“Lived experience” is one of the most powerful tools in addiction medicine, and one of the easiest ways to accidentally get it wrong. When we tell a patient “I’ve been there,” we can create instant trust and reduce shame. We can also, without meaning to, steer care toward our own story, our own recovery path, or our own triggers. 

I sit down with Randall Law, a psychiatry physician assistant in Idaho who works in residential and outpatient addiction treatment with a heavy focus on dual diagnosis. Randall shares his own mental health journey, including an episode of manic psychosis that spiraled into a life-threatening crisis in Hawaii during COVID, and how he rebuilt his life and returned to clinical practice. We talk openly about anxiety, stability, and the daily work of staying well while caring for patients in some of their hardest moments. 

From there we get practical: when should a clinician share personal history, and when should we keep it private? Randall lays out simple decision rules for self-disclosure, and I share ways I flag the difference between anecdote and evidence so patients know what they are hearing. We also discuss validating psychosis without reinforcing delusions, why motivational interviewing and bedside manner are not “extras” in psychiatry, and how lived experience can support both patient recovery and provider resilience. 

If this conversation helps you think differently about boundaries, bias, peer support, or compassionate communication, please subscribe, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

To contact Dr. Grover: ammadeeasy@fastmail.com

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