Together, Patrick and Donna explore:-The pivotal turning points that shifted her path toward recovery-The role of faith and community in rebuilding her life-How facing the truth about herself became the foundation for lasting change-The courage it took to break free from the same relationship patterns she’d been repeating for decades-Why hope is possible even in the darkest seasonsThis is a story about redemption, resilience, and the courage it takes to start over not just once, but as many times as it takes.

_________________

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↳ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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__________________

Patrick Custer - Host

↳ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

↳ TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

↳ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

↳ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

↳ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/patrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Donna Adams - Guest

↳ Insta: @50shadesofdonna

↳Facebook: @donnamusto

__________________

Get Help: Promises Behavioral Health – Treatment for addiction, mental health/trauma

↳ Admissions: (888) 648-4098

↳ Insta: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@promises_bh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

↳ URL: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.promisesbehavioralhealth.com⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mental Health America:

↳ URL: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mhanational.org⁠⁠⁠

________________00:00 - Introduction to Rooted Recovery Stories05:20 - Reflecting on Early Life and Home Environment13:02 - Navigating Sensitivity in a Chaotic Environment19:39 - Compartmentalizing Childhood Trauma25:43 - The Lasting Effects of Abuse35:34 - The Cycle of Abuse and Generational Trauma43:10 - Creating a Safe Environment for Children55:17 - Recognizing Patterns in Relationships

“I didn’t know how to express the pain. So I turned it into art.” What happens when survival becomes silence and silence becomes a scream on canvas? Join us for an enlightening episode of Rooted Recovery Stories as host Patrick Custer sits down with artist Ryan Rado. In this candid conversation, Ryan shares his journey through childhood trauma, the challenges of living with Tourette's syndrome, and the healing power of art.From navigating a chaotic home life to the struggles of bullying in school, Ryan opens up about the emotional scars that shaped his understanding of love and self-worth. He discusses the complexities of codependency, the impact of validation, and how he learned to embrace his creative expression as a form of therapy.

In this episode:

• How Tourette’s shaped Ryan’s relationship with identity, self-expression, and stigma
• The long-term effects of emotional abuse and violence in childhood
• Why art became Ryan’s form of communication, healing, and survival
• The unseen weight of codependency and internalized pain
• How Ryan reclaimed power through storytelling, art, and self-awareness Discover how Ryan transforms pain into art, the importance of vulnerability, and the journey toward self-acceptance. This episode is a powerful reminder that scars can become searchlight beacons for others on their healing journeys.

__________________

Watch/Listen/Subscribe to the Show: 

↳ ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠

↳ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠

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↳ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

↳ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Tiktok⁠⁠⁠⁠

↳ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠

__________________

Patrick Custer - Host

↳ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠

↳ TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠ @thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠

↳ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠

↳ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠

↳ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/patrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠

Ryan Rado - Guest

↳ Insta: @ryan_rado

↳ Insta: @makeitperfectshow

↳ YouTube: ⁠@MakeItPerfect⁠

↳ Website: www.ryanrado.com

__________________

Get Help: Promises Behavioral Health – Treatment for addiction, mental health/trauma

↳ Admissions: (888) 648-4098

↳ Insta: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@promises_bh⁠⁠⁠⁠

↳ URL: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.promisesbehavioralhealth.com⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mental Health America:

↳ URL: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mhanational.org⁠⁠

__________________

About Ryan Rado: Ryan Rado is a Nashville based multidisciplinary artist, curator, musician, and ontological coach whose abstract paintings explore memory, healing, identity, and the tension between control and surrender. Originally from Michigan, he began creating art in early adolescence as a way to process trauma and make sense of chaos within his home life. After spending years in Nashville’s music industry, he shifted his focus to painting in 2014, finding in visual art a more honest and immediate form of emotional expression.His signature works are often painted on red velvet and feature somber color palettes, bold gestures, and layered textures that invite deep introspection. Rado intentionally chooses materials that challenge artistic conventions, using them to confront ideas about value, imperfection, and personal truth. He views the creative process as a dialogue with emotion, allowing his work to emerge from a space of vulnerability rather than control. In addition to his studio practice, Rado is the founder and curator of Rock Wall Gallery, a space dedicated to showcasing raw and emotionally resonant art. He also leads therapeutic workshops that blend creative expression with ontological coaching, guiding others toward self-awareness and healing through the act of making. Living with Tourette’s Syndrome, he openly shares how the condition influences his perspective, embracing it as an essential part of his identity and artistic voice.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide, grief, addiction, mental health challenges, and other sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.

