In this episode of Rise Above, Ali Zansberg shares one of the most intense addiction stories we’ve ever featured on the podcast.

After surviving stage-four liver failure as a teenager, Ali was prescribed opioids — which quickly spiraled into doctor shopping, oxy addiction, meth use, psychosis, and repeated overdoses. At her lowest point, she overdosed nine times in a single month, experienced severe drug-induced psychosis, and found herself in and out of jail.

Her addiction escalated from prescription opioids to meth and eventually kratom, where she became trapped in brutal withdrawals and a cycle she couldn’t escape.

Ali opens up about surviving overdoses, being revived multiple times with Narcan, doctor shopping prescriptions, battling addiction across multiple states, and the moment she finally surrendered and asked for help.

Today Ali is over a year sober, sponsors other women in recovery, and is helping others find a way out of addiction.

If you’ve been listening to Rise Above for a while, you know I don’t believe in shame, stigma, or one-size-fits-all treatment. That’s why I partnered with Compassion Behavioral Health.

Compassion is intentionally boutique sized so clients receive real individualized care. Whether someone needs detox, residential treatment, partial hospitalization, IOP, or even virtual support, they offer a full continuum of care built around evidence-based therapy along with innovative options like TMS, neurofeedback, and EMDR when appropriate.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, mental health, or both and you don’t know where to start, this is a compassionate place to begin.

Call or text 844-443-5669 or visit compassionbehavioralhealth.com.

#addictionrecovery #opioidcrisis #sobrietyjourney #overdose #riseabovepodcast

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Ryan Yonkers grew up in a seemingly normal household outside Chicago. But behind the scenes, childhood trauma, addiction, and a chaotic home life pushed him down a dangerous path.

Ryan started experimenting with substances at just six years old, eventually falling deep into drug culture. By his late teens he was selling drugs, running with dangerous people, and chasing a rap career that briefly put him on stage with artists like Young Buck.

But addiction took over.

What started with pills turned into heroin, armed robberies, and a life completely controlled by drugs. Ryan lost friends to overdose, watched people he loved die, and spiraled into a lifestyle he thought he would never escape.

After hitting rock bottom, Ryan found recovery and a new purpose helping others battling addiction.

Today he shares his story in hopes of helping someone who is still suffering.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, help is available.

Compassion Behavioral Health offers compassionate, evidence-based treatment for addiction and mental health disorders.

📞 Call: 877-414-3007

Recovery is possible.

#addictionrecovery #heroinaddiction #sobrietystory #recoverypodcast #riseabovepodcast #mentalhealthrecovery

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If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, mental health, or both, Compassion Behavioral Health offers individualized treatment designed to address the root causes — not just the symptoms.

Compassion Behavioral Health is intentionally boutique-sized, allowing clients to receive personalized care rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. They provide a full continuum of care including detox, residential treatment, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs, and virtual support.

Alongside evidence-based therapies, they also offer innovative treatment options like TMS, neurofeedback, and EMDR when clinically appropriate.

They are in-network with most major insurance providers and are available 24/7.

Call or text 844-443-5669

Serena Lamotte joins Kevin Lanning to share her powerful story of addiction, trauma, and survival.

After growing up in a difficult environment and experiencing significant loss, Serena found herself pulled into a destructive lifestyle that eventually led to a three-year ketamine addiction. What began as partying quickly spiraled into toxic relationships, dangerous living situations, and a life she barely recognized.

Everything changed after a devastating drunk driving crash that left Serena with severe injuries and permanently blind in one eye.

In this episode of Rise Above with Kevin Lanning, Serena opens up about grief, addiction, abusive relationships, surviving violence, the crash that nearly took her life, and how she ultimately found the strength to rebuild.

Her story is a raw reminder that even after the darkest chapters, it’s still possible to rise above.

#RiseAbovePodcast #KevinLanning #KetamineAddiction #AddictionRecovery #SobrietyJourney #MentalHealthAwareness #RecoveryStory #DrunkDrivingCrash #DomesticAbuseSurvivor #TraumaRecovery #Sobriety #PodcastInterview

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This episode is sponsored by Compassion Behavioral Health.

Compassion Behavioral Health is a boutique mental health treatment center that focuses on the deeper issues driving addiction, anxiety, depression, and unresolved trauma. Their intentionally small program allows for highly individualized care rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

They offer a full continuum of care including detox, residential treatment, outpatient programs, and virtual support. Alongside evidence-based therapy, they also provide innovative treatments like TMS, EMDR, and neurofeedback when clinically appropriate.

If you or someone you love is struggling with mental health or addiction, Compassion Behavioral Health is available 24/7.

Call or text 844-443-2274

Jessica Tanir shares her journey from the nightlife and bartending culture of New York City to finding sobriety and clarity in Florida. What started as casual drinking slowly turned into blackouts, toxic relationships, and nights she couldn’t remember—including the moment she woke up covered in sand after passing out on the beach.

In this episode of Rise Above with Kevin Lanning, Jessica opens up about the hidden side of alcohol misuse, the hospitality industry’s drinking culture, and how spiritual healing, retreats, and deep self-reflection helped her walk away from alcohol for good.

Now over two years sober, Jessica helps others explore sobriety through mocktails, wellness practices, and mindful living.

Her story is a powerful reminder that alcoholism doesn’t always look the way people expect—and that real transformation is possible.

#sobriety #addictionrecovery #riseabovepodcast #alcoholism #recoveryjourney #mentalhealth #soberlife #selfhealing #mocktails #podcast

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If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, Compassion Behavioral Health offers personalized treatment and a full continuum of care, including detox, residential, and outpatient services. Their team is available 24/7 and works with most major insurance providers. Call or text 844-443-5566 or visit compassionbehavioralhealth.com.

