Primary Purpose with Pej

This week on Primary Purpose with Pej, Pej sits down with interventionist and recovery expert Chris Howard for an honest conversation about addiction, mental health, intervention, sober living, and what it takes to create lasting change. Chris shares how childhood instability, foster care, poverty, substance use, incarceration, and opiate addiction shaped his life—and how getting sober led him from working overnight grocery shifts to graduating from UCLA and building Ethos Recovery. Drawing on more than 16 years of frontline experience, Chris explains why trauma is not always the root of addiction, how mental health diagnoses can become part of a person’s identity, when medication-assisted treatment such as Suboxone can save lives, and why short-term addiction treatment often fails to produce long-term lifestyle change. Pej and Chris also discuss accountability, family involvement, therapeutic communities, distress tolerance, intervention strategies, and the balance between compassion and confronting destructive behavior. This episode offers direct, practical insight for individuals in recovery, families affected by addiction, treatment professionals, and anyone trying to help a loved one change.CHECK OUT The Foundations To Freedom Youtube! ↓https://www.youtube.com/@FoundationToFreedomTo learn more about Foundations to Freedom visit this link:https://f2f-pej-help.com/YouTubeCall Foundations to Freedom for more information:833-8-Hope4UPej's Links |Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/pejinterventions/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PejizCorner/All Links - https://beacons.ai/pejChris' Links |Website - https://ethosrecovery.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chrishoward/Chapters | Tags in this video ↓#addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #sobrietyjourney #mentalhealth #healing #hope #resilience #personalgrowth #recoverycommunity #inspiration #doctor #education #awareness #addiction #addict #school

This week on Primary Purpose with Pej, Pej sits down with Katherine Russell who shares how a devastating car accident and a prescription for narcotic pain medication led to years of addiction—and how she ultimately transformed her pain into purpose. After losing nearly everything, Katherine began rebuilding her life through recovery, Narcotics Anonymous, step work, and community support. Today, she is the founder and Executive Director of Foundations To Freedom, an organization dedicated to helping people navigate early recovery through sober living, practical resources, and compassionate support from staff with lived experience. Katherine’s inspiring journey is a reminder that prescription drug addiction can affect anyone, healing is possible, and a meaningful life can be rebuilt after addiction. Watch this episode to hear her remarkable addiction recovery story, learn why supportive sober living matters, and discover how Foundations To Freedom is helping people create lasting change. Learn more about Foundations To Freedom, support its mission, and share this conversation with someone who needs hope.If this conversation resonates with you, please like the episode, subscribe to the channel, and share it with someone who may need to hear it. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, consider reaching out to a qualified healthcare professional or a trusted local support service.CHECK OUT The Foundations To Freedom Youtube! ↓https://www.youtube.com/@FoundationToFreedomTo learn more about Foundations to Freedom visit this link:https://f2f-pej-help.com/YouTubeCall Foundations to Freedom for more information:833-8-Hope4UPej's Links |Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/pejinterventions/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PejizCorner/All Links - https://beacons.ai/pejKatherine's Links |Website - https://foundationstofreedom.org/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/foundationstofreedomfl/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ftfdeland/Chapters | Tags in this video ↓#addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #sobrietyjourney #mentalhealth #healing #hope #resilience #personalgrowth #recoverycommunity #inspiration #doctor #education #awareness #addiction #addict #school

This week on Primary Purpose with Pej, Pej sits down with Laisha Martinez who shares her journey through substance use, X**ax dependency, and three DUIs and the wake-up calls that ultimately led them toward sobriety and a completely different life.Together, Pej and Laisha Martinez explore what it was like to get sober at such a young age, experience emotions clearly for the first time, and learn how to navigate adulthood without escaping uncomfortable feelings. Laisha also opens up about the legal consequences of their decisions, what rock bottom looked like, the realities of early recovery, and the difficult process of taking accountability without living in shame.This episode is about more than addiction. It is a candid conversation about emotional growth, rebuilding an identity in sobriety, and finding hope and purpose through recovery. Above all, it is a reminder that a person’s lowest moments do not have to define their future.If this conversation resonates with you, please like the episode, subscribe to the channel, and share it with someone who may need to hear it. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, consider reaching out to a qualified healthcare professional or a trusted local support service.CHECK OUT The Foundations To Freedom Youtube! ↓https://www.youtube.com/@FoundationToFreedomTo learn more about Foundations to Freedom visit this link:https://f2f-pej-help.com/YouTubeCall Foundations to Freedom for more information:833-8-Hope4UPej's Links |Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/pejinterventions/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PejizCorner/All Links - https://beacons.ai/pejLaisha's Links |Podcast -  @fthestigma  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nolongerlaisha/ & https://www.instagram.com/fthestigmapod/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fthestigmapod/Chapters | 00:00 Welcome & Introduction

