What if the real trauma begins when you’re not allowed to be yourself? In this powerful conversation, Orlando Andrews shares his deeply personal recovery journey—one shaped by loss, discovery, and bold innovation. From confronting the failures of $60,000 treatment programs with 70% relapse rates, to developing new solutions like the SPARC device, Orlando is pushing the industry to rethink what recovery can look like.

He speaks candidly about the “soul rupture” of operating outside your morality, the dangers of normalized escapism, and the original trauma of being forced to hide your authentic self. But this isn’t just critique—it’s hope. Orlando shows how long-term recovery is possible when we build systems that honor authenticity, address trauma, and provide real tools for healing.

You’ll hear:

• Why Orlando walked away from high-cost treatment centers with poor outcomes
• His vision for Recovery Matters and the future of long-term recovery care
• The original trauma of not being allowed to live authentically
• How PTSD can stem from being forced to act outside your morality
• Tools and innovations like the SPARC device that are changing recovery today

Tune in to hear Orlando’s vision for Recovery Matters and why coming home to yourself is the ultimate goal of recovery.

Episode 2: My Chaos – Kim Ryan on Trauma, Recovery, and the Moment She Knew She Was Okay

In this powerful and deeply honest episode, Kim Ryan joins host Jonny Phillip to share her remarkable story of addiction, trauma, and transformation.

From surviving the chaos of substance use to finding long-term recovery and peace, Kim opens up about the darkest chapters of her life—and the unexpected moments of clarity that brought her back.

You’ll hear:

• What trauma-informed care really looks like
• The surprising day she realized she was finally okay
• How peer support saved her life
• Why she would name her recovery story “My Chaos”
• Her story of HUSTLE Recovery and her vision for community healing

With brutal honesty and hard-won wisdom, Kim’s story reminds us that recovery isn’t just possible—it’s worth it.

Available now wherever you get your podcasts.

#BreakingDownAddiction #AddictionRecovery #TraumaHealing #HarmReduction #PeerSupport #RecoveryIsPossible

Welcome to the debut episode of Breaking Down Addiction, a podcast by National Addiction Specialists.

In this raw and unfiltered conversation, singer-songwriter and recovery advocate Mitzi Dawn shares her powerful journey—from growing up in the rooms of AA to discovering, later than expected, that addiction hadn’t skipped her after all.

Mitzi opens up about the early days of using, the isolation and denial that followed, and the moment someone finally looked her in the eye and said, “You’re a drug addict.” That moment changed everything.

We dive into:

• Why fun was part of the problem
• What she’d say to her younger self in active addiction
• The difference between getting sober and staying healed
• Her unexpected path from Nashville songwriter to clinical director
• Why programs like Smiles for Recovery and Treehouse are saving lives
• And the emotional cost of waiting to be seen, valued, and loved

She reminds us: “I wanted to give up a million times. I’m really glad I didn’t.”

Whether you’re in recovery, love someone who is, or just want to understand addiction better—this conversation will move you.

Listen now. Subscribe. Share hope.