Behind the Citgo

How can faith, education, and spiritual formation help people rebuild their lives in addiction recovery? In Episode 41 of Behind the Citgo, Dr. DJ Bradley II shares his journey from a West Virginia jail cell to recovery, theological education, and helping others discover renewed purpose.

A graduate of Christian Recovery Centers, Inc. (CRCI), Dr. Bradley now helps develop the curriculum connecting West Theological Seminary with CRCI’s recovery programs. His story offers a personal look at how Christian recovery, biblical studies, and supportive community can create opportunities for growth.

Together, we explore what it means to “recover the inner life”—examining the beliefs, habits, and motivations that shape who we become. Dr. Bradley reflects on surrender, accountability, and the difference between completing a program and doing the internal work of transformation.

The conversation explores:

• Dr. Bradley’s journey through addiction, incarceration, and recovery.

Whether you are navigating recovery, supporting someone you love, serving in ministry, or working in recovery services, this episode offers an honest conversation about the work of rebuilding from within.

Watch BTC EP#41: Recovering the Inner Life - Dr. DJ Bradley on Education, Formation, and CRCI’s Mission.

Subscribe to Behind the Citgo for more conversations about addiction recovery, faith, and life after addiction. Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement, and tell us in the comments: What has helped you grow in your recovery or faith journey?

#BehindTheCitgo #AddictionRecovery #ChristianRecovery #SpiritualFormation #CRCI

BTC EP#40: Counterfeit Peace – Ryan Duerk’s Journey from Addiction to Purpose

What happens when the things we turn to for peace become the very things that destroy it?

In Episode 40 of Behind the Citgo, host Lavar Marlow sits down with Ryan Duerk to explore his journey through addiction, recovery, and the search for genuine peace and purpose.

Through an honest conversation about the struggles of addiction and the challenges of rebuilding a life, this episode explores the difference between temporary escape and lasting fulfillment. Ryan's story opens the door to a powerful discussion about personal transformation, finding meaning beyond substance use, and the hope that recovery can bring.

Whether you're navigating addiction, supporting someone in recovery, or searching for direction in your own life, this conversation is a reminder that your past doesn't have to define your future.

Subscribe to Behind the Citgo for more real stories of addiction recovery, redemption, personal growth, and second chances.

👍 Like, comment, and share this episode to help spread a message of hope.

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Can the justice system do more than punish? Can accountability, compassion, and second chances work together to change lives?

In Episode 39 of Behind the Citgo, we sit down with Judge Jason Disbrow for a candid conversation about criminal justice, addiction recovery, and the role of the courts in helping individuals rebuild their lives.

How do we balance consequences with rehabilitation? Can recovery-focused approaches help break the cycle of addiction and incarceration? And what does it take for judges, law enforcement, treatment providers, and communities to work together toward lasting change?

This episode explores the importance of accountability, second chances, and creating meaningful pathways to recovery.

Join us as we discuss how the justice system can become part of the solution and help transform lives.

Topics include:

Criminal justice and addiction recovery

Accountability, rehabilitation, and second chances

Breaking the cycle of addiction and incarceration

The role of judges and community partnerships

Creating opportunities for lasting change

Subscribe to Behind the Citgo for powerful conversations about addiction recovery, faith, mental health, and the people making a difference.

🌐 https://behindthecitgo.com

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#BehindTheCitgo #JudgeJasonDisbrow #CriminalJusticeReform #AddictionRecovery #SecondChances #RecoveryCourt #Rehabilitation #ChristianRecoveryCenters

What happens when a doctor realizes that medicine alone cannot heal someone who has nowhere safe to call home?

In BTC EP#38, Josh Torbich sits down with Dr. Tom Dalton, anesthesiologist and co-founder of Eden Village, for a powerful conversation about homelessness, permanent supportive housing, faith, dignity, community, and practical solutions for people who have been forgotten.

After decades in medicine and mission work, Dr. Dalton experienced moments that changed how he understood service. One of those came after treating a patient facing the loss of his second leg—only to learn that the man’s discharge plan was to return to his car in a Walmart parking lot.

That realization helped lead Tom and his wife, Kim, toward what became their life’s work: Eden Village.

Today, Eden Village provides permanent supportive housing built around a simple philosophy:

🏠 Housing is healthcare.

