Stories of Recovery | Alcoholism, Addiction & 12 Step Spirituality

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.

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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.

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MARR’s New CEO Todd Stumbo has been in recovery since July 2004. In this episode, Todd opens up about the raw reality of his history of addiction, and the powerful experience of rebuilding his life. He also shares his insights on how the concept of service and community played a pivotal role in his recovery and personal growth. We also talk about what drew him to taking on the role of CEO at MARR. In addition, he addresses some of the questions he’s been getting since the announcement was made that he was taking on this role. Join us as we dive deep into Todd’s inspiring story of moving from desperation to purpose.

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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.

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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.

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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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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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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.

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