Addiction Talk

Far too many women are battling addiction behind closed doors, carrying the weight of silence, shame, and the fear of what asking for help might cost them. For mothers especially, the thought of leaving their children for treatment can feel impossible.

On this episode of Addiction Talk: Expert Insights, Ari Chelli, Clinical Director at Desert Hope Treatment Center, gets personal about her journey from addiction to advocacy. She discusses the barriers that keep women stuck and what can be done to help more women get the support they deserve. Expert Insights starts now.

 Addiction Talk is brought to you by  American Addiction Centers, a leading provider of addiction and mental health services.

Addiction Talk is brought to you by American Addiction Centers. If you or someone you know needs help, call 866-407-4130, or visit our website at AmericanAddictionCenters.org

On this episode of Addiction Talk: My Recovery Story, we sit down with Liz Varnado—a resilient, insightful woman whose powerful journey through addiction, cultural identity, and healing is as inspiring as it is raw. 

As a Black, French, and Native American mother and professional, Liz opens up about the significance of cultural identity in treatment, the weight of generational trauma, and how she found strength through spiritual reconnection through Laguna Treatment Center’s Tribal Track and community. 

Her path from rock bottom to rebuilding her life with purpose is one you won’t want to miss. 

 Addiction Talk is brought to you by  American Addiction Centers, a leading provider of addiction and mental health services.

Addiction Talk is brought to you by American Addiction Centers. Looking for more addiction-related content? Follow us on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok @americanaddictioncenters! 

Addiction Talk is brought to you by American Addiction Centers. If you or someone you know needs help, call 866-407-4130, or visit our website at AmericanAddictionCenters.org

In this episode of Addiction Talk: My Recovery Story, Veteran and Oxford Treatment Center graduate Frank Pace shares his powerful addiction recovery journey. Now working in the VA’s PTSD unit, Frank discusses overcoming substance use, navigating treatment, and the importance of mental health support for Veterans. A must-watch for anyone impacted by addiction or PTSD.

 Addiction Talk is brought to you by  American Addiction Centers, a leading provider of addiction and mental health services.

Addiction Talk is brought to you by American Addiction Centers. Looking for more addiction-related content? Follow us on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok @americanaddictioncenters! 

Addiction Talk is brought to you by American Addiction Centers. If you or someone you know needs help, call 866-407-4130, or visit our website at AmericanAddictionCenters.org

Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications are widely known for managing diabetes and aiding weight loss—but could they also help treat addiction? Dr. Gary Malone, Medical Director at Greenhouse Treatment Center and a top addiction psychiatrist, joins us to discuss the potential of GLP-1s for substance use disorders. Don’t miss this expert insight into a groundbreaking development in addiction treatment!

 Addiction Talk is brought to you by  American Addiction Centers, a leading provider of addiction and mental health services.

Addiction Talk is brought to you by American Addiction Centers. Looking for more addiction-related content? Follow us on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok @americanaddictioncenters! 

Addiction Talk is brought to you by American Addiction Centers. If you or someone you know needs help, call 866-407-4130, or visit our website at AmericanAddictionCenters.org

On this episode of Addiction Talk, My Recovery Story, we talk to Monte Twilley, a motivational speaker, Veteran in recovery, and alumni of our Texas facility, Greenhouse Treatment Center. 

During his military service, Monte drank and experienced some blackouts, but it was after his service when he experimented with freebasing cocaine that his life began to spiral out of control. 

Here's his story. 

 Addiction Talk is brought to you by  American Addiction Centers, a leading provider of addiction and mental health services.

Addiction Talk is brought to you by American Addiction Centers. Looking for more addiction-related content? Follow us on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok @americanaddictioncenters! 

Addiction Talk is brought to you by American Addiction Centers. If you or someone you know needs help, call 866-407-4130, or visit our website at AmericanAddictionCenters.org

Rod Espudo is a U.S. Veteran who transformed his life after battling addiction and PTSD. After struggling for years, Rod turned his life around and experienced an inspiring evolution into a well-known interventionist. Today, Rod has nearly 36 years of experience and over 1,500 interventions to his credit. In this episode, Rod will give us a behind-the-scenes look into his real-life intervention experiences and his time on the TV show “Intervention.” Rod’s story is one of resilience, showing that even after relapsing following 15 years of sobriety, it’s possible to rise again.

Isaak Presley is the star of Disney’s “Stuck in the Middle,” the Netflix spinoff “Fuller House,” Amazon Prime’s “One Nation Under God,” for which he won several Best Actor Awards, and “Hubie Halloween” with Adam Sandler. 

Isaak Presley is already an industry veteran at the age of 22. He has been in the entertainment industry since the age of 5, at which time he landed his first television role in Nickelodeon’s Yo Gabba Gabba. 

Forced into adulthood at an early age to help provide for his family and having grown up in an environment where men didn’t share their feelings, Presley turned to drugs and alcohol to cope in his early teens. His substance use escalated during the pandemic, when he was isolated and with all the time in the world to drink and use as he pleased. Presley’s use spiraled until early 2023 an arrest on a small charge made him finally understand that he needed to make a change. On this episode of Addiction Talk, Presley gets real about child stardom, trauma, addiction, and how he’s turned his life around today.

Leah McSweeney is a former star of “Real Housewives of New York City,” a fashion-industry pioneer who established the streetwear line Married to the Mob, a podcast host, and the author of Chaos Theory: Finding Meaning in the Madness, One Bad Decision at a Time. As Leah shares in her book, she battled with addiction from an early age and became sober for many years. After a very public relapse on national television, she worked to become sober again. Throughout it all, Leah has been a beacon of candor and compassion for people craving a more authentic conversation about what it means to face challenges, make mistakes, and find support for your mental well-being to live your best life.

LaTavia Roberson is an American singer, songwriter, and actress, best known as an original member of the widely acclaimed R&B girl group, Destiny’s Child. Alongside Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and LeToya Luckett, she played a pivotal role in the group’s success, contributing to chart-topping hits such as “Say My Name,” “Survivor,” and “Bootylicious.” Despite the group’s phenomenal achievements, LaTavia faced personal struggles with drugs, experienced jail time, and navigated through dark times in her life.

Following her departure from Destiny’s Child in 2000, LaTavia embarked on a solo music career and explored opportunities in acting. Despite the challenges she faced, LaTavia remained resilient and committed to her passion for music and performance. Beyond her artistic pursuits, she dedicated herself to philanthropic endeavors, championing causes like breast cancer awareness and youth empowerment, showcasing her unwavering commitment to making a positive impact in the world.

Melissa Etheridge is a well-known American rock star, famous for her confessional lyrics and raspy vocals. She has won numerous awards, including two Grammy Awards and a “Songwriter of the Year” honor. Melissa is also an activist for Marriage Equality and has advocated for the therapeutic benefits of medicinal cannabis as a cancer survivor. In May 2020, Melissa lost her son Beckett from causes related to opioid addiction. In his memory, she founded the Etheridge Foundation to advance transformative plant medicine treatment resources for people struggling with opioid use disorder. Through the foundation, Melissa continues her activism and public education to help people heal through the transformative power of plant medicines.