RRP 132 — Elton F. / From a Storage Unit to 4D Recovery: Revisited RRP 132 — Elton F. / From a Storage Unit to 4D Recovery: Revisited

Presenters: Julie P. Lewis and Peter B. Dowell
Episode length: 01:12:04
Release date: Friday, September 18, 2026
Originally recorded: August 23, 2024, as Episode 26

This revisited original conversation takes listeners back to the beginning of Elton F.'s recovery story. Before her current-day update, before family and service work, she was living in a California storage unit and struggling to find a way into treatment. Elton speaks plainly about what addiction took from her, the family who would not stop loving her, and the hard little decisions that finally made room for recovery.

Content note: This episode includes references to meth use, withdrawal, and needles.

Highlights

• Elton describes how early use grew from wanting to fit in, then accelerated after she began using meth.
• In California, she was homeless and living in a storage unit with no running water or safe place to rest.
• A detox bed opened, but Elton still planned to hide drugs in her car for later.
• During a call from detox, her mother calmly talked about everyday life at home. Elton later learned her mom collapsed after the call.
• Back in Vancouver, Elton's family intervened. After a moment of stillness, she handed her dad the bag she could not let go of.
• In treatment, Elton called her mom and asked her to remove needles she had hidden under her bed.
• She found a sponsor and community at the Alano Club of Portland, then eventually found her way to 4D Recovery.

Websites discussed

• 4D Recovery
• Alano Club of Portland
• Real Recovery Podcast

Listen: https://mdcr1.com/132
Blog: https://mdcr1.com/132b

“I did it for them. I stayed for myself”
— Elton F.

#RealRecoveryPodcast, #Recovery, #Sobriety, #4DRecovery, #RecoveryCommunity, @realrecoverypodcast

RRP 131 — Elton F. / Nearly Eight Years and a Life That Kept Growing: An UpdateRRP 131 — Elton F. / Nearly Eight Years and a Life That Kept Growing: An Update

Presenters: Julie P. Lewis and Peter B. Dowell
Episode length: Approximately 41 minutes
Release date: Friday, September 11, 2026

Elton F. returns to Real Recovery Podcast nearly eight years into recovery, with a growing family, a baby girl on the way, and a new fundraising and development role at 4D Recovery. She talks honestly about how recovery changes over time, why AA remains her foundation, and the freedom of building a life around family, service, and what matters most.

Key points

• 00:02 What has changed since Elton’s first conversation, including her role at 4D Recovery and buying a home with her fiancé.
• 00:05 A baby girl is on the way, and what it means for her daughter to grow up never seeing her use.
• 00:08 The gradual decisions that helped Elton let go, including telling people where she had hidden drugs and needles.
• 00:09 From direct service to fundraising and development, lifting up other people’s recovery stories.
• 00:28 Family, an upcoming wedding, and a life becoming more grounded.
• 00:29 AA as her foundation, even as meetings and service look different in different seasons.
• 00:35 A message for anyone hearing her story for the first time: life can get better.

Websites discussed

• 4D Recovery
• Oregon Recovers
• Alano Club of Portland
• Real Recovery Podcast

“Time has shown me, as long as I stay sober, that it does get better and things do heal.”
— Elton F.

ListenBlogNewsletter

#RealRecoveryPodcast, #Recovery, #Sobriety, #4DRecovery, #RecoveryCommunity, @realrecoverypodcast

Real Recovery Podcast Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 99-1347297

RRP 130 — Matt B. / No More Secrets: A Father, a Son, and a Life in RecoveryRRP 130 — Matt B. / No More Secrets: A Father, a Son, and a Life in Recovery

Presenters: Julie P. Lewis and Peter B. Dowell
Episode length: 1:38:14
Release date: September 4, 2026

Matt B. joins Julie and Peter for an honest conversation about a childhood shaped by silence, years spent hiding both alcohol and identity, and the recovery life he found when drinking finally stopped working. Matt shares what meetings, treatment, service, structure, and fellowship gave him, along with the relationship he rebuilt with his son.

Key Points

00:04:00 A strict religious upbringing, unwelcome questions, and the secrets that taught Matt to hide.

00:11:00 Drinking began in his mid-twenties and became daily as pressure, parenting, and fear piled up.

00:19:00 His first A.A. meeting was terrifying, but it was the first place he said he was an alcoholic.

