We were lucky to catch up with Daniel Hochman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Daniel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear stories from your time in school/training/etc.

In medical school, I was so in the mode of science that I approached addiction as a problem that could improve with better logical choices. I still remember one guy with cirrhosis (in his case from decades of drinking) looking to me as if I had the answers, and I thought I had them. I sat there trying to explain to him how much better his life could be if he spent his time and money elsewhere, along with other superficial advice. Looking back I could not have been more unhelpful, but at the same time it helps me understand how most people try to approach self destructive behaviors and fail. It’s not easy to make sense of, but with years sitting with people in their actual place of suffering, you learn how addiction works.

Daniel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

How you got into this industry?  I chose this field because of my fascination with human behavior, particularly how we can knowingly do things that hurt ourselves even when we don’t want to. I transitioned from training to become an emergency room physician to a psychiatrist after I realized how meaningful the career could be. It has been rewarding the whole way, and my fascination with how we work has only grown.

What problems do you solve?
I’ve had the fortune to work under renowned addiction specialists who further sparked my interest in the field. By focusing on my curiosities about human behavior, I learned to follow the root causes of symptoms. This led me to develop a more comprehensive approach to addiction treatment, which ultimately led to the inception of the Self Recovery Program.

Good addiction care is incredibly hard to find. I created Self Recovery as a simple way for anyone to effectively overcome their problems without the typical barriers. That’s why it’s private, less than 1% the cost of rehab, and takes people on a meaningful journey to grow rather than a rules based approach.

I didn’t only want the program to be convenient. What’s most important is that it guides people to explore what actually causes their addiction and solve their personal puzzle. Our approach looks underneath the surface to understand the root emotions someone is trying to escape or numb.

What sets you apart?
What sets me apart from others is that I am not a traditional psychiatrist. Although I do make diagnoses and prescribe medications, I trained in several deeper forms of therapy to provide richer understandings of how we function. My patients appreciate that we can cover all kinds of questions and territory without fragmenting their care between different disciplines.

What are am proud of?
With Self Recovery, I am most proud that we are reaching people who would otherwise never have found treatment. We are now in 35 countries, and it’s gratifying to know that we provide a solution for a range of people. We’ve reached people living in war zones, executives who want to keep full privacy, people living in remote rural villages, and mothers who do this in their evenings after putting their kids to bed.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I went into this field, I already knew I wanted to focus on resolving underlying issues. That means acting primarily as a psychotherapist, and secondarily as a prescribing doctor. But when I sought business advice from other psychiatrists, I was told I’d never find enough patients who want a combined medical and therapy approach. It was demoralizing to get that far after eight years of medical training, only to hear that I couldn’t have the career I imagined. Fortunately I ignored that advice, opened up my practice, and have seen immense appreciation for this model.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

I believe that to be exceptional in any field, you need two things. You have to have resilience through hardship, and you need 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).

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

Image Credits
n/a