Most of his ups and down in life were in sobriety.  He got sober at 17 and is still that way 28+ years later.  For people that think young people haven’t done enough personal damage to need to get sober (these are the “I spilled more than you drank”, types) or for those that think young people have to relapse at least six times to “get it”, listen up.  Chris S. has a story of hope and recovery that professionals, parents and young people need to hear.  Join us this Sunday night to hear Chris S.

Pot wasn’t much of an issue; neither were pills. Boyfriends were largely to blame, she thought.  When he started selling and later using heroin she joined him blaming him for her use.  Later when he started using heroin IV she angrily felt like he was leaving her out and joined him….for years.  He died of an overdose and she began the journey to get well.  Multiple treatments and many bumps in the road later she’s sober and happy.

All you have to do is read the paper or listen to the news to know that there’s a heroin problem in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago; but like most people we feel that as bad as it is, it won’t happen to us.  But it happened to Ken and his family.  It happened to his daughter earlier this year and it launched Ken into the desire or maybe the need to get the message out to other parents who think that it couldn’t happen to them.  Please join us this week in welcoming Ken Chiakas.

Isn’t drinking just part of what a hardworking, hard driving attorney does?  Isn’t a little relief after a difficult case; a hard day in court just what we do? Maybe for some but for Mike it left the territory of “normal”, “hard drinking” and “relief” and into the territory of trouble, family upheaval and powerlessness. Mike is a long-time recovering person with a admirable resume including a leading role in the lawyers assistance program.  Join us this week to hear Mike C.

Sobriety is more than the containment of a compulsion; it’s a fundamental shift in consciousness.  Is change a prerequisite of sobriety? It has been said that “the same man will drink again”.  Is change a random event, a willful management of behavior, a miracle or something else?  Is change an event or a process?  These are some of the topics that we’ll explore with our guest this week, suitcoat Johnny or suitcoat for short.

Steve Ferrone has lived a couple of lives; an entertainer from an early age, he was opening for The Who at age twelve and has been a sought after drummer his whole career.  He's done stints with bands as diverse as progressive jazz guys like Brian Auger and the Oblivion Express to well known rockers like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.  Steve's value runs much deeper however than music or fame.  He made some significant changes in his life in the early nineties and it those changes and their impact on his life today that we want to address in this week's show.  Please join us this week in welcoming Steve Ferrone.

April Fisher has been in the DUI business for enough years to know the “ins and outs” of the process.  All kinds of folks get DUIs and most don’t know what they’re stepping into.  They don’t know the rules and they don’t understand the treatment process.  Most know only that they have been stopped and charged with driving while intoxicated but have little idea of the costs, the steps to completion or the long term consequences.  Most had forgotten that driving is a privilege not a right.  Join us this week for an in-depth discussion of the DUI process.

In this show we plan a departure from our standard pattern to highlight Sophie Swire and her International efforts to empower women in places where this is not the norm.  We feel lucky to have Sophie in our studio this week to give us some glimpses into other cultures and other ways of life.  We sometimes take for granted the freedoms we have.  In the countries where Sophie and her co-workers operate codependency isn’t something one can recover from its more something that is culturally demanded.  Join us this week for a look into another world.

Surrounded by Alcoholism as a kid she was predisposed but how could this happen to a nice girl like Karen?  A good marriage, great kids and wanting for little…was it a mid-life crisis or a mid-life CRISIS? She fought a lengthy and costly battle with alcohol for ten long years and finally surrendered and accepted the truth.  She changed drinks, changed towns and did everything to avoid it but in the end, staring out the kitchen window alone and afraid at 1 AM she knew.  She’s been through much in sobriety but has made recovery her priority.  Today she’s a happy survivor.

Could a disorganized desk, a disorganized room or house be a symptom of a disorganized head? Are you holding on to THINGS as an emotional suppport or because you can't let go of other things?Let's find out about the addictive side of messy.  Le's talk to our guest Jane Caroo, owner and operator of Clutter Coach Company and a self described "recovering clutter bug"In Jane's words,"In the processof my recovery, I learned more about the connection between physical clutter and emotional/mental well-being than I would have ever dreamed."