311, Nick Hexum, Part 2: Anxiety & Benzodiazepine Addiction Recovery with Michelle Naidenoff, LMFT

Mari Fong interviews Nick Hexum of 311 and expert Michelle Naidenoff, LMFT on anxiety and benzodiazepine addiction recovery, Part 2.

Welcome to the CHECK YOUR HEAD Podcast where notable musicians and experts share stories and solutions for mental help and addiction recovery. I’m your host Mari Fong, and today we have Part 2 of our interview of Nick Hexum of 311 and also his side solo project, with his latest album “Phases of Hope and Hollow.” 

Most people know Nick from the band 311, a band together for 35 years, but was once in jeopardy due to Hexum’s hidden addiction to benzodiazepines and alcohol. In Part 2, Nick shares his holistic solutions for anxiety, his experience with going “California Sober”, the difficulty and importance of facing your fears, and the freedom he felt after getting off his addiction to benzodiazepines, with brand names like Xanax, Ativan and Valium, along with getting sober from drinking and managing his recovery for decades. At the end of our episode, we’ll play a clip of a 311 Nation favorite, “Homebrew.”

For our featured expert, I’ve paired Nick’s story with Michelle Naidenoff, a licensed therapist with over 15 years experience working with those with mental health and substance abuse issues, and we talk about holistic solutions for those who’ve used benzodiazepines in the past, along with natural ways to soothe anxiety. As a bonus, Naidenoff is also a musician, having played percussion and a backup vocals for a variety of bands in the San Diego area.