It took Dawn Gallagher well beyond 17 years to achieve 17 years of sobriety. Growing up in Brooklyn during the gritty, rebellious 70s and 80s, Dawn was behind the bar by 19, already entangled with hard partying and dark characters. By 20, she recognized her strange relationship with alcohol. At 25, facing a stark ultimatum from her mother to either get sober or leave home, Dawn chose treatment, but this was only the beginning of a tumultuous journey marked by setbacks and hard-earned victories.

The next 15 years were a turbulent odyssey: she left a successful hospitality career, went through a marriage and divorce, lived as an expat in Amsterdam, and endured a staggering 35-hour binge that spiraled into nine years of alcohol abuse. It wasn’t until she returned to New York, alone and desperate, waking up in a hungover stupor with blood caked on her that she couldn’t recall, that she faced a profound truth: her deepest desire to stay sober was not enough.

This moment of clarity marked the true beginning of her recovery.

Now, seventeen years later, Dawn stands as a pillar of support in the behavioral healthcare field. Formerly the CEO of “The Townhouse on Sixth,” a pioneering sober living facility for both men and women, she is now a certified Recovery Coach and a Recovery Associate at Release Recovery.

Dawn’s journey is a testament to perseverance and the profound impact of substance use disorder, demonstrating the strength and grace required to transform one's life and help others find their path to recovery.

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If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release:

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In this heartfelt solo episode, Zac reflects on the core purpose of the podcast and why telling your story is so important. He shares the nostalgic and powerful experience of throwing out the first pitch at the Philadelphia Phillies game, the hometown team he grew up loving and continues to love today, and the broader meaning such a momentous experience carries for the recovery community.

Please listen as Zac delves into:

Twelve episodes in, we are grateful for the listeners who have joined us on this journey. Thank you and Keep Going.

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If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release:

(914) 588-6564

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With the Olympics around the corner, we sat down with a former Division 1 track & field collegiate athlete who once believed that nothing mattered more than making it to the Olympic stage.

Olivia Arizin was a star from the beginning. As a sophomore in high school, she ran the 5th best time in the nation in the 800 meter race. She was a 2-time state champion in Pennsylvania and earned All-Big East honors at Georgetown, culminating with winning the Big East Indoor Track & Field Championships.

However, behind the accolades and success, Olivia battled severe anxiety centered around her athletic performance. Since the 6th grade, Olivia would regularly throw up before track meets due to anxiety and the pressure to win. It wasn't until she reached college that she realized this wasn't normal and sought help. 

Olivia is not alone. Young athletes, particularly in college, endure immense stress and pressure to maintain their athletic success. 

In this episode, we discuss:

The significant mental health challenges tied to athletic performance among youth are not just an issue for the struggling athlete but also for a system that has become a commercialized business exploiting young athletes' talents. 

Olivia’s journey to reclaiming her identity beyond being an athlete is a powerful reminder that youth sports are meant for children who, first and foremost, simply love to play a game.

Links: 

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If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release:

(914) 588-6564

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Tim Schlittner is an expert communicator. The Director of Communications at the National Football League (NFL), serving as their Deputy Spokesperson, and the former Communications Director for the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States, he has built a hugely successful career managing perception, relationships and effective communications strategies. However, despite his professional prowess, his greatest challenge was crafting the narrative that mattered most – his own. 

For years, Tim privately grappled with his sexuality and progressive alcoholism, each fueling the other on his painful journey to self-realization. Now, eight years sober and a proud member of the LGBTQ community, Tim has been named one of Outsports' Power 100 Most Influential LGBTQ People in Sports and is an active member of the Recovery Community. An NFL Executive, he continues to openly share about his sobriety and sexuality, providing a unique, inspiring and barrier-breaking perspective. 

Brave and vulnerable, this conversation is about the journey of self-realization, the painful depths of self-denial, the freedom found in self-acceptance, and the healing power of sharing your story. 

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If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release:

(914) 588-6564

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Gina Moffa wants us to talk about grief. In this episode, we deep-dive into the world of healing and human connection, and trauma’s often-overlooked companion: grief. 

Gina Moffa, LCSW, MA, is a licensed psychotherapist, mental health educator, and media consultant in New York City. After a succession of professional and personal losses, including her mother, Gina became inexplicably sick only to discover the profound physical toll her own grief was taking on her body. This deepened her goal to understand and normalize talking about death, grief, and the experience of loss. 

Gina has dedicated her career to helping thousands navigate trauma and grief, including working with Holocaust survivors and serving as Clinical Director at the Addiction Institute of New York at Mt. Sinai-St. Luke’s Hospital Campus. She is also the author of "Moving On Doesn't Mean Letting Go: A Modern Guide to Navigating Loss,” which seeks to reframe the life-long journey of processing loss and death.  