Tom shares the journey behind Eden Village, the role faith and service have played in his life, and why stable housing can be foundational to healthcare, recovery, and long-term well-being.

The conversation also explores small-home communities, relationships over transactional solutions, local church involvement, resident success stories, and Eden Village’s plans for future expansion.

This episode is about more than housing. It is about seeing people who are often overlooked, restoring dignity, and turning compassion into action.

Learn more about Eden Village:

Subscribe to Behind the Citgo for conversations about addiction recovery, reentry, faith, behavioral health, homelessness, community transformation, and real solutions that help people rebuild their lives.

#BehindTheCitgo #TomDalton #EdenVillage #Homelessness #SupportiveHousing #HousingIsHealthcare #AddictionRecovery #Community #Faith #Compassion #SocialDeterminantsOfHealth #Recovery #Purpose

In BTC EP#37: Playing It Forward - Sobriety, Faith, and the Long Road Back, John Chandler shares the powerful story of a decades-long relationship with alcohol, the consequences that followed, and the moment he finally realized he needed help.

John’s struggle didn’t always look like addiction from the outside. He built a successful business, raised a family, served in his church, and lived what many would consider a successful life—all while becoming a highly functioning alcoholic behind the scenes. From drinking at a young age to multiple DWIs, divorce, devastating loss, and eventually blacking out so severely that he unknowingly drove away on a golf cart, John’s story shows how addiction can slowly take control even when everything appears normal.

October 2, 2024 became his day of reckoning—and the beginning of a new life in sobriety.

John opens up about faith, grief, accountability, recovery, and one of the most important lessons he learned along the way: “play the tape forward.” When temptation or a difficult decision comes, think beyond the moment and ask where that choice will ultimately lead.

Today, John describes one of sobriety’s greatest gifts with a simple word: presence. Being available for his children. Sleeping through the night. Living without fear of the next consequence. Appreciating where he is instead of constantly trying to escape it.

This is a conversation about alcohol addiction, recovery, faith, second chances, and discovering how much there is to gain when you finally stop focusing on what sobriety might take away.

If you or someone you love is walking through addiction or recovery, we hope John’s story reminds you that the road back may be long—but recovery is possible.

Subscribe to Behind the Citgo for real conversations about addiction, recovery, faith, mental health, reentry, and the people who have lived it.

#BehindTheCitgo #AddictionRecovery #Sobriety #AlcoholRecovery #RecoveryStory #FaithAndRecovery #SoberLife #AlcoholAddiction #RecoveryIsPossible #MentalHealth #SecondChances

What happens after rock bottom when you decide to roll up your sleeves and build something better?

In BTC EP#36: “Rock Bottom Rolled Up My Sleeves,” Todd Putnam and Eric Barber of Scrub Buddies join Behind the Citgo for a powerful conversation about addiction recovery, entrepreneurship, faith, hard work, and rebuilding life with purpose.

Both Todd and Eric are recovery program graduates who carried lessons like consistency, accountability, honesty, perseverance, and faith into the world of business. What started as a pressure-washing company grew into Scrub Buddies, a service company offering house washing, interior cleaning, landscaping, renovations, and more.

They talk openly about the realities of starting and growing a business—learning when to say no, handling failure, maintaining quality, leading employees, having difficult conversations, and continuing to show up when results do not come quickly.

The episode also explores why recovery is about more than simply getting sober. It is about rebuilding, finding purpose, creating meaningful opportunities, surrounding yourself with the right people, and developing a life worth protecting.

For Todd and Eric, faith and hard work remain at the center of that journey.

Learn more about Scrub Buddies:

Behind the Citgo shares real conversations about addiction recovery, faith, leadership, reentry, personal transformation, and the people working to build stronger communities.

#BehindTheCitgo #AddictionRecovery #RecoveryStories #Entrepreneurship #FaithAndRecovery

How do culture, stigma, and family expectations shape addiction recovery? In this episode of Behind the Citgo, host Lavar Marlow explores the barriers that prevent people from seeking help, with a focus on experiences within the African American community.

Through personal stories and honest conversation, this episode examines generational alcoholism, mental health stigma, and the ways families can unintentionally normalize addiction. We discuss how pride, silence, and the expectation to “toughen up” can delay recovery—and why seeking counseling or addiction treatment does not mean abandoning your faith.

