Recovery Matters! Podcast

By Connecticut Community For Addiction Recovery (CCAR)

A podcast from one of the nation's original Recovery Community Organizations - CCAR. CCAR envisions a world where the power, hope, and healing of Recovery from addiction is thoroughly understood and e... more

4.9

1818 ratings

FAQs about Recovery Matters! Podcast:

How many episodes does Recovery Matters! Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 204 episodes available.

Recovery Matters! Podcast episodes:

November 18, 2025 Numbing the Pain: Unfinished Grief and Recovery
Ryan’s story is a powerful journey through early substance use, deep loss, incarceration, and ultimately finding real recovery. From growing up seeking acceptance, to losing his closest friend at 16, to years of cycling between numbness and despair, Ryan opens up about the turning points that shifted his life. He reflects on the moment he almost gave up, how connection inside prison planted the first seeds of recovery, and how service, honesty, and community helped him rebuild his life. Today, with six months in recovery, a thriving small business, and strong family relationships, Ryan talks about healing, purpose, and the simple daily actions that keep him grounded. His message to anyone struggling: you’re not alone, and recovery is absolutely possible.

00:00 – Intro & Recovery Dates
00:52 – How They First Met
01:19 – Reuniting Inside AA Meetings
02:07 – Ryan’s Childhood
03:26 – Meeting the Friend Who Shaped Everything
04:00 – First Time Trying to “Feel Something”
05:00 – Becoming the “Go-To” Guy
05:36 – The Night Everything Changed
07:27 – Grief He Never Faced
08:30 – Homeless at 18
09:30 – Crossing Lines & Getting Arrested
10:19 – “Recovery Curious”
12:43 – Hearing the 15-Year Offer
14:17 – The Serenity Prayer Moment
16:05 – Tier 4 Program & Real Change
17:15 – Coming Home With Purpose
18:44 – Finding Community Again
19:58 – Being Around Recovery vs. In Recovery
21:42 – Substitution & Spiraling
22:28 – Losing Himself Again
23:08 – New Year’s at His Friend’s Grave
24:21 – Choosing Recovery For Real
25:00 – Returning to CCAR
25:46 – Life in Recovery Today
26:43 – Rebuilding Family Bonds
27:27 – Growing His Landscaping Business
28:20 – Daily Program & Service
28:59 – “If I Can Do It, Anyone Can”
29:25 – Advice for the First 24 Hours
----Across the Web----
🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us
✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO...
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast?
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/
🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery
📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery
🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery
...more
32min
November 11, 2025 My Mother Handed Me Heroin, My Father Showed Me the Needle
Tyler shares his raw and emotional journey, detailing a chaotic childhood where addiction was the family norm. He recounts the shocking progression of his own drug use, the moment his mother introduced him to heroin, and how his father was the first person to put a needle in his arm. After years of the "jail, rehab, rehab, jail" cycle, hear how the loss of his 'perfect' life and a moment of desperation led him to a permanent path of recovery. Now sober and working at the very treatment center that saved him, Tyler discusses finding his identity, the power of fellowship, and how he navigated the grief of losing both parents while staying clean.

