How Addiction, Recovery, and a PHD Built a New Life with Dr. Zach Miller
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In this raw and powerful episode of Finding New Waters, we sit down with Dr. Zach Miller, co-founder of Solutions Healthcare and a man whose story defies the odds. Zach takes us from using IV opioids at 14 and living on the streets, to building a life in recovery, earning his GED, and eventually earning his PhD in under a year.

He opens up about the hard truths of early addiction, how structure and accountability helped him thrive, and the lessons he’s learned as a treatment provider and researcher. We also explore his dissertation, which revealed a surprising link between health insurance type and opioid overdose risk.

- [00:00] Welcome & Intro – Meet Dr. Zach Miller and his work in recovery

- [03:00] Early Addiction & Homelessness – IV opioid use at 14, kicked out in the snow

- [07:00] Wilderness Therapy & Mentorship – Finding purpose through pain

- [12:00] The Power of Structure – “I hate it, but I thrive in it”

- [17:00] Plus One Minus One – A brilliant recovery framework born from real experience

- [22:00] Getting a PhD in 11 Months – The journey back to academia

- [27:00] Dissertation Results – How insurance type predicts overdose frequency

- [34:00] Solutions Healthcare – His growing network of treatment centers in Florida

- [38:00] Final Words – On humility, leadership, and staying teachable

- From Addiction to Academia – How Zach rebuilt from nothing and never stopped

- The Importance of Structure – Why addicts often resist what they most need

- The “Plus One Minus One” Model – Self-awareness in action

- Overdose Data and Insurance – His PhD research explained

- Humility and Leadership in Recovery – Why ego is the biggest relapse risk

Dr. Zach Miller

PhD, Co-Founder of Solutions Healthcare

Dr. Zach Miller is a recovery advocate, entrepreneur, researcher, and co-founder of Solutions Healthcare, a growing network of treatment centers in Florida. After surviving childhood addiction and homelessness, he rebuilt his life through mentorship, structure, and relentless self-work. Today, he holds a PhD and leads with a trauma-informed, accountability-based philosophy that’s saving lives. His dissertation research uncovered how insurance types correlate with non-fatal opioid overdose rates—an insight that’s reshaping how we view access to care.

📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterthanideserve22)

🌐 Website: https://www.solutionshealthcarefl.com)

- Solutions Healthcare: https://www.solutionshealthcarefl.com)

- Plus One Minus One Framework

- Find a 12-Step Meeting: https://www.aa.org)

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newwatersrecovery)

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newwatersrecovery)

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-waters-recovery)

- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@newwatersrecovery_nc)

- Podcast Website: https://www.findingnewwaters.com)

- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4NOV2g85KExFWU5mTz5Gjw)

- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-new-waters/id1684075608)

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfAIXtiOgy1XFcwAduXgXw)

- YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuJOc6yLcjibGGAKgLYPCN47etJCY89mn)

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