We recently connected with Daniel Hochman and have shared our conversation below.
Daniel, so great to have you with us and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with the community. So, let’s jump into something that stops so many people from going after their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. We’d love to hear about how you dealt with that and persisted on your path.
The biggest key for me to get through all the nay-sayers is to actually listen to them. What that means is hearing their objections first by asking myself if they are indeed pointing something out I might be overlookingWhile they may not be polite about it, the objection should still be taken seriously before dismissed.
For example, I have haters because I’m not a die hard Twelve Stepper. As a physician driven by research, that’s something I’m comfortable brushing off since I know there are so many valuable approaches that get left out in Twelve Step work alone.
On the other hand, I’ve had haters who help me make adjustments if they make sense. For example, people are very skeptical of an online recovery program for good reasons. Rather than getting defensive around a legitimate concern, I adjusted and now offer a no questions asked 30 day money back guarantee. It’s as if I’m saying: “I’m not going to argue with you nay-sayer, why don’t you poke around and decide for yourself.”
So haters are often mistaken and stuck in their own false narratives, but we should all remain open enough to at least process what they are saying. Sometimes that’s valuable.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Throughout my study, I worked with some of the leading minds in addiction work, who got me even more interested in addiction work. My focus on the root causes of symptoms led me to creating a more holistic approach to addiction, which eventually became the Self Recovery Program.
After recognizing the lack of quality care most people are able to find, I created Self Recovery as a simple way for anyone to save themselves from ineffective help. People are so relieved they can get better privately, and that not everyone needs rehab or daily groups.
The Self Recovery Program guides you to understand what actually causes your addiction, and solve your personal puzzle. Our approach looks underneath the surface at the deep-seated emotional triggers that lead to self destruction, and teaches you how to deal with them in a productive way. We don’t just treat symptoms or give superficial advice; we address the root cause so that you can heal from all levels of addiction.
We have six modules: Foundations, Addiction, Cravings, False Pleasures, Emotional Pain/Distress, and Health. Since we target root causes, it works for typical addictions like drugs, alcohol, and prescriptions, as well as behavioral addictions like porn, food, gaming, and other vices.
What sets me apart from others is that I’m not a traditional Psychiatrist. While I do make diagnoses and prescribe, I went out of my way to train in several deeper forms of therapy that provide richer understandings of how we work. My patients appreciate that we can cover all kinds of questions and territory without fragmenting their care between different disciplines.
With Self Recovery, I’m most proud that we’re reaching people who would otherwise never have found treatment. We are now in 39 countries, and it’s special to know you provided a solution for someone living in an area of war, or too remote for treatment, or a mother who can do this in her evenings after the kids are in bed.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I believe that to be exceptional in the field of mental health, you need three ingredients. The first is that you need to truly appreciate that each person has their own reasons for doing what they do. If you ever find yourself “judging” them, it means you need to do more to understand their story.
The second skill is to have resilience through hardship. Even if you’re brilliant, if you give up too soon and can’t tolerate frustrations, you won’t get what you have to offer out into the world. This requires that you believe in yourself or your cause enough to withstand all of the very normal and expected problems along the way.
The last trait is to be incessantly curious. Patients are looking for better answers than common sense advice. The human condition is complex, and our emotional struggles need to be met with a genuine attempt to understand the nature of your suffering. If that’s not done, you’re just another good listener (or “cheerleader” as I call it).
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
I would say Jonathan Shedler has been the biggest influence and mentor in my professional life. I went into Psychiatry residency with a very basic idea and experience of how to do therapy. He consistently pushed my understandings of human nature, our inner workings, and how to translate into improvement for a patient using words. I learned there is more science to this than I ever imagined. He would listen or watch me, word by word, when I was performing therapy, able to offer wisdom at every turn. Just when I’d begin to think I had things figured out, he would add another layer of complexity. This is actually a similar process to what we do collaboratively with patients, and I have him to thank.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.selfrecovery.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/selfrecoveryhealth/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Selfrecoveryhealth
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielhochmanmd/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@selfrecovery
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/self-recovery-austin
