From Junkie to Judge with Mary Beth O’Connor (Part 2)

John and Mary Beth continue their discussion. In the previous episode, Mary Beth shared her journey of overcoming childhood trauma, addiction, and adversity to become a respected judge and now a passionate advocate for recovery. Today, she talks more about the recovery process and shares her experiences to reduce stigma, offer hope, and guide others on the path to healing.

Listen to this episode to learn more:

[00:00] - Intro and recap of Part 1

[01:26] - The process for becoming a Federal Administrative Law Judge

[03:53] - Mary Beth’s take on “Addiction = Disease”

[06:02] - Statistics related to recovery rates

[07:41] - Rewiring the brain for recovery

[11:21] - The nudge Mary Beth felt to help others in recovery

[13:36] - Helping women recover from various traumas through SHE RECOVERS

[15:17] - Mary Beth found her purpose in helping others through her pain

[18:04] - How Mary Beth improves her significant relationships

[20:34] - Mary Beth’s definition of success

[21:40] - #1 daily habit

[22:19] - Traits of a great leader

[23:00] - Best advice Mary Beth received 

[24:31] - Mary Beth’s legacy

[25:33] - How Mary Beth invests in her growth

[27:27] - Best way to connect with Mary Beth

[30:53] - Different ways Mary Beth has fun

[32:20] - Books recommendations

[33:00] - Closing thoughts

NOTABLE QUOTES:

“The bad things about having an addiction are the losses. It’s not that you try to forget them; you try to ignore them. But there’s that pain of knowing that you’ve lost things you wanted—things you maybe worked for—and because of your addiction, you had to give them away, or they were taken away.”

“It’s important that we all recognize our natural rhythms and accommodate them to the best of our ability.”

“The positive choices rewire the brain. And when you make good positive choices in your recovery, it’s a new normal.”

“Challenge your own thoughts if you find yourself caught in negative loops.”

“Success in life is more about having meaningful work, challenging but not too much, and a balanced life.”

“You have to decide what you’re going to do about the pain you’ve experienced and hopefully find a way to heal and give back to others.”

“When you get to work on time, today and tomorrow and the next day, you do that for a month, that it’s usually a habit. It’s not a struggle anymore. That’s your new normal.”

BOOKS MENTIONED:

• The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk (https://a.co/d/hNTWHiq)

• Girl Walks Out of a Bar by Lisa F. Smith (https://a.co/d/cb2fXZe)

• Books by Gabor Maté

• Books by Holly Whitaker

USEFUL RESOURCES:

https://junkietojudge.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-beth-o-connor-8aaa4b121/ 

https://x.com/MaryBethO_ 

https://www.facebook.com/marybeth.holuboconnor/

“From Junkie to Judge: One Woman’s Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction” (https://a.co/d/fBuYR61)

CONNECT WITH JOHN

Website - https://thejohnhulen.com 

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