[00:00] Podcast Introduction and Tyler's Clean Date (October 1st, 2023)
[00:00:45] The Host's Initial Doubt: "He's not gonna make it"
[00:02:29] Finding God and a "Physically New Person"
[00:03:30] Growing Up in a Vicious Cycle of Family Addiction My Mother Gave Me My First Perk; Sniffing Heroin Together
[00:07:28] "My Father Was the First Person to Put a Needle in My Arm"
[00:07:47] Playing the Shitty Cards: Winning with the Disease of Addiction
[00:09:26] The 10-Year Cycle: Jail, Rehab, Rehab, Jail
[00:11:37] The Gift of Desperation: Leaving the "White Picket Fence"
[00:14:13] The Genetic Factor of Opiate Addiction
[00:15:55] Identity Crisis: Who Am I Without Drugs?
[00:17:59] Life in Recovery & The Power of Fellowship (NA/AA)
[00:20:18] Faking the Funk: Why Half-Stepping the Work Fails
[00:30:52] Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes
[00:31:35] Grieving in Sobriety: Losing Both Parents
[00:34:33] Final Thought: It's Easier to Keep Your Seat Than to Get It Back
[00:36:06] Conclusion and Gratitude
----Across the Web----
🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us
✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO...
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast?
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/
🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery
📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery
🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery
...more
38min
November 04, 2025 From the Streets to Barnes & Noble: How Addiction Led to Recovery and Purpose
From shining shoes at the Connecticut State Capitol to surviving gang violence, addiction, and multiple prison sentences—Luis Flores has lived through it all. In this gripping episode of Recovery Matters, Luis opens up about his descent into Hartford’s drug trade, the pain of losing friends, and the night five guns were pointed at him—and didn’t go off. But his story doesn’t end in tragedy. After years trapped in addiction and incarceration, Luis found faith, redemption, and purpose through writing. Today, he’s the author of Don’t Judge Me, a raw memoir soon to be adapted into a movie. His transformation is proof that no matter how far you’ve fallen, recovery—and even greatness—is still possible.
----Across the Web----
🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us
✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO...
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast?
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/
🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery
📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery
🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery
...more
13min
October 21, 2025 The Gas Station Drug That Hooked Me: My Kratom Addiction Story
At 21 years old, Lucas has never had a legal drink—yet he’s already survived alcohol addiction, Kratom dependence, and the brutal withdrawals that followed. His story begins in a chaotic household where nightly drinking and fighting were the norm. By 19, Lucas was mixing alcohol with pills, throwing up blood, and blacking out behind the wheel. That night at home became his rock bottom—and the start of change.
But when he stopped drinking, Kratom slid in to fill the void. Sold right next to the energy drinks at gas stations, it seemed harmless—“all natural.” In reality, it’s a partial opioid agonist that hooks into the brain’s mu receptors. Lucas thought it was helping him stay functional—until he couldn’t go a day without it.
Lucas shares what recovery looks like when you do it on your own, the painful truth about “functional” addiction, and how community ultimately helped him heal. If you or someone you love is experimenting with Kratom, this episode is a wake-up call.

00:00–Meet Lucas (21 )& early sobriety dates
00:00:53–Rock-bottom night at mom’s house
00:02:40–Vomiting blood, drunk driving, half-handle a day
00:04:06–From quitting alcohol to “dabbling” in kratom
00:05:00–What kratom is; 7-OH & partial opioid agonist
00:08:20–Gas-station access, concentrates, no ID check
00:11:16–The “functional” phase (school/work on kratom)
00:12:44–Extracts arms race:“Feel Free,” kava mix, escalation
00:16:03–Physical dependence & morning withdrawals
00:21:13–Choosing to quit & what helped (and what didn’t)
00:24:58–Early-recovery anxiety & doing it alone vs.support
00:29:15–Finding community (AA/RCO) as a young person
00:31:42–Day-one advice:“It gets better one day at a time”

----Across the Web----
🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us
✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO...
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast?
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/
🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery
📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery
🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery
...more
34min
October 14, 2025 I Woke Up on an Old Wooden Floor—and Finally Faced My Addiction
For years, musician Matthew Check drank to hide pain, pressure, and perfectionism—until one brutal morning on an old wooden floor made him face the truth. In this Recovery Matters episode, Matthew opens up about the spiral of blackout drinking, the shame that followed, and the quiet relief of his first AA meeting. He shares how he rebuilt his life through connection, spirituality, and creative expression—and why August 14, 2014 marks the day he truly began living in recovery. His story proves that recovery isn’t the end of fun—it’s the start of freedom.

