Normalizing mental health, healing from substance abuse and addiction with Jay Shifman

Jay Shifman is an open book. A vulnerable storyteller and stigma-destroying speaker, podcaster, and event host, Jay’s story of struggle is familiar to the millions of people the world over who also struggle with issues of mental health, substance misuse, and addiction. Now in long-term recovery, it is Jay’s mission to encourage difficult conversations and honest education concerning these and similar struggles. Jay founded his company, Choose Your Struggle, in 2015 with two distinct goals; ending stigma and ensuring that those who struggle receive the help they deserve. A fervent believer in radical honesty and the simple fact that neither struggle nor recovery should be treated as a one-size-fits-all experience, Jay uses his voice, and his platforms to educate, entertain, and empower. Looking to make these conversations even more accessible, Jay launched the Choose Your Struggle podcast in early 2020. In a short amount of time, Choose Your Struggle is already in the top .2% of worldwide listenership and has cracked numerous top lists and venerable rankings. The show combines vulnerable storytelling and expert education around the topics of mental health, substance misuse & recovery, and drug use & policy. Past guests have included former congress member Katie Hill, celebrated authors John Hudak and Gregg Clunis, and advocates Tessa Xuan, Elizabeth Mckissick, and Michelle Kuei.  An accomplished orator in his own right, Jay has numerous speaking and storytelling events to his name. He prides himself on his practiced approach of drawing in the listener while discussing hard topics in a way that puts a human face on struggles that we often discuss in a dehumanizing way. Not content with only one platform, in 2021 Jay began producing two narrative event series, Rock Bottom Storytellers and A Day in the Life, which give voice to shared experiences, normalize discussing periods of struggle, and seek to build a community around our shared cultural love of a good story! Both events are currently virtual w