00:29:00 Matt shares his April 19, 2014 sobriety date, alcohol withdrawal, and hospitalization.

00:39:00 A call for help led to treatment, M.C.C., repeated meetings, and the meeting buddy who became his husband.

00:51:00 Early recovery meant saying yes, working the steps, and learning through service.

00:58:00 Finding meetings that fit, fellowship, and the freedom to be open about recovery.

01:14:00 Matt reflects on repairing his relationship with his son and the anniversary coins they share.

01:18:00 Every day can begin with the first step.

“Every day you can start the day with that first step.”
— Matt B.Websites Discussed

• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Narcotics Anonymous
• Crystal Meth Anonymous
• Kaiser Permanente Oregon
• True Colors Recovery
• Go the Distance
• Al-Anon Family Groups and Alateen
• Real Recovery Podcast

ListenRead the BlogNewsletter

#RealRecoveryPodcast, #Recovery, #Sobriety, #AlcoholRecovery, #AALife, #LGBTQRecovery, @realrecoverypodcast

Real Recovery Podcast Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 99-1347297.

RRP 129 — Sonny M. / On the Other Side of the River: Grief, Recovery, and Finding a Way Forward RRP 129 — Sonny M. / On the Other Side of the River: Grief, Recovery, and Finding a Way Forward

Presenters: Julie P. Lewis and Peter B. Dowell
Episode length: 1:58:31
Release date: Friday, August 28, 2026

Sonny M. grew up around recovery. His parents met in NA, and for years he knew the rooms without believing they would ever be his. After his father returned to drinking, Sonny found himself caught between two homes, trying to fit in, and using alcohol and drugs to quiet what he could not name.

At 22, Sonny shares the grief that changed his life, his first attempt at recovery at 19, the six-month relapse that followed, and the community that helped him come back. He talks honestly about building Devero, staying connected to the program while life gets busy, and why recovery has to remain the first job.

Key points

• 00:13:00 Sonny’s parents met in NA, and recovery was part of his life from the beginning.
• 00:18:00 His father returned to drinking after 25 years, changing the family dynamic.
• 00:21:00 Sonny describes his first drink at 14 and the need to fit in that followed him.
• 00:37:00 An angry day, a decision not to go to the river, and the loss of Reagan and Zach in a car accident.
• 00:49:00 Sonny arrives at his first meeting, Plinky’s, embarrassed but welcomed.
• 00:51:00 He realizes the meeting is across the river from the last place he saw Reagan and Zach.
• 01:00:00 Six months sober at 19, a relapse, and coming back ready to work the steps.
• 01:06:00 Young Guns, service, coffee, and the recovery community Sonny helped build.
• 01:13:00 Starting Devero while trying to keep recovery ahead of ambition.
• 01:34:00 Sonny’s advice to anyone who feels stuck: give recovery a real chance.
• 01:38:00 Finding a personal “why,” becoming the man he wants to be, and helping others avoid the same path.

“Don't quit before you kick off.”
— Sonny M. Websites discussed

• Plinky’s, Portland Area Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous
• Portland Area Narcotics Anonymous
• Alateen
• Another Chance
• Real Recovery Podcast

Listen Blog Newsletter

#RealRecoveryPodcast, #Recovery, #Sobriety, #RecoveryCommunity, #SecondChance, @realrecoverypodcast

Real Recovery Podcast Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 99-1347297.

RRP 128 — Anthony Good / It’s All Good: Recovery, Fatherhood, and Starting OverRRP 128 — Anthony Good / It’s All Good: Recovery, Fatherhood, and Starting OverPresenters: Julie P. Lewis and Peter B. Dowell
Episode length: 1 hour
Release date: August 21, 2026

Anthony Good spent years in prison, lived through relapse, and had to learn how to build a life he had never really known. In this honest conversation, he talks about four and a half years clean, fatherhood, integrity, mental health, and the moment he decided to leave behind the name Demon and become Anthony. He also explains why he created It’s All Good Recovery, an open and personal meeting space where people can share honestly, give themselves positive affirmations, and take recovery one moment at a time.