Purchase Matthew's new book here: https://a.co/d/ePFvVgD

00:00 Intro – Matthew Check’s Early Years
02:15 College Drinking & Blackouts
05:40 The Morning That Changed Everything
08:10 Finding Sobriety on August 14, 2014
11:05 Early AA Meetings & Emotional Healing
15:20 Music, Spirituality & Recovery
19:45 Final Reflections & Hope for Others
----Across the Web----
🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us
✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO...
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast?
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/
🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery
📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery
🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery
...more
21min
October 07, 2025 Resetting My Sobriety Date Was the Hardest Thing I’ve Done
TJ sits down with Meghan Blanchette, a woman whose journey through addiction, relapse, and self-discovery offers a powerful look at what long-term recovery truly means.
Meghan shares how her first sobriety date in 2015 marked the beginning of a new chapter—but a prescribed medication after surgery tested her honesty and recovery principles. She chose to reset her sobriety date, a humbling act that redefined her integrity and commitment to healing. Her story opens an important conversation about prescribed medication, relapse, and the moral choices that often accompany recovery.
Growing up as an only child who moved frequently, Meghan reflects on how instability and self-blame laid early groundwork for addiction. Introduced to alcohol in middle school and later to opiates through a prescription, her dependency quickly escalated. By her twenties, Meghan was battling homelessness, withdrawal, and despair—until a moment of clarity walking along a busy road pushed her to seek help.
Calling her mother and entering detox through Connecticut’s 2-1-1 system became the turning point. Meghan went from living in a tent to completing multiple recovery programs—detox, 90-day treatment, halfway housing, and eventually independent living—each step teaching her life skills, self-respect, and community connection.
Today, Meghan thrives as a speaker, coach, and the chairwoman of the board at InterCommunity, the very organization that once helped her rebuild her life. Through her platform FiercelyMeghan.com, she empowers others with lessons in emotional intelligence, self-worth, and recovery principles that apply far beyond addiction.
----Across the Web----
🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us
✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO...
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast?
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/
🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery
📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery
🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery
...more
31min
September 30, 2025 Wild Ride To Sobriety: A Transformation from Drunken Oblivion to Profound Clarity
Host TJ sits down with author Ian Fee, who shares his raw and unfiltered journey through addiction, family struggles, and the path to lasting recovery. From taking his first sip of alcohol at just one year old, to believing booze was his “superpower,” Ian’s story is filled with both chaos and redemption.
He opens up about how alcohol shaped his childhood, his career, and his relationships—including two failed marriages and painful letters from his children describing life with a “party dad.” Ian also recounts his turning point in rehab, where he realized that true change had to start with himself.
Now eight years sober, Ian talks about rebuilding his life through gratitude, community, and daily habits. He shares practical advice for those in early recovery, the importance of your “circle,” and how he transformed his pain into purpose by writing his book Wild Ride to Sobriety. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone seeking hope, resilience, and proof that it’s never too late to change.

Ian's book Wild Ride To Sobriety: A Transformation from Drunken Oblivion to Profound Clarity can be purchased on Amazon: https://a.co/d/due58IO

00:00 – Welcome & Introduction
00:34 – Growing up in an alcohol-centered home
02:00 – Childhood party life & first jobs serving drinks
03:40 – College years: booze as a “superpower”
05:00 – Alcohol and career success in the hotel industry
05:43 – Marriage, kids, and the cost of addiction
07:14 – Stacking “rock bottoms” and going to rehab
08:30 – Turning point: realizing change starts with self
09:19 – Emotional impact: letters from his children
11:06 – Life after rehab & the power of community
13:39 – Learning to feel emotions & forgive himself
15:29 – Writing Wild Ride to Sobriety
17:11 – Building transformation through daily habits
18:26 – The practice of gratitude
19:16 – Advice for the first 24 hours of recovery
20:44 – The importance of your circle & relationships
21:09 – Book launch & where to find it
22:26 – Setting small, achievable goals in recovery
23:18 – Closing thoughts & inspiration
----Across the Web----
🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us
✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO...
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast?
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/
🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery
📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery
🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery
...more
25min
September 23, 2025 Rehab at 13, Homeless at 18, Sober Today
In this episode of Recovery Matters, TJ sits down with Matt, a young person in recovery who now works as a Young People and Family Services Coordinator with CCAR. Matt opens up about his journey, beginning with his first treatment at just 13 years old. Despite having parents in recovery, he struggled deeply with drugs, arrests, and time in the juvenile justice system.

He shares the progression of his addiction—weed and pills leading to heroin, crack, and near-fatal lows including homelessness, suicidal thoughts, and severe health complications. A turning point came when he entered detox and long-term treatment programs, where structure and community support helped him rebuild his life.

Matt also talks about relapse, rebuilding quickly, and how building a strong network of sober friends became crucial to his recovery. His story highlights both the tragedy of losing friends to overdose and the joy of discovering a fulfilling sober life—travel, motorcycles, relationships, and most importantly, fatherhood. Becoming a dad gave Matt a new sense of purpose, grounding his recovery in love and responsibility.