He didn’t think he’d make it to 26. By then, Patrick Casale had already lost his stepmother to cancer, his best friend to suicide and himself to gambling addiction, shame, and emotional paralysis. But rock bottom didn’t end his story, it unraveled the one he’d been trying to survive: the story where masking pain and pretending to be “fine” was the only way to belong.

In this unflinching episode, Patrick shares the moments that nearly ended him and the ones that slowly rebuilt him. From devastating loss to the weight of silence, we explore how grief, addiction, and years of emotional shutdown intersected with a late-in-life AuDHD (Autism + ADHD) diagnosis that finally explained what nothing else could.

For the first time, he began to see his struggles not as personal failures, but misunderstood wiring in a world that never made room for difference. This isn’t just a recovery story it’s a blueprint for self-acceptance, for healing without shame, and for creating a life that doesn’t require an escape plan.

In This Episode We Cover:

• Grief, trauma & emotional collapse after losing his stepmom and best friend
• Gambling addiction and the illusion of control
• Living undiagnosed: the cost of masking with late-in-life AuDHD
• Reframing “brokenness” as misunderstood neurodivergence
• How therapy, community, and radical honesty saved his life

__________________

Watch/Listen/Subscribe to the Show: 

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↳ ⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠⁠⁠

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↳ ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠

__________________

Patrick Custer - Host

↳ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠

↳ TikTok:⁠⁠⁠ @thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠

↳ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠

↳ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠

↳ Website: ⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/patrickcuster⁠⁠⁠

Patrick Casale - Guest

↳ Insta: @patrick.casale

↳ Facebook: @CasaleCoaching

↳ Tiktok:⁠ @patrickcasale

↳ Website: www.allthingspractice.com

__________________

Promises Behavioral Health – Treatment for addiction, mental health/trauma:

↳ Admissions: (888) 648-4098

↳ Insta: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@promises_bh⁠⁠⁠

↳ URL: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.promisesbehavioralhealth.com⁠ ⁠⁠⁠

Mental Health America:

↳ URL: ⁠⁠⁠www.mhanational.org⁠

__________________

About Patrick Casale: Patrick Casale is not only an AuDHD licensed Mental Health & Addiction Therapist and a group practice owner but also a Entrepreneur Coach & Strategist for Neurodivergent Business Owners. With experience in both the clinical mental health world and the business world, he has helped thousands of mental health therapists around the United States leave their agencies behind and create their ideal private practices. "I’ve worked in the helping profession since 2008, and, like many therapists, I started my career in a community mental health job where instead of feeling fulfilled, I felt overworked, burnt out, taken for granted, and underappreciated. I knew I wanted out but feared the uncertainty of private practice, because, at the time, I had no fucking clue how to start a business. After all, most people who go into the helping profession don’t have a lot of business training, if any at all. After a lot of work, some struggles, and trial-and-error, I successfully launched my private practice. Then a couple of years after that, I launched a thriving group practice. I am truly passionate about empowering therapists to take the steps they need to create more successful lives and careers while working flexible hours, taking more vacations, and using their precious clinical skills effectively. When it comes to being a successful private practice and small business owner, I’ve already been there and done that, so now I help other therapists all over the United States save time, skip the guesswork, and start seeing clients sooner with their own private practices."