Key points

• 04:00 Anthony shares his recovery story, four and a half years clean, years in prison, and the role his children played.
• 08:00 He reflects on prison, parole, guilt, shame, and the experiences that shaped him.
• 11:00 Anthony describes relapsing after getting a job, a car, and college, then becoming homeless within two weeks.
• 13:00 He talks about shedding the name Demon, fatherhood, anxiety, and anger.
• 20:00 Integrity becomes central to his recovery, including doing difficult things and helping people who want help.
• 29:00 Anthony explains “one moment at a time” and why twenty-four hours can feel like too much time for him to think.
• 38:00 He talks about how long it can take to feel normal after prison and addiction.
• 44:00 Anthony tells listeners how to find It’s All Good Recovery through Facebook and Anthony W. Good.
• 51:00 His words of wisdom are simple: live with integrity, do the right things when nobody notices, find the recovery that works for you, and build a support system.

Websites and resources discussed

• It’s All Good Recovery on Facebook
• It’s All Good Recovery Zoom meetings: Thursday at 6:00 PM, Saturday at 2:00 PM, and Sunday at 6:00 PM. Meeting ID: 465 403 0507. Password: 123456. View the meeting flyer
• Willamette Family
• Adult & Teen Challenge PacWest
• Hilbert College Human Services program
• Wellbriety Meetings
• Real Recovery Podcast

Listen and read moreListen to Episode 128Read the blog postNewsletter“You're gonna have to do a lot of the right things when nobody notices.”
— Anthony Good

#RealRecoveryPodcast, #Recovery, #Sobriety, #RecoveryPodcast, @realrecoverypodcast

Real Recovery Podcast Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 99-1347297.

RRP 127 — Ben M. / Triumph Over Trials, Part 2RRP 127 — Ben M. / Triumph Over Trials, Part 2: Three Sponsors, One Prayer, Over Six YearsPresenters: Julie P. Lewis and Peter B. Dowell • 58 minutes • August 14, 2026

Ben M. is back. Two years after recording one of our most popular episodes, he returns with over six years of sobriety and a story about what changed. The chronic relapser who once bought wine after his first AA meeting now sponsors three men. And somewhere in the last two years, the fever broke.

In Part 1, we revisited Ben's original story. Part 2 picks up where that left off. His sponsor told him, "Sweetie, I don't know what else I can tell you." Ben sat with that discomfort. He stopped fighting. And one week after another, three men asked him to sponsor them. This is about seeing the world with new eyes, about a listener named Ryan who commented "He's why I stay sober," about Portland Pride, meditation meetings, breakfast casseroles, and promises that actually started coming true.

Key Points

• 00:00 Julie welcomes Ben back — his episode was always in the top five
• 02:00 Six years sober — "I was already at death's door in May of 2020"
• 04:00 The fever breaking — his sponsor said "I don't know what else I can tell you"
• 08:00 "Seeing the world with new eyes. I don't even wanna drink"
• 14:00 Three men asked him to sponsor them, one after another
• 18:00 Sunday night service at Extended Family since October 2020
• 20:00 First Pride parade — Julie, Peter, and Ben share stories
• 25:00 Meditation meeting, sausage fest, and the breakfast casserole
• 28:00 Learning to sit with uncomfortable emotions
• 46:00 Promises coming true — "I have had so many promises come true"

Websites Discussed

• Lunch Bunch / Extended Family AA
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Real Recovery Podcast

ListenBlogNewsletter"I'm seeing the world with new eyes. I'm thinking with a new brain. I don't even wanna drink because I am now of the understanding that that's not a solution to my problem."— Ben M.#RealRecoveryPodcast, #Recovery, #Sobriety, #AddictionRecovery, #AA, #OneDayAtATime, @realrecoverypodcastReal Recovery Podcast is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 99-1347297.

RRP 126 — Ben M. / Triumph Over Trials, Part 1RRP 126 — Ben M. / Triumph Over Trials, Part 1: Revisited — From Addiction to the CourtroomPresenters: Julie P. Lewis and Peter B. Dowell • 1 hour 16 minutes • August 7, 2026

We're revisiting one of the most popular episodes in Real Recovery Podcast history. Ben M. first joined us in April 2024 as episode 7. Next week, Ben returns for an update — over six years sober, with three new sponsees and a spiritual shift he calls "seeing the world with new eyes."

Ben grew up the only boy in a big Hispanic family in El Paso. At 13, everything changed — first pot, first blackout, first time meeting men off the internet. He came out at 14. His Pinocchio story — meeting a fox on the way to school, following it to the circus, waking up with a donkey tail — is one of the most honest accounts of early addiction we've heard. From law school to psych wards, from a lost law license to a glass of wine on a flight to San Francisco that undid three and a half years — Ben's path shows what alcoholism takes and what recovery can give back.

