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Birthdays in recovery are powerful milestones that remind us of both how far we've come and the work that carried us here. In this deeply personal episode, we celebrate Rob's 14th sobriety birthday with surprise calls from sponsees and friends while exploring the universal principles of recovery that apply to healing of all kinds.

Through heartfelt conversations and raw reflections, we uncover the striking similarities between physical rehabilitation and addiction recovery. Both journeys demand consistent effort, particularly during those lonely moments when no one is watching. As Rob shares, "The difference between an average athlete and a pro athlete is what they do when nobody's watching"—a principle that applies perfectly to recovery work.

The episode takes an unexpected turn as we examine the profound wisdom from Jeremy Renners experience recovering from being crushed by a snowcat. His journey through physical trauma mirrors the addiction recovery process in surprising ways, revealing how all forms of healing share common elements: community support, personal determination, and ultimately, the desire to help others walking similar paths.

Perhaps most powerfully, we discuss how true growth never happens during the comfortable "mountaintop experiences" of life. Though the view from the peak is breathtaking, nothing actually grows there. The real transformation always occurs in the valleys—those painful periods of struggle where we're forced to dig deep, confront our limitations, and push beyond what we thought possible.

If you're walking through recovery of any kind, this episode offers both compassion for your struggle and conviction that the work is worth it. Listen in as we celebrate not just years accumulated, but a life transformed through persistent effort and the willingness to help others along the way.

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Larry and Rob explore the concept that relapse is not about external triggers but rather a reflection of one's spiritual fitness and how thoroughly they've worked on their recovery.

• Discussing a member who relapsed and questioned whether to make amends again
• Sharing stories of transformation, particularly focusing on Nathan's physical and spiritual growth
• Examining the Big Book's guidance on spiritual fitness and the alcoholic mind
• Exploring when making amends might cause more harm than good
• Diving into a powerful story about someone who made unnecessary amends that destroyed their marriage
• Highlighting the importance of motives in recovery actions
• Addressing pornography addiction and other destructive behaviors that affect relationships
• Emphasizing the promise that spiritual fitness leads to freedom from alcohol obsession
• Clarifying that recovery is about taking responsibility rather than blaming external circumstances

If you like what you heard, give us a five-star review. We are not affiliated with AA, and our opinions are just that - if you don't agree with what we're saying, that's okay, we're going to love you anyway.

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Ever wonder if "coming clean" about your past might actually do more harm than good? This provocative episode of Recovery Unfiltered tackles one of recovery's most challenging dilemmas: when making amends becomes a selfish act rather than a healing one.

Larry and Rob dive deep into the concept of spiritual fitness and what happens when it's lacking. Through candid conversation and powerful examples, they demonstrate how relapses aren't triggered by external factors but by spiritual deficiencies. "If you feel like drinking around alcohol, there's something wrong with your spiritual status," Rob asserts, challenging listeners to look inward rather than blaming circumstances.

The heart of the episode examines a painful real-life scenario where guilt-driven confession destroyed a marriage unnecessarily. Rob shares how a sponsee, against guidance, confessed an affair to his wife simply to relieve his own conscience – only for her to later say she wished she never knew. The hosts unpack the Big Book's repeated warning that we "have no right to save our own skin at another person's expense," prompting listeners to consider the true motivations behind their amends process.

This conversation isn't just theoretical – it's intensely practical for anyone in recovery. The hosts extract wisdom from pages throughout the Big Book, showing how Bill W. methodically guides readers through proper amends making. They demonstrate how making decisions from guilt, fear, or shame rather than spiritual principles inevitably leads to more harm.

Whether you're new to recovery or have decades of sobriety, this episode offers invaluable insights into maintaining spiritual fitness, understanding your true purpose in recovery, and approaching the amends process with wisdom rather than desperation. As Larry and Rob remind us, on the "firing line of life," having the right motives is what keeps us unharmed.

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Larry and Rob explore the transformative power of willingness in recovery and the emotional impact of recording vulnerable stories.

• Reflecting on the powerful episode with Kim and Mike that brought unexpected tears
• Larry's sponsee Blake making progress through steps 4-7 of the program
• The critical importance of willingness as "indispensable" in recovery
• Developing a genuine relationship with God requires action, not just prayer
• Getting honest with yourself is the foundation for spiritual connection
• Making amends is not about saying "sorry" but taking responsibility
• Some amends may never be possible, and that's a reality to accept
• Understanding fear in recovery often masks the true fear of relapse
• Exciting upcoming podcast guests including a woman who's "sober out loud"
• The value of using original Big Book language versus plain language texts

Thank you for joining us today. We hope you learned something that will help you. If you like what you heard, give us a five-star review. Recovery Unfilter Podcast at gmail.com if you want to reach out to us.

