Podcast Summary: The Determined Society with Shawn French

Episode: “White Sands: Addiction Recovery Redefined”
Date: September 26, 2025
Guest: Stephen Sundquist, White Sands Treatment Center

Episode Overview

Shawn French visits White Sands Treatment Center in Fort Myers, Florida, for an in-depth conversation with his longtime friend Stephen Sundquist, who shares his personal journey through addiction and into recovery work. The episode explores the evolving landscape of addiction recovery, the unique culture and holistic approach of White Sands, and the pressing challenges facing those struggling with substance abuse today—including the fentanyl crisis. The tone is honest, uplifting, often candid, and grounded in experience-driven insights aimed at providing hope and practical guidance.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Transformative Culture at White Sands

• Welcoming & Empathetic Environment

  • Patients are greeted with warmth and understanding, not judgment.

    “They’re met with love from the embrace at the doors, letting them know, hey, listen, you’re not alone.” — Stephen ([01:46])

  • Long-standing staff contributes to a sense of stability and safety.

    “Most of the therapists here have been here for an extended tenure … you have someone here that knows the program, knows how things work—clients get better experiences.” — Stephen ([01:06], elaborated at [45:36])

• Holistic Recovery Model

  • Facilities include model homes, a cafeteria, gym, group spaces, and structured—but flexible—community time.
  • Patients have choices around activities and therapy to fit their needs, countering stereotypes of sterility in rehab.

    “They all eat in the cafeteria at the same time and then go out and play cornhole and Connect Four, get a lift in, but also not disconnect from their families … I think it’s important for people to know that about this place.” — Shawn ([05:51])

• Balance Between Connection & Accountability

  • Maintaining contact with supportive family/friends is encouraged, but balanced with commitments to the recovery process.

2. Stephen’s Recovery Story: From Athlete to Advocate

• Origins of Addiction: Identity and Injury

  • Pain pill use began after a high school baseball injury, spiraling into an identity crisis after losing sports as his defining role.

    “I only knew myself as Steven the baseball player. I didn’t know who I was without sports … I spent the next seven, eight years searching for that high I never found.” — Stephen ([07:43])

• Breaking the Cycle: Multiple Attempts Needed

  • Recovery was not linear. Multiple rehab stints led to breakthrough moments.

    “I had to fall on my face a couple of times to really feel it … I realized I never really put forth the effort to be disciplined with my recovery.” — Stephen ([10:26]-[11:46])

• Embracing Vulnerability & Service

  • Key turning point: finding power in sharing his story, helping others, and rebuilding self-esteem through service and authenticity.

    “That was kind of like the aha moment for me … seeing the feedback from other people—‘Damn, thanks for sharing that, man, you helped me so much.’ It’s just something clicked for me in that moment.” — Stephen ([12:34])

3. Social Reintegration, Stigma, and Community

• Readjusting Relationships Post-Recovery

  • Direct conversations around outgrowing old friend groups and how hard it is for people in recovery to face lingering stigma.

    “If it’s not serving you, unfortunately it’s not really as important in your life as it once was … my friend groups changed over the years.” — Stephen ([14:18])

• Support Through Transition

  • White Sands emphasizes community—preparing patients for life outside, the likelihood of shifting social circles, and creating strong alumni networks.

    “There’s constant redirection with that … preparing for discharge, there’s a whole process to make sure they have resources lined up.” — Stephen ([15:29]) “That was probably one of the most beneficial times … conversing with the community and the support staff. Eventually it’s cool to see where the guests are able to hold another client accountable.” — Stephen ([16:44])

4. The Current Crisis: Fentanyl & the Lethal Risks of Addiction Today

• Heightened Risk of Overdose

  • The landscape has shifted—street drugs are often laced with fentanyl, dramatically increasing fatal overdose risk, even for first-time users.

    “One pill can literally kill you now … My former first baseman at Canterbury, Evan Ames … took a quarter of one. He died.” — Shawn ([20:15]-[21:22]) “They’re counterfeiting Xanax pills. I’ve even heard of it being laced in some marijuana for some of the adolescents … It’s terrible.” — Stephen ([22:26])

• The Pull of Addiction

  • Vivid insight into the mental and emotional battle of addiction: intentions to quit, cycles of obsession, hiding, and minimizing the problem.

    “You can have the best intentions one day and wake up, say, ‘I’m not gonna do it today’ … Something happens and it restarts the insanity in your head. You can try to trick yourself any which way … you’ll never get out of it like that.” — Stephen ([19:08])

5. Breaking the Shame: Asking for Help & Masculinity

• Barriers in Seeking Treatment

  • Social stigma, self-reliance, and gendered expectations make it particularly difficult for men to ask for help.

    “Everything within that person most of the time wants to deny there’s a problem … It’s tough for a lot of men to ask for help, first of all. That’s kind of what prevented me from asking for help for so many years.” — Stephen ([27:32])

• Role of Peer Support

  • Recovery finds its greatest power in community with others who’ve walked the same path.