What happens when the people who raised you were also the ones you had to survive? In this powerful Pride Month episode of Rooted Recovery Stories, media entrepreneur and LGBTQ+ advocate David Hawkins joins host Patrick Custer to share his journey of growing up queer and deeply misunderstood in rural South Carolina.

From the emotional toll of being an effeminate boy in a culture steeped in toxic masculinity to navigating faith, family, and identity in a world that demanded silence, David opens up about the trauma that shaped him, and the radical healing that followed.

He reflects on the complexity of his relationship with his parents, including a poignant final dinner with his father, and the burden of being “the strong one” in a family still learning how to love fully. Through it all, David’s story is a testament to queer resilience, the power of self-advocacy, and the lifelong journey of becoming.

This is Part 1 of a two-part series, an unflinching, redemptive reflection on surviving rejection, reclaiming truth, and celebrating LGBTQ+ pride in every step of healing.

__________________

Watch/Listen/Subscribe to the Show: 

↳ ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠

↳ ⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠⁠

↳ ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠

↳ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠

↳ ⁠⁠Tiktok⁠⁠

↳ ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

__________________

Patrick Custer - Host

↳ Instagram: ⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠

↳ TikTok:⁠⁠ @thepatrickcuster⁠⁠

↳ YouTube: ⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠

↳ Facebook: ⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠

↳ Website: ⁠⁠linktr.ee/patrickcuster⁠⁠

David Hawkins - Guest

↳ Insta: ⁠⁠@davidmichaelhawkins

↳ Threads: @davidmichaelhawkins

↳ Tiktok: @davidmichaelhawkins

↳ Website: www.mypr-lab.com

__________________

Promises Behavioral Health – Treatment for addiction, mental health/trauma:

↳ Admissions: (888) 648-4098

↳ Insta: ⁠⁠⁠@promises_bh⁠⁠

↳ URL: ⁠⁠⁠www.promisesbehavioralhealth.com⁠ ⁠⁠

Mental Health America:

↳ URL: ⁠⁠www.mhanational.org

__________________

About David Hawkins:David Michael, the first and only publicly HIV-positive, gay country music entertainer, has released two singles, “He’s Got You” and “A Poor Man’s Roses,” from his six-song Patsy Cline tribute EP, recorded at the famous OmniSound Studios on Music Row. “Openly gay and openly HIV-positive, David Michael represents the change of what it means to be an authentic country music entertainer,” Denny Patterson comments about Michael’s contributions to the industry in his interview for OutFront Magazine. David Michael's most recent recording, “Pretty Boy,” written by country charting star Hailey Whitters, was released to the public on June 1st, in honor of Pride Month. Beyond his role as a performer, David Michael is the founder and CEO of MY PR Lab and served as the primary event coordinator for Music City's First-Ever CMgAys.

What if telling the truth about who you are meant risking everything you’ve worked for? In this deeply personal episode of Rooted Recovery Stories, country music icon, Ty Herndon, returns to reflect on the cost of hiding, the power of coming out, and the kind of healing that only comes when you stop performing and start living. Ty opens up about the weight of being one of the first openly gay artists in mainstream country music and what it took to finally choose authenticity over approval. From internalized shame to spiritual transformation, this conversation is a raw, redemptive look at reclaiming your voice and rewriting your story. He also shares the latest chapter of his career, including his upcoming single with LeAnn Rimes and a new album honoring 30 years of music, advocacy, and hard-won self-love.This episode is about more than music, it's about survival, reinvention, and the freedom that comes from being fully seen.