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How does a marriage survive the unthinkable? In this powerful, emotional episode, Mike and Kim open their hearts to share their 18-year journey through grief, addiction, and eventual healing after losing their son Michael in a tragic accident.

When devastation struck their family, Mike spiraled into addiction while Kim struggled to hold everything together. Their raw honesty about rock bottom moments—from Kim finding Mike with drugs to contemplating suicide—reveals the brutal reality of how grief can tear lives apart. Yet somehow, their bond endured when statistics said it shouldn't.

The turning point came not through fighting harder, but through surrender. "It's not your battle," Kim heard in prayer. "Just love him. Show him mercy and grace." This spiritual revelation transformed their approach to recovery and to each other. After multiple rehab attempts, Mike finally found sobriety that stuck—now approaching nine months clean after nearly two decades of struggle.

What makes this conversation so powerful is how it illuminates recovery from both perspectives: the person battling addiction and the loved one walking alongside them. Their journey demonstrates that sometimes the most loving action is letting go, that forgiveness (especially of oneself) is an ongoing process, and that healing happens when pain is brought into the light.

Whether you're personally affected by addiction, grieving a loss, or simply seeking to understand these experiences better, Mike and Kim's testimony offers both comfort and challenge. Their story isn't just about survival—it's about finding joy again when it seemed impossible. As Kim beautifully puts it, their cup is "no longer half empty or half full—it's overflowing."

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Standing at the metaphorical "edge of the sidewalk," where addiction and recovery intersect, requires a profound choice about which path to take. This raw, honest conversation delves into the significance of sobriety birthdays and what they truly represent beyond simple abstinence from alcohol.

We explore the emotional complexity of recovery anniversaries, particularly the tendency to relive painful memories during the weeks leading up to these milestones. This phenomenon, common yet rarely discussed, serves as a powerful reminder of why we chose recovery in the first place. The distinction between the day someone decides to get help and their actual first day of continuous sobriety creates a meaningful framework for commemorating personal transformation.

The podcast challenges conventional thinking about recovery activities, emphasizing that while meetings and sponsorship are vital, the true measure of recovery lies in how principles are applied "in our respective homes, occupations and affairs." As one host powerfully states, "God did not get you sober to sponsor men and go to meetings. He did it so you could be a better husband, a godly man in your community." This perspective offers crucial balance for those who might become overly focused on recovery activities at the expense of family responsibilities.

Perhaps most moving is the reflection on celebrating a third sobriety birthday with family photos on the beach—a moment that would have been lost forever with just one more drink. This poignant realization captures why recovery matters: not simply to abstain from substances, but to reclaim our place in the lives of those we love. Even with years of sobriety, the journey continues through emotional challenges that require ongoing spiritual growth and surrender.

Whether you're contemplating recovery, newly sober, or have years of sobriety, this conversation offers honest perspective on what it means to choose life beyond addiction. Connect with us at [email protected] to share your own recovery milestone moments.

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Sometimes God moves in unmistakable ways. For Larry, it happened during a Saturday morning meeting when a newcomer named Blake shared his story. A warm feeling washed over him—what he calls "God's spiritual two-by-four"—and he knew instantly he needed to sponsor this man despite his previous reluctance to take on sponsees.

This powerful moment opens a deeply authentic conversation about what makes sponsorship work, fail, or transform lives. Rob and Larry explore the critical timing of recovery, using the striking metaphor of a newcomer as "an open wound"—one that will either be properly healed through working the steps with a sponsor or merely scabbed over by time, destined to crack open again.

Drawing from their years in recovery, they outline the essential elements of effective sponsorship: radical honesty, confidentiality, respect for each other's time, and allowing someone the freedom to seek guidance elsewhere if needed. They don't shy away from discussing sponsorship failures, including Larry's early missteps when his motives centered more around ego than service.

Throughout the episode, the spiritual foundation of recovery shines through. "God hits a moving target," they emphasize, explaining how prayer must be paired with action. "If you're going to worry, don't pray. If you're going to pray, don't worry." These aren't just platitudes but hard-earned wisdom from men who've experienced both sides of the sponsorship relationship.

Whether you're considering becoming a sponsor, looking for one, or simply want to understand this vital recovery relationship better, this conversation offers raw, unfiltered insights that cut through recovery clichés to the heart of what really works.

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Grief has no timeline, but what happens when it consumes your entire life for 17 years? In this raw and unflinching conversation, Mike and Jason share their parallel journeys through unthinkable tragedy—both losing teenage sons in the same accident in 2007. 

