In this powerful episode of the Cross Talk Podcast, we sit down with Richard and John, two men with profound recovery journeys. Richard shares his harrowing path from smoking pot at 12 and shooting heroin as a teenager to finding a moment of clarity that led to 43.5 years of continuous sobriety. He opens up about the "gift of desperation," losing nine of his thirteen childhood friends, and how he moved from blaming his parents to taking full responsibility for his life.

John offers a deep look into the generational trauma and codependency that fueled his addiction, explaining how he learned to be a "chameleon" to survive. Together, they explore the pivotal moments that changed everything, the power of written inventory to overcome resentment, and the life-saving importance of sponsorship and contrary action. This is a raw and honest conversation about hitting bottom, the courage to change, and the ongoing work of building a life you don't need to escape from.

Access our website for the full notes for this episode at crosstalkofficial.com

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𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Sean, a successful artist manager from a bicultural and entrepreneurial family, seemed to have it all together. With an MBA and a thriving career in the music industry, he was the picture of a high-achiever. But beneath the surface was a 20-year struggle with addiction, using substances from ecstasy to ketamine as "performance enhancers" to manage crippling anxiety and fit in. He details how his high-functioning facade allowed him to excel professionally while his personal life was controlled by a cycle of substance use, all the way to a dark point where he felt he could no longer control his own life.

This episode is a raw look at the moment the illusion shattered. After a visit where his family confronted his behavior, his mother delivered a simple but life-changing directive: "You need to go to AA." Sean shares how that moment of clarity, combined with therapy, AA, and physical fitness, set him on his current path of sobriety. He opens up about the profound importance of trustworthiness and authenticity in his recovery, and how he is now building his career and relationships on a foundation of honesty, free from the secrets that once held him back.

Access our website for the full notes for this episode at crosstalkofficial.com

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𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Jesse Money, daughter of rock icon Eddie Money, opens up about the immense pressure of growing up in the shadow of a legend and how that environment fueled a deep struggle with addiction. She shares the raw reality of touring life, the identity crisis of being "Eddie Money's daughter," and how she used alcohol and drugs to embody a rock star persona she thought she needed to be. The conversation delves into the devastating impact of her father's death, which sent her into a spiral of grief where suicidal thoughts and near-fatal overdoses became her reality.

This episode is a powerful journey through loss and recovery. Jesse reveals the turning point that led her to sobriety and how she is now channeling her pain into purpose. She talks about transforming voice memos recorded during her darkest moments of addiction into powerful songs, the importance of a strong support system and international Zoom meetings, and her mission to help others by sharing her story. Hear her perform a moving original song, "Legacy," and discover how she is learning to honor her father's memory while finally living for herself.

Access our website for the full notes for this episode at crosstalkofficial.com

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𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Mike's life looked successful from the outside—a high-paying job, a family, and a profitable business branch he single-handedly turned around. But beneath the surface was a crippling alcohol addiction that led to a DUI, a lost license, and an employee who acted as his chauffeur. The turning point came in 1978 when his boss delivered a shocking ultimatum: check into rehab in three days or be fired. Mike recounts the immense stigma of being labeled an alcoholic in the 1970s and his initial belief that rehab would "teach him how to drink."

This episode is a profound journey into the moment of surrender. Mike shares a powerful, spiritual experience in rehab where he heard a voice call his name, an event that changed the trajectory of his life. He opens up about missing Christmas to get sober, the challenge of early AA meetings in a small town, and the decades of blessings that followed—including a 40-year marriage, a sober fatherhood, and successful entrepreneurship. His story is a raw testament to the idea that sometimes, the best thing that can happen is being forced to face the truth.

Access our website for the full notes for this episode at crosstalkofficial.com

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𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Veteran counselor Faust Ruggiero, with over four decades of experience, joins Crosstalk Podcast to dismantle the myths of addiction recovery. He explains why simply removing the substance is just the first step, and why the real work begins with confronting the "undercurrents"—the personality traits and unresolved traumas that fuel addiction. Faust provides a raw look at the challenges of early recovery, the subtle arrogance of both addicts and their families, and the critical importance of not trying to heal alone.

Discover a unique therapeutic approach where a psychologist actively coordinates with a client's 12-step sponsor to create a unified front against manipulation and relapse. Faust offers practical advice for those contemplating change, for families navigating the turmoil of a loved one's addiction, and for anyone in recovery who feels stalled. Learn how to move beyond being "dry" and into a life of genuine, sustainable health, and why the 12 steps are not just for addiction, but a powerful program for life itself.

