CROSSTALK PODCASTS

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

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

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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

Follow CROSSTALK on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/crosstalkpodcasts/⁠

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!

Louis Essig grew up in an idyllic "white picket fence" community in Columbus, Ohio, with a loving family and every opportunity. He was a D.A.R.E. kid who believed drugs would immediately ruin his life. But a desire to fit in led him to try alcohol and marijuana in high school, and he discovered the "missing piece" that made him feel cool and accepted. What started as weekend partying quickly escalated into a daily habit and a lucrative drug-dealing business that fed his ego and his addiction.

This episode traces Louis's devastating spiral from OxyContin to heroin, which he first used while sick and desperate at his fast-food job. He details the heartbreaking dynamic of using drugs with his alcoholic mother, who later died of an overdose. Louis shares the chilling moment when a recovering addict warned him that legal trouble would come, a prophecy that was fulfilled just six months later when he was arrested and faced two felonies, believing his life was over. This is a raw look at how addiction shatters even the most privileged lives.

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

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

Follow CROSSTALK on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/crosstalkpodcasts/⁠

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!

Louis Essig grew up in an idyllic "white picket fence" community in Columbus, Ohio, with a loving family and every opportunity. He was a D.A.R.E. kid who believed drugs would immediately ruin his life. But a desire to fit in led him to try alcohol and marijuana in high school, and he discovered the "missing piece" that made him feel cool and accepted. What started as weekend partying quickly escalated into a daily habit and a lucrative drug-dealing business that fed his ego and his addiction.

This episode traces Louis's devastating spiral from OxyContin to heroin, which he first used while sick and desperate at his fast-food job. He details the heartbreaking dynamic of using drugs with his alcoholic mother, who later died of an overdose. Louis shares the chilling moment when a recovering addict warned him that legal trouble would come, a prophecy that was fulfilled just six months later when he was arrested and faced two felonies, believing his life was over. This is a raw look at how addiction shatters even the most privileged lives.

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

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

Follow CROSSTALK on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/crosstalkpodcasts/⁠

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!

Adam's story begins with the universal feeling of not quite fitting in. Growing up with a significant age gap between his siblings, he felt he had "big shoes to fill" and struggled with deep-seated insecurity and anger. He found a temporary solution in substances—first marijuana at 14, then alcohol and benzos—which quieted the negative voices in his head and gave him a sense of identity and belonging. This led to a cycle of isolation, academic probation, and hospitalizations throughout college, all while he tried to maintain the facade of a "fun" party persona.

This episode is a raw look at the turning point: when his father showed up unannounced at his door, leading to his first attempt at rehab. Adam shares his difficult journey through relapse, the tragic loss of his mother to cancer, and the profound realization that he couldn't manage any substance. He details how finally surrendering to the process—going to a sober living house, listening to professionals, and learning to make his bed—built a foundation for a life he never thought possible. Now a mentor himself, Adam embodies the hope that it's never too late to rebuild and find true, sober joy.

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

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

Follow CROSSTALK on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/crosstalkpodcasts/⁠

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!

Ben opens up about a childhood marked by love that shifted to neglect when his brother’s illness pulled his family’s attention away. Seeking belonging, he fell into drugs, dropped out of school, and bounced between toxic relationships and chaotic environments. From living in tents to facing court orders and violent partners, his life was ruled by addiction and instability.

But everything began to change in 2020 when he entered treatment. Through therapy, recovery programs, and a spiritual awakening, Ben found healing, stability, and peace. Today, he lives with compassion for himself and others, proving that even the darkest past can lead to a bright future.

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

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

Follow CROSSTALK on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/crosstalkpodcasts/⁠

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!

In this powerful episode of CrossTalk Podcast, Correy sits down with Eddie, a fellow attorney whose life spiraled into addiction despite his successful career. Eddie opens up about his reliance on Xanax, the devastating impact of bariatric surgery on his substance use, and the night his 8-year-old son found him unconscious. From the ER to rehab, Eddie shares his raw journey through denial, rock bottom, and the hard-fought path to sobriety.

Eddie reflects on childhood trauma, his fractured relationship with his father, and how untreated alcoholism masked deeper emotional struggles. He discusses the turning point, realizing that control was an illusion and the recovery principles that saved his life. This is a story of resilience, humility, and the painful yet transformative process of rebuilding from the ground up.

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

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

Follow CROSSTALK on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/crosstalkpodcasts/⁠

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!

Teresa lived a double life: a successful Wall Street professional by day, a blackout drinker by night. For 30 years, she maintained the illusion of control—until her addiction cost her marriages, dignity, and nearly her life.

In this raw episode, Teresa reveals: The hidden signs of her "high-functioning" alcoholism (even her family didn’t know). Why she kept cheating on every partner and how alcohol fueled her self-sabotage. The unconventional bottom that finally made her surrender (without losing her career or home). How grief became her gateway to sobriety after her husband’s tragic death

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

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

Follow CROSSTALK on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/crosstalkpodcasts/⁠

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!

Natalie grew up in an affluent Manhattan family with sober parents, but alcoholism "galloped" through her genes. By 12, her first drink sparked an obsession that led to blackouts, Adderall addiction, and a downward spiral, peeing in pots to avoid her roommate and boarding up windows to hide from daylight.

In this raw episode of Cross Talk Podcast, Natalie reveals how hitting rock bottom in a Boca Raton halfway house, after years of failed rehabs and sober livings, finally taught her to surrender. Her story is a testament to the power of letting go, spiritual connection, and finding peace without a single drink.

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

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

Follow CROSSTALK on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/crosstalkpodcasts/⁠

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!

Heidi’s life spiraled from a "normal" upbringing to stealing from her family, shooting heroin, and surviving homelessness under a bridge. After her father pressed charges, landing her in jail for a year, she hit rock bottom. Then, a miraculous phone call led her to sobriety.

In this raw episode of Cross Talk Podcast, Heidi reveals how jail became her turning point, why wilderness bootcamp was worse than prison, and the divine intervention that saved her life. Her story is a testament to resilience, tough love, and the power of second chances.

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

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

Follow CROSSTALK on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/crosstalkpodcasts/⁠

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!