Key Points

• 03:50 Julie introduces Ben — Sunday night meeting partners, Zoom host and in-person secretary
• 07:00 Growing up in El Paso and Dallas — only boy, three older sisters, "I got anything I wanted"
• 10:00 The Pinocchio metaphor — the fox, the circus, the donkey tail
• 14:00 Age 13 — first pot, first blackout, AOL chat rooms, meeting men off the internet
• 22:00 Coming out at 14, skipping school, developing a secret life
• 24:30 Moving to New York City at 18 — September 11th scared him sober for a while
• 30:30 Law school — daily drinking, suicidal in blackouts, Franzia and Golden Girls
• 43:30 First DUI, first major collision, jail, psych ward twice in one week
• 57:00 The relapse — three and a half years sober, then one glass of wine on a flight to San Francisco
• 61:00 Oregon rehab, finding sobriety, treating alcoholism as life-threatening
• 65:00 Sobriety date May 5, 2020 — "If I don't stop, I'll be 50 with nothing"
• 72:30 His husband, Sunday night service, and the life recovery built

Websites Discussed

• MCC Portland
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Real Recovery Podcast

ListenBlogNewsletter“Once I put alcohol in my body, I have to be willing to throw everything away — I cannot control whether I'll even be alive in 24 hours.”— Ben M.#RealRecoveryPodcast, #Recovery, #Sobriety, #AddictionRecovery, #AA, #OneDayAtATime, @realrecoverypodcastReal Recovery Podcast is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 99-1347297.

RRP 125 — Check-In / Be the MountainRRP 125 — Check-In / Be the MountainJulie P. Lewis & Peter B. Dowell57 minutesJuly 31, 2026Peter's nine years sober and one year cancer-free — and he didn't know which doctor he was seeing until he got there. In this check-in, Peter and Julie catch up on 90 days that changed everything: the clean scan, the TMS study at Another Chance, Julie's expungement after 32 years, and what it means to be the mountain.Key Points00:00 Welcome to the check-in — Peter and Julie catch up after the Glam Lot roundtable. They celebrated three promotions and three birthdays the night before.02:00 Nine years and a parade — Peter hits nine years sober. The Pride Parade falls on his anniversary. He's never been sober — this year he goes with clear eyes.06:00 The cancer scan — Clean one-year scans. When they said he'd see Dr. Leidner instead of the NP, his mind went dark. It was just his annual. Three to four years to remission.19:00 TMS and breaking the cycle — Peter explains transcranial magnetic stimulation and the study at Another Chance, run by former guest John Morgan. Non-medication treatment for addiction cravings.24:00 Julie's expungement — She found the paperwork while hunting for taxes. Eight charges removed. Thirteen dropped charges that still printed. Thirty-two years out of prison.13:00 Dress for Success, full circle — Julie donates five business suits to the same organization that gave her an outfit 33 years ago. She wore those black pants for 12 years.40:00 The mountain — Julie brought Peter to her workplace for the GTD fundraiser. He saw the mountain she prays on. "The mountain doesn't care about the seasons. Be the mountain."30:00 Community shout-outs — Devlin's new apartment. Amanda's 10 years. Rogue Recovery and 4D Jackson County hit one year. Babies, promotions, and Al is out of hospice.52:00 What's next — Two new board members, a media intern, someone writing grants. Fred Meyer sent $11.01. They finally have a standup banner."The mountain doesn't care about the seasons that are coming or the storms that may hit. It stays in the moment, it's strong. Be the mountain."— Peter B. DowellWebsites DiscussedDress for Success •Another Chance Rehab •GTD Go The Distance •True Colors Recovery •Rogue Recovery Center •4D Recovery •Fred Meyer Community Rewards •Real Recovery PodcastListenRead the BlogNewsletter#RealRecoveryPodcast, #Recovery, #Sobriety, #OneDayAtATime, #RecoveryPodcast, @realrecoverypodcastReal Recovery Podcast is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 99-1347297

RRP 124 — The Glam Lot PDX (Becca S., Bex, Carrington C.) / We Are Not a Glum Lot: Drag, Sober Fun, and Finding Your PeopleJulie P. Lewis and Peter B. Dowell • 1 hr 34 min • July 24, 2026The Glam Lot PDX brings drag, recovery, and fundraising together under one roof at True Colors Recovery. Becca, Bex, and Carrington join Julie and Peter for a roundtable about why fun matters in sobriety — and how they’re building a community where nobody has to choose between being themselves and staying sober. From Friends in the Park to drag bingo to raising money for the Trevor Project, this crew is living proof that recovery can be loud, colorful, and full of joy.Key Points

