Real Recovery Talk

Find out more about Al-Anon and how this resource can support your family

Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com

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197 - Getting Hooked On (and Off) Drugs and Drink Nov 19, 2021

Show notes

"I have a purpose today, and I feel God steps in my life a lot and he was telling me to have courage and be fearless." -Ira

Today, Ben and I chatted with Ira, who's a real deal addict. He's had a ton of health issues like cancer, diabetes, and even facing death as a result of his drug and alcohol addiction. But he managed to turn his life around and now he's going on two years sober! Listen in as he talks about getting addicted, how he overcame it, and all the people who helped save his life along the way.

Struggling to Find His Place

Growing up in the 70s as half Irish and half Vietnamese, Ira felt like he never fit in anywhere. He went through some verbal and physical abuse at an early age.

In seventh grade at age 13, he picked up his first beer and smoked dope for the first time. By age 15, he was an IV drug user and hooked on cocaine and opiates. Then he dropped out of high school with only a 9th-grade education and eventually became a convicted felon in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida.

Years after his father passed away from cirrhosis, Ira turned to heavy drinking. "I drank alcoholically because I was searching for the high from dope and pills or whatever it may be, and I wasn't getting it."

This led to frequent illness and hospital visits that did nothing to help his addiction... until a pivotal low point marked the real beginning of his turbulent recovery.

Helping Others in Recovery

After a lot of pain and uncertainty about where his life was headed, Ira has taken up a mantle that not many sober people choose. He shares his story in hopes of helping others recover from their addictions. Through his own experience of 35 years and newfound faith, he meets great people in places like hospitals, treatment centers, and psyche wards. Ira knows the importance of having a supportive person or group on the road to sobriety.

Check out our website, where you can download episodes with helpful information for those in recovery and their families. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review!

Show Highlights

[05:26] What made Ira swear off heavy drinking for 13 years

[07:26] How he got high on alcohol and drugs at the same time

[10:49] Frequent hospital visits as an easy way to get a fix

[14:11] Why the substance of choice plays a minor part in addiction overall

[18:46] Ira's downturn before the turnaround

[29:36] An intervention that led to him getting treatment for his health problems

[40:04] The place and the meeting that ended up saving his life

[46:58] How the last few months of Ira's life have changed

Episode Links and Resources

Find out more about Al-Anon and how this resource can support your family

Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com

Podcast editing and show notes by Pro Podcast Solutions

196 - Starting an Addiction During College Nov 04, 2021

Show notes

"I have a place that I was comfortable with that I was already a part of for my recovery." -Reed

Today, Ben and I chatted with Reed, who tells his story about how his addiction started in college. Raised locally in Palm Beach Gardens, Reed had a good life growing up with loving parents who gave him many opportunities in life. However, with his parents being conservative regarding drinking, Reed didn't get drugs and alcohol from his parents.

Experimenting with Drugs

While in high school, Reed did drink and smoke weed, but drugs and alcohol weren't a big problem at this point in his life. However, when he went to the University of Mississippi, he started to heavily get into drugs and alcohol. In his second year at university, his roommate sold multiple forms of hard drugs.

With easy access to drugs and alcohol, it was easy for Reed to become addicted to his personality. "That opened the door of my first year of solid, heavy drug use." When his house was raided by the DEA, and his roommate passed away from an overdose, Reed was charged, went to jail, and left school.

Talking to Your Kids About Drugs and Alcohol

Reed agrees with us when we talk about being overly strict with your kids about drugs and alcohol, especially in teen years. Instead of telling them not to do anything, be open and frank with your children and have discussions with them about the adverse effects of drugs and alcohol.

When kids aren't allowed to do anything and have a very restrictive home life, they will generally go out and start to party hard out of control because they were too sheltered in high school.

Check out our website, where you can download episodes with helpful information for those in recovery and their families. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review!

Show Highlights

[06:04] Starting by experimenting with drugs and alcohol during his high school years.

[09:48] Reed's progression from college drinking and drugs to DEA raids.

[21:27] Why being a helicopter parent can persuade your kids to do drugs.

[32:19] Entering into his first treatment program.

[41:27] Needing a geographical change depends on your home life.

[50:11] We discuss the pros and cons of methadone.

[57:46] Speaking to other through AA to educate college students on drugs and alcohol.

