Every father faces challenges because being a good father is no easy task, but what if one of those challenges is a drug-addicted child? That was the case for Stephen Randell who lost his son to drug addiction at just 26 years of age.

In this episode of The Akkeri Podcast, Steve shares the story of how his son Zack became addicted to drugs and gradually turned into someone that Steve didn’t even recognize. He also shares how the writing of his book - My Son Is An Addict - was a deeply challenging yet healing process, as it forced him to relive the loss and come to terms with his own sadness as well as his fears related to telling the story as a fairly new author and public speaker.

In Steve’s own words, “addiction doesn’t show up one day as a full-blown, out-of-control thing”; it chips away at those it inflicts. So this is a conversation for fathers, sons, and men who can recognize the importance of authenticity in relationships and the courage to be "real", so that we can ask for help before we get to the point of potentially facing addiction ourselves.

Website: https://stephenlrandell.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephennrandell

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephenlrandell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-l-randell-a576812b2/

Website: TheAkkeri.com

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What was your relationship with your father like? Maybe it was somewhat strained, like mine, or maybe it was idyllic. The relationships boys have with their fathers have obvious impacts on the men they later become, but it also affects how they form relationships with other men and how they fill the role of father, if given the opportunity.

In this episode of The Akkeri Podcast, I chat with longtime friend, Matthew Denis. Matt and I both lost our fathers to cancer and we discussed what our relationships with them were like, the societal and cultural factors that likely shaped them, and the important role of grace and empathy in relationship.

Matt has always been someone that I can easily have a laugh with, but I can just as easily dive into whatever is going on in my life and find a listening, supportive ear (even though he hasn’t listened to the podcast yet and didn’t know how to spell Akkeri). I hope this conversation is encouraging, inspiring, and maybe even a little entertaining (appreciation for sarcasm required).

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Do you consider yourself courageous?

I think most men would say "yes", but what about when it comes to your emotions?

Dr. Ron Johnson is an author and psychologist focused on helping men understand how they feel, value how they feel, and communicate how they feel.

And that's the reason for his new book 'Balls: Men Finding Courage With Words, Women, Work, and Wine ("wine" is a stand-in for addiction, because why ruin a good bit of alliteration?).

In this episode of The Akkeri Podcast, Ron shares his thoughts on the anxiety common among men, the important role of sadness, and how the courage to be vulnerable with our emotions is crucial to personal growth and success.

His Practice: https://midlandspsychological.com/

His Blog: https://midlandspsychological.com/blog

His Books:

'I Want Tell You How I Feel: How to Know What You Feel, Express How You Feel, And How to Listen to Others'

'What's Your Temperament: Identifying and Enhancing Your Personality Strengths'

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