Mike's candid testimony reveals how alcohol became his only coping mechanism after his son Michael's death. "I felt that there's no way I could ever be okay again with this tragedy," he confesses, describing years spent driving drunk, hiding vodka bottles, and pushing away his grieving wife who feared she would soon bury him too. Despite multiple rehab attempts and hospitalizations for pancreatitis, true recovery remained elusive.

What makes their story extraordinary is the bond formed through shared grief. Despite his own pain, Mike dedicated himself to helping Jason's injured son Tyler experience life—taking him driving, shooting, and to wrestling tournaments, all while battling his own demons. "He just let him be the most human being that he could be," Jason acknowledges, expressing profound gratitude for these moments before his own son passed.

The turning point came just eight months before this recording when Mike finally surrendered to recovery. Now both men walk a path of healing, with Jason urging Mike to complete the 12 steps that transformed his own life: "I'm living like that never happened," he says of his trauma, a statement that seems impossible to those still drowning in grief.

Their conversation offers hope to anyone convinced they'll never emerge from darkness. As Mike slowly discovers, healing doesn't mean forgetting—it means finding a way to honor memories while embracing life again.

If you're struggling with addiction, grief, or loss, please reach out to [email protected]. Recovery is always possible, no matter how long you've been suffering.

Thank You for Joining Us.. Please share with friends. If you or anyone you know is struggling with alcoholism please reach out to us. We can get you help. [email protected]

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Mike S pulls no punches as he shares the story of his turbulent childhood with an alcoholic, abusive father in Oakdale, California. Born into chaos, Mike describes how he'd be locked in his room until his father came home, only to receive brutal beatings that went far beyond normal discipline. "I grew up getting beat like that," he explains, "and I always joke I think I started to like it because I was stubborn."

When Mike was just 12, his life took another devastating turn—coming home from school to find the house emptied out, his mother and sisters gone. Left with only his 17-year-old brother as a parental figure, they survived out of a Coleman cooler until they found housing. These early experiences shaped Mike profoundly, instilling in him a fierce determination to be everything his father wasn't.

At 17, Mike joined the Marine Corps, escaping his chaotic upbringing and excelling in the structured environment. Despite being surrounded by Marines who drank heavily, Mike initially avoided alcohol, haunted by the memories of his father's behavior. It wasn't until his first marriage collapsed—after his son Joseph was born—that Mike began drinking regularly and experimenting with cocaine.

The story takes a heart-wrenching turn when Joseph, after coming to live with Mike and his new wife Kim, is struck by a car in a crosswalk, suffering a traumatic brain injury that left him in a coma. As Mike recounts the agonizing hospital vigil and uncertain prognosis, we see the seeds of the profound connection that would later form between Mike and Jason, whose son Tyler would experience similar trauma.

This raw conversation doesn't just chronicle a series of tragedies—it reveals how our deepest wounds can become unexpected bridges to others. Mike's unflinching honesty about his struggles with addiction, fatherhood, and breaking generational cycles offers a powerful reminder that sometimes the people who understand us best are those who've walked through similar fires.

Have you experienced trauma that still affects your relationships today? We'd love to hear your story at [email protected].

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Depression doesn't magically vanish when the alcohol does. In our 40th episode, Larry bravely shares his recent struggle with depression despite approaching his three-year sobriety milestone. This raw conversation explores the reality that getting sober doesn't automatically fix all mental health issues, and sometimes professional help is needed alongside recovery work.

We dive deep into the telltale signs sponsors recognize before someone relapses—communication patterns changing, disengagement from meetings, and the façade that "everything's great" when behavior suggests otherwise. These insights aren't just valuable for sponsors but for anyone with loved ones in recovery. The emotional toll of watching someone return to drinking is palpable as we discuss two recent relapses in our community, balancing frustration with genuine concern and compassion.

The episode also celebrates recovery victories, including Larry's trip to Texas with family where he enjoyed concerts and activities while remaining sober. These moments highlight how recovery enables authentic connection and presence, even in environments where alcohol flows freely. We announce upcoming episodes featuring two fathers who lost sons in the same accident—a powerful testament to how people process grief differently while finding recovery from both substance abuse and devastating loss.

Whether you're in recovery yourself or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers valuable perspective on the ongoing work required to maintain not just sobriety, but emotional and mental wellbeing. Listen, share, and remember—seeking help isn't weakness, it's courage in action.

Thank You for Joining Us.. Please share with friends. If you or anyone you know is struggling with alcoholism please reach out to us. We can get you help. [email protected]