In this culturally timely episode of the Nutritional Therapy and Wellness Podcast, Jamie Belz talks with Jacob Spehar—licensed mental health and addiction counselor and founder of Courageous Way Counseling. Together, they unpack the concept of “Death by Distraction”—how our dependence on screens, overstimulation, social media, hustle culture, and avoidance behaviors are not only numbing us but quietly stealing our joy and dismantling our families, physical and mental health, spiritual connection, and connections to one another.

Jake shares both clinical insights and practical tools for interrupting the dopamine loops, rewiring your life with intention, and simplifying your environment for healing and joy. Jamie gets vulnerable about her own struggles, and together, they explore what it really takes to step off the conveyor belt and start living. Expect raw call outs, practical ideas, and a push for radical change - starting with bold, countercultural choices.

This episode invites you to slow down and start leading your life and family with presence and purpose.

You’re not powerless. Start small. Go countercultural. It only seems hard until you do it. It only seems weird until everyone else starts doing it, too.

Topics Covered:

• Screen addiction, social media, dopamine dysregulation
• Time as our most valuable and fleeting asset
• Trauma as a root cause
• The link between distraction and self-medication
• Parenting and restoring the family unit
• Men’s mental health and community
• Why family meals, boredom, and silence matter
• Reclaiming mornings for neuroplasticity and spiritual alignment
• The invisible cost of overcommitment, youth sports, and the hustle
• How boundaries, presence, and “no” create better outcomes

Resources Mentioned:

• Find a PHWC or NTP

• The Body Keeps the Score, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk
• Codependent No More. Melody Beattie
• The Myth of Normal. Dr. Gabor Maté
• Raising Emotionally Healthy Kids, Eliza Huie
• The Mel Robbins Podcast (with Tay Gibson)
• The Huberman Lab Podcast (alcohol)
• The Anatomy of Trust, Brené Brown
• Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
• Gabe Bult

Connect with Jake: jacobspehar38@gmail.com

Connect with Jamie!⁠