Let The Journey Begin

Hilary and Alex are joined this week by Behavioral Health Care Consultant, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Psychotherapist, Gil Carmona, in preparation for RSF's Community Town Hall on Mental Health & Suicide this upcoming Sunday, April 10th. At an early age, Gil endured a trauma that would turn his whole life upside down. When he was only 14 years old, his father committed suicide, leaving his entire family in a state of shock and disbelief. Gil, for one, had an enormity of questions, beginning his quest and desire to get to the bottom of "why" his father had done such a thing. One of his life's lowest moments turned into one of his greatest strengths, however, as he began seeking education to help others going through similar circumstances, culminating into a Master of Social Work and over 30 years' experience as a Clinical Social Worker. With so many people having endured difficult events and circumstances, Gil stresses the importance of getting help and talking through traumatic experiences through therapy and those you trust. He also discusses the prioritization of daily self-care and how one can begin to identify symptoms that they may be struggling with. In a day and age in which mental health is now taking a bigger priority, it is Gil's passion and purpose to help marginalized populations afflicted with the disease of mental illness and/or drug addiction find their place, speak their voice, and master their specialized needs for a more confident and healthier individual.

(We apologize in advance for audio quality in parts of the episode. We experienced some technical difficulties with Hilary's microphone. We should be back to normal next week!)

Website: gilcarmona.com

For more information and to RSVP for this weekend's Town Hall, please visit: redsongbird.org/townhall

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This week, RSF team member, Ariel Gale, fills in alongside Alex as the two are joined by content creator, Danielle Provot. Danielle is an individual who has truly experienced addiction from a variety of different angles. She talks about what it was like witnessing her late husband's struggle with opioids and an untreated bipolar disorder all the way up until the disease of addiction took his life. Losing her husband and the father of her two young girls at the time understandably proved to be one of the most difficult things she had ever endured, which soon progressed her own drinking and furthered her own path into addiction. She later recalls a particular moment during her struggle when she thought about how her two girls had just lost their father and that if she went any further into her own addiction, they might one day lose their mother. This was the moment in which she knew things had to change and that she not only needed to get sober for her children, but more importantly, for herself. Danielle discusses how getting sober has changed everything for the better in her life, especially the dynamic with her children. By looking at how much early damage she had done, she credits family therapy as one of her most significant pieces of healing and how it has created a level of communication between her and her two girls that she never would've imagined. Finally, she stresses the importance of service and prayer, as these are two actions that can not only help others but allow her to get out of her own head.

Instagram: @dprovot

For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

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If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

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New episode every Thursday!

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This week, in honor of Women's History Month, RSF Director of Communications, Jaana Woodbury, fills in with Hilary as Sue Bright joins the show. Now with over 30 years' experience in the addiction treatment field, Sue began her journey like many others do…identifying and repairing her own addiction. Early into their marriage, Sue supported her husband who began struggling with addiction, but quickly found out important details about herself through his battle. She didn't think she had a problem but when she was eventually told to start identifying the similarities of her symptoms rather than the differences, everything took a turn and she realized she was battling addiction herself. 32 years into sobriety later, Sue shares what has helped her obtain this incredible milestone, including regular attendance of meetings, working a program of recovery, maintaining a strong fellowship of like-minded women, and a spiritual adviser she can rely on and trust completely. Sue most recently served as the Executive Director at New Directions For Women and drawing from this experience, Sue talks about the differences she's seen in men and women going through treatment and why she believes women-only facilities are much more effective in helping females obtain and maintain sobriety. She also discusses how men and women become addicted differently although both sexes suffer from the disease. Sue is grateful for all the gifts sobriety has given her family and continually hopes she can help other families experience this same joy.

LinkedIn: Sue Bright

For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

redsongbird.org

If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

redsongbird.org/donate

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New episode every Thursday!

Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast

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This week, Hilary and Jason are joined by Public Policy Committee Member for NAADAC (Association for Addiction Professionals), President of CASA (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse), Committee Member for NAATP (National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers), and National Business Development Representative for Burning Tree Programs, KC Gooding. As an avid baseball player, KC grew up with big dreams of becoming a pro ball player, however, his athletic dreams began taking a backseat to other endeavors, evolving into an addiction. As this can be a progressive and fatal disease, things continued to get worse as his behavior was influenced by his dependence. Eventually, things hit a breaking point when his marriage began to fall apart and his family stepped in to get him the help he needed. KC had always had the mindset that his addiction was only hurting himself but, while experiencing his own moment of clarity, he realized this was all a lie he would tell himself to further his behavior. The simple reality was that he wasn't just hurting himself anymore, he was hurting everyone around him. The crew also talks about functioning alcoholism and what some of the symptoms may be while KC gives some of his own advice, from personal experience, on how to identify if you fit the bill. After almost 10 years of sobriety, KC draws upon his own experiences to help those in need. He talks about being open and honest, especially with his children, about his past struggles in hopes the same mistakes won't repeat themselves. Finally, KC calls upon listeners to practice love for self in a day and age where people can be overly critical of themselves.

