Addiction Uncovering the Self-Help Strategies That Work With Dirty Heads Vocalist Jared Watson By Amy Morin, LCSW, Editor-in-Chief Published on December 06, 2021 Print Verywell / Julie Bang Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Meet Jared Watson Why Jared Watson Is Mentally Strong What You’ll Hear on the Show What You’ll Learn About Mental Health and Mental Strength Quotes From Jared More About the Podcast Every Monday on The Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, interviews authors, experts, entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, and other inspirational people about the strategies that help them think, feel, and do their best in life. Subscribe Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts Meet Jared Watson Jared Watson is the co-founder and lead vocalist in the band, Dirty Heads. Dirty Heads is a reggae, hip-hop, and rock band from Huntington Beach, California. The band has had several big hits, including “Lay Me Down,” which hit Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart in 2010. Their album, Sound of Change, debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard Top 200 in 2014. The band’s success has meant Jared has spent a large amount of his adult life on tour. He says he “partied for a living” which led to a drug and alcohol problem. He’s since gotten sober and has paved his own path to wellness. Why Jared Watson Is Mentally Strong Jared talks openly about his past struggles with addiction and how he got sober. He makes it clear that he didn’t just adopt someone else’s strategies or ways of thinking but instead experimented until he found what works best for him. It takes a lot of hard work and patience to identify the strategies that work best for you. But Jared is sharing how he discovered what works for him so that other people can discover what works best for them. An Overview of Substance Use What You’ll Hear on the Show Why Jared never doubted whether his band would successful How Jared’s addiction to alcohol and pills developed What made him want to get sober How he paved his own path to recovery Why he began treating himself like a science experiment How he uncovered the best diet, exercise, and self-help routine for himself Why he believes in ice baths and what it does for him The steps he’s taking to stay sober Why he thinks breathwork is so important How he pushes himself to do things he doesn’t want to do How he manages his mental health with diet, exercise, and self-help strategies The Healthiest Approaches to Self-Improvement What You’ll Learn About Mental Health and Mental Strength While there’s a lot of advice out there about what you should do to become the best version of yourself, the same things don’t work for everyone. It’s important to figure out what works best for you and that requires a fair amount of trial and error. You may need to do some mixing and matching from various self-help strategies to become the strongest and best version of yourself. Jared gives a great roadmap for identifying how you can discover what works best for your brain and your body. Quotes From Jared Jared Watson Every human being is different. It's up to you to find what helps your body feel good. — Jared Watson "I wasn't drinking to feel good. I was drinking to get through the day, like I was drinking to maintain. There was no more euphoria. There was no more fun." "I'm going to do something that sucks really bad today. And it might only take 30 minutes, but I'm just going to do it. And on the other side of it, I'm going to feel better and be a better person for everybody around me." "That whole wives’ tale where your grandma and your mom were saying most of your problems are because you don't drink enough water is true. It's incredibly true. Especially for mental health." "I want to find out exactly what works. What's optimal for me?" "Every human being is different. It's up to you to find what helps your body feel good." "I can just be the guinea pig. Like I'm just going to do all this weird stuff on myself and see what works." Best Online Sobriety Support Groups More About the Podcast The Verywell Mind Podcast is available across all streaming platforms. If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Reviews and ratings are a great way to encourage other people to listen and help them prioritize their mental health too. Download the Transcript Links and Resources Visit Dirty Heads’ website Follow Jared on Instagram: @JaredWatson What Is Recovery? If You Liked This Episode, You Might Also Like These Episodes How to Get Help That Actually Works With Multi-Platinum Singer Bryan Abrams Secrets to Stopping Alcohol Cravings With Dr. John Umhau Friday Fix: 5 Reasons You Should Stop Feeling Sorry for Yourself How to Maintain a Social Life When You’re Quitting Drinking By Amy Morin, LCSW, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk, "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? 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