Episode Links and Resources

Find out more about Al-Anon and how this resource can support your family

Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com

Podcast editing and show notes by Pro Podcast Solutions

195 - Healing Trauma to Break Free From Addiction Oct 28, 2021

Show notes

"Life continues to show up, whether you want to be a part of it or not." -Natalie

Today, Ben and I chatted with Natalie, who endured horrible abuse as a small girl that gave her immense amounts of childhood trauma that ended up turning into a drug and alcohol addiction as a teen. Listen in to discover how Natalie overcame her addiction by healing her emotional wounds as an adult.

Her Early Years Traumatized as a Child

At the age of eight, Natalie was sexually molested and started drinking at the age of 14. As her disease progressed, she started using Zanax and was arrested at 17 and put on probation.

She couldn't trust anyone by the age of 10 and didn't know who she was or what to do in her daily life. Natalie felt a constant challenge of wanting to be the best and fitting in with other kids her age.

In college, Natalie became addicted to oxycontin, robbed her neighbor's home, and was picked up and put in jail for 14 days. Her father wouldn't bail her out, and she was considered the black sheep of her family. Shortly after her jail sentence, Natalie moved to Canada and started selling herself for sex to keep up with her drug addiction.

Learning to Utilize Her AA Tools to Heal

Surrendering is Natalie's lifeline to healing. "Everyday you need to surrender yourself." Natalie understands the importance of having a good, reliable support group, such as the people she's found at Rock Recovery Center.

Check out our website, where you can download episodes with helpful information for those in recovery and their families. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review!

Show Highlights

[02:32] Natalie talks about her past history growing up in a family of six children.

[07:22] Using the white chip to surrender yourself so you can heal.

[12:53] How surrendering leads to recovery for addicts.

[17:48] Utilizing sobriety in the form of having clean people around you to help you change your lifestyle.

[22:49] Moving from one addiction to another because you need the high to survive.

[33:07] How Natalie's life has changed since she started her recovery.

[45:00] What she is doing to continue her recovery into sobriety.

Episode Links and Resources

Find out more about Al-Anon and how this resource can support your family

Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com

Podcast editing and show notes by Pro Podcast Solutions

193 - Vince has been to 10+ treatment centers - What will be different this time? Oct 14, 2021

Show notes

In today's episode, Ben and I talk with Vince, a 25-year-old recovering addict from Philadelphia. He stole a bottle of vodka and drank the entire bottle in sixth grade. In the summer of his freshman year of high school, Vince started smoking pot. Cocaine became a weekend sports celebration during his junior year of high school. Vince became an addict after his team coach gave him a prescription narcotic drug in his second college year.

Vince was involved in sports as early as he could remember. His family consisted of three sisters, one of the older and two of them younger than him. Both of his parents were supportive of him and good, hard-working people. "Growing up, I was instilled with morals and values." He was brought up to respect elders, women, and to have good social manners.

"I remember going to this fight in third grade. Everybody started cursing and fighting. Immediately after that, I said my first curse word, then I went home and started watching fighting videos." He isn't sure if this one incident brought him down a negative road, but his life was very different after this experience. The next year in fourth grade, he ended up getting kicked out of school for fighting. "I was fighting and cursing and doing things kids that age shouldn't be doing."

He felt a purpose playing sports as he was always asked to play with the older kids in the next league up. "Everything on the outside just mattered so much, and I thought that was who I was. I thought that I was based on all external things." However, if anything went wrong, he immediately turned to anger and aggression, which he remembers his father modeling for him at an early age.

His school discipline record was horrible. However, the school let him slide because of his athletic abilities. Vince remembers not having any consequences for fighting during his high school years. This enabled him to continue this behavior, along with smoking pot with his friends.

Listen in as Vince tells his story of how he lost his scholarship to Rutgers, what happened when he became addicted to opiate drugs, and his multiple attempts at getting sober.

At Rock Recovery Center, we take a humanistic approach to recovery, teaching our clients how to live independently in a sober world. We care about the success and safety of each and every one of our clients from the moment they step into our center to the future of their well-being.

Check out my new website where you can download any episode right from my site along with other useful information for those in recovery.

Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review!

