CROSSTALK PODCASTS

Broadway star Chessa opens up about her family’s struggles with addiction, the loss of her father, and how these experiences shaped her relationship with alcohol and drugs. From her childhood in North Carolina to the pressures of performing arts school, Chessa shares how she navigated the shadows of her past to find clarity and purpose in her career and personal life.

Join us as Chessa reflects on the importance of therapy, emotional honesty, and the courage to break generational patterns. Her story is a testament to resilience, self-discovery, and the transformative power of facing pain head-on. Whether you’re on a recovery journey or seeking inspiration, this episode offers profound insights into healing and hope.

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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Shai is a musician, creative thinker, and recovery advocate who has lived through the chaos of addiction and emerged with hard-earned wisdom. Raised in Pennsylvania with a unique blend of cultural influences, Shai struggled from a young age with anxiety, self-obsession, and emotional disconnection.

His addiction led him to sacrifice his dreams, spiral into legal trouble, and face the darkest parts of himself. Through recovery, accountability, and deep introspection, Shai has rebuilt his life. Today, he uses his voice and experience to break stigma and remind others that healing is always possible.

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!

Growing up in a household clouded by addiction, Carrie sought structure and safety in competitive swimming. Her talent took her to the top of the world stage, winning gold at just 16. But underneath the accolades was deep insecurity, a longing to be seen, and emotional wounds that never fully healed. After missing her second Olympic team at 20, Carrie spiraled into alcohol use to numb the pain and cope with feelings of worthlessness.

Despite raising a beautiful family and maintaining a picture-perfect life, Carrie's alcoholism escalated in her 40s, turning wine nights into isolation, shame, and hiding bottles. After multiple failed treatments and losing the will to live, she finally found recovery through one last attempt at saving her life.

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!

Peter’s story is one of chaos, loss, and ultimately, redemption. From a childhood marked by trauma and addiction to years of homelessness and intravenous drug use, his life spiraled out of control until a series of devastating events forced him to confront his demons. In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Peter shares the pivotal moments that led him to recovery, the struggles of withdrawal, and the unexpected gifts sobriety brought into his life.

Now married, living in a beautiful home, and free from the chains of addiction, Peter reflects on the lessons he’s learned and the hope he’s found. His journey is a testament to resilience, the power of community, and the possibility of transformation, no matter how far you’ve fallen.

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!

Andrew Strauss, an Orthodox Jewish man born to Holocaust survivors, traces his alcoholism back to his bris ceremony at just eight days old. This raw confession reveals his double life - from getting expelled from yeshiva for talking to girls, to smuggling drugs across borders, multiple failed marriages, and losing his million-dollar home on a golf course. The story culminates in his 2007 suicide attempt and final redemption through an unexpected spiritual awakening in detox.

Spanning 40 years across Montreal, Israel, and Florida, this is a story of cultural pressure, hidden addiction, and ultimate recovery. Andrew shares how trying to please his rabbi father nearly destroyed him, why moving to Florida accelerated his alcoholism, and the moment he finally asked: "Who are you to say there's no God?" A powerful testament to the universality of addiction and the possibility of transformation.

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 reads like a thriller: adopted into a troubled family, she took her first drink at 7, nearly died from alcohol at 12, and spent decades chasing "normal" while hiding addiction. From faking moderation as a suburban mom to losing her children after driving them drunk, this episode exposes the lies addicts tell themselves and the moment she hit a bottom so low, only divine intervention could pull her out.

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!

Ernie’s journey through addiction and recovery spans decades, from his early days as a bright kid in Queens to his struggles with pills, alcohol, and the illusion of "cool." In this raw and revealing episode of Crosstalk, he shares how he hit multiple rock bottoms, switched addictions, and finally found lasting sobriety. His story is a testament to the power of honesty, community, and the hard work of recovery.

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!

Toni Dreyer grew up in chaos, the eldest of seven, surviving childhood molestation, abuse, and neglect. By her twenties, she was a mother of multiple children, homeless, addicted to crack, and caught in a cycle of trauma and survival.

But Toni's story didn’t end there. After prison and years of addiction, a chance meeting with a mental health worker changed her life. Today, she’s a counselor helping others get back on their feet, and reconnecting with the children she once lost.

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 Cross Talk Podcast, we sit down with Michael Cardinale, a licensed clinical social worker whose journey from reckless college dropout to addiction counselor is as inspiring as it is raw. Growing up in a loud, loving Irish-Italian family, Michael never saw his drinking as a problem, until it nearly destroyed his life.

Expelled from two colleges, confronted by a no-nonsense dean, and given an ultimatum by his parents, he finally faced the truth: he couldn’t stop. But his path to sobriety wasn’t linear. From superficial compliance in rehab to a transformative moment in AA’s Step 4, Michael shares how he went from resenting his family to repairing relationships, including his mother’s own sobriety journey.

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 deeply moving episode of Cross Talk Podcast, we sit down with singer-songwriter Griffin House to explore the real, raw journey of addiction, identity, and recovery.

Griffin opens up about growing up in an All-American town, the hidden struggles behind the scenes of success, and how alcohol quietly became his emotional support system. From near-death experiences to moments of clarity in AA meetings, this story is not just about sobriety, it’s about rediscovering yourself.

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!