Escaping Rock Bottom

Ryan Young is the Admissions Director at one of the country's premiere treatment centers - Sabino Recovery - that focuses on treating trauma through the advancements of science: EMDR, Equine Therapy, Brain Mapping, and so much more. His story is powerful. He grew up in beautiful Orange County. But, he just couldn't quit drinking & partying. Every time he drank, he would black out. Now, after multiple visits to rehab and a few relapses, he's on the leadership team at Sabino Recovery helping so many people heal from their trauma. 

Chris Taylor is a former congressional candidate in Arizona who relapsed on heroin just months before the election. He pulled out of the race to focus on his recovery. He's also a combat veteran who specialized in psychological warfare. He suffered PTSD after multiple deployments. Sadly, he and his wife lost a child as well. That untreated trauma eventually surfaced and it ended with Chris almost dying from a relapse. He explains how this relapse has changed his life in the best way. In fact, he calls it a blessing. Now 10 months sober, her shares his experience, strength & hope.

Sean grew up with wonderful parents who worked as first responders. He was always taught right from wrong. He never suffered any severe trauma as a child, but he did feel like he didn't belong. He got hooked on pain pills which eventually led him down a dark road to heroin. He was near death in the hospital. His parents refused to see him until he committed to treatment. After about a dozen stops at treatment centers, Sean finally found Calvary Healing Center in Arizona. Its that program that saved his life and set him up for long term success in recovery. He explains how he got sober and is staying sober. 

Thomas Isbell is a recovered addict with a powerful, personal story about addiction and recovery. Thomas is now the owner of Sabino Recovery in Arizona. Its a treatment center that focuses on healing trauma & addiction.Treatment plans are developed around the specific needs of each resident. There are no “treatment tracks,” which means each resident’s treatment plan is developed after the person arrives. In addition, progress is closely monitored and the multi-disciplinary team makes real-time adjustments based on the resident’s needs. Sabino Recovery is a treatment program shaped by the latest research in neuroscience. Every therapeutic modality they employ is informed by what they know about the brain. They support healing through leveraging therapies which boost neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural pathways. Additionally, they offer QEEG Brain Mapping – a powerful tool which measures the electrical function of the brain, providing data to prioritize and optim

Every one of us has a different path on our road to recovery. No one path is better than another. Each person has their own journey. Jeff admits he was a violent kid who had a lot of anger issues. Eventually it led him down a destructive path with drugs that included heroin. He had 5 years of sobriety, then relapsed. After his last relapse, he knew he had to do something different. He chose the recovery program at Cornerstone Healing Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. He says that program helped change his life forever. Jeff says something is different this time. Listen to his full story here.

If you live in Arizona, you may recognize the name Ryan Starzyk. He's a veteran who just recently ran for state senate, but lost the race in 2020. He reached out to me asking if I would listen to his story because he had read my book, "Mascara Boy", and said he related to it. So, I invited him on the podcast and I'm so glad he reached out. We don't talk politics on this podcast. We talk about our road to recovery. He's newly sober. In fact, he's on day 72 clean from alcohol on this date 11/28/2020. Remember, none of us are perfect. We all make bad judgement calls in life. When someone falls, reach out and help them.

Bill Boyer is a veteran who served in our military. He suffered abuse as a child. He faced discrimination under the military policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". He ended up numbing his reality with booze and hardcore drugs. Now, Bill works on the leadership team at Community Bridges, Inc. in the Valley. He helps others get sober and build a new life through their treatment program. His story is inspiring. *Sponsored by: Community Bridges, Inc. 

Patrick's story is powerful. He and his late partner were meth users. His partner died in 2014 and that's when Patrick's life really began to unravel. He wasn't allowed to attend his funeral because his partner's family blamed him. He talks about his recovery & his bi-polar diagnosis. His purpose in life is to help others and as he says "to help others find their sparkle". 

Danielle says alcohol made her feel powerful, accepted. At her lowest point she describes herself as a "menace to society". She describes what her "rock bottom" looked like. She's fairly new to sobriety, but it didn't take long for the gifts of sobriety to come into her life. 