In this conversation, we discuss a wide range of topics, including:

Please join in and listen to this fascinating conversation about the uncomfortable yet profoundly universal experience of grief.

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If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release:

(914) 588-6564

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This week’s conversation is a tribute to the unwavering love and dedication of a father for his child. I sat down with Steve D’Antonio Sr. and Steve D’Antonio Jr, who openly share their family's journey through addiction. Steve Sr., a successful Wall Street executive and father of five, found himself bewildered and helpless when his son, Steve Jr., fell deep into alcohol use disorder by age 17, shaking the D’Antonio family to its core and leaving them without a clear path forward.

When families are confronted with alcohol and substance issues, how can they best support their children? 

Equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring, this conversation serves as both a resource and a testament to the extraordinary lengths parents will go to for their children. It highlights the devastating impact of alcohol and substance use disorders on families, while shedding light on the societal stigma that hinders access to necessary tools and resources for families in need. It is also a poignant reminder that when one family member struggles, the entire family suffers, making the healing process essential for everyone involved.

Today, the D’Antonio’s have dedicated their lives to helping families navigate behavioral healthcare issues. Steve Sr. left Wall Street and became a Harvard Advanced Leadership Fellow studying addiction. He served as Executive Vice President for Shatterproof, a national nonprofit for addiction treatment, is a trained Peer-Parent Coach and continues to share his expertise and experience with families. 

With more than 8 years of recovery, Steve Jr. has worked in the addiction and recovery field since 2017. He is the Director of Release Recovery’s New York City program, working intimately with individuals and their families to navigate the process of early recovery. 

A wild, harrowing and redemptive story of family recovery – this is a conversation that I hope every parent of a child struggling with behavior healthcare issues listens to. 

Close to my heart, this one is for the dads.

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If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release:

(914) 588-6564

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@releaserecovery

Resources:

https://addictionlessons.com/

In this conversation, we dive into the mind of Ariela Safira, a visionary determined to revolutionize the mental health care system. Ariela is the founder of Zeera, a modern telehealth platform that aims to "spotify" mental health through the principles of group therapy and a modernized approach that speaks to today’s social media-powered society. She is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, the recipient of the American Psychiatric Association’s Innovation Award, and one of Inc's Top 100 Female Founders.

With Ariela, we explore the idea of creating a "Spotify of Mental Health," the importance of educational reform in mental health awareness, why our healthcare system is at its worst when people need it the most, how to foster supportive environments both in the workplace and personally, and how to move beyond the stigmatization and criminalization often associated with mental health and substance use issues.

Please give it a listen as we uncover how to "mental health" for ourselves and others, guided by a leading voice in the field.

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If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release:

(914) 588-6564

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Check out Zeera: https://www.zeera.com/

Even before the pandemic, rates of stress, anxiety, depression, and suicide among our youth were steadily climbing. Dr. Shairi Turner, Chief Health Officer of Crisis Text Line, is on a mission to inform, educate, and transform. Crisis Text Line, the only 24/7 nationwide crisis-intervention text-message hotline in America, boasts over 65,000 trained volunteers ready to provide support and resources to those struggling with mental health.

In my conversation with Dr. Turner, we delve into the national mental health epidemic. Despite its devastating scope, Dr. Turner's solution-oriented approach is both surprising and inspiring. We covered a wide range of topics, including: 

This is the critical issue of our time. Please give this hopeful discussion a listen. 

Resources: 

United in Empathy Report

https://www.crisistextline.org/united-in-empathy-2023-report

Community Resilience Report

https://www.crisistextline.org/what-do-young-people-in-crisis-need-from-their-communities

If you are in need of mental health support, simply text HELLO or HOLA to 741741 and you will be connected to a live, trained volunteer Crisis Counselor.

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If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release:

(914) 588-6564

releaserecovery.com

@releaserecovery

This week’s conversation is all about RELATIONSHIPS – the things that go unsaid and the challenges of nurturing a thriving romantic relationship.

I dive into it with Marriage and Family Therapist Kristy Fitzgerald, founder of the KMF Therapy Collective. Kristy and I explore a wide range of topics including sex in relationships, sober sex and finding the right therapist. We also discuss the continued stigma for men seeking therapy, gender dynamics in couples therapy, and the impact of trauma and substance use on relationships. This insightful and relatable conversation is perfect for anyone who is in or has ever been in a relationship.

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If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release:

(914) 588 6564

releaserecovery.com

@releaserecovery