Access our website for the full notes for this episode at crosstalkofficial.com

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𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Duran was living the rock star dream. Signed to a label by his early 20s after a youth spent touring in bands, he was on a fast track to success. But when the music stopped, the party didn't. What began as straight-edge pride crumbled into a chaotic addiction to alcohol, pills, and psychedelics, fueled by the high-stakes environment of the music industry and a toxic relationship in the Las Vegas desert.

In this raw and emotional interview, Duran recounts his "rock bottom" at a music festival, where a cocktail of vodka, mushrooms, and acid led to a terrifying ego death and a stark realization about the life he was wasting. He opens up about the cringe-worthy drunk texts, the financial ruin, and the moment his childhood best friend intervened, ultimately driving him to rehab. This is a powerful story for anyone who has ever tried to outrun their demons, only to find that everywhere you go, there you are.

Access our website for the full notes for this episode at crosstalkofficial.com

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𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Doug Tieman had achieved the American dream: from a humble pig farm in rural Missouri to the President and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers, one of the most renowned rehab facilities in the world. From the outside, he was a successful executive, a dedicated family man, and a pillar of his community. But behind this perfect picture, Doug was living a double life, trapped in a cycle of alcoholism and sex and love addiction that only manifested when he traveled for work.

In this raw and revealing interview, Doug shares how his high-powered career inadvertently fueled his addictions, leading to a "divine intervention" in the form of a very public DUI in 2008. He opens up about the immense stigma he faced as a treatment professional needing treatment himself, the difficult conversation with his board of directors, and how he had to choose between his career and his family. Doug's story is a powerful testament to the fact that recovery is possible for anyone, and that sometimes, hitting bottom is the only way to find the top.

Access our website for the full notes for this episode at crosstalkofficial.com

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𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Billy G. grew up in a classic Irish family in 1980s South Florida, where he and his siblings were drawn into a high-stakes world of drug smuggling. By his teens, he was running surveillance for a multi-boat operation moving thousands of pounds of marijuana and hashish from Colombia into the state. Living a double life with Porsches and boats, he was a high-functioning criminal until his addiction to being a "garbage head" for any substance led to a dramatic downfall.

Facing a prison sentence for grand theft auto and attempted murder of a police officer, Billy's fate was changed by a judge who saw the transformation in his brother and offered the same chance. After getting on his knees in desperation, Billy woke up on March 21st, 1986, with the obsession to use completely lifted. He shares how divine intervention, relentless consistency, and a life of service led him from being an unemployable felon to a Vice President at a major corporation, celebrating 39 years of continuous sobriety.

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𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Tanner Strickland's life was on a celebrated path: a star football recruit for the University of Georgia by age 16, a talented musician, and a young man from a tight-knit South Georgia community. But beneath the surface of this all-American success story, a struggle with addiction was brewing, starting with a prescription for Percocet at 14. Tanner opens up about how the pressure to maintain an image, a devastating injury, and the allure of the rock-and-roll lifestyle led him down a dark path of opiates, cocaine, and eventually a full-blown fentanyl addiction.

This episode is a raw journey from the football field to jail cells and treatment centers. Tanner discusses the tragic loss of friends along the way, the moment his secret life exploded onto the front page of every newspaper in the state, and the 2021 arrest that finally forced him to get serious about sobriety. Now with over 18 months clean, he shares the powerful morning routine and spiritual connection that keep him grounded, proving that a life in recovery is far better than the dream he once romanticized.

Access our website for the full notes for this episode at crosstalkofficial.com

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𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Mark's life looked good on the outside—a privileged upbringing, a supportive family, and a fit physique. But beneath that pretty picture was a war ship on a path of destruction, fueled by a secret triple threat: a raging eating disorder, severe non-compliance with his Type 1 diabetes, and a deep addiction to drugs and alcohol. From discovering a dangerous weight-loss method as a teen to navigating the punk rock scene and a devastating loss, Mark's story is a raw and honest account of how outward success can mask profound internal struggle.

This episode is a powerful journey to the moment everything changed. After a terrifying blackout drive, Mark finally uttered the three words that saved his life: "I need help." Hear about the difficult path of a "dry drunk," the painful relapse, the family intervention that involved a physical struggle over cocaine, and the ultimate surrender that led to genuine recovery. Mark opens up about the mentors who guided him, the mindset shift required to truly change, and the pride he now carries as a sober man and a responsible diabetic.

Access our website for the full notes for this episode at crosstalkofficial.com

Video is available on ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@CROSSTALKPODCASTS/videos⁠⁠⁠⁠

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𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We’re so grateful for your support each episode! If you’re enjoying the show, please help us reach others by sharing it with someone who’d love it and leaving a review here!