This week’s Recovered Life Panel dug into the messy, often unspoken patterns of codependency and people-pleasing, especially when a loved one is living with addiction. Members shared how these behaviors creep in, the toll they take, and the difficult but necessary process of breaking free. The conversation touched on personal stories of fear, exhaustion, and loss of self, but also on the hope and clarity that come with working a recovery program. One mother described the shock of learning her 22-year-old daughter was an alcoholic, and how Al-Anon helped her shift the focus from fixing her child to taking care of herself.

🎶 New Music Drop! “But Daddy, I Can Fix Him” is at the end of this post!

In this episode of How I Did It, David shares a hard truth that changed everything for him: You can’t always control what happens, but you can always control how you respond when life doesn’t go your way. When life threw him curveballs, David stopped saying “life sucks” and started asking better questions: What can I learn? How can I be better tomorrow? That mindset shift became the foundation of his recovery.

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David’s story is a reminder that no matter how tough things get, you have choices. You can break free from the patterns that keep you stuck, find something positive in every situation, and use it to fuel your next step forward.

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In this raw and honest follow-up conversation, Jomo opened up to Damon about what it really took for him to recover—and it wasn’t easy. He talked about having a “Joey problem,” the old version of himself that kept him alive on the streets but ultimately blocked him from healing. The hardest part wasn’t just staying clean—it was surrendering the survival traits, the anger, the need to be hard, and instead stepping into humility and vulnerability.

He emphasized that recovery didn’t happen until he became fully teachable. Jomo shared that giving only 50% of himself to the process meant only getting 50% of the results. The turning point came when he decided to go all in—to open his heart, let the old defenses drop, and fully commit to becoming a better version of himself.

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Damon sits down with JOMO—an inspiring voice in the recovery community whose journey is marked by deep empathy, authenticity, and a powerful example of how to live a recovered life. From his compassionate outlook to his unwavering respect for others’ paths, JOMO shares what it means to give people the grace to grow.

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👉 Connect with Damon: https://pxl.to/dfmeet

👉 Join the community at RecoveredLife.tv and start living your best recovered life today. https://pxl.to/joinrltoday

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In this episode of How I Did It, Brandon doesn’t sugarcoat a thing. He’s been there—high, checked out, spiraling—and he’s done pretending it didn’t affect anyone else. This is the wake-up call most people don’t want, but damn sure need.

Brandon breaks down what happens when you finally stop lying to yourself. The excuses run out. The fake promises don’t land anymore. And if you actually love the people in your life—and if there’s even a shred of self-respect left—then getting sober isn’t optional. It’s the only play that makes sense.

Do you have over a year of sobriety and want to tell your story? Click Here

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Some people wait until the end to figure it out. Brandon didn’t. He grabbed the life that was sitting there the whole time and made a move. That’s what this episode is about.

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👉 Join the community at RecoveredLife.tv and start living your best recovered life today. https://pxl.to/joinrltoday

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What if the addiction wasn’t the root—but the response?

In this episode of The Recovered Life Show, host Damon Frank is joined by trauma therapist and EMDR specialist Sean Osterdorf to explore the hidden links between trauma, addiction, and the lingering emotional patterns that can persist long into recovery.

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👉 Join the community at RecoveredLife.tv and start living your best recovered life today. https://pxl.to/joinrltoday

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In this honest and compassionate After the Show segment, Kyle Miller reminds us: recovery only starts when you’re ready—and that’s more than okay. No pressure, no schedule—just your own timeline.

Damon Frank sits down with licensed therapist and trauma specialist Kyle Miller to explore the subtle and not-so-subtle ways trauma manifests in our daily lives. From the way we use our bodies to how we avoid emotional discomfort, Kyle shares powerful insights into the hidden impact of unresolved trauma and what it takes to truly reconnect with ourselves. Whether you're in early recovery or deep into your healing journey, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about how trauma shows up—and how to begin

transforming it. Kyle offers practical advice on awareness, emotional regulation, and the importance of getting into your body, even if no one else knows you're doing it. If you’re ready to go deeper in your recovery and reclaim your emotional life, don’t miss this episode.

👉 Connect with Kyle: https://pxl.to/fp46qscb

👉 Connect with Damon: https://pxl.to/dfmeet

👉 Join the community at RecoveredLife.tv and start living your best recovered life today. https://pxl.to/joinrltoday

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On this episode of the Recovered Life Show, Stephanie lays it all out—the wreckage, the hustle, and the fight to come back from it all. What started with prescription painkillers slid into heroin. From there, things unraveled fast: shoplifting to survive, broken connections, waking up every day in survival mode, chasing the next high.

But this isn’t just a story about the fall. It’s about the moment she got honest with herself and decided to do something different. Stephanie talks about the messy, uncomfortable road to getting clean—including her time in rehab and the complicated hope that came with starting methadone treatment.

No sugarcoating. No clichés. Just a real conversation about what it takes to pull yourself out and build something better.

If you’ve ever wondered what recovery actually looks like behind the scenes—or needed proof that change is possible—this one’s for you.

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What happens when the dust of early recovery settles? When the chaos quiets and you're left with yourself—sober, awake, and wondering: Now what?

In this powerful After the Show episode, psychotherapist Hannah Bernstein joins Damon Frank for a heart-opening conversation about what it really means to heal from trauma.