Dr. S introduces a 3–4 episode series sparked by a conversation with Charlie Engle, focusing not on demonizing “the addict” but on what happens to those who love someone with addiction. She describes how a partner, parent, or friend can become a rescuer/fixer whose life reorganizes around monitoring, preventing crises, and managing the other person’s mood, creating a shared nervous-system dynamic marked by hypervigilance and chronic stress. She links this to health costs (sleep, immune, metabolic dysregulation), coping/bypassing behaviors, and the impact on children’s modeling of love and boundaries. Framing codependency as safety becoming tied to regulating another’s behavior, she argues rescuing can become an “invisible addiction” and emphasizes that recovery belongs to the individual. The episode sets up the next question: why people stay in these patterns so long.

00:00 Series Purpose
04:12 Three Big Questions
06:59 Loving Someone Addicted
10:06 Addiction Takes Many Forms
11:21 The Rescuer Role
16:02 Hidden Health Costs
19:48 Kids and Modeling
20:51 Codependency Reframed
23:03 Why We Get Pulled In
24:57 Why We Stay So Long
26:35 Wrap Up and Next Episode

Connect with Dr Safia Debar

Dr Safia Debar
Speaker / Coach | Medical Doctor | Breathwork Facilitator

One of Tatler's "Top 21 private doctors in Britain" 2020
www.drsafiadebar.com
contact@drsafiadebar.com
IG: @drsafiadebar
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In this episode of 'Master Stress with Dr. S,' Dr. Safia Debar delves into the critical importance of gut health and its fundamental role in overall wellness. She begins by stressing the interconnected nature of gut health with various body systems, emphasizing that ignoring gut issues can impact hormones, the neuroendocrine system, and the immune system, among others. Dr. Debar lists symptoms that warrant medical attention, explains what the gut ecosystem entails, and highlights the significance of the gut microbiome. She draws an analogy between the gut and a garden that needs to be cultivated for long-term stability and health. Factors negatively affecting gut health, such as chronic stress and poor diet, are discussed, alongside practical tips to improve gut function through regular meals, mindful eating, and nervous system regulation. The episode also touches on how integrative approaches combining conventional and functional medicine can offer a more comprehensive understanding and treatment of gut health issues.

00:00 Introduction to Gut Health
02:25 Recognizing Gut Symptoms
05:10 Understanding the Gut Ecosystem
06:57 The Microbiome: Our Inner Garden
13:34 Factors Affecting Gut Health
15:10 Mindful Eating and Gut Awareness
26:06 Integrative Approach to Gut Health
29:08 Conclusion and Next Steps

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Dr Safia Debar
Speaker / Coach | Medical Doctor | Breathwork Facilitator

One of Tatler's "Top 21 private doctors in Britain" 2020
www.drsafiadebar.com
contact@drsafiadebar.com
IG: @drsafiadebar
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Find our free resources here: www.drsafiadebar.com/resource

Dr. S continues the podcast’s addiction theme by reframing “why can’t they just stop?” through a medical lens, emphasizing addiction as stress, attachment, and reward dysregulation rather than a simple substance problem. She explains how addictive substances and behaviors alter dopamine-based reinforcement, downregulate receptors, activate stress systems, and weaken impulse control, making addiction compulsive and self-regulating for distress. The episode prioritizes medical stabilization and supervised detox—especially for dangerous withdrawals like alcohol and benzodiazepines—and reviews treatments such as thiamine and benzodiazepines for alcohol withdrawal and methadone/buprenorphine for opioid dependence. She surveys alcohol, drugs, gambling, eating disorders, and high-performing behavioral addictions, then outlines longer-term recovery: therapy, trauma-informed work, communities, nervous system regulation, rebuilding relationships and meaning, and redirecting intensity into constructive pursuits. She advises starting with a GP, seeking urgent care for emergencies, approaching loved ones with compassionate curiosity, and using listed support resources.

00:00 Why Can’t They Stop
03:26 Addiction Is Stress
06:38 Brain Reward Circuitry
12:37 Medical Detox First
15:59 Alcohol Addiction Basics
17:19 Drug Addiction Risks
17:48 Gambling Without Substances
19:17 Eating Disorders Overview
21:33 Hidden Behavioral Addictions
23:59 Healing Underlying Drivers
30:31 Rebuilding Life in Recovery
33:57 Where to Start Getting Help
36:28 Supporting Loved Ones Safely
39:06 Resources and Final Takeaway

Practical resources:

• GP / NHS primary care
• NHS Addiction Services
• Talk to Frank (drug support)
• Alcohol Change UK
• GamCare (gambling addiction)
• Beat Eating Disorders
• Alcoholics Anonymous / Narcotics Anonymous

Connect with Dr Safia Debar

Dr Safia Debar
Speaker / Coach | Medical Doctor | Breathwork Facilitator

One of Tatler's "Top 21 private doctors in Britain" 2020
www.drsafiadebar.com
contact@drsafiadebar.com
IG: @drsafiadebar
Tiktok: drsafiadebar

