Stories of Recovery | Alcoholism, Addiction & 12 Step Spirituality

Occasionally on this show, we reconnect with previous guests to check in on their recovery progress since their first appearance. In this episode, Tad L. returns to share his recovery journey since we last spoke over three years ago. Now over five years sober and serving as chair of the board at MARR, Tad opens up about navigating life’s challenges, including recovering from a stroke, and how his Higher Power and community have supported his growth. He reflects on the tools of sobriety that have shaped both his personal and professional life. (To hear our first conversation with Tad and learn about the early stages of his recovery, check out episode 67.) Join us for an inspiring conversation about resilience, faith, and the ongoing process of recovery, as Tad shares what continues to keep him grounded today.

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A must-listen for anyone facing overwhelming challenges and searching for the strength to persevere. In this episode, we sit down with Bernie, a man who’s been sober for over 17 years, as he prepares to serve a federal prison sentence. A MARR alumnus from 2006, Bernie shares how losing touch with his recovery network led to illegal business decisions that changed his life. With unwavering honesty, Bernie reflects on how distancing himself from recovery made him vulnerable to poor choices. However, he managed to stay sober, rebuild his recovery network, and face the consequences of his actions. He speaks candidly about the fear and uncertainty of facing prison and his confidence that his Higher Power will use this unthinkable experience as an opportunity for him to help others. Join us as Bernie opens up about his past, his present, and the uncertain future that awaits him behind bars.

Bernie with his family just 30 minutes before leaving for prison

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Ep 93: I Learned It Was a Disease, Not a Bad Habit

Mark R. was living in a flophouse and drinking himself to death. At this point in his life, his sister showed up and told him he was going to treatment. He was beaten down enough to agree. Initially, he thought he could learn how to drink like a gentleman. However, he soon learned that he had a disease. The structure of treatment, the camaraderie with the other clients, and the care provided by his counselors were invaluable as he grew in early recovery. But life still had its struggles after treatment. He faced a long, tough road for several years with a job that paid him barely enough to survive. However, through a strong relationship with his sponsor and the tools of recovery, he was able to hold on to hope.

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Ethan M. used to pride himself on how many times he went through treatment. Then, when he was living in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart and sneaking into rooms in Motel 6, he made a drunk phone call on Christmas that landed him at MARR. He was convinced it wouldn’t work and immediately wanted to leave. But for some reason, by the end of the first day at MARR, he thought: I’ll give this a shot. He ended up at MARR where for several months he got a glimpse of what sobriety and community life could look like, but he wasn’t being honest with everyone. He ended up leaving secretly before he was ready. After a disastrous relapse, he wound up at MARR with a newfound spirit of willingness. And for Ethan and treatment, the 19th time was a charm.

Ethan M. (right) with fellow MARR alumnus Nick R. (left)

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Ep. 91: How I Recovered from OxyContin, Adderall and Fentanyl

Ladd H. wanted to be a good dad, a good husband, and a good employee. He couldn’t explain why he kept blowing off his commitments and continued to use. What began as college drinking gradually progressed to heavy use of OxyContin, Adderall and fentanyl, eventually leading to hallucinations. When things got bad enough he eventually went through MARR. While in treatment he faced some tough truths about himself and learned how to be supportive of others who were in sobriety. He also worked through the 12 Steps with a sponsor. Things started going really well. He was able to show up in his life the way that he wanted to. But that wasn’t the end of his drinking and using story. Things were going so well that he thought he could do sobriety on his own. He relapsed. However, the lessons he learned at MARR and the experiences he had in sobriety helped him make it back. Now he sits in groups at MARR every Thursday, and continues to be a part of the community.

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Ep 90: The Dentist Who Couldn't Stop Using Drugs

From the outside, it looked as if Brian had everything going for him. He had graduated from dental school. His career was off to a successful start. And in his spare time as a musician, he had even found the time to record an album. However, what people couldn’t see was that he was also developing a serious drug dependency. All this activity came to a halt when he was confronted by his supervisor and told to go to treatment. When he checked into MARR, he began learning about the underlying causes of his drug addiction. He also learned that recovery took work and a commitment to the principles of 12-step recovery.

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Ep. 89: As Family, We Were Invited to Participate

Family members can be a vital part of the recovery process. The two women on today’s episode are a prime example of that reality. Sallie and Rosemary are the wife and mother of one of our former clients, Rob. They watched Rob go through treatments before coming to MARR, and even participated in family programs at other treatment centers. But at MARR, they felt a confidence in the staff and program they hadn’t felt at previous treatment centers. They also accepted the invitation MARR extended to them to participate in their own recovery. These two women share their respective journeys as loved ones who watched the addiction progress and then saw what life could be like in recovery.

Rob (former client) and Sallie (Rob's wife)

Rosemary (Rob's mom)

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Ep 88: A Fast Tailspin Toward Death

A daily cocaine and heroin user, Tara describes herself in her addiction as being in “a fast tailspin toward death.” Thanks to an unexpected intervention from her daughter, she ended up in MARR’s Right Side Up program at 40. Looking back on it, she describes getting to the program as finding an immediate sense of safety and connection. She now sees the day-to-day structure of the program as her saving grace. Tara takes us step by step through her first year of sobriety, describing the support she received at Right Side Up.

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Ep 87: The Significance of Family Week in Treatment

When Laurie M.’s husband, Sam, checked into MARR (which you can hear about in episode 86), the relationships in their family were strained. Now, Laurie says, her marriage with Sam is better than ever, and there has been significant healing between her children and Sam. She credits a lot of the progress to the work that she and her kids were able to do in MARR’s Family Program. While her husband, Sam, was learning how to live in sobriety, Laurie was learning about her part in the family disease of addiction. She also learned how she could find her own path to recovery. She particularly credits Family Week at MARR, which her kids attended as well, as profoundly impacting their family life, both for herself and Sam, as well as their two kids.

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Ep. 86: The Ego Deflation of a Successful Investor

Sam M. was a high-flying investor in capital markets for residential mortgages. He had a wife and two kids that always took a back seat to his career. But that all changed when he got arrested for a DUI and ended up at MARR. In treatment, his peers and his counselors helped him realize what really mattered to him. In this episode, we also hear from Sam’s wife, Laurie, about her perception of Sam’s recovery. Our next episode will focus entirely on Laurie’s experience of Family Week at MARR, and how that experience was a game-changer for her and her children. 

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