00:47 Lisha's Story Begins

03:36 Growing Up in North Carolina

06:14 Family Dynamics & Early Trauma

12:20 Middle School Memories

16:40 High School & Insecurities

24:40 First Drink & Substance Use

28:40 First Xanax & Rapid Escalation

33:20 DUIs & Rock Bottom

41:00 Struggling with Addiction

44:00 Third DUI & Final Straw

47:00 Deciding to Go to Rehab

50:00 Life in Treatment & Early Sobriety

56:00 Finding Purpose: Film & Podcasting

01:01:00 Building 'F the Stigma'

01:06:00 Moving to Baltimore & Nonprofit Work

01:12:00 Family Relationships Today

01:15:00 Maintaining Recovery & Sobriety

01:19:00 Message for Young People & Final ThoughtsTags in this video ↓#addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #sobrietyjourney #mentalhealth #healing #hope #resilience #personalgrowth #recoverycommunity #inspiration #doctor #education #awareness #addiction #addict #school

This week on Primary Purpose with Pej, Pej sits down with Danny. He shares how growing up in an abusive household led him to use drugs and alcohol to cope with feeling like he never belonged. After eight years sober—but still feeling restless, irritable, and discontent—he relapsed and remained in active addiction for 15 years. Now celebrating 18 years of sobriety, Danny’s powerful recovery story offers hope to anyone struggling to get sober, stay sober, or find lasting freedom from addiction.

CHECK OUT The Foundations To Freedom Youtube! ↓

https://www.youtube.com/@FoundationToFreedom

To learn more about Foundations to Freedom visit this link:

https://f2f-pej-help.com/YouTube

Call Foundations to Freedom for more information:

833-8-Hope4U

Pej's Links |

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/pejinterventions/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PejizCorner/

All Links - https://beacons.ai/pej

Chapters |

00:00 Opening Story and Introduction

01:46 Introducing Danny D's Sobriety Journey

03:34 Who is Danny D? Early Life and Family

07:51 Childhood Abuse and Escaping Through Music

12:06 First Drink and Running Wild

15:21 The Rod Stewart Lie and Hollywood

20:20 Skid Row and Desperation in San Francisco

25:05 Finding AA and the Phone Booth

28:10 Eight Years of Untreated Alcoholism

31:09 Relapse at the Anniversary Meeting

35:44 15 Years of Chaos and Music

38:07 Ron Johnston Never Gave Up

40:32 The Rainy Night in Venice

42:32 The Rodeo Meeting and a Glimmer of Hope

45:04 Earl Becomes Sponsor and Never Gives Up

48:16 Asking Earl Why He Never Let Go

50:10 The Beast and the Turning Point

53:42 The Laughter That Changed Everything

55:40 The Lineage and Service

57:27 Final Thoughts and How to Find Danny

Tags in this video ↓

#addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #sobrietyjourney #mentalhealth #healing #hope #resilience #personalgrowth #recoverycommunity #inspiration #doctor #education #awareness #addiction #addict #school

Jenny Leone lived a picture-perfect life while secretly falling apart behind the scenes. In this raw conversation with Pej, she reveals the hidden addiction, emotional pain and double life that nearly destroyed her—and how recovering out loud changed everything. Jenny opens up about losing old friends after getting sober, discovering that sober dating and recovery can actually be fun, and learning how genuine connection became essential to her healing. She also discusses borderline personality disorder, drug-induced psychosis, dangerous withdrawal and the growing fentanyl crisis.

The conversation also explores the realities of the adult entertainment industry, the loneliness hidden behind a glamorous public image and why Jenny believes isolation can be even more dangerous than substance use.

Today, Jenny is a recovery advocate who uses her experiences to help others escape the same darkness she once lived through. Her story is proof that your past can become your purpose—and that recovery does not have to be quiet.