The conversation also explores:

Whether you’re navigating sobriety, concerned about a loved one, or helping others find support, this conversation offers a message of faith, compassion, and hope. Recovery begins with honest conversations—and no one should have to face it alone.

Subscribe to Behind the Citgo for real stories and meaningful conversations about addiction, mental health, and lasting recovery. Share this episode to help break the stigma.

#AddictionRecovery #MentalHealth #FaithAndRecovery #BehindTheCitgo

What if your brain and body already contain tools that can help you change destructive habits, regulate stress, and support recovery?

In this episode of Behind the Citgo, Josh Torbich sits down with Tom Harris to explore what Tom calls the “Inner Pharmacy” — the relationship between the autonomic nervous system, neuroplasticity, and our ability to reshape deeply established patterns of thought and behavior.

Tom shares his personal journey following a traumatic brain injury, his experience living in a constant “vigilant mode,” and how understanding the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems changed the way he approached healing. They discuss how repeated behaviors create neural pathways, why “neurons that fire together wire together,” and how breathing, affirmations, humming, vagus nerve stimulation, faith, and repetition can become practical tools for recovery.

This conversation brings faith and science together to examine how people struggling with addiction, trauma, stress, and destructive habits can begin building healthier patterns — one repetition at a time.

Subscribe to Behind the Citgo for real conversations about addiction, recovery, faith, neuroscience, mental health, and the people working to change lives.

#BehindTheCitgo #AddictionRecovery #AutonomicNervousSystem #Neuroplasticity #NervousSystem #Recovery #VagusNerve #MentalHealth #TraumaRecovery #FaithAndScience

What happens after life behind bars?

In BTC EP#33: Prison Re-Entry: What’s After the Life Behind Bars, Josh Torbich sits down with Lateisha Thrash of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction to discuss the realities of prison re-entry, addiction recovery, and rebuilding a life after incarceration.

They explore re-entry simulations, employment, housing, transportation, technology challenges, substance use treatment, MOUD, community support, and the importance of preparing people for successful reintegration before they ever leave prison.

This conversation takes an inside look at how North Carolina is approaching re-entry—and why recovery, accountability, opportunity, and community all play a role in reducing barriers after incarceration.

#PrisonReentry #AddictionRecovery #SecondChances #CriminalJusticeReform #Recovery #Reentry #BehindTheCitgo

In BTC EP #32: I Tried to Be My Sister’s Keeper, host Josh Torbich sits down with Jwantana Frink for a deeply personal conversation about addiction, family, grief, faith, and the painful reality of trying to save someone you love.

For the first time publicly, Jwantana shares the story of her sister Lawahna’s struggle with addiction and what it was like to become the family’s “manager”—watching for warning signs, trying to keep the peace, navigating difficult conversations, and carrying the weight of knowing something was wrong while hoping she could somehow help make it right.

Jwantana reflects on the moments that, looking back, revealed just how serious her sister’s addiction had become—from withdrawing from family activities to the conversations and missed opportunities that still stay with her today.

The discussion explores the impact addiction has on the entire family, including codependency, intervention, shame, grief, family dynamics, enabling, recognizing the signs of substance use, and finding the courage to confront addiction before it is too late.

After losing her sister, Jwantana and her family turned their pain into purpose through Blossoms Parenting and More, carrying Lawahna’s legacy forward by helping women rebuild their lives and providing support for those transitioning toward greater stability after treatment.

At the heart of this episode is a message for every family affected by addiction: trust your instincts, have the difficult conversation, ask questions, seek help, and don’t allow fear or shame to keep addiction hidden.

Jwantana also shares the role faith has played in carrying her through grief and closes the episode with a powerful rendition of the Lord’s Prayer.

Behind the Citgo is about the conversations most people never get the chance to hear—real stories of addiction, recovery, faith, family, loss, redemption, and hope.

If you or someone you love has been affected by addiction, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

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#BehindTheCitgo #SistersKeeper #AddictionRecovery #AddictionAwareness #FamilyAddiction #FamilyRecovery #SubstanceUseDisorder #RecoveryIsPossible #AddictionSupport #GriefAndLoss #FaithAndRecovery #ChristianRecovery #Codependency #AddictionIntervention #FamiliesOfAddicts #OvercomingAddiction #RecoveryCommunity #HopeAfterAddiction