#16: We are so very excited to introduce one of our amazing Lionrock Clinical Supervisors as our esteemed guest for Episode 16! Leo Martinez has 7 years experience working as a Substance Abuse Counselor and Social Worker working with very diverse populations. He has delivered counseling services internationally with specializations in Gorski Relapse Prevention, CBT, Dual Disorders, ACT, and Multicultural Interventions. Leo earned a Masters in Social Work from California State University, East Bay, and a CADAAC Certificate in Addiction Counseling.

Leo's story of taking back everything that addiction stole from him is nothing short of amazing. Tune in as Leo discusses some very difficult topics including substance abuse, sexual assault and the gut-wrenching effects of extreme trauma.

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Lionrock Recovery (http://www.lionrockrecovery.com)

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Show Notes:

3:49 - Leo’s background and how he grew up

7:56 - Struggling with food relationship and weight gain

9:41 - The decision to join the marine corp, and the reasons behind it

10:39 - When he first starting drinking and doing drugs, and why

13:58 - Joining the marines and the life changes that happened

17:31 - Leaving the marine corp and finding new drugs and friends

20:08 - An incredibly traumatic situation that was a turning point in his life

29:12 - The second trauma

35:00 - The physical and mental effects of Leo’s using

39:00 - Being stuck in the cycle - starting over again with a job selling cars - success on the outside, but throwing it away on drugs

43:05 - Burglarizing a former employer and the situation that ended it all

50:13 - Making the decision to end his life, and the decision that changed it all around

1:01:50 - Working with populations as a social worker in places where people don’t have good resources

1:11:00 - Recovery, what it looks like and feels like

1:24:30 - Vulnerability

The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast would like to thank our sponsor, Lionrock Recovery, for their support. Lionrock Recovery is an online substance abuse counseling program where you can get help for drinking or drug use from the privacy of your own home. For more information, visit http://www.lionrockrecovery.com.