “ego inflation”
> The Warning: Debunking “Magical Thinking” with psychedelics
> Destigmatizing plant medicine at UCSF and leading academic research
> Moving Forward: Finding a psychedelic-friendly fellowship