Find our free resources here: www.drsafiadebar.com/resource

Reflecting on episode 58 with Charlie Engle—who moved from crack and alcohol addiction to endurance running—the host focuses on the process of moving from despair to thriving by understanding dopamine, addiction, and stress physiology. Dopamine is framed as anticipation and motivation, not just pleasure, and repeated high “spikes” (from substances, social media, achievement, or validation) desensitize receptors, raising the baseline and making ordinary life feel flat, driving further chasing. Addiction is presented less as “the thing” and more as attachment, pain avoidance, nervous system dysregulation, and identity reinforcement, with high performance often mirroring addictive loops. The episode explains stress inoculation: voluntary, time-limited hardship followed by recovery builds resilience and rewires fear circuitry, but using hardship to avoid emotion reinforces dissociation. Practical dopamine-reset themes include reducing artificial spikes, increasing effort-based rewards, reintroducing boredom, prioritizing sleep, exploring stress, daily movement, and building relational safety, alongside asking “what am I addicted to?” and telling oneself the truth.

00:00 From Despair to Process
03:01 Why Wiring Matters
04:30 Dopamine Myth Explained
05:50 Peaks Valleys Baseline
08:47 Addiction Beyond Substances
12:09 Stress Inoculation Tools
17:44 Hardship vs Avoidance
21:00 Discipline or Compulsion
25:02 Resetting Dopamine Baseline
30:59 Redirect the Addict Within
34:29 Truth Questions and Wrap

Connect with Dr Safia Debar

Dr Safia Debar
Speaker / Coach | Medical Doctor | Breathwork Facilitator

One of Tatler's "Top 21 private doctors in Britain" 2020
www.drsafiadebar.com
contact@drsafiadebar.com
IG: @drsafiadebar
Tiktok: drsafiadebar

Find our free resources here: www.drsafiadebar.com/resource

Dr. S continues a conversation with ultra-runner Charlie Engel about addiction as part of human evolution, the loss of identity and belonging that can come with quitting substances, and the need to develop skills for grief, transition, and loneliness rather than numbing out. Engel describes getting sober on July 23, 1992 by committing to an AA meeting and a run every day, taking sobriety one day at a time, and how this helped him become a father and husband, though he later divorced amicably. He explains how endurance running taught him to avoid catastrophizing, focus on the next “aid station,” and make clear-headed decisions rather than quitting in emotional moments. Engel recounts running across the Sahara for 111 consecutive days at two marathons per day, learning to detach from outcomes, and he previews a planned expedition from the Dead Sea to Mount Everest as a metaphor for life’s peaks and valleys, emphasizing integration over constant self-help consumption and prioritizing basic movement like walking for longevity.

00:00 Welcome Back Part Two
01:13 Beyond Shame and Numbing
02:27 Identity After Quitting
05:48 Meetings and Running Daily
09:57 Running as Mind Training
16:21 Ultra Performance Questions
19:12 Sahara Run and Mindset
22:16 Travel Trust and Humanity
27:15 Everest Metaphor Peaks Valleys
33:25 Integration Over Consumption
36:09 Longevity Basics and Walking
37:44 Closing Reflections Thanks

Connect with Dr Safia Debar

Dr Safia Debar
Speaker / Coach | Medical Doctor | Breathwork Facilitator

One of Tatler's "Top 21 private doctors in Britain" 2020
www.drsafiadebar.com
contact@drsafiadebar.com
IG: @drsafiadebar
Tiktok: drsafiadebar

Find our free resources here: www.drsafiadebar.com/resource

Dr. S interviews ultrarunner and author Charlie Engle about addiction, wellness, and the choices people make in response to hardship. Engle recounts his years of crack cocaine and alcohol addiction, prison time, and later extreme endurance running, and discusses how “healthy” addictions can still be criticized due to others’ fear of losing belonging. He traces contributing factors to insecurity, loneliness, and early life experiences, describing how alcohol initially brought comfort but led to predictable cycles of destruction and attempted resets. He explains the codependent dynamics with his first wife, argues ultimatums don’t work, and emphasizes caregiver self-care, avoiding enabling, and letting consequences land. Engle lists prior attempts to change (AA, church, a shaman, meditation) and describes a final binge after his son’s birth that led to a sincere prayer to stop feeling his inner burden. He advises asking how a behavior is serving you rather than debating labels.

