Jay Shifman on Mental Health & Substance Misuse

Choose Your Struggle  That's the only mantra that my guest lives by.  For much of Jay Shifman's early life, he was told that he was living with a debilitating issue of Mental Health. As his condition worsened, he was prescribed more drugs at higher doses until, in his early 20s, he was taking on a daily basis more than the estimated lethal dosage of one drug and abusing many others while living with a full-blown Substance Misuse Disorder thanks to prescription pills.  At 23, after two suicide attempts, an overdose, and time spent in an inpatient hospital and a rehab facility, Jay decided enough was enough and pledged himself to withdraw from all of his prescriptions. His symptoms disappeared almost immediately. After entering recovery and rebuilding his life, Jay pledged himself to one mission: choosing his struggle. In a world where many don’t get a first chance, he realized just how lucky he was to get his second. So he decided to dedicate his life to making a difference around the topics of Mental Health and Substance Misuse & Recovery.  In this episode, Jay shares his experience & an unbelievable story with substance misuse.