18Forty Podcast Shaanan Gelman & His Son: When a Child Becomes Addicted [Divergence VI 2/4]
Mar 17, 2026
Zerachia (Ziggy) Gelman, who lived with substance use disorder and found recovery through peer support, and Shaanan Gelman, a rabbi and community leader navigating parenting through crisis. They discuss how casual use became addiction. They recount medical trauma, concealed relapses, a frightening LSD incident, urgent moves to inpatient care, and how Jewish peer communities and AA supported recovery.
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Addiction Begins With Existential Pain
- Addiction often stems from the pain of existence rather than drug pleasure.
- Rabbi David Byshevkin (host) cites Rabbi Chase Taub: loneliness and lack of belonging drive escapism into substances.
A Hug Broke The Cycle Of Shame
- Jack McEnroe describes his father hugging him amid a messy apartment instead of scolding him, which changed his view of blame.
- The moment showed compassion can interrupt shame and open a path toward recovery.
Medical Trauma And Isolation Preceded Substance Use
- Shaanan Gelman describes Ziggy's senior year in 2020 spent largely in hospital with surgeries and isolation.
- That medical trauma and COVID isolation preceded Ziggy obtaining a legal medical marijuana card and later substance use.