00:00 – Introductions
00:36 – First Treatment at 13
05:00 – Escalating Addiction
07:00 – First Arrests & Juvenile Justice
08:00 – Hitting Rock Bottom at 18
10:00 – Sober House & Overdose Scare
13:00 – Relapse After Heartbreak
15:00 – Waterbury & Heavy Addiction
17:30 – Final Turning Point
19:00 – Structured Recovery & Torrington Move
22:00 – Slip & Quick Return to Recovery
23:00 – Building a New Life
25:00 – Meeting His Fiancée & Becoming a Father
29:00 – Parenthood in Recovery
34:00 – Advice for Newcomers
----Across the Web----
🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us
✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO...
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast?
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/
🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery
📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery
🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery
...more
36min
September 16, 2025 3 Deaths. 1 Miracle. A Recovery Story You Need to Hear
Victor Reynolds shares his powerful recovery journey on the Recovery Matters Podcast. Raised in an environment of violence and addiction, he was taught to be heartless from a young age. By nine, he was on the streets, caught up in crime, substances, and chaos. Years of dust, drinking, robberies, and prison time left him broken, but also searching for meaning.
His turning point came when he faced federal charges and later battled congestive heart failure while incarcerated. After multiple near-death experiences and what he describes as a divine encounter with an “angel,” Victor embraced faith and recovery. Today, he lives with humility, gratitude, and a mission to help others who are still struggling. His story is one of transformation, hope, and the belief in second chances.

00:00 – Introduction: TJ & Victor
00:21 – Growing up without emotions
00:44 – Father’s influence & gangster lifestyle
01:18 – Early street life & family struggles
02:17 – First substances: dust & drinking
02:43 – Crime, stickups, and first arrest
03:30 – Denial of addiction problems
04:00 – Prison life & getting high inside
05:00 – Feeling invincible on substances
06:05 – Father’s Day with his sons – breaking moment
07:21 – Facing federal charges & prison time
08:10 – Congestive heart failure diagnosis
09:49 – Near-death experiences & survival
13:11 – Belief in God’s protection & a new heart
15:02 – The mysterious Dr. Kennedy encounter
18:25 – Faith, recovery, and humility
19:00 – Advice for people in their first 24 hours of recovery
----Across the Web----
🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us
✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO...
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast?
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/
🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery
📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery
🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery
...more
21min
September 09, 2025 From $70K Gambling Highs to Substance Use Struggles
In this episode of Recovery Matters, Brian shares his powerful journey from sports and college life to struggling with alcohol, cocaine, and compulsive gambling. He opens up about the chaos of addiction, the turning points that led him into treatment, and how community and recovery gave him a new life. Today, Brian works to support others in recovery, offering hope and connection for anyone struggling with addiction or gambling.
00:00 – Introductions & basketball as an outlet
01:22 – Childhood, family, and sports identity
02:52 – First drink at 14 and finding belonging
05:40 – College years, gambling, and substance use
09:57 – “Getting away with it” and white privilege
11:00 – Gambling wins, cocaine habit, and detox
15:00 – Early treatment attempts and relapse
18:26 – Darkest days in Brooklyn
19:57 – Last bet and last drink
22:45 – Surrender and finding real recovery
25:20 – Building community through sober housing
30:58 – Moving to Connecticut and collegiate recovery work
33:44 – Life in recovery today
35:02 – Advice for someone in their first 24 hours
----Across the Web----
🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us
✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO...
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast?
🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/
🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery
📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery
🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery
...more
39min

FAQs about Recovery Matters! Podcast:

How many episodes does Recovery Matters! Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 204 episodes available.

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Recovery Matters! Podcast

FAQs about Recovery Matters! Podcast:

How many episodes does Recovery Matters! Podcast have?

Recovery Matters! Podcast episodes:

FAQs about Recovery Matters! Podcast:

How many episodes does Recovery Matters! Podcast have?

More shows like Recovery Matters! Podcast

The Joe Rogan Experience

Recovery Elevator

From Sobriety To Recovery: An Addiction Recovery Podcast

The Mel Robbins Podcast