__________________

Watch/Listen/Subscribe to the Show: 

↳ ⁠YouTube⁠

↳ ⁠Apple Podcast⁠

↳ ⁠Spotify⁠

↳ ⁠Instagram⁠

↳ ⁠Tiktok⁠

↳ ⁠Facebook⁠

__________________

Patrick Custer - Host

↳ Instagram: ⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠

↳ TikTok:⁠ @thepatrickcuster⁠

↳ YouTube: ⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠

↳ Facebook: ⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠

↳ Website: ⁠linktr.ee/patrickcuster⁠

Ty Herndon - Guest

↳ Insta: ⁠@tyherndonofficial

↳ Website: www.tyherndon.com

↳ Tiktok: ⁠@tyherndonofficial

↳ Facebook: @tyherndonofficial

__________________

Promises Behavioral Health – Treatment for addiction, mental health/trauma:

↳ Admissions: (888) 648-4098

↳ Insta: ⁠⁠@promises_bh⁠

↳ URL: ⁠⁠www.promisesbehavioralhealth.com⁠ ⁠

Mental Health America:

↳ URL: ⁠www.mhanational.org

About Ty Herndon:

Ty Herndon has lived a life and career of extreme highs and lows and celebrates a critical milestone in country music as his record-breaking debut single “What Mattered Most” turns thirty in 2025. Between 1995 and 2002, Herndon charted 17 singles, including his three number ones and seventeen top 10 hits, such as “I Want My Goodbye Back,” “Loved Too Much,” “A Man Holding On,” and “Hands of a Working Man.” He topped the charts in 1996 with the single “Living in a Moment” and again in 1998 with “It Must Be Love.” Ty continued to break new ground throughout the next decade, releasing a Greatest Hits collection, as well as the albums "Right About Now," "Lies I Told Myself" and the Grammy-nominated "Journey On." In 2015 he became the first major male country music artist to come out as gay and released the critically acclaimed albums "House on Fire" and "Got It Covered" and launched the annual Concert For Love & Acceptance. Ty made a triumphant comeback beginning in 2020 with the release of “Orphans of God,” a duet with Kristin Chenoweth that peaked at number one on the iTunes charts. That was quickly followed by the release of JACOB and JACOB (Deluxe Edition) in 2022 and 2023 respectively, for the first time bringing his full journey from darkness to light and back again to his music. The album touched on highly personal themes ranging from addiction, recovery, and mental fitness to lost love, self-discovery and personal freedom. It spawned the country radio hits “Till You Get There” and “Dents on a Chevy,” a duet with Terri Clark that spent 7 weeks atop the independent country radio charts, becoming the number one independent country single of 2023. Grammy-nominated and Dove Award winning, Ty’s voice is stronger than ever, and he’s using it to make a difference. In 2020, he created the Foundation For Love & Acceptance to further his work on behalf of mental health, addiction and trauma recovery, and building a more inclusive country music community.

What do you do when everything you've built, your identity, your career, your marriage starts to unravel at once? Shane Diamond, a celebrated speaker, writer, and advocate, joins us to talk about surviving chaos, coming out as trans, and finding recovery in the most unexpected ways. From figure skating in hockey skates to waking up at 4 a.m. after partying in Portland, Shane’s story is anything but linear and exactly the kind you won’t forget.

This isn’t a story about the fall. It’s about the decision to rise on your own terms. Hit play. You’ll be hooked in the first five minutes.

__________________

Watch/Listen/Subscribe to the Show: 

↳ YouTube
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↳ Facebook

__________________

Patrick Custer - Host
↳ Instagram: @thepatrickcuster
↳ TikTok: @thepatrickcuster
↳ YouTube: @thepatrickcuster
↳ Facebook: @thepatrickcuster
↳ Website: linktr.ee/patrickcuster

Shane Diamond - Guest
↳ Insta: @pantsdiamond

↳ Website: www.shanezdiamond.com
↳ Tiktok: @pantsdiamond⁠
↳ X: @pantsdiamond

__________________

Promises Behavioral Health – Treatment for addiction, mental health/trauma:
↳ Admissions: (888) 648-4098
↳ Insta: ⁠@promises_bh
↳ URL: ⁠www.promisesbehavioralhealth.com⁠

Mental Health America:
↳ URL: www.mhanational.org

About Shane Diamond:

Shane Diamond is a human rights advocate, media and communications expert, and proud transgender man. As the Principal of Very Good Consulting, LLC, Shane leads honest conversations that challenge biases and expand our collective capacity for change by working with the power of empathy to build connections and break barriers. Shane’s work focuses on transgender inclusion, supporting trans youth, and empowering communities to create safer and more affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ people. Learn more about working with Shane here. Shane’s work with Speak About It, EqualityMaine, and the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) resulted in his expertise in nonprofit communications and storytelling. His real-life experience as a trans man has led to a passion for practicing and teaching empathy-building to reduce bias, and supporting organizations in developing tangible action steps to create lasting change through inclusive policies and workplace culture, all fused with humor and vulnerability.

Healing doesn’t always begin with answers. Sometimes it starts with the questions no one ever thought to ask.

Before she became the voice behind Smarter in Seconds, Blair Imani was navigating a deeply personal journey through mental health, identity, and belonging, quietly and in plain sight. In this powerful conversation, Blair shares the story most people haven’t heard: the one that came before the platform, the book deals, and the viral success. From early struggles with depression and institutionalization to navigating faith, queerness, and sobriety in public, Blair opens up about what it really means to heal in real time. Not perfectly. Not all at once. But bravely and out loud. This episode isn’t just about one woman’s recovery. It’s about what it means to live at the intersection of identities, expectations, and survival and how choosing joy, setting boundaries, and speaking hard truths can transform not just a life, but a legacy.

LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & SHARE your thoughts in the comments!

__________________

↳ YouTube
↳ Apple Podcast
↳ Spotify
↳ Instagram
↳ Tiktok
↳ Facebook

__________________

Patrick Custer - Host
↳ Instagram: @thepatrickcuster
↳ TikTok: @thepatrickcuster
↳ YouTube: @thepatrickcuster
↳ Facebook: @thepatrickcuster
↳ Website: linktr.ee/patrickcuster

Blair Imani - Guest
↳ Insta: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@blairimani⁠
↳ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@blairimani⁠
↳ YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@blairimani
↳ Tiktok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@blairimani⁠
↳ Website: www.blairimani.com⁠

__________________

Promises Behavioral Health – Treatment for addiction, mental health/trauma:
↳ Admissions: (888) 648-4098
↳ Insta: ⁠@promises_bh
↳ URL: ⁠www.promisesbehavioralhealth.com⁠

Mental Health America:
↳ URL: www.mhanational.org⁠

About Blair Imani: Blair Imani is the creator of the viral web series, Smarter In Seconds, LA Times bestselling author of Read This to Get Smarter, and co-host of the podcast Thoughts About Feelings. The New York Times praises Blair Imani’s unique ability to create “progressive lessons with vibrant visuals and a perky, quirky delivery.” Her scholarship spans intersectionality, gender studies, race and racism, sociology, and United States history. She is also a historian, having written Making Our Way Home (2020) and Modern HER story (2018). She has had the opportunity to present at renowned universities and companies including Oxford, Harvard, Meta, Sephora, and Gates Ventures. Blair Imani serves on the Board of Directors of the Tegan and Sara Foundation. She has collaborated with and interviewed influential people across a variety of fields including Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem, and Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw.Blair Imani believes in the transformative power of education and that self understanding is the key to recognizing our interconnectedness. She is very rapid to be known publicly as “the Smarter in Seconds lady,” and feels it is an honor to be a part of so many people’s learning experiences. She consistently promotes the value of mutual respect across differences, asserting that meaningful progress requires creating spaces where diverse perspectives are honored and dehumanization is not tolerated. Empathy and respect are not just important values but essential tools for challenging oppressive systems.‍In 2025 she was awarded the Activist with Impact Award by REACH LA, an organization dedicated to celebrating LGBTQIA+ people of color through wellness, HIV/AIDS prevention, and personal development.