You can connect with KC and find his work at:

LinkedIn: KC Gooding

Instagram: @calisparty

Facebook: KC Gooding

Burning Tree Programs:

- Website: www.burningtree.com

- Instagram: @burning_tree_programs

- Facebook: Burning Tree Programs

For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

redsongbird.org

If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

redsongbird.org/donate

Follow us on Instagram at: @redsongbirdfoundation

New episode every Thursday!

Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast

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This week, True Self Recovery's, Dylan Nation, gives advice and instills some wisdom on Hilary and Alex while Ethan Citron stops by to join the conversation. Dylan grew up with many natural talents and seemed to be great at most things he tried, especially basketball. These successes, however, evolved into his identity, which he describes eventually losing. In the attempt to regain this feeling of self, he turned to drugs and alcohol. This new lifestyle gave him a false sense of identity and an inflated ego that seemed extremely attractive to him at the time but wasn't actually helping him. Dylan also expresses how he was once afraid of sobriety because of the false idea that getting sober means you are no longer allowing yourself to have fun. Using for him, however, became a chore and obtaining sobriety was the key to achieving a potential he never would have been able to access while active in his addiction. Additionally, Dylan talks about how there is still plenty of work to be done even after one obtains sobriety. He goes on to explain that individuals use and abuse to mask the root problems and while this is the easiest thing for family and friends to initially identify, there are still many things to sort out under the surface. Today, Dylan loves talking all things recovery and cannot imagine a life in which he is not sharing the miracles that come with sobriety.

You can find and connect with Dylan at:

trueselfrecovery.com

Realcovery.info

Realcovery Podcast

For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

redsongbird.org

If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

redsongbird.org/donate

Follow us on Instagram at: @redsongbirdfoundation

New episode every Thursday!

Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast

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This week, FASAM Certified Emergency Physician and Medical Director at Oakvine Recovery Center, Dr. Joseph M. Martin, joins Jason and Alex. Dr. Martin got into addiction treatment because he very quickly felt the power and satisfaction that comes with rehabilitating an individual to be reunited with their family. From the beginning, however, he found that "addiction" was not treated the same way across in the board. He explains that, even today, not everyone in the medical community views addiction as a disease and talks about some of the hurdles he has seen because of this. Dr. Martin uses the phrase "dogma dies hard in medicine" and hopes this type of thinking regarding addiction will continue to evolve over the years. One way Dr. Martin has seen these thought processes evolve among those in and out of the medical field, is when an individual has had a first-hand account with the illness, whether directly or indirectly. He explains, without this first-hand struggle with the disease, it can be very difficult to truly understand what a person afflicted with it is going through. Alex and Dr. Martin also discuss how cultural differences can create a problem for addiction treatment as many cultures do not even recognize addiction as a serious ailment. Finally, the group discusses addiction as a whole and how functioning alcoholics may have a difficult time realizing they have a problem. Dr. Martin explains that when the cravings and "thirst" for the substance begin taking precedent over everything important in life (family, faith, health, etc.), that's when the disease can snowball. Jason gives his own account of this happening to him amid his addiction and, even though in his mind he wanted to stop, he simply didn't have the ability.

Instagram: @jatxerd

For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

redsongbird.org

If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

redsongbird.org/donate

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New episode every Thursday!

Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast

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Let The Journey Begin has reached Episode #100! To commemorate this special milestone, we dive back into all 100 episodes and take a listen to all the great "Actions For The Day" our wonderful guests have given us over the past two years. We really hope this podcast has been as helpful and informative to you as it has been to us. We are so grateful for your support, and we truly look forward to continuing this journey in providing you with hope.

Thank you for listening!

For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

redsongbird.org

If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

redsongbird.org/donate

Follow us on Instagram at: @redsongbirdfoundation

New episode every Thursday!

Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast

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This week, Jason and Hilary conclude their interview with Annie and Kevin Blake. We left off last week with Kevin discussing the depths of his addiction and how he finally got to a place in which he could change, all with Annie sticking by his side and helping him every step of the way. Kevin had finally gotten to a place in which he was doing well and their marriage had healed but the tables began to turn. Annie began feeling ill and could not figure out what was happening to her body until she was eventually diagnosed with a rare form of muscular dystrophy. Kevin became her caretaker as her disease progressed and the doctor began throwing every kind of medicine her way to help with the pain. What she didn't expect, however, were the side effects that would come with the drugs. She began developing an addiction for the medications, resulting in severe depression, and progressing into suicidal ideations in which she attempted to end her life over six different times. After her last unsuccessful suicide attempt, she knew her only option was to absolve herself from all prescription medication even if this meant having to live with the pain from her disease. Kevin talks about how important Annie was to him in some of his worst moments so he knew it was his duty to do whatever he could to help her during her own struggles. He retired early, having to accept a reduced pension plan, to take care of Annie and all that comes with the disease. Today, Annie and Kevin's relationship has rebuilt itself on the ideals of communication and understanding and the two of them have never been closer. They have since opened their home to others struggling with addiction and use their own experiences and hardships to provide hope. Annie and Kevin's relationship is a true example of life coming full circle and they stress the importance of reaching out for help, no matter what the struggle.

You can connect with Annie and Kevin at:

Email: [email protected]

For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

redsongbird.org

If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

redsongbird.org/donate

Follow us on Instagram at: @redsongbirdfoundation

New episode every Thursday!

Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast

Please subscribe, rate, and review!

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

On a special two-part episode from "across the pond", Hilary's close friends Annie and Kevin Blake join the show to discuss their marriage, co-dependency, and what the disease of addiction did to their relationship. Kevin suffered from alcoholism for many years before and after Annie married. He was a "functioning alcoholic" and things only got worse as the years went by. He would return home intoxicated on a regular basis, spend important money on alcohol, and communication became nearly impossible for them. Annie explains the reason she never suspected Kevin was an alcoholic was because, in her mind, she had a completely different vision of what an alcoholic looked like. While Kevin was suffering from his own disease, Annie was also experiencing her own share of difficulties. She was a co-dependent who couldn't understand why Kevin was putting her through this and grew more frustrated as she began realizing she couldn't fix him. Among many other things between the two, Annie began putting laxatives in Kevin's coffee to keep him at the house and hiding the family money from him, to which Kevin suspected Annie of having an affair. Communication was completely severed eight years into the marriage, and both were convinced it was over. Things took a turn, however, after Kevin's father expressed concern over his drinking on his deathbed. Today, 41 years into their marriage, Kevin and Annie share insight into how Kevin overcame his addiction and how they were able to mend their relationship to make it last all this time. Kevin truly needed Annie while battling his addiction, but the tables turned, and Annie would desperately need the support of Kevin down the road.

Tune in next week for Part 2 to hear about Annie's struggle with muscular dystrophy and how the couple overcame one of the darkest periods of their lives.

You can connect with Annie and Kevin at:

Email: [email protected]

For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

redsongbird.org

If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

redsongbird.org/donate

Follow us on Instagram at: @redsongbirdfoundation

New episode every Thursday!

Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast

Please subscribe, rate, and review!

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, Jason and Alex sit down with Jason's Aunt Cathy (Holmes) to discuss her own struggles with addiction. Cathy grew up in a household where both parents were alcoholics and she experienced many of the effects that come with volatile, untreated substance abuse. After beginning her own teenage experimentation with drugs and alcohol, she grew so desperate to withdraw from this home atmosphere that she married at a young age solely to get out of the house. In this early marriage, she unfortunately encountered her own share of trauma and abuse and the drugs and alcohol seemed to be the only solution. What she didn't realize was that all the things she experienced as a child, she began to relive in her adult life and in her own relationships. Cathy was truly a product of her environment. Things eventually started to take a turn for the better after she was in a bad car accident while being under the influence. At this point, she knew it was time to seek help for her addictions. Since then, she has spent the better part of three decades working on her sobriety. Cathy and Jason discuss the idea of being pre-genetically disposed to addiction and how a family history can be a major factor for future generations. They also discuss how family environmental factors can play a huge role in later youth development. Cathy ultimately stresses that, no matter how bad it seems, you still are worth it and that you should never be afraid to reach out for help.

For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

redsongbird.org

If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:

redsongbird.org/donate

Follow us on Instagram at: @redsongbirdfoundation

New episode every Thursday!

Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast

Please subscribe, rate, and review!

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.