Behind the Citgo

What happens when a doctor realizes that medicine alone cannot heal someone who has nowhere safe to call home? In BTC EP#38, Josh Torbich sits down with Dr. Tom Dalton, anesthesiologist and co-founder of Eden Village, for a powerful conversation about homelessness, permanent supportive housing, faith, dignity, community, and practical solutions for people who have been forgotten. After decades in...

In BTC EP#37: Playing It Forward - Sobriety, Faith, and the Long Road Back, John Chandler shares the powerful story of a decades-long relationship with alcohol, the consequences that followed, and the moment he finally realized he needed help. John’s struggle didn’t always look like addiction from the outside. He built a successful business, raised a family, served in his church, and lived what ma...

What happens after rock bottom when you decide to roll up your sleeves and build something better? In BTC EP#36: “Rock Bottom Rolled Up My Sleeves,” Todd Putnam and Eric Barber of Scrub Buddies join Behind the Citgo for a powerful conversation about addiction recovery, entrepreneurship, faith, hard work, and rebuilding life with purpose. Both Todd and Eric are recovery program graduates who carrie...

How do culture, stigma, and family expectations shape addiction recovery? In this episode of Behind the Citgo, host Lavar Marlow explores the barriers that prevent people from seeking help, with a focus on experiences within the African American community. Through personal stories and honest conversation, this episode examines generational alcoholism, mental health stigma, and the ways families ca...

What if your brain and body already contain tools that can help you change destructive habits, regulate stress, and support recovery? In this episode of Behind the Citgo, Josh Torbich sits down with Tom Harris to explore what Tom calls the “Inner Pharmacy” — the relationship between the autonomic nervous system, neuroplasticity, and our ability to reshape deeply established patterns of thought and...

What happens after life behind bars? In BTC EP#33: Prison Re-Entry: What’s After the Life Behind Bars, Josh Torbich sits down with Lateisha Thrash of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction to discuss the realities of prison re-entry, addiction recovery, and rebuilding a life after incarceration. They explore re-entry simulations, employment, housing, transportation, technology challenge...

In BTC EP #32: I Tried to Be My Sister’s Keeper, host Josh Torbich sits down with Jwantana Frink for a deeply personal conversation about addiction, family, grief, faith, and the painful reality of trying to save someone you love. For the first time publicly, Jwantana shares the story of her sister Lawahna’s struggle with addiction and what it was like to become the family’s “manager”—watching for...

What happens when a community chooses to stand behind recovery? In Episode 31 of Behind the Citgo, Josh Torbich sits down with Art Dornfeld, Mayor of the Town of Shallotte, North Carolina, to discuss how local government, law enforcement, businesses, churches, and neighbors can help create a community where people in recovery have a real opportunity to rebuild their lives. They talk about the grow...

What if addiction prevention starts long before drugs or alcohol ever enter the picture? In Episode 30 of Behind the Citgo, Josh Torbich sits down with Pastor Jordan Hise of Highest Praise Church and Southeastern Christian Academy to discuss why helping young people establish a strong identity in Christ may be one of the most powerful forms of prevention. They explore how parents, churches, school...

Aaron Martin’s addiction began in middle school and eventually cost him his military career, marriage, home, and relationship with his children. His turning point came when he found himself barefoot, homeless, and alone during Hurricane Matthew. In this episode of Behind the Citgo, Aaron shares how that desperate night led him to detox, long-term treatment at Christian Recovery Centers, and a comp...

Addiction and human trafficking are often deeply connected—but the path to freedom begins when someone is willing to build a relationship, earn trust, and remain present until a survivor is ready for help. In BTC EP #28: Unbroken – Women Rising from Addiction and Exploitation, host Josh Torbich sits down with Beverly Weeks, CEO of Wayne Pregnancy Center and Cry Freedom Missions, for a powerful con...

In BTC Episode #27, Josh Torbich sits down with Rob Hardin of Rare of Breed for a powerful conversation about addiction, redemption, identity, perseverance, and the transforming power of faith in Jesus Christ. Rob shares the remarkable story of being removed from his home and entering foster care at eight years old, using poetry and music to process childhood trauma, struggling with drug addiction...

