Trapped to Triumphant: Justin McMillen on Breaking Addiction & Finding Purpose in Recovery

Trapped to Triumphant: Justin McMillen on Breaking Addiction & Finding Purpose in Recovery

Author: Dr Daniel & Tana Amen April 27, 2026 Duration: 55:23
Feeling trapped is one of the most painful parts of addiction—but Justin McMillen proves that breaking free is possible. In this episode, he walks through the key turning points that helped him shift from feeling powerless to taking back control. After years of battling his own addiction, Justin McMillen set out to help others recover from addiction. In 2008, he established Tree House Sober Living, an organization dedicated to sheltering those new in recovery without anywhere else to go. After spending years watching people recover only to relapse in an endless cycle, Justin began studying substance use disorder. The sober living residence became a laboratory for his research that would ultimately lead to today's most innovative addiction treatment solution. For Justin, this work is deeply personal and spiritual. He believes that his purpose is to put an end to as much unnecessary suffering in the world as possible during his lifetime. Justin is relentlessly driven to advance the mission of Tree House, to save as many lives as
possible by transforming how addiction is thought about, talked about, understood, and treated
around the world. His focus is on positioning the organization to establish new national
benchmarks for what is possible in substance use disorder treatment.

What if the small, daily decisions you make about food, thought patterns, and lifestyle are actively shaping your biology for better or worse? That’s the central exploration you’ll find within Change Your Brain Every Day, a conversation hosted by Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen. Moving beyond theory, this podcast delivers practical, actionable strategies rooted in clinical experience. Each episode feels like a direct consultation, where the Amens translate complex neuroscience into clear steps anyone can use. You’ll hear them discuss how specific habits influence conditions like anxiety, focus, and low mood, offering a tangible sense of agency over your own mental and physical well-being. The tone is both authoritative and deeply encouraging, stripping away the overwhelm that often accompanies health advice. Rather than promising a single miracle cure, the focus is on sustainable, incremental change-the kind that compounds over weeks and months to create lasting results. Tuning into this podcast is an investment in understanding the direct connection between your daily life and your brain’s health. It’s for anyone who feels stuck in unhelpful cycles or is simply curious about optimizing their mind. The Amens act as guides, providing the tools to not just manage symptoms, but to fundamentally reshape your approach to your own health journey, one day at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Change Your Brain Every Day
Podcast Episodes
Dr. Daniel Amen's: 11 Simple Food Rules for a Healthy Brain & Body [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:40
Food is medicine, or it's poison. Knowing what to eat and having the discipline to stick to the plan are usually the biggest game-changers for improving the health of both your body and your brain. In this video, Dr. Ame…
Hijacked Brains: The Science of Addiction and How to Heal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:43
On this episode of Change Your Brain Every Day, host Dr. Daniel Amen sits down with renowned addiction expert Mark Gold for a powerful, eye-opening conversation about addiction—and why it has far more to do with brain he…
What Brings Out Judgmental Tendencies in People? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:51
Responsibility is one of Tana's favorite words because it's a word that helped her get through a difficult time in her life. However, many people tend to confuse the word 'responsibility' with 'blame', which can lead to…
Tarek El Moussa: Extreme Makeover Brain Health Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:53
On this week's episode of Change Your Brain Every Day, Dr. Amen sits down with real estate investor and TV personality Tarek El Moussa. Tarek came to see Dr. Amen 1-year ago and his brain was struggling. This episode is…
A Psychiatrist's Tips for Teaching Children Problem Solving Skills [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:29
As parents, we often care so much about our children's well-being that we will do whatever we can to make things easier for them. However, when we step in to fix our children's problems, are we helping them or hurting th…