Addiction Talk

Isaak Presley is the star of Disney’s “Stuck in the Middle,” the Netflix spinoff “Fuller House,” Amazon Prime’s “One Nation Under God,” for which he won several Best Actor Awards, and “Hubie Halloween” with Adam Sandler. 

Isaak Presley is already an industry veteran at the age of 22. He has been in the entertainment industry since the age of 5, at which time he landed his first television role in Nickelodeon’s Yo Gabba Gabba. 

Forced into adulthood at an early age to help provide for his family and having grown up in an environment where men didn’t share their feelings, Presley turned to drugs and alcohol to cope in his early teens. His substance use escalated during the pandemic, when he was isolated and with all the time in the world to drink and use as he pleased. Presley’s use spiraled until early 2023 an arrest on a small charge made him finally understand that he needed to make a change. On this episode of Addiction Talk, Presley gets real about child stardom, trauma, addiction, and how he’s turned his life around today.

Leah McSweeney is a former star of “Real Housewives of New York City,” a fashion-industry pioneer who established the streetwear line Married to the Mob, a podcast host, and the author of Chaos Theory: Finding Meaning in the Madness, One Bad Decision at a Time. As Leah shares in her book, she battled with addiction from an early age and became sober for many years. After a very public relapse on national television, she worked to become sober again. Throughout it all, Leah has been a beacon of candor and compassion for people craving a more authentic conversation about what it means to face challenges, make mistakes, and find support for your mental well-being to live your best life.

LaTavia Roberson is an American singer, songwriter, and actress, best known as an original member of the widely acclaimed R&B girl group, Destiny’s Child. Alongside Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and LeToya Luckett, she played a pivotal role in the group’s success, contributing to chart-topping hits such as “Say My Name,” “Survivor,” and “Bootylicious.” Despite the group’s phenomenal achievements, LaTavia faced personal struggles with drugs, experienced jail time, and navigated through dark times in her life.

Following her departure from Destiny’s Child in 2000, LaTavia embarked on a solo music career and explored opportunities in acting. Despite the challenges she faced, LaTavia remained resilient and committed to her passion for music and performance. Beyond her artistic pursuits, she dedicated herself to philanthropic endeavors, championing causes like breast cancer awareness and youth empowerment, showcasing her unwavering commitment to making a positive impact in the world.

Melissa Etheridge is a well-known American rock star, famous for her confessional lyrics and raspy vocals. She has won numerous awards, including two Grammy Awards and a “Songwriter of the Year” honor. Melissa is also an activist for Marriage Equality and has advocated for the therapeutic benefits of medicinal cannabis as a cancer survivor. In May 2020, Melissa lost her son Beckett from causes related to opioid addiction. In his memory, she founded the Etheridge Foundation to advance transformative plant medicine treatment resources for people struggling with opioid use disorder. Through the foundation, Melissa continues her activism and public education to help people heal through the transformative power of plant medicines.

The latest episode of “Addiction Talk” promises to be a thought-provoking conversation between three guests who are at the forefront of addiction recovery research and advocacy. Cure Addiction Now Founder Nancy Davis, Director of Drug Discovery Institute Paul J. Kenny, and MTV’s Laguna Beach and The Hills star Jason Wahler will be discussing the latest breakthroughs in addiction recovery, including the usage of the widely popular medications Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) to combat addiction cravings.

Peter White is a true warrior of the Yaqan Nukiy tribe, which is a part of the Ktunaxa Nation. His journey of triumph over homelessness, addiction and a cancer diagnosis is nothing short of inspiring. After his cancer diagnosis in May of 2016, Peter knew that he needed to make a change in his life. He had always wanted to start powwow dancing, but kept pushing it off for the “right time.” Little did he know that his cancer diagnosis was the sign he had been waiting for. Today, Peter is a Men’s traditional dancer, and this dance has brought out the inner warrior in him. As someone who has battled addiction and depression in the past, Peter’s story is a testament to the power of resilience and hope.

Adam Paul Hicks is an American actor, rapper, singer, and songwriter, best known for his leading role in the Disney Channel Original Movie “Lemonade Mouth” and his music projects. However, behind closed doors, Adam was struggling with addiction, mental illness, and family tragedies that ultimately led to his arrest and incarceration. At the age of 17, Adam’s mother was diagnosed with MS and began to have severe episodes that impacted his family’s wellbeing. As his career was taking off, Adam turned to alcohol and Xanax to cope with the stress. Then, his younger brother was in a car crash, killing his girlfriend, and Adam’s mother died two months before his brother was sentenced to ten years in prison. These tragic events, and the accidental drowning of his best friend, pushed Adam into a state of psychosis.

In January 2018, Adam and his girlfriend were arrested on suspicion of armed robbery. Adam spent time in a mental facility and ultimately prison, serving 1,460 days before being released on parole in 2022. Since then, Adam has been sober for over five years and focused on his health and wellbeing. Adam’s journey to recovery from addiction and mental illness is ongoing, and he credits therapy, medication, and a clean diet for his progress. Despite the challenges he faced, Adam is back into the Hollywood game, feeling more mentally and physically healthy than ever before. 

On this episode of “Addiction Talk,” the topic of alcohol addiction will be discussed by way of cutting edge research helmed by Bryant University Assistant Professor Kristin Scaplen, Ph.D.

Professor Scaplen, who obtained a B.S. in biology and psychology from the University of Connecticut, and Ph.D in neuroscience from Brown University, has spent years studying neural circuits and the persistence of memory in the context of alcohol use. This work was done in preparation for her current body of work in which she is conducting alcohol addiction research by investigating the neural circuits of fruit flies.

Fruit flies share 75% of the genes that cause human diseases and have previously aided researchers in learning more about biological processes that affect human health.

When it comes to alcohol addiction research, Dr. Scaplan in a pioneer in terms of the use of fruit flies, and there is much to learn from her work. Join us for this special episode where we learn more about the findings and the deeper understanding that can be gleaned from her research.

Jason Yamas is a queer writer, producer, director, and actor. Having released his courageous memoir, Tweakerworld, he joins us on Addiction Talk sharing a bright light on the worsening epidemic of crystal meth in the LGBTQ+ community.