F#CK THE STIGMA

In episode 63 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Wild Card, who shares his powerful journey through addiction, relapse, and recovery. Growing up with a father who cooked methamphetamine, Wild Card opens up about how childhood trauma and early exposure to drugs led him into addiction. After losing 9 years of sobriety, he fought his way back and is now 7 years sober. This h...

In episode 62 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Dylan Janet, who shares her powerful story of overcoming meth addiction, heroin addiction, alcohol addiction, and years of substance use. After countless attempts to get sober, surviving trauma, toxic relationships, and sex trafficking, Dylan finally found lasting recovery. Now over one year sober, she opens up about her da...

In episode 61 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Connager Parks to discuss his incredible journey through mental health struggles, addiction, homelessness, and recovery. Born with a deformity caused by abuse his mother endured during pregnancy, Connager shares how childhood trauma, his father's battle with addiction, and his own meth addiction led him to homelessness...

In episode 60 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with musician Multifaceted Monster (Michael Smith) to discuss his battle with alcoholism, meth addiction, cocaine use, and mental health struggles. Michael shares what it was like growing up without his father, searching for a connection with a higher power, and navigating years of substance use that eventually led to daily bing...

In episode 59 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with entrepreneur, recovery advocate, podcast host, and founder of Kreatures of Habit, Michael Chernow, for an honest conversation about addiction, trauma, recovery, and personal transformation. Michael shares his story of growing up with family challenges, experiencing s*xual assault, battling substance use disorder, and naviga...

In episode 58 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Cristina for a raw and honest conversation about addiction, mental health, self harm, and the reality of how the disease of addiction can fatally progress. Cristina shares how family, environment, and trauma impacted her mental health and how she fought to overcome self harm and reclaim her life. Don’t forget to like, comme...

In episode 57 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Jacob Kline who shares his raw and honest story of battling heroin addiction, how his addiction progressively took over his life, and the turning point that finally led him to sobriety and recovery. Jacob opens up about the realities of addiction, the struggles he faced during active use, and what helped him get sober. If y...

In episode 56 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Glynis Franz shares her powerful story of addiction and recovery. From childhood trauma and her mother’s addiction to juvenile detention centers, prison, and intravenous heroin use, Glynis opens up about the reality of substance use disorder, hitting rock bottom, and rebuilding her life in recovery. Now the founder of Peak...

In episode 55 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Dave Puhky shares how hitting rock bottom became the turning point that changed everything. In this episode, he breaks down how he quit all mind-altering substances, rebuilt his life through fitness and martial arts, and now advocates for men’s mental health and sobriety. If you’re struggling or seeking real recovery insigh...

In episode 54 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with  @icoreywarren  a sober coach and mental health advocate who shares his raw journey from heroin use in high school to alcohol addiction—and ultimately, recovery. Now dedicated to helping others, Corey breaks down the myths surrounding alcohol, addiction, and sobriety, while offering real insight into how addiction impacts t...

In episode 53 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Alika Gambill to talk about what it really looks like to rebuild your life from the ground up. Alika opens up about the trauma he experienced growing up and how it shaped the path that led him into nearly two decades of addiction. He shares the chaos of that lifestyle, his struggle with addiction, and the reality of trying...

In episode 52 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Ahmad Hussain, founder and CEO of DEFENT, breaks down the harsh reality of the fentanyl epidemic and the truth behind the rising death toll. He shares what drives his mission to create an all-in-one fentanyl detection device and why urgent action is needed to address this national crisis. Don’t forget to like, comment, and...

In episode 51 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Garet McLendon to share his powerful story of addiction, trauma, and recovery. In this episode, he opens up about the struggles that led him down a destructive path, the turning points that forced change, and what it really takes to rebuild your life from the ground up. From hard truths about relapse to finding purpose in s...

In episode 50 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Faust Castellanos, who shares a powerful and deeply vulnerable conversation about trauma, addiction, faith, and recovery. Known for his appearance on Soft White Underbelly and several other podcasts, as well as his work as a pastor, clinical therapist, and founder of a peptide company, Fausto opens up about the sexual abuse...

In episode 49 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Michael Lynch and Dr. Kenny Clark as they return to announce the launch of their new podcast, Solo and Doc, and have a powerful conversation about rebuilding in recovery after losing everything to addiction. We talk about what it felt like to be absent fathers during active addiction and how they worked to repair and rebuil...

In episode 48 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Rich Bishop, who shares his journey through addiction and mental health struggles. From drinking alcohol at just two years old to later turning to opiates and other hard substances, Rich explains how he spent most of his life searching for escape. He also opens up about the devastating loss of his father, who battled severe...

In episode 47 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez welcomes back Santana Dawson for the third time for an honest conversation about change, healing, and what it really takes to grow. Together, they unpack the fear of change and how trauma shapes our present behaviors, relationships, and mindset. They dive deep into how our parents and childhood experiences impact who we become, how we res...

In episode 46 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Jeff, who shares his story of addiction, crime, and recovery, opening up about how growing up without a father figure and coming from a troubled family became his excuse for using drugs. He talks about how substance use within his family normalized addiction and led him down a path of criminal behavior, repeated prison time...

In episode 45 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Malik Keene, discussing his journey from active addiction to long-term recovery. Malik opens up about quitting drugs and alcohol, walking away from the drug dealer lifestyle, and confronting a gambling addiction that deeply impacted every area of his life. He shares how multiple DUIs and compulsive gambling became major tur...

In episode 44 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Travis Shields, who shares an honest conversation about addiction, grief, and recovery after more than a decade of active drug and alcohol use. Travis opens up about surviving the loss of a close friend, the survivor’s guilt that followed, and how that pain drove him deeper into substance use. He also reflects on losing mul...

In episode 43 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Ryan Ead, sharing his raw and unfiltered story of mental health struggles and addiction that began at a young age. After years of misbehavior and substance use, Ryan’s parents had him kidnapped and sent to a wilderness program in the Utah desert, where he was forced to survive for three months. Instead of helping, the exper...

In episode 42 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Matt Anderson, who shares his raw and honest journey through mental health struggles, addiction, incarceration, and recovery. Now 9 years sober, Matt opens up about going to jail at just 15 years old, being exposed to hard drugs at a young age, and growing up with an abusive father where fighting became his outlet. After hi...

In episode 41 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Mike Eaton, who has 17 years sober and opens up about the turning point that changed his life forever. After years of failed attempts to get sober, Mike’s addiction led to a fatal drunk driving accident that took someone’s life, resulting in him getting sober while incarcerated. He shares what it was like to confront the we...

In episode 40 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Emily, who shares her journey with alcoholism, starting from drinking at a young age and the struggles that followed her into high school, including an abusive relationship that shaped how she coped with pain. She opens up about using alcohol to numb the grief of losing a close family member and how that loss deepened her a...

In episode 39 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with William Mitchell, who was wrongfully sentenced to life in prison for attempted murder at just 23 years old and ended up serving 18 years behind bars. William opens up about battling crack addiction, how prison transformed him, and the moment he found his faith in Christianity. He shares how becoming a minister and paralegal...