Show Notes:

[03:09] Vince talks about his past experiences growing up in Philadelphia.
[07:11] His first experience drinking in sixth grade.
[13:33] Social acceptance and drug culture.
[15:21] Personal identity associated with career for men.
[18:25] Vince had his first experience with opiate drugs his senior year in high school.
[19:45] He started stealing from his family to buy more opiate drugs.
[25:11] The "Florida Shuffle" moving on from the treatment facility to another facility.
[28:40] Ben talks about the incredible recovery culture in Florida.
[33:10] Why Vince having his daughter wasn't enough to keep him sober.
[37:01] Sobriety and addiction and how these two can easily interchange.
[40:13] What is different for Vince in this recovery process?
[43:42] His biggest fears for the recovery process.
[45:27] Vince's spiritual AA experience.

Episode Links and Resources

Real Recovery Live Chat
Real Recovery Talk on the Web
Real Recovery Talk on YouTube
Leave Real Recovery Talk a review on iTunes
Rock Recovery Center
Real Recovery Talk on Facebook
Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com
Podcast editing and show notes by Pro Podcast Solutions

192 - Growing up in Manhattan- Selling drugs and living a lifestyle of destruction- Tom Fabricitore shares his story Oct 07, 2021

Show notes

"What alcohol was doing for me outlaid what it was doing to me." --Tom

Today, Ben and I are talking to Tom, who works in the recovery field. Born and raised in downtown Manhattan, he became a drug dealer and eventually became sober from drugs and alcohol. He has been on the road to recovery for the past seven years.

Starting the Drinking Habit at Age 10

Born and raised in New York City, Tom grew up in abusive family life, reflected in his poor behavior at school. Feeling like something was missing in his life, he discovered that alcohol filled that void at 10. From the beginning, Tom drank too much and didn't know how to stop drinking as he was trying to impress the older adults who surrounded him. He was so obsessed with drinking and doing drugs that he had to stay an extra year in high school to finish up the credits that he missed from his addiction during the school year.

Falling into Becoming a Drug Dealer

Since many of his friends ended up selling weed in high school, Tom decided to go the same route as college wasn't even on his radar. "I had a big retail business with guys delivering for me. I was a career pot dealer." Although he knew he was living a lie as a drug dealer, the thought of becoming clean was scary because Tom realized if he left dealing drugs and his lifestyle that he would have to grow up and become responsible.

Check out our website where you can download episodes with helpful information for those in recovery and their families. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review!

Show Notes:

[02:05] Tom's early years and how he became addicted to alcohol.

[04:22] How New York and growing up in a fast-paced environment impacted Tom's addiction.

[10:32] His circle of friends in high school was drug dealers selling weed.

[14:00] The thought of getting sober was scary for Tom because he realized he would need to grow up.

[16:55] The first time he decided to stop being an addict was on 9-11.

[18:33] Discovering opiate drugs and how Tom thought he would be OK with opiates.

[21:44] Adding cocaine to his alcohol and opiate drug addiction.

[26:29] First time Tom experience hope in his life to get off of drugs and alcohol.

[35:14] The point at which Tom stopped making excuses in his life.

[40:16] Surrendering and how this affected his healing journey to recovering.

Episode Links and Resources

Find out more about Al-Anon and how this resource can support your family

Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com

Podcast editing and show notes by Pro Podcast Solutions

191 - Al Dutzik- The Real Deal Alcoholic- The importance of community and benefits of Sober Living Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

"'Alcohol was the substance I just could not go without - I felt safe with alcohol." -Al

Today, Ben and I are talking to Al, a native of Pittsburgh, who is sharing with us today his journey and what he did to become sober. He talks with us about Foundations - a program that provides housing for men moving through their journey of sobriety.

His First Experiences with Alcohol

At the age of 16, Al found a bottle of homemade wine in the basement of his home and decided to try it. When he drank, Al noticed that he didn't feel embarrassment, a common emotion he would have in public. "It seemed that alcohol was a solution for me, I didn't realize the hell that was in for me with alcohol." Although he wasn't aware of becoming an alcoholic, this was the start down the path to addiction.

Alcoholic's Perspective on Drinking

"I thought that everyone drank to feel good," says Al. He didn't recognize that there was a social aspect to drinking. Today, Al acknowledges that you need to be OK with your strengths and weaknesses and that having good self-esteem and self-worth is a key component to completely recover from an addictive state.

