Recovery Catalyst - Substance and Behavioral Addictions Unpacked

We talk with attorney Mark Astor about what families can do when addiction or severe mental illness hijacks a loved one’s decision-making and the stakes keep rising. We break down how civil legal tools can create safety, accountability, and time for treatment without turning crisis into punishment.

• Mark’s path from prosecutor to behavioural health crisis intervention work
• Why families feel trapped between jail and doing nothing
• How the Marchman Act and Baker Act differ in purpose and outcomes
• Emergency temporary guardianship and what control can look like
• The ethical line between protection and autonomy
• Why high-potency marijuana can fuel psychosis and complicate recovery
• What evidence courts require and why hearsay can sink a case
• How we think about addiction, treatment fit, enforcement, and the “honeymoon phase”
• Concerns about fraud in the treatment industry when new funding appears
• Why free education through books and short videos can change outcomes

To connect with Mark and his team or schedule a free consultation please visit  https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/ or call (561)419-6095

To connect with show please visit https://linktr.ee/RecoveryCatalystPodcast

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I share practical updates that make it easier for us to stay connected and shape Recovery Catalyst together, from a new website to simple ways to send feedback. I also explain why I’m adding more solo episodes.

• Launching a new website with episode listening, comments, and a blog that expands on each topic.
• Inviting listener feedback through comments, questions, suggestions, criticism, and compliments.
• Offering a free Buzzsprout voice note link for quick audio messages.
• Building a once-a-month newsletter with recovery topics, mental health tips, and book picks.
• Using Linktree to centralize social links, guest applications, and guest published works.
• Promoting guest books with no kickbacks as a way to support their work.
• Planning two solo episodes a month about my recovery, trauma, and mental   health challenges. 
• Sharing why Recovery Catalyst exists and why story-sharing can create hope 
• Exploring the idea of an online community space in the future.

The Central Hub
https://linktr.ee/RecoveryCatalystPodcast

Visit my website to listen to episodes, explore my blog, and stay connected. https://www.podpage.com/recovery-catalyst/

Leave me a voice note here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2628184

Email your questions and comments here [email protected]

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We talk with Bryan Blackmon about leaving Texas for a Los Angeles dream, sliding into addiction and homelessness, and finding an unexpected lifeline through an 85-year-old landlord named Elaine. Bryan shares the mirror moment that made him choose sobriety, the reality of withdrawal, and how his viral TikTok story turned into Crab Life Crew and a recovery mindset built on self-worth.  In this episode we cover:

• How glamorized party culture feeds denial and escalation.
• What homelessness feels like day to day and why survival mode drives more   use.
• A Lamborghini conversation that plants the seed for change.
• AA meetings, rehab access issues, and why environment matters.
• The danger and intensity of withdrawal and why support is critical.
• Building Crab Life Crew through TikTok lives and a Discord community.
• “Crab Mentality” and the CRAB framework: Clean, Resilient, Adaptable, Believe.
• Daily disciplines that support mental health, gratitude, and long-term sobriety. 

To Connect with Bryan and the Crab Crew Life please visit: https://crabcrewlife.com/

For more resources, guest inquiries, or to get in touch, you can find everything here: https://linktr.ee/RecoveryCatalystPodcast

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We share a raw, late-night check-in about living with debilitating anxiety while staying sober and trying to keep life moving. We talk honestly about panic attacks, the long list of things we try for relief, and why kindness matters when there is no simple cure.

 
• hosting the Recovery Catalyst Podcast with curiosity rather than cure 
• describing what anxiety feels like in the body and mind 
• naming the exhaustion and stigma behind “just take a pill” 
• the difficulty of starting medication 
• how anxiety limits daily life, sleep, work and parenting 
• why drinking is not an option in recovery and how rebound anxiety shows up 
• accepting that people only have their experience, not a universal answer 
• choosing to keep trying and encouraging listeners to do the same 

please check me out across social media at Recovery Catalyst Podcast. Please feel free to email me at [email protected] or reach out thru https://linktr.ee/RecoveryCatalystPodcast I'd love to hear your stories, your experiences with anxiety, mental health, addiction or any struggle you want to share.

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We talk with veteran and shamanic trauma specialist Jeremy Chenvert, host of “The Shaman Stories Podcast” about how trauma can linger even when you “should be fine,” and how healing starts when the nervous system finally feels safe. We share concrete tools, hard-earned boundaries, and a grounded look at shamanic work, generational trauma, grief, and finding practitioners you can trust.  In this episode we will talk about:

• Jeremy’s military background and the slow build of anger after deployments 
• Why denial of PTSD is common even with real loss and exposure 
• Limits of medication and talk therapy for some people, plus why they can still help 
• Shamanic healing as work with trauma imprints and blocked energy flow 
• Box breathing and grounding as a simple nervous system reset 
• Small incremental change over big overhauls, plus unpacking the story around the wound 
• Generational trauma and the ripple effect of healing forward and back 
• Media diet, community building, and “find what is yours to do” 
• How to vet safe practitioners, including plant medicine cautions and discovery calls 

To learn more about Jeremys Offerings and to download a FREE Reiki Level 1 Course please visit  https://www.pnwshamanichealing.com/

I’m looking to help our community grow! If you’d like to support the show, please visit https://www.buzzsprout.com/2628184/support . Supporters receive a special shout-out on an upcoming episode, and I would love to help promote your latest work or website to our audience. Let’s collaborate and get your message out there! You can see all my platforms, follow along and reach me here: https://linktr.ee/RecoveryCatalystPodcast

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We talk with sober travel writer Teresa Bergen about how to protect sobriety on the road without shrinking your life. We share practical ways to handle social pressure, build sober-friendly plans, and travel with more freedom and better memories. 

