Episode 366: From Unthinkable Tragedy to Transformed Life: Finding Hope After Unimaginable Loss with Burton Fischler
The Addicted Mind Podcast
Duane Osterlind, LMFT
4.7 • 655 Ratings
🗓️ 29 December 2025
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this deeply moving episode of The Addicted Mind, host Duane Osterlind sits down with Burton Fischler, author of The Gift: Trauma to Triumph. Burton shares a harrowing personal journey marked by unimaginable loss—the murder of his wife, Barbara, at the hands of her son who struggled with severe mental illness and addiction.
Burton discusses how he navigated the dark abyss of PTSD and grief, eventually finding a path toward healing through writing, nature, and service. Now a substance addiction counselor, Burton explains the intersection of trauma and addiction and offers a message of profound hope for anyone feeling lost in the darkness.
Key Highlights
- A Tragic Turning Point: Burton recounts the heartbreaking events leading up to his wife’s death and the systemic failures that preceded the tragedy.
- The Weight of Trauma: Moving beyond "talk therapy" to understand how trauma lives in the body and the reality of living with PTSD.
- The Power of Writing: How documenting his journey for eight hours a day became a lifeline and a tool for self-discovery.
- Gratitude vs. Joy: The shift from waiting for joy to practicing gratitude as a foundational step toward recovery.
- Neuroplasticity and Choice: Understanding that while we cannot "think" our way into right action, we can act our way into right thinking by rewiring the brain through healthy habits.
- The Wisdom of Trauma: Why Burton chose to become a substance abuse counselor and how his own pain allows him to connect deeply with his clients.
During the conversation, Burton emphasizes the importance of replacing negative feedback loops with positive ones. This process leverages the brain's natural ability to change.
- Breaking Isolation: Moving from secrecy and shame to human connection.
- Nature and Awe: Finding symbols of resilience in the natural world (like a flower growing through concrete).
- Holistic Practice: Incorporating meditation, nutrition, and movement to support the "rewiring" of the mind.
Notable Quotes
"It is not joyfulness that makes us grateful. It's gratitude that makes us joyful." — Burton Fischler (referencing Brother David Steindl-Rast)
"If children after they fell did not get up and try again, we would have a world of people on their knees." — Burton Fischler
"There are two ways to look at life: one is that nothing is a miracle, and the other is that everything is." — Burton Fischler (referencing Albert Einstein)
Resources Mentioned
- Book: The Gift: Trauma to Triumph by Burton Fischler
- Poetry: T.S. Eliot
- References: Viktor Frankl (Man's Search for Meaning), Gabor Maté, and Bill Wilson (AA).
Connect with Burton Fischler
- Website: traumatotriumph.club
- Coaching: coachburton.com
- Social Media: Follow @BurtonFischler on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
If you live in California and are looking for counseling or therapy please check out Novus Mindful Life Counseling and Recovery Center
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of The Addicted Mind podcast. |
| 0:04.9 | My name is Dwayne Austerlund and I'm your host. |
| 0:12.6 | I wrote it because I had to. |
| 0:14.8 | I had to do it to help heal myself. |
| 0:17.6 | I didn't know if I would be successful. |
| 0:20.3 | So here I am writing eight hours a day |
| 0:22.7 | and not knowing what the end of the story is. |
| 0:31.1 | Today we have an incredible guest, Burton Fisler. Joining us, Burton is the author of The Gift, Trauma to Triumph, a powerful memoir that |
| 0:41.2 | chronicles his journey through unimaginable trauma and his path to healing and transformation. |
| 0:48.0 | Burton holds a master's degree in psychology from New York University and turned his own experiences |
| 0:53.8 | with substance abuse and mental |
| 0:55.9 | illness into a mission to help others. He's a certified life coach, a credentialed alcohol |
| 1:01.5 | and substance abuse counselor, and a certified clinical trauma professional. Currently, he provides |
| 1:07.2 | substance abuse counseling and facilitates trauma recovery groups at a medically supervised |
| 1:12.7 | outpatient program in New York City. In this episode, Burton will share his deeply personal story |
| 1:18.4 | of resilience, discuss the profound connection between trauma and addiction, and offer insights |
| 1:24.6 | from his book, a raw and inspiring account of overcoming life's darkest moments, |
| 1:30.8 | including loss, addiction, mental illness, and family crisis. |
| 1:35.9 | His story is one of hope, healing, and rising above when life really does feel impossible. |
| 1:44.6 | This is an episode you won't want to miss, so stay tuned. |
| 1:54.8 | All right, everyone, welcome to the Addicted Mind podcast. |
| 1:59.0 | I have Burton Fishler with me today, and he is going to talk about his book, |
... |
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