When he talks about his addiction, Al says that his wheels fell off when the alcohol "didn't work anymore." At this point, there wasn't an amount of alcohol that he could drink that didn't make him sick. However, he didn't know how to or who to ask for help.

Today, Al is grateful that he doesn't have to use alcohol to feel good. "It's incredible to not have that chemical holding me hostage all day!" Now, he learns about himself daily and seeks out meaningful relationships with others.

Check out our website where you can download episodes with helpful information for those in recovery and their families. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review!

Show Notes:

[03:15] Al's experience with alcohol and growing up with an alcoholic father.

[07:04] The emotional void that alcohol fills.

[10:08] Starting to drink in the morning to avoid feeling hungover.

[17:56] The wheels fall off when the alcohol doesn't work to solve your problems.

[20:01] How he decided to go into rehab and who helped him get there.

[24:58] Going into recovery simplified Al's life in a very profound way.

[30:39] His first conference call with an addiction counselor.

[34:34] Be willing to take suggestions from others to help you on the road to recovery.

[39:33] What AA is all about and how you can use AA to recover.

[43:48] Giving up alcohol gave Al his entire life back.

Episode Links and Resources

Find out more about Al-Anon and how this resource can support your family

Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com

Podcast editing and show notes by Pro Podcast Solutions

190 - The First 30 Days of Treatment Sep 23, 2021

Show notes

Here we are with Real Recovery Talk! Do you know someone who is considering going to a treatment facility for up to 30 days? Today, I'm going to talk about how you most likely won't be cured by going to treatment for 30 days. There are a few people who have been successful after just 30 days; however, they are few and far between.

The first day of treatment consists of detox, which generally ranges from day one to day seven. Detox can vary from one to fourteen days, depending on the individual and specific variables. Variables that can affect the length of detox are the types of drugs you are using, how long you are using drugs, the vehicle of use of drugs. For example, are you using drugs IV, orally? Similar variables apply to alcohol, with some additional factors such as drinking alone or with others.

A detox facility is a safe place where you can get meals, medical attention, and be in a safe environment when you detox. During this time, your body will start to repair the damage inflicted by drugs and alcohol. From this point, you can now transfer to a residential facility where you will be day and night for treatment.

You may have a behavioral technician keeping tabs on you every 15 minutes when you join the residential treatment program. This part of the team makes sure everyone is safe and comfortable. They also ensure that you are getting to your programs, meetings, and medical appointments on time. This period is known as a "drying out period."

Therapy is still minimal, as you are usually not yet ready to start treatment. At this stage, you're detoxed and are moving toward creating a support group, getting to know your peers, and your therapist.

Next, you'll need to figure out your personal triggers. What are your triggers? Are there specific environments in which your triggers are set off? Have you developed tools in your toolbox to deal with these triggers and to keep your calm in anxious situations? Have you considered your role or your family dynamics when dealing with triggers and healing from addiction?

Listen in to find out why the first thirty days of recovery only scratch the surface. Understand why recovery is a process in which each individual needs to move through at their own pace. Learn why you'll need to continue healing and be consistent to work through previous trauma and have a successful recovery.

Check out my new website where you can download any episode right from my site along with other useful information for those in recovery. Look for our new daily shows, which are five minutes or under! Listen in for yourself or for a friend. You can also find our new short episodes on our Facebook page.

Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review!

Show Notes:

[05:48] What the first seven days of treatment will most likely be for an addict in recovery.

[06:05] Variables which affect the length and severity of detox.

[09:28] The next phase of your healing: moving to a residential facility.

[12:24] You may have spent multiple years becoming an addict, you will most likely spend months if not years to recover to the point of not falling back to your addiction.

[14:41] Have you identified your triggers? If so, what are coping skills you are using to calm your reaction to your triggers?

[16:48] An example of what shouldn't happen when you come in for recovery.

[19:42] We work with clients for three to four months on a continual basis to continue their recovery process.

Links and Resources:

Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com

189 - Perry - Struggles with KRATOM and the anxieties that surrounds it Sep 16, 2021

Show notes

"Kratom feels like an opiate, you get strong feelings similar to opiates.'" -Perry

Today, Ben and I are talking to Perry, a 24-year-old from Maryland and started smoking marijuana at age 16. He lost everything that he owned and had to drug and alcohol abuse in a short period of time. We talk with Perry about his experience with Kratom and how it negatively affected his life.