• Teresa’s long-term sobriety story and why it feels liberating 
• Why alcohol is so baked into travel culture and how to stop it ruining your mood 
• Picking destinations where alcohol is not the main focus 
• Travelling with friends who drink and prioritising what you want to do 
• Handling drink offers with a simple script and a non-alcoholic drink in hand 
• Using a support system during high-pressure moments like a surprise mixology class 
• Being upfront about not drinking and how that empowers other people 
• Navigating business networking sober and giving yourself permission to leave…and more!

To learn more about Teresa Bergen, her books and sober travel please visit https://teresabergen.com/ 

I’m looking to help our community grow! If you’d like to support the show, please visit https://www.buzzsprout.com/2628184/support . Supporters receive a special shout-out on an upcoming episode, and I would love to help promote your latest work or website to our audience. Let’s collaborate and get your message out there! You can see all my platforms and follow along here: https://linktr.ee/RecoveryCatalystPodcast

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Thanks for listening to this episode of the podcast! If you enjoyed today’s conversation, please follow or subscribe to the show so you never miss an update. 

We sit down with Dr. Ellyn Hilliard-McLeod to talk about why real healing takes more than a perfect diet and how symptoms can reveal what needs to change in our lives. We dig into processed food traps, core beliefs around eating, and the inner work of forgiveness, identity, and responsibility that can shape long-term health.  

• Dr McLeod’s journey from a Crohn’s diagnosis to a holistic path  
•  How “organic” labels can hide ultra-processed foods that still drive inflammation  
• Why calming the nervous system through meditation and yoga supports gut health  
• Childhood food programming and the core beliefs that sabotage change  
• Community support groups as a tool for consistency and emotional processing.
• Polypharmacy risks and why we push for smarter questions in short doctor visits .
• Becoming your own advocate while using integrative medicine wisely  
• “How is this serving me?” as a post-diagnosis reflection question  
• Anger, resentment, and the shift from acute “hot” illness to chronic “cold” disease
• Why It Takes More Than Carrot Juice focuses on mindset, forgiveness, and meaning  

To learn more about Dr. Ellyn McLeod or to purchase her book please visit https://sedonasolution.com/

Let’s help each other grow! Become a supporter today!  As a thank you for your contribution, I’ll give you a shout-out on an upcoming episode and help you promote your latest project, website, or podcast to our audience. It’s my way of showing appreciation for your support while helping you get your work noticed https://www.buzzsprout.com/2628184/support

Thank you for tuning in and supporting Recovery Catalyst Podcast.

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Fenix Shephard recounts leaving home at 14, surviving abuse, addiction, homelessness, being part of the LGBTQ+ community along with multiple arrests before finding sobriety and a personal relationship with God beyond organized religion.

Fenix discusses the healing tools she used and now offers—havening, EMDR, TMS, CBT and DBT—alongside spiritual coaching, veteran and community work, and a message of unconditional love and practical steps to get help.

For more on Fenix, her coaching services or to purchase her book “Loved Unconditionally”  please visit  Fenixshepard.com

Love the conversation?  Want to be a guest? Or simply want to connect please visit  linktr.ee/RecoveryCatalystPodcast

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Certified IFS practitioner and trauma‑informed coach Kurt Bush shares his journey from manufacturing and ministry into Brimstone Coaching Group, helping leaders overcome imposter syndrome and lead with authenticity.

Through the simple framework Encounter + Reflection = Transformation, Kurt shows how self‑awareness increases impact, interrupts burnout, and creates sustainable leadership. Learn about his book, podcast, and accessible coaching approach that equips people across work and life.

For more information on Kurt, Brimestone Coaching Group and to access a free guide for managing anxiety, please visitbrimstonecoachinggroup.com

Love the conversation?  Want to be a guest? Or simply want to connect please visit  linktr.ee/RecoveryCatalystPodcast

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Gazit Chaya Nkosi, an autistic AFAB trans non-binary Jewish mystic and somatic coach, discusses neurodivergence and "neurocomplexity," somatic parts work, and the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) — a passive, auditory method that helps the nervous system re-establish safety and social engagement.

The conversation covers practical tools like resourcing before/during/after stressful events, setting compassionate boundaries, working with children and parents, and everyday practices (breath, movement, vocalization, mindfulness) to build a life worth living and reduce shame and reactivity.

To learn more about Gazit and to book a free consultation call please visit their website therootedcoop/home

Love the conversation?  Want to be a guest? Or simply want to connect please visit  linktr.ee/RecoveryCatalystPodcast

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