In this episode of Behind the Citgo, Josh sits down with Eric Machado, Assistant Director of the men’s program and a proud graduate of Christian Recovery Centers, Inc., for a powerful conversation about recovery, honesty, accountability, and the life-changing work of Step Four. Titled “A Fearless Inventory,” this episode explores what it really means to make a searching and fearless moral inventor...

In BTC EP #25: The Shepherd and the Streets - Pastor Caleb McCall’s Call to Recovery, Josh Torbich sits down with Pastor Caleb McCall for a powerful conversation about addiction recovery, faith, family, ministry, and the call to reach people in the trenches. Pastor Caleb McCall shares his testimony of growing up in a Christian home, being introduced to drugs and alcohol at a young age, years of ad...

In BTC EP #24: From Lived Experience to National Impact, Behind the Citgo sits down with Dr. Monty Burks for a powerful conversation about addiction recovery, faith-based transformation, rural recovery systems, workforce redevelopment, and the national impact of lived experience. This episode explores what happens when people who have walked through addiction, recovery, criminal justice involvemen...

In BTC EP #23: When Harm Reduction Causes More Harm, Behind the Citgo host Josh Torbich sits down with Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz for a direct conversation about harm reduction, addiction recovery, fentanyl, opioid addiction, overdose prevention, and substance use disorder treatment. Dr. McCance-Katz explains what harm reduction means today and discusses current approaches such as syringe distributi...

In this episode of Behind the Citgo, Josh sits down with Emma Long, Director of the ARROW Program — Addiction Response and Rediscovering One’s Worth — to discuss addiction recovery inside the jail system, Moral Reconation Therapy, reentry planning, and the life-changing power of second chances. Emma shares how the ARROW Program helps individuals in the detention center take responsibility, rebuild...

In this powerful episode of Behind the Citgo, Josh Torbich sits down with Nick and Tiffany to share a deeply honest story of addiction, recovery, marriage, faith, forgiveness, and transformation through Jesus Christ. Nick came to Brunswick Christian Recovery Center in 2016 after multiple failed attempts at getting sober. He arrived with little hope, believing he could not become the husband, fathe...

In this episode of Behind the Citgo, we sit down with Christy Spivey, Chief Nursing Officer at Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center, for a powerful conversation about breaking the revolving door of ER visits, improving community health, and building real partnerships around substance use disorder, mental health, and whole‑person care. Christy shares her journey from bedside nurse to CNO, the rea...

Fourteen and Locked Up — The Story of Isaiah   At just 14 years old, Isaiah overdosed in a parking lot, ran from police, and experienced what he describes as a divine intervention that pushed him back into consciousness. That moment began a long cycle of juvenile detention, addiction, fatherlessness, instability, and eventually prison — all before the age of 20.   In this episode of Behind the Cit...

What actually changes a community? In this episode, Commissioners Mike Forte and Marty Cooke sit down to talk about the power of citizen‑led solutions and why government works best as a guardrail, not the driver. Both commissioners share openly about addiction, recovery, personal responsibility, and second chances, including Forte’s 40 years of sobriety and Cooke's decades of public service. Toget...

Josh sits down with Jeremy Gunn — business owner, community leader, and a powerful advocate for second‑chance hiring — for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had on Behind the Citgo. Jeremy opens up about his six‑and‑a‑half‑year sobriety journey, the moment of clarity that changed everything, and how that transformation reshaped the way he leads his company today. This episode digs into wh...

What does real change look like when justice, accountability, and recovery collide? In Episode 16, we sit down with Raymond Wood, Senior Chaplain of the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office and Director of the Brunswick County DWI Drug Court Program — a leader who has been serving this community long before most people knew what “recovery work” really meant. This conversation dives into the heart of...

Four people in recovery sit down for a raw, honest conversation about what relapse really looks like — mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. They break down the subtle warning signs, the isolation, the ego, and the internal battles that start long before the first use. You’ll hear real stories of mental relapse, dangerous self‑talk, fantasizing the “first blast,” and the moments when community s...

Three seasoned leaders in Christian recovery sit down for one of the most honest conversations you’ll hear about the real cost of helping people rebuild their lives. From setting healthy boundaries to navigating betrayal, burnout, spiritual warfare, and the emotional weight of leadership, this episode goes straight to the heart of what it means to serve on the front lines. Wes, Jim, and Josh share...