00:00 Meet Charlie Engle
03:38 Addiction and Wellness
06:29 Fear and Tribe Dynamics
11:35 Roots of Addiction
19:15 Wiring and Binge Patterns
22:01 Codependency and Enabling
29:02 The Moment of Sobriety
32:35 What He Tried Before
36:57 Ask the Right Question
39:17 Part One Wrap Up

Connect with Dr Safia Debar

Dr Safia Debar
Speaker / Coach | Medical Doctor | Breathwork Facilitator

One of Tatler's "Top 21 private doctors in Britain" 2020
www.drsafiadebar.com
contact@drsafiadebar.com
IG: @drsafiadebar
Tiktok: drsafiadebar

Find our free resources here: www.drsafiadebar.com/resource

In the final episode of a three-part series on gut health, Dr. S and guest Haley Paul discuss preferred gut tests, how to choose them based on clinical needs and budget, and principles of supplementation. Hayley compares tests including GI 360 Complete (noting add-ons like H. pylori), GI-MAP as a more cost-effective but less replicable option that includes markers such as calprotectin, secretory IgA, enzymatic markers, H. pylori, and an IgA reaction to wheat, and GutID for deeper microbiome profiling that currently lacks functional digestion data. She shares a case where GutID identified an overgrown commensal bacteria linked to the client’s homeland exposure, helping reduce longstanding severe diarrhea (up to 12 explosive bowel movements daily) to three normal bowel movements within four months, alongside bile acid support. They also mention GI Effects and Vibrant’s Gut Zoomer, and note Haley often pairs gut testing with hormone analysis (including cortisol) and an organic acids test. On supplements, both emphasize food and lifestyle first—diet, exercise, and sleep as foundational (with sedentary behavior and ≤6 hours sleep associated with lower microbial diversity)—and describe supplements as temporary tools to address gaps and fast-track recovery rather than lifelong regimens. Haley supports baseline supplementation for highly stressed city professionals, advocates food-based, low/slow dosing when possible, highlights widespread magnesium insufficiency, suggests non-oral options like Epsom salt baths, discusses winter low serotonin and SAD with preference for light therapy over supplements (though 5-HTP may be used), and recommends vitamin D support in the UK typically from October to March based on testing. They underline personalization, strategic use of adaptogens ahead of predictable stress (noting they may take up to six weeks), and the goal of patient autonomy. Haley shares how to find her (Haley Paul on Dr. Phi), her clinic Habitude, and her practice locations and consultation options (HCA Outpatients on Wimpole Street, Portland Hospital privileges, in-person Thursdays and online on other days). The episode closes with encouragement to start small with practical steps like adding apples, chia and flax (soaked), and focusing on hydration.

Connect with Dr Safia Debar

Dr Safia Debar
Speaker / Coach | Medical Doctor | Breathwork Facilitator

One of Tatler's "Top 21 private doctors in Britain" 2020
www.drsafiadebar.com
contact@drsafiadebar.com
IG: @drsafiadebar
Tiktok: drsafiadebar

Find our free resources here: www.drsafiadebar.com/resource

Part two of Dr. S’s three-part gut health series with guest Hayley Paul focuses on common digestive issues and practical, individualized approaches. They discuss constipation and why it’s not always just a lack of fiber or water, emphasizing experimenting with different fibers (ground flaxseed, soaked chia seeds, stewed apples for apple pectin, beetroot, and careful low-dose psyllium with plenty of water). They cover reasons constipation can persist despite dietary changes, including structural factors, psychological factors (anxiety, depression, trauma), bowel retraining, medications, and methane SIBO, which is strongly linked to slow transit and can be a “game changer” when treated. They also discuss chronic diarrhea patterns, often linked to overgrowth, and the importance of assessing triggers like dairy (lactose intolerance) and fatty meals (including bile acid malabsorption), with stool characteristics as clues. For reflux, they explain how low stomach acid can cause heartburn through slowed digestion and fermentation pressure, note common trigger foods, caution against long-term OTC antacid/PPI use without investigation, and recommend GP testing for Helicobacter pylori, which is common in the UK and can suppress stomach acid while increasing ulcer and stomach cancer risk. The episode then explores how gut bacteria influence hormone activation, recycling, and elimination via beta-glucuronidase (affected by certain bacteria and high-protein diets), and how shifts during perimenopause/menopause can affect symptoms; they also describe emerging research linking gut dysbiosis, reduced microbial diversity, and increased inflammatory bacteria with PCOS and endometriosis (including interest in Fusobacterium). Finally, they outline what a clinician-led gut protocol can look like: starting with dietary fundamentals (including “crowding out”), then using accredited comprehensive stool testing beyond standard GP pathogen-focused tests to assess microbes, enzymes, inflammatory markers, and zonulin. They describe the protocol phases (Remove, Replace, Re-inoculate, and sometimes Repair), including possible supports like bitters, betaine HCl (with caution), ox bile, lactase, pancreatic enzymes, targeted probiotics (including Saccharomyces boulardii), retesting after pausing probiotics, and leaky-gut supports such as L-glutamine (with caution for excitatory symptoms), marshmallow root, and zinc carnosine, mentioning specific supplement brands used in practice. They close by stressing personalization, avoiding supplement guesswork, and previewing part three on testing and protocols.

Connect with Dr Safia Debar

Dr Safia Debar
Speaker / Coach | Medical Doctor | Breathwork Facilitator

One of Tatler's "Top 21 private doctors in Britain" 2020
www.drsafiadebar.com
contact@drsafiadebar.com
IG: @drsafiadebar
Tiktok: drsafiadebar

Find our free resources here: www.drsafiadebar.com/resource