Addiction & Recovery Conversations with Brett Lovins

Dan Falcone and I have been friends and fellow sober people for a good while now. We walked through the 12 steps together and I've learned a lot from him over these years. I remember having hour long meetings after an AA meeting together, out in the parking lot. Dan has been sober 6 years and got sober at age 26.  It is absolutely possible to address Substance Use Disorder at any age. I'...

Caught up with my friend Megan Tweedy for our second podcast conversation on the fentanyl epidemic. Megan's brother, Jeff Meyer, died from a fentanyl overdose on Feb 24, 2020. Three years later, she is working to educate people about a huge problem in our society that she and her family were impacted by with Jeff's passing. Here's a link to our first episode: Megan Tweedy on Losing...

Posting a really special episode today, a conversation with my wife of 24 years, talking about a common thing in our household - recovery and sobriety. There are several references in this episode to the previous episode where I talk about my final months of drinking and drugging before getting sober. Might make sense to listen that one first if you have the time. We talk about Al-Anon, AA, early...

This is a topic that I'm fascinated by. I like asking people to recount their final days and the final approach to the moment they stopped. There are a wide variety of stories. Some are gradual, some are sudden. Mine is kinda both. Here's my story of the full court press, Steve Dunn the Fort Collins counsellor and the beginning of my new life, from November 2012 to May 28th, 2013... my f...

Really happy to bring you a conversation with my first sponsor, Todd Edwards. We cover multiple topics including: swapping stories about our early work together, the steps, helping others, and  anonymity. If you or a loved one have issues with drugs and/or alcohol, consider visiting Shatterproof.org as a place to learn more about this disease. This podcast is now available on all of the main podca...

For people in recovery from drug and alcohol abuse or addiction, one very precarious circumstance that most will face is using opioids for pain after surgery. Listen in as I discuss this important topic with my two friends from Colorado, Phillip Hayes (college recruiter) and Bob Hickman (retired dentist).  Thank you Bob and Phillip for your willingness to be vulnerable and talk about this shortly...

Finding my way to people was (and is) an important part of my program of recovery. When I started, I wandered into the only game in town that I knew of: Alcoholics Anonymous. Here were rooms full of people who I discovered drank and did drugs the way I did. But there was the "G" word (God) plastered on the walls. This was problematic for feeling comfortable. I was lucky to meet my sponso...

I have to be diligent, and stories like these are a great reminder of why. No matter how long I am sober, I have to know in my bones that I have this disease and I'll never be cured. I can never again drink safely, moderately, normally. Thank you Jim for sharing your story of being sober 24 years and what happened when you tested out what happened when you drank again. Other useful links from...

I'm proud to work for Cisco Systems and honored that I got to share my story and have a conversation with Dr. Mira Zein as part of Mental Health Awareness Week. Dr. Zein is Cisco's Corporate Behavioral Health Director and someone that our company turns to in matters related to mental health. She and I recorded this in one take, completely improvised... we cover a lot of topics including:...

Megan Tweedy lost her brother, Jeff Meyer, to a Fentanyl overdose Feb 20, 2022. Megan is a friend of mine, her husband is too... and so was Jeff. Jeff had lots of people who loved him. He lit up a room when he walked in, someone with whom conversation were easy and engaging, a guy who could make you belly laugh repeatedly. Lots of people miss Jeff. Since his passing, Megan has become an activist f...

In this conversation, I'll be asking Jim Mick to share some of his recovery story. We cover many topics including his involvement with AA alternatives: LifeRing Recovery and Recovery Dharma . Additionally, Jim talks about a recovery program that we met in for musicians: MusiCares . And finally, where I got my start: Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) . As I've mentioned before, I'm an Ambassa...

In this episode, Brett Lovins sits down with Bryce Zimmerman, a recovering alcoholic with a sobriety date of November 7, 2016. Bryce shares his candid journey through addiction, detailing the struggles he faced before finding his path to recovery. The conversation dives deep into the feelings of hopelessness and the challenges of moderation that led Bryce to seek help. He reflects on his experienc...