• 00:05 Meet the Glam Lot — Becca (returning guest, EP 18) and Carrington co-founded it, Bex joined about a month ago
• 00:07 Bex: six months sober, they/them, found community fast
• 00:11 “If you don’t have fun in your life, you don’t have interests — what’s the point?”
• 00:14 Friends in the Park: bingo, potlucks, bring a newcomer
• 00:16 Becca got into drag watching YouTube tutorials during lockdown
• 00:20 Telling people you’re sober: friends who disappeared, ones who stayed
• 00:27 Drop the Rock, step work, and defense mechanisms
• 00:34 Peter on finding Lunch Bunch: “These are my people”
• 01:04 Carrington on hyperfemme drag as a cis woman: “Is this okay?”
• 01:10 The mission: spread recovery through drag and raise money for charity
• 01:13 Raising money for the Trevor Project through True Colors
• 01:28 Final advice: get a houseplant, don’t give up, have some fun

“Our mission basically is to spread the word of recovery through the art of drag.” — BexWebsites Discussed

• The Glam Lot PDX on Instagram
• The Glam Lot PDX on Facebook
• True Colors Recovery
• Kings and Queens Meeting
• 4D Recovery
• The Trevor Project
• Real Recovery Podcast

▶ Listen ✎ Read the Blog ✉ Newsletter#RealRecoveryPodcast #Recovery #Sobriety #Drag #LGBTQRecovery #TrueColors #WeAreNotAGlumLot #RecoveryPodcast @realrecoverypodcastReal Recovery Podcast is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 99-1347297.

RRP 123 — Jen L / When the Light Found Her, Part 2 Real Recovery Podcast — Episode 123 When the Light Found Her, Part 2: Nothing Wasted, Not Even the Hard Parts July 17, 2026  |  Hosts: Julie P. Lewis & Peter B. Dowell  |  Runtime: 1:07:00 Timecodes approximate — pending final edit “I found a sister. I didn’t grow up with a sister, but I have a sister now. And every time I refer to you, it’s, ‘You’re my sister. You’re my spiritual sister,’ and that is everything to me.” — Jen L. Key Points

• 00:01 Jen spent six months in IOP without once telling her family she had stopped drinking. Recovery was her private project first.
• 00:02 Her dad was dying of cancer. At 18 months sober, he waved a glass of whiskey in her face. She didn’t take it. She also never told him she’d stopped.
• 00:05 At age 12, Jen discovered her grandmother Lois in Reno was biological. She found the branch of the family where the disease ran — and finally had a name for it.
• 00:07 In her first five years of sobriety, Jen walked through what she calls a suicidal depression. She kept showing up anyway.
• 00:14 Dr. Angela, a Cherokee elder and professor at Reed College, gave eagle feathers at every AA birthday she attended. Jen and Julie both carry one.
• 00:35 Recovery League Softball: Jen joined five teams and averaged 12 games a week. The obsession for more doesn’t disappear in sobriety. It just finds new rooms.
• 00:39 Jen met Mickey through softball. She walked into a friend’s house and found a gun and a badge on the kitchen table. Mickey was a parole officer. Jen didn’t run.
• 00:45 When Peter was going through cancer, the fellowship showed up. What the tools of the program carry people through that willpower alone never could.
• 00:47 Tammy’s third step gift: “If it adds to you spiritually, it’s God’s will for you. If it takes from you in any way, it’s not God’s will.” Jen still uses it.
• 00:48 Jen’s higher power: driving into the woods alone. What she finds when she breathes in the wind on her face.
• 01:01 Jen and Julie have been riding this train together for 29 years. What it means to call someone your spiritual sister — and what Jen says at the end about nothing going to waste. Not the grief, not the hard years, not even the parts she’d trade if she could.

Websites Discussed

• The Grotto — National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, Portland
• Recovery League Softball
• Real Recovery Podcast

Listen Blog Post Newsletter #RealRecoveryPodcast  #RecoveryIsPossible  #AddictionRecovery  #SoberLife  #LGBTQRecovery  #AA Real Recovery Podcast is a production of Real Recovery Podcast Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.