Far From Finished

In Episode 44, Darlene talks about how blessed she has been as a mother, living a life beyond her wildest dreams especially after having to endure tragedy. She believes her son Chris keeps her sane, strong and wanting to push to be the best mother and person she can be.

In Part 2 of Episode 43, Julia talks about how she doesn’t want to relapse or slip no matter what happens in her life, as her recovery is a journey of self-discovery. She maintains it by serving other women and men in recovery. For Julia she stays active in her recovery because she needs it to stay real.

In Part 1 of Episode 43, Julia talks about the significant role her family played in her recovery. According to Julia, we only need one thing to make sense in our lives and for her it was her family.

In Episode 42, Nicole talks about being a young mother in recovery and how her son (who she calls her “sobriety baby”) has helped keep her sober every day.

In Part 2 of Episode 41, Chris talks about his experiences in sober living and the things that he has learned from the process — from opening up about things that he didn’t know about himself, to working with families to help illuminate issues within their dynamic.

In Part 1 of Episode 41, Chris talks about his traumatic and troublesome childhood, leading him to sell drugs to people and having them look up to him as he navigated from group to group. Starting with marijuana and then transitioning to prescription pills, Chris eventually became a heavy pill user who had easy access to it — stealing his mother’s OxyContin.

In Episode 40, Jack talks about the importance of learning in recovery as that’s what it’s all about — learning and leaning on each other when we can’t be strong for ourselves.

In Episode 39, Earl talks about living the Vegas high life as an executive at a casino, fueled by cocaine. However, it came at a cost that included two marriages, his identity, and an all time low where he held a gun to his temple. It was a knock on the door that saved his life….

In Episode 38, Tim talks about his journey from being a college football star, to becoming an addict, then a man of faith, and ultimately a recovery industry professional. Sharing his recovery story has had a drastic impact on his life, in that he is able to inspire someone to never lose faith.

In Episode 37, Libby talks about how she was taught to simply avoid problems instead of facing them. This trait carried over into her addiction where she simply avoided the reality of her spiraling life. Even after treatment she denied being an alcoholic, but one fateful day she witnessed a life changing event. The following day, March 10th, 2012 was her sobriety date. She hasn’t picked up a drink since.

In Episode 36, Ben talks about how being a habitual people pleaser led to his drinking to escape anxiety. He went through the ups and downs of treatment until he finally stuck with it and found a new life that includes hobbies, a fiancé, and a career in addiction recovery. A job where he actually helps people instead of simply trying to please them.

In Episode 35, Tim talks about his progression from pain medication to heroine, and his many years in active addiction. He speaks about finding his spiritual connection, making the choice to seek recovery, and about how he now feels like he has picked up where he left off before the addiction took hold.

In Episode 34, Mike talks about finally taking off the masks that isolated him and brought him to his knees in addiction. He gives his account of how he recovered and learned to talk to people, live life, and become a member of society again.

In Episode 33, Emily opens up about surviving sexual assault, the resulting pregnancy, spiraling into addiction, and finally choosing recovery and connecting to her higher power.

In Part 2 of Episode 32, Arthur concludes his story of going from resentment to recovery, to relapse, to regrouping, and then finally, to the reward of his new life.

In Part 1 of Episode 32, Arthur opens up about his journey from resentment to recovery, to relapse, to regrouping, and then finally, to the reward of his new life.

In Episode 31, Dave talks about how a big part of treatment is developing a sense of awareness of oneself. While caught up in the vicious cycle of substance abuse, he underestimated the severity of it. It was only until he was free that he could really see how much he had been hurting the people around him. He decided to turn his life around and started helping people instead, and as of today he has helped treat over 3,000 people.

In Episode 30, Audrey talks about the abuse she endured while growing up, leading her to use substances to numb her feelings. Her life became chaotic before she began recovery, after which started writing those feelings down in the form of poems and recovery stories which have been published in multiple books.

In Episode 29, Tony talks about his appreciation for recovery and the opportunities it’s given him — from a career, to meeting his wife who he met three years into his recovery. They have walked the path of recovery together as a couple and just recently celebrated 20 years of marriage.

In Episode 28, Cameron talks about how treatment has given him a new outlook on life — from not being ashamed of the things that he’s done in the past, to coming to the realization that nothing is going to be beneficial to his recovery unless he’s honest about everything.