Kratom and Kava

Kratom is sourced from an Asian variety of pine trees and works the same as an opiate drug in your body. Kratom is addictive and you easily get hooked. Kava is a root herb from the Polynesian islands that is not addictive and is mostly used by people for relaxation and sleep. In many states, Kratom is illegal because of its addictive side effects. In low doses, Kratom is a stimulant. In higher doses, it's a sedative.

Perry's Experience with Kratom

After taking Kratom, Perry quickly realized that this legal street drug has very similar physical and mental effects to opiate drugs. He thought he had found the answer to his addiction issue and felt he would be able to continually use Kratom without negative side effects. What he soon learned is that he could build tolerance and that Kratom has the same effect as addictive drugs.

Check out our website where you can download episodes with helpful information for those in recovery and their families. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review!

Show Notes:

[01:33] Perry talks about his backstory and history of addiction.

[04:11] How he became interested and addicted to psychedelic drugs.

[06:55] Social aspect of doing drugs and participating in raves.

[11:47] Ben talks about what Kratom is and why it's a bad choice to get off of drugs.

[14:44] The first time Perry tried Kratom and how he became addicted to this drug.

[22:09] How Perry decided to get back on Kratom after he was clean for a year.

[31:57] Different phases of Kratom use when taking it daily.

[36:07] Life became unmanageable once he was addicted to Kratom.

[41:57] How Perry decided to get off Kratom and his plan for his future.

Episode Links and Resources

Find out more about Al-Anon and how this resource can support your family

Ideas for a show? Email us tom@realrecoverytalk.com and ben@realrecoverytalk.com

Podcast editing and show notes by Pro Podcast Solutions

188 - Ken B - 35 retired from the Army, discusses his alcoholism and addiction throughout his life and ultimately where it led him Sep 09, 2021

Show notes

"You couple substance abuse with PTSD and I'm wondering, 'How do I fit in?'" -Ken

Today, Ben and I are talking to Ken, a 35-year active military combat-in-arms, now veteran, discussing his alcoholism and addiction and what his post-military recovery journey has been for Ken. He is now paying it forward, helping others recover from their addiction.

Ken's Background

Born in 1964 to an Irish-Catholic family and the youngest of seven, the first memory of drinking alcohol is at age eight. With an abusive family environment, and alcohol readily available, Ken needed an escape.

As a child, his escape was sports until he started drinking hard in 7th grade. He met up with a guitar player in his teens and started a band. After that, he skipped most of high school until he was thrown out of school at 16. He remembers trying everything except for heroin.

"We knew the path we were on and decided that we can't keep on this path, so we joined the service." Having enrolled in the military in 1981, he saw much of the similar trauma he grew up with, such as suicides, fighting, and seeing a lot of blood, were familiar sites to Ken.

The Military and Drugs and Alcohol

Ken remembers how alcohol was a part of daily life in the military. "This is normal, this is the way we operate." He remembers the monthly keg in the breakroom and the keg in addition to alcohol troops brought to the barracks, there was "alcohol in mass quantities." He also recalls that the military didn't have the same policy regarding drugs as they would "disappear."

Once he left the army, it was hard to integrate into society with a different language, no one to give orders, and a different lifestyle. So when he re-entered the civilian world, his life slowed down exponentially.

Check out our website where you can download any episode along with helpful information for those in recovery and the families of those in recovery.

Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review!

Show Notes:

[06:20] Ken talks about the parallels between his childhood and the military.

[07:38] He discusses how drinking was embedded into the military back in the 80s and 90s.

[10:01] Ken recalls his experience in Iraq on a specific "crazy" mission.

[13:25] Why many men in the company used heroin as their drug of choice in the military.

[16:10] How the military and his marriage kept him busy enough that he drank less.

[21:17] Having the root of his moral compass grounded in God.

[22:52] Ken describes the series of events leading him up to his successful recovery at Rock Recovery Center.

[31:59] The seven points of rehabilitation he took on his journey to recovery.

[50:23] Where Ken is going from here and what his future looks like.

Episode Links and Resources