    “You’re equipped to help and support the person you once were.” — Shawn ([17:39])

6. Systems & Solutions: Marchman Act and Policy Gaps

• Marchman Act vs. Baker Act

  • Florida’s unique law for involuntary commitment to addiction treatment—Stephen notes why its adoption outside Florida could be life-saving.

    “Marchman act is a similar process, but it’s more geared towards getting them to treatment for an extended period of time … I feel all states should adopt that.” — Stephen ([29:07], [30:53])

• Systemic Hurdles

  • Frustration over slow progress in policy solutions for the drug crisis—Shawn and Stephen critique disparities in state laws and broader inaction.

    “Every state has the ability to do it. What’s holding them back?” — Stephen ([32:20])

7. Holistic Healing & The Root Cause of Addiction

• Individualized, Whole-Person Care
  • Lasting recovery focuses not just on symptoms but underlying trauma and mental health, with therapy, physical health, spiritual wellness, and social connections integrated into treatment.

    “It’s about the whole person, with just the holistic healing—you know, the mental approach, the physical … it correlates to overall wellness for anybody.” — Stephen ([40:55]) “There’s always an underlying issue … for me, it was underlying trauma as a child, or how I chose to suppress things … I realized that, okay, I’m a runner.” — Stephen ([43:00])

8. The Clinical Team: White Sands’ “Secret Sauce”

• Experienced, Stable Staff

  • White Sands boasts longevity among therapists thanks to supportive management and a healthy organizational culture.

    "Most of the therapists here have been here for an extended tenure … Lindsay’s had it all starts with Lindsay. Lindsey Henry is the VP of Clinical Services at White Sands and she’s phenomenal at what she does." — Stephen ([45:36])

• Importance of Continuity of Care

  • Low patient-to-therapist ratios and consistent support enhance outcomes and allow for more individualized treatment.

    “They keep it under a certain amount … so it feels like that individuality in care, which is so important.” — Stephen ([47:58])

9. Determination, Discipline, and the Ongoing Journey

• Definitions of Determination

  “I feel like action is determination … that’s when the change is made, man.” — Stephen ([48:45])

  • Discipline and consistent, sometimes unglamorous, daily action lead to recovery and growth.

• Balance vs. Presence

  • Life balance is a myth; presence—with others, with one’s own recovery—is the true goal.

    “What we really need to shoot for is presence.” — Shawn ([39:11]) “When you’re with your daughter … it’s not about staying there for the 18 holes. … You were present with her. That’s what wins.” — Shawn ([39:44])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the power of vulnerability:

  “If I didn’t tell somebody, they probably wouldn’t know I had been through that today … I can literally bring up the exact emotions, the exact feelings of how it feels to be stuck in that place and a slave to a substance.” — Stephen ([18:03])

• On harmful stigma and social adjustment:

  “If someone’s talking negatively about you all the time, they’re probably not the best for you to have in your life.” — Stephen ([14:18])

• On the clinical team:

  “That’s your guys’ secret sauce … the clinical aspect and the longevity of everybody here, that’s what sets this place apart.” — Shawn ([46:35])

• On the perils of addiction:

  “When I’m in that place, like, I didn’t care about living or dying … you just get to this place where you lose all control and you need that fix to feel like you can survive.” — Stephen ([25:02])

• On finding meaning after recovery:

  “Anybody that goes through this process will have the same calling in a sense, and that’s just to pay it forward, help the next person in line. That’s just what I’ve done.” — Stephen ([07:43])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• White Sands Culture and Facilities: [03:11] - [06:54]
• Stephen’s Story: Addiction Origin & Recovery: [07:37] - [10:26]
• Treatment Center Differences: [10:15] - [12:34]
• Facing Stigma & Social Reintegration: [13:11] - [16:44]
• Fentanyl and the Lethality of Modern Addiction: [20:15] - [24:44]
• Barriers to Asking for Help: [27:31] - [28:20]
• The Marchman Act & Policy Frustrations: [29:07] - [32:17]
• Determination, Discipline, and Balance: [36:53] - [41:28]
• Attacking the Root Cause: [41:28] - [45:00]
• Clinical Team & Secret Sauce: [45:00] - [47:58]
• Closing Reflections: [48:45] - [50:13]

Takeaways

• Recovery is multifaceted, deeply personal, and requires more than just abstaining from substances—it demands holistic, individualized care in a supportive community.
• Connection to others, the willingness to be vulnerable, and the support of people with lived experience are crucial for lasting change.
• Addiction increasingly carries immediate lethal risk, making urgency in seeking help more pressing than ever.
• Systems like the Marchman Act offer pathways to help—greater adoption and improved policy could increase lives saved.
• Long-term recovery success is tied to addressing root causes, not just managing symptoms.
• True determination is discipline in action, even—especially—when it’s difficult.

For those struggling or supporting someone in recovery, White Sands serves as an example of hope and innovation in the field. As Shawn and Stephen remind us: You are not alone, and healing is possible.

End of summary.