Recovery Culture

When does helping become controlling? Where's the line between healthy love and codependency?

In this episode, we unpack what codependency really is, where it often begins, and why it can quietly shape our relationships. We share personal experiences, discuss common warning signs, and explore how healthy boundaries, self-awareness, and letting go of control can lead to stronger relationships and lasting recovery.

Whether you've struggled with addiction, loved someone who has, or simply find yourself carrying other people's emotional burdens, this conversation is for you.

Guiseppe knows firsthand how quickly addiction can take everything. Once a successful athlete and professional, his addiction eventually led him to homelessness, hopelessness, and years of searching for a way out.

In this episode, Guiseppe shares the remarkable story of how countless moments of grace, unwavering faith, and the people who refused to give up on him ultimately led him into lasting recovery. Today, he serves others in the recovery community, helping people find the same hope that was once given to him.

Whether you're in recovery yourself or love someone who is, this conversation is a powerful reminder that no one is beyond redemption—and that it's never too late for a new beginning.

The first year of recovery can be one of the hardest—and most rewarding—chapters of a person's life.

In this episode, Valerie and Steven walk through what to expect during the first year of sobriety, from the challenges of the first 30 days to the milestones of 60 days, 90 days, six months, nine months, and one year. They share personal experiences, practical advice, and encouragement for anyone navigating early recovery or supporting someone who is.

In this episode:

Recovery isn't about perfection—it's about taking the next step.

Ben grew up in a home marked by fear, rejection, and broken relationships. As he searched for acceptance through success, ministry, marriage, and even business ownership, he found that none of those things could heal the wounds he carried for years.

In this powerful testimony, Ben shares how God met him through heartbreak, loss, homelessness, and Celebrate Recovery, ultimately helping him discover healing, purpose, and the family he had been searching for all along.

When a local sober living house faced eviction, Steven and Val found themselves stepping into a role they never planned to take on.

In this episode, they share the story behind Recovery Culture's sober living home, the challenges of getting it started, and the lessons they've learned along the way. They discuss what sober living actually is, common misconceptions about recovery housing, and why accountability, community, and purpose are so important for lasting recovery.

Whether you're in recovery, supporting someone who is, or simply curious about sober living, this episode offers an honest look at the people, challenges, and hope behind the journey.

Mark's story spans decades of loss, family struggles, addiction, sobriety, relapse, and ultimately, full surrender. After achieving 18 years of sobriety, he discovered that sobriety alone wasn't enough—true recovery required healing, forgiveness, and a deeper relationship with God.

In this episode, Mark shares how childhood trauma, family dysfunction, divorce, and grief shaped his journey, how he found himself drinking again after nearly two decades sober, and how Celebrate Recovery helped him discover lasting freedom and purpose.

This is a powerful conversation about the difference between simply not drinking and truly living in recovery.

Brandon grew up in a home shaped by addiction, loss, and trauma. After his father left when he was seven years old, Brandon spent years searching for identity, approval, and belonging—eventually finding himself walking a similar path with alcohol.

In this episode, Brandon shares how a reunion with his father, years of sobriety, and a life-changing encounter with Celebrate Recovery helped him discover that sobriety and recovery are not the same thing.

This is a powerful story of family, faith, healing, and the legacy one generation can leave for the next.

What does addiction really feel like from the inside?

In this episode, Valerie interviews co-host Steven about his personal journey through addiction, recovery, and the mental battle that many people never see.

Steven shares how substance use progressed from pain pills to heroin, why addiction became about more than getting high, and what it was like to live in constant pursuit of the next fix. He also opens up about rock bottom, the challenges of getting sober, and the freedom he found through recovery.

Whether you're struggling with addiction yourself or trying to understand a loved one who is, this honest conversation offers insight, hope, and proof that change is possible.

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Raised around abuse, addiction, and instability, Vic spent years searching for belonging through gangs, violence, drugs, and life on the streets.

After prison, addiction, and years of running from himself, everything slowly began to change.

In this episode, Vic shares his powerful testimony of trauma, survival, faith, recovery, and finding purpose through helping others heal.

Addiction doesn’t just affect the person using — it impacts the entire family.

In this episode, Steven and Valerie share an honest conversation about loving someone through addiction. They talk about boundaries, codependency, enabling, surrender, and the hard lessons learned from both sides of recovery.

Whether you’re a parent, spouse, sibling, or friend of someone struggling with addiction, this episode is a reminder that you are not alone — and that healing is possible for families too.