Kristine Bowers lived through things most people could never imagine.

As a teenager, she was pulled into escorting through her mother’s boyfriend, entering a dark world of exploitation, drugs, and survival. What started with partying and pills eventually spiraled into heroin addiction.

At one point, Kristine was using heroin while pregnant.

Her life became a cycle of trafficking, abusive relationships, overdoses, and near-death experiences. She even survived a terrifying medical crisis where her organs began shutting down.

But Kristine’s story didn’t end there.

After hitting rock bottom and nearly losing everything, she entered treatment and began rebuilding her life through sobriety, faith, and helping others struggling with addiction.

Today she works in recovery and speaks openly about trauma, addiction, shame, and redemption.

This is a powerful story of survival, accountability, and transformation.

#AddictionRecovery #HeroinAddiction #HumanTrafficking #SobrietyJourney #RiseAbove

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Ava Fox opens up about the dark reality behind the modeling industry and the pressure to drink, party, and use drugs just to survive in the entertainment world.

In this episode of Rise Above with Kevin Lanning, Ava shares how she grew up largely on her own, started drinking at just 12 years old, and fell into a lifestyle surrounded by drugs, older crowds, and a reckless party culture. As she entered the modeling industry, she saw firsthand how alcohol, cocaine, and networking culture were deeply embedded in the business.

After years of chaos, health scares, and watching others lose themselves to addiction, Ava made a life-changing decision to walk away from it all. She quit drinking, changed her entire lifestyle, strengthened her faith, and has now been sober for 11 years.

This is a powerful conversation about independence, addiction, boundaries, healing, and what it takes to choose a different path when the entire industry pushes you in the opposite direction.

#sobriety #addictionrecovery #modelingindustry #recoveryjourney #riseabovepodcast

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Nicky Santora grew up in Staten Island surrounded by addiction, chaos, and loss. When he was just 15 years old, he found his mother dead after an overdose from Percocet and OxyContin.

What followed was years of destruction.

He started with weed and cocaine as a kid… then moved to Roxy blues, Xanax, and eventually heroin. Within months he was shooting heroin, robbing houses, stealing air conditioners out of windows, and overdosing.

At his lowest point, Nicky was homeless, facing multiple arrests, and eventually landed inside Rikers Island, where violence and drugs were everywhere.

But somehow, he made it out.

Today Nicky is over 10 years sober, a father of three, and a rising comedian who uses his brutally honest story to help others battling addiction.

This is a raw conversation about addiction, recovery, prison, and rebuilding a life when everyone thinks you're finished.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, stories like this prove that recovery is possible.

#addictionrecovery #heroinaddiction #soberstory #recoveryjourney #rikersisland #opioidcrisis #recoverypodcast #riseabove

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Kira looked like the “good kid.”

Behind the scenes, she was self-harming at 12, drinking at 12, snorting ketamine in the school bathroom, selling alcohol through her locker, and attempting suicide multiple times.

At 18, she shaved her head, stopped showering, lived with strangers, and drove 12 hours to Georgia to move in with a man she met online… before barely escaping.

Her true rock bottom?

That moment changed everything.

Today, Kira is 6+ years clean and sober, graduated from Michigan State, worked in Child Protective Services, and is now pursuing her Master’s in Social Work.

This episode is about addiction that doesn’t look “broken,” mental health, grooming, suicide attempts, recovery at 18, and how contentment—not happiness—is the real goal.

If you’re struggling, there is hope. Stay.

#AddictionRecovery #MentalHealthAwareness #SobrietyJourney #SuicidePrevention #YoungPeopleInRecovery #KetamineAbuse #RecoveryStory #AARecovery

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Logan Houle looked like he had it all.

Triple-A hockey. A long-term girlfriend. Good grades. No major trauma. A “normal” life.

But behind closed doors, he was blacking out daily by 16… flipping his Jeep while drunk at 17… and later—after getting sober—developing a hidden gambling addiction that led him to wager over $3.7 million in just four months.

From stealing from family, draining paychecks in hours, and losing $10,000 in under 60 minutes… to rehab, self-exclusion, faith, and helping the next generation through his podcast New Generation Sobriety — this is one of the most powerful young recovery stories you’ll hear.

Addiction isn’t always drugs.

If you're struggling, you're not alone.

#AddictionRecovery #GamblingAddiction #SobrietyJourney #AlcoholismRecovery #RiseAbove

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Fausto grew up in fear. A narcissistic, abusive father. Sexual abuse at 7 years old. Bullying. Codependency. Addiction to validation.

By 14, he was faking his own death on MySpace, getting 5150’d into a psych ward, drinking Jack Daniel’s daily, and chasing ecstasy just to feel normal.

By his 20s, he was smoking meth, having 3–5 grand mal seizures a day, overdosing on pills, blacking out on cruises, and attempting suicide more than once.

He says alcohol saved his life before it nearly killed him.

But that wasn’t even the end.

In sobriety, he faced betrayal, family deaths, brain aneurysms, EMDR trauma breakthroughs, and a collapse that almost took him out at six years clean.

This is a raw conversation about sexual abuse, addiction, masculinity, forgiveness, service, and protecting your peace.

If you’ve ever felt broken, ashamed, or alone… watch this.

There is purpose in pain.

—

Follow Fausto:

If you’re struggling with addiction or trauma, you are not alone. Reach out. Help exists.

#AddictionRecovery #SobrietyJourney #TraumaHealing #MensMentalHealth #SexualAbuseSurvivor #FromRockBottom #5150 #GrandMalSeizures #AARecovery #RiseAbovePodcast

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