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An Actor’s Path to Recovery and Healing with Ned Van Zandt
Today’s guest on Beyond the Balance Sheet is Ned Van Zandt, a well-known actor and writer who has dedicated his time to helping those who struggle with substance use disorders and other mental health diagnoses. Ned is no stranger to the world of recovery because he has had his fair share of experiences with a transitional living home and has benefited from sobriety and mental health programs. Diana and Ned talk about his work as Program Director of Transcend Recovery NY and how giving back to others has been life-changing in his own story with addiction and recovery.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- [01:11] What drives Ned to do this work with others in the recovery realm
- [09:40] The world of acting, addiction, and the potential for self-aggrandizement
- [10:36] The counter intuitive act of giving back
- [12:44] The power of aiding and connecting with others
- [15:13] The nuances of tough love
- [16:32] Advice from Ned
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Helping other people actually helps you in your recovery process. It’s a counter intuitive thought but focusing on others helps you heal.
- In Ned’s experience, tough love and a refusal from his family to bail him out in his time of need were both the worst and best experiences of his life.
- There is a positive neurochemical response associated with giving back. When we give without expectation of receiving, our oxytocin and dopamine levels elevate!
BIO:
Ned Van Zandt has more than 15 years experience in the world of recovery. He is Program Director at Transcend Recovery NY. He has a passion for helping those who struggle with substance use disorder and other mental health diagnoses. He was inspired to work in the field after his own personal experience living in a transitional living home, which made him believe people can recover and change their lives for the better. Ned is also an actor and writer who has appeared in films, television and on Broadway.
Ned Van Zandt is best known for his roles in the films Coming Home, MacArthur, The Iron Orchard and HBO’s All The Way, as well as his work on shows “The Blacklist,” “Power,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and his very own one man show Del Valle.