What if the faith you were raised in wasn’t chosen but programmed? Whether you’re questioning everything or doubling down on your beliefs, this landmark 200th episode is for you. Monte Mader’s journey from Christian nationalist-in-training to spiritual deconstructionist isn’t an attack it’s an invitation. An invitation to examine what you inherited, what you believe, and why. No matter where you land, this conversation might challenge something you’ve never dared to question and that’s exactly why you need to hear it.

Spirituality can be a powerful source of comfort, connection, and personal growth but when faith is distorted by fear, control, or coercion, it can leave deep emotional wounds. Religious trauma doesn’t come from belief itself, but from environments where questioning is punished, conformity is demanded, and individuals especially children are not given the right to consent. This kind of trauma often shows up as chronic guilt, anxiety around “disobedience,” fear-based obedience, or a loss of personal identity. Whether you’ve grown up in a high-control religious group or entered one later in life, warning signs may include black-and-white thinking, spiritual manipulation, isolation from non-believers, and teachings that prioritize hierarchy over compassion. It’s important to remember: religion is not inherently harmful but unchecked power within it can be. If you’re questioning your experience, you’re not alone. Resources like Reclamation Collective, The Religious Trauma Institute, and Dr. Marlene Winell’s Recovery from Religion offer education, support, and healing communities for those navigating spiritual abuse or religious deconstruction. Healing is possible, and your story is valid.

What This Episode Covers:

• Monte’s personal turning point: the moment her belief system cracked
• The mental health toll of religious trauma and spiritual fear in childhood
• How Christian nationalism shaped her worldview—and why she walked away
• The psychological impact of purity culture on women’s identity and self-worth
• Why “submission,” obedience, and modesty were never about holiness
• The danger of unquestioned authority in faith-based systems
• How spiritual teachings can be twisted to uphold patriarchy and white supremacy
• The difference between faith and fear—and how to tell which one’s guiding you
• What the Bible actually says (and doesn’t) about women, sexuality, and power
• Why reclaiming curiosity is the key to healing religious trauma
• A call for compassion, critical thinking, and honest self-examination—no matter what you believe

LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & SHARE your thoughts in the comments!

__________________

↳ YouTube
↳ Apple Podcast
↳ Spotify
↳ Instagram
↳ Tiktok
↳ Facebook

__________________

Patrick Custer – Host
↳ Instagram: @thepatrickcuster
↳ TikTok: @thepatrickcuster
↳ YouTube: @thepatrickcuster
↳ Facebook: @thepatrickcuster
↳ Website: linktr.ee/patrickcuster

Monte Mader – Guest
↳ Insta: @montemader⁠
↳ Facebook: @themontemader⁠
↳ Youtube: @montemader
↳ Tiktok: @montemader⁠
↳ X: @montemader⁠

__________________

Promises Behavioral Health – Treatment for addiction, mental health/trauma:
↳ Admissions: (888) 648-4098
↳ Insta: ⁠@promises_bh
↳ URL: ⁠www.promisesbehavioralhealth.com⁠

Mental Health America:
↳ URL: www.mhanational.org⁠

From the outside, Chrissy Metz seemed to have it all starring in a hit show, inspiring millions, and radiating confidence but behind the spotlight was a woman navigating the painful realities of childhood trauma, body image struggles, people-pleasing, and the long road to emotional healing.

In this heartfelt conversation, Chrissy opens up about the survival patterns she developed as a young girl trying to be “good” enough to be loved and how those patterns followed her into adulthood. She shares her experience growing up in a fractured home, enduring emotional pain in silence, and turning to food as both comfort and protection. Through therapy, spiritual grounding, and creative expression, Chrissy began the deep work of untangling her worth from performance. We explore the cost of being the peacemaker, the fear of being truly seen, and the challenge of letting go of perfection. Chrissy reflects on her journey into acting, the power of being chosen for a role that mirrored her own struggles, and how her latest children’s book is helping the next generation talk about emotions that many of us were taught to suppress. This is an honest, soul-stirring episode about the courage it takes to stop performing and start healing from the inside out.