CHECK OUT The Foundations To Freedom Youtube! ↓

https://www.youtube.com/@FoundationToFreedomTo learn more about Foundations to Freedom visit this link:https://f2f-pej-help.com/YouTubeCall Foundations to Freedom for more information:833-8-Hope4UPej's Links |Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/pejinterventions/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PejizCorner/

All Links - https://beacons.ai/pej

Jenny's Links |

Facebook - https://www.instagram.com/jennys_sober_lifestyle_

Chapters |

00:00 Finding Purpose in Sobriety

01:04 Sponsor: Intervention on Call

01:37 Guest Introduction: Jenny Leone

03:15 Jenny's Background and Childhood

05:42 Early Drug Use and Rave Scene

07:46 Move to LA and Modeling Career

09:04 Prescription Pills and Denial

11:28 Withdrawal Experience and Continued Use

12:34 Escalation to Dirty Doctors

13:56 Health Decline and Psychosis

16:01 Hiding Addiction from Family

16:58 First Treatment Attempt

18:03 Getting Sober and Doing the Work

20:32 Reflections on Adult Entertainment Work

24:38 Shame, Ownership, and Moving Forward

27:38 Sobriety Fears and Fun in Recovery

29:14 Loneliness and Healthy Distractions

30:48 Bars, Parties, and Friendship Changes

32:21 Sober Dating and Relationships

33:20 Traditional Recovery and MAT

39:59 Sober Influencers and Social Media

43:12 Issues in the Treatment Industry

47:34 Dangers of 7-OH and Nitrous

53:44 The Ethics Page Controversy

01:02:01 New Ventures and How to Connect

01:05:52 Episode Wrap-Up

01:07:20 Closing Remarks and Subscribe

Tags in this video ↓

#addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #sobrietyjourney #mentalhealth #healing #hope #resilience #personalgrowth #recoverycommunity #inspiration #doctor #education #awareness #addiction #addict #school

This week on Primary Purpose with Pej, Pej sits down with Sam Funger about his years-long battle with heroin addiction, severe mental health struggles, and finding lasting sobriety. Sam opens up about feeling suicidal at just 12 years old, undergoing electroconvulsive therapy, living in his mom’s basement with a needle in his arm, and stealing medication from his dying father after his cancer diagnosis drove Sam deeper into addiction. After years of searching for answers that doctors couldn’t provide, Sam ultimately overcame life’s darkest obstacles and rebuilt his life in recovery. This is an honest conversation about addiction, grief, mental health, resilience, and the difficult road to sobriety.CHECK OUT The Foundations To Freedom Youtube! ↓https://www.youtube.com/@FoundationToFreedomTo learn more about Foundations to Freedom visit this link:https://f2f-pej-help.com/YouTubeCall Foundations to Freedom for more information:833-8-Hope4UPej's Links |Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/pejinterventions/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PejizCorner/All Links - https://beacons.ai/pejSam Funger's Links |Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sam.funger/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wsamuelfunger/Chapters | Tags in this video ↓#addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #sobrietyjourney #mentalhealth #healing #hope #resilience #personalgrowth #recoverycommunity #inspiration #doctor #education #awareness #addiction #addict #school

This week on Primary Purpose with Pej, Pej sits down with Dr. Nicole Labor to discuss her powerful journey through addiction, recovery, and sobriety. While pursuing her career in medicine, Dr. Labor battled addiction to heroin and crack before ultimately finding recovery and transforming her experience into a mission to help others. Now known as the “Addiction Assassin,” she uses both her medical expertise and lived experience to challenge the stigma surrounding substance use disorder, educate others about addiction, and show that recovery is possible. Dr. Labor opens up about what addiction really looks like, how it affected her life and career, and how her past ultimately shaped the work she does today.CHECK OUT The Foundations To Freedom Youtube! ↓https://www.youtube.com/@FoundationToFreedomTo learn more about Foundations to Freedom visit this link:https://f2f-pej-help.com/YouTubeCall Foundations to Freedom for more information:833-8-Hope4UPej's Links |Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/pejinterventions/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PejizCorner/All Links - https://beacons.ai/pejDr. Nicole Labor's Links |Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theaddictsdoc/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theaddictsdoc/Tags in this video ↓#addictionrecovery #recoveryjourney #sobrietyjourney #mentalhealth #healing #hope #resilience #personalgrowth #recoverycommunity #inspiration #doctor #education #awareness #addiction #addict #school

Recovery doesn't just mean leaving addiction behind. Sometimes, it's the beginning of an entirely new life.

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Addiction treatment is supposed to help people build a life beyond addiction, but what happens when the system itself becomes part of the problem? This week on Primary Purpose with Pej, Pej sits down with psychologist, addiction specialist, and Recover Clarity founder Ben Culler for a powerful conversation challenging how we understand addiction, treatment, and long term recovery.

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Some losses change your life forever. But sometimes, even through unimaginable pain, a new purpose can emerge.

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