Bryan West was a reporter for NBC 12 News in Phoenix, Arizona. Full disclosure: I know Bryan personally as we are both journalists working in the same TV market. I first learned Bryan had a drinking problem when I woke up one morning and saw reports all over the news about him being arrested for DUI. He has about 2 years sober now. We talk about what it was like to have his struggles broadcast all over the news, what happened that brought him to his lowest point, how he got sober, and what he's doing with his life today.

Crystal is an Arizona native who made a name for herself as a national champion softball player for ASU. Her desire to be the best eventually led her down a dark path of escaping with alcohol. Her life became unmanageable even though from the outside - it seemed like she had the perfect life. The biggest life lesson she learned, she had to quit the booze in order to win in life. She just wrote a book about her struggles with addiction called, "Quitting To Win".

Christin's story is captivating. Almost unbelievable at times. She was married and pregnant at 16. She suffered a miscarriage. She got mixed up with the cartel as a drug runner which led her to a life of meth. Her life got so insane, she even tried to cut off her husbands penis. Instead of being around people who deal drugs, Christin is known in the recovery world as the "Hope Dealer". In fact, she even works in the recovery field helping other women just like her find a new path in life. 

Michele has a powerful story. Her life fell apart after she began using meth. She joined a 12 Step Program, but felt like she needed more. She talks about how untreated trauma led her down a dark path. But, as always with this podcast, there's an inspirational ending. Michele is now the owner of Modern Recovery in Arizona where they help recovered addicts after treatment to help keep them sober. 

Jennifer was a nurse. She got caught up in the drug cartel. She lost her license. She faced prison time. But she never gave up hope after she got sober. Her story proves no matter how far down the scale we fall, we can always rebuild our lives! Share this podcast with anyone who is struggling!

So many addicts have relapsed during this pandemic. Some people in recovery say you have to start over at the beginning. Not me. I don't believe you lose the wisdom you've learned along the journey. This episode talks about shame, guilt, relapse, and hope. It's a raw and honest conversation with a guy who had 12 years of continuous sobriety and relapsed on heroin. He shares what led to his relapse and he also shares his experience, strength, and hope!

Jennifer is a popular radio DJ in Florida. She's a rock n' roll girl. She partied like a rock star - but eventually the fun lifestyle came crashing down. After getting about 5 years of sobriety, she relapsed. She made her relationship to a man more important that her sobriety. 90 days ago, she was found behind a dumpster with a crack pipe in her hand. She's back in rehab and doing great! 

I always thought when I decided to get sober that I wouldn't laugh again. I truly thought my life would be boring. It's been just the opposite. In this podcast, you will meet Sandi. He was killing it in real estate, but he chose cocaine over everything else. His career fell apart. He went to rehab/sober living. He humbled himself. Now, at age 40, he's built a mini empire as the Owner/CEO of his own company that employs recovered addicts! Hear why he chooses former addicts to work for him! Powerful testimony! 

Cathy isn't famous. She doesn't use hardcore drugs. Her vice was wine! Yes, wine! And wine caused her to lose control of her life. She lost her job. She lost her home. She eventually scrubbed toilets just to have a place to sleep at night. Now, she's 20 years sober & she's a licensed therapist! She shares her experience, strength, & hope.

Garrett is a former high ranking gang member. He takes full responsibility for the hurt he's caused, the crimes he's committed. After giving the gang 20 years of his life.. and spending 20 years in prison, Garrett is now helping other addicts get clean. He takes AA meetings into prisons and helps guys find a new path in life. Garrett is even highly regarded in his East Valley, Arizona church. 

In 2013, Arizona lost 19 brave hotshots who were battling the dangerous Yarnell fire. One hotshot survived: Brendan McDonough. He battled drinking before the tragedy. After watching his fellow brothers die, survivors guilt led him back to booze. He details one night pulling off to the side of the road, putting a loaded gun to his head and almost took his own life. He's now sober and is helping other addicts get clean. It's a raw interview and brutally honest.