__________________

Follow/Watch/Listen/Subscribe: ⁠⁠

Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @rootedrecoverystories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tiktok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @patrickcusterproject⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @rootedrecoverystories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @rootedrecoverystories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rootedrecoverystories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

__________________

Cast:

Patrick Custer - Host

Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tiktok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/patrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chrissy Metz - GuestInsta: @chrissymetzFacebook: @chrissymetzofficialYoutube:  @chrissymetzmusic  Tiktok: @chrissymetzX: @chrissymetzWebsite: www.chrissymetzmusic.comSpotify: Chrissy Metz

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Get Help (addiction, mental health/trauma):

Promises Behavioral Health

Call: (888) 648-4098

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.promises.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@promises_bh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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About Chrissy Metz: Emmy and two-time Golden Globe nominee Chrissy Metz stars on the award-winning NBC series "This Is Us,” winner of the 2018 and 2019 SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series and People's Choice Award for "Favorite New TV Drama.” Chrissy recently starred as Joyce Smith in the hit 20th Century Fox faith-based film, BREAKTHROUGH. She also performs “I’m Standing With You” on the Breakthrough soundtrack, written by 10-time Academy Award nominee Diane Warren. Chrissy performed this song at the 2019 ACM Awards. Chrissy is currently working on her debut country album.Chrissy recently guest-starred on the hit comedy series “The Last OG” with Tracy Morgan, and the NBC hit series “Superstore". Chrissy is best known for her roles in American Horror Story: Freak Show, Sierra Burgess is a Loser, My Name is Earl, and Entourage, to name a few.Chrissy recently released her memoir, THIS IS ME, which debuted at #1 on the NY Times Bestseller List. People magazine named her to the "Ones to Watch” and “50 Most Beautiful."

From buried hurt to healing harmonies, Caleb Lovely reveals how trauma shaped his truth and gave rise to a song that speaks volumes. In this powerful episode of Rooted Recovery Stories, host Patrick Custer sits down with Middle Tennessee artist Caleb Lovely, a celebrated songwriter and the creator of the poignant new single, "Triggers." In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Caleb shares his deeply personal journey through trauma, family dysfunction, and the long road to healing.From a seemingly perfect childhood to the emotional moment he was pointing a gun at his father, Caleb reflects on the disconnect between his family's outward appearance and the struggles they faced behind closed doors. He discusses the impact of his brother's autism on their family dynamics, the challenges of moving across 12 states, and his quest for validation and connection. Join us as Caleb opens up about his experiences with emotional unavailability, the search for intimacy, and the transformative power of forgiveness. This episode is a testament to resilience, healing, and the importance of sharing our stories. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode to help spread awareness about mental health and the power of recovery!

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Follow/Watch/Listen/Subscribe: ⁠⁠

Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @rootedrecoverystories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tiktok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @patrickcusterproject⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @rootedrecoverystories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @rootedrecoverystories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.rootedrecoverystories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Cast:

Patrick Custer - Host

Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Tiktok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thepatrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/patrickcuster⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Caleb Lovely - Guest

Listen to “Triggers” (click here) 

Instagram: ⁠@caleblovely

YouTube: ⁠⁠ @calovely

Spotify: Caleb Lovely

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Get Help (addiction, mental health/trauma):

Promises Behavioral Health

Call: (888) 648-4098

Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.promises.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@promises_bh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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About Caleb Lovely: Raised in an abusive childhood, Caleb Lovely was by all odds doomed to stay miserable. Yet somehow he used every detail of his past to write songs that magnify the way you experience music. His story has set him up to be one of the most prolific songwriters, gifted guitar players, and passionate singers of our generation. After too many years of living in almost every other city in the U.S and being told relentlessly to move to “Music City” I took only the guitar on my back and began my life in Nashville. Music is the only thing that has always made sense to me in every season of life. Now having collected even more stories over the years, I am devoted to creating songs that will make you truly fall in love with the feeling that only music can give you.