Hard Knox Talks: Your Addiction Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Rodney is a person in recovery from Yellow Quill First Nation on Treaty #4 Territory and the traditional territory of the Cree and Saulteaux, Assiniboine, and Métis. He lived the gang life back in the day but decided to make a change. Today he spends his time in service to community through supporting other former gang members in transitioning to a healthier, safer way to live. Hi...

Send us Fan Mail "I've seen the harms that substance use causes in the communities around me and always felt like I could make a change." Maryellen is a substance use researcher out of the department of sociology at the University of Saskatchewan. "My education in public health and sociology has given me an edge when it comes to seeking solutions for people who use drugs."...

Send us Fan Mail "It's like I had no spirit, my joy was just getting on, I was just an empty shell. I died many times throughout my addiction." Danny believes he spent millions on his crime-funded habit. he also spent 6 years in and out of jail. But after being revived 15 times and more than 50 attempts at rehab, something finally clicked. "%99 of people I know who have died ha...

Send us Fan Mail The OPTIMA trial took place at 7 locations in 4 provinces across Canada and evaluated two opioid agonist treatment models of care: Methadone and Buprenorphine/Naloxone (Suboxone). When the idea for OPTIMA began, Methadone was the standard of care for people who used opioids. Suboxone was also available but not as frequently prescribed. Physicians wanted to be able to provide Subox...

Send us Fan Mail Leslie McBain lost her only child, Jordan Miller, to a drug overdose in 2014. He was just 25 years old. Jordan became addicted to the pain medication Oxycodone when it was prescribed by his family doctor after a back injury on a job site. Jordan was just starting his life, and had his own business, friends, and community. His death shook their family and friends to the core. Soon...

Send us Fan Mail After 27 years of hard using and drinking, Tim found himself in a wrecked truck, alone, drinking to inebriation. His phone rang, it was his childhood friend Brandon Novak, "What the f**k are you doing Lodgen?" That question set wheels in motion that led him to the life he has today. Loving father, husband, motivational speaker and friend. You won't want to miss this...

Send us Fan Mail "The addiction was more cunning than the spirit." Onyx is a Psilocybin sacred journey facilitator in Saskatoon, SK. She is also a person in long-term recovery from a toxic relationship with drugs. "At the end of the day, you have to accept that your life is so much more than your addiction." Her journey with substances began at 12 and by 17, she was one of the...

Send us Fan Mail "I woke up in the hospital I worked at, on suicide watch." Kaleigh is a Registered Nurse in Philadelphia, USA. "I was afraid of myself. I knew I was about to lose my job, my kids, and my life." Tune in this week for an honest conversation about the realities of addiction and health care providers. We'll talk about her experiences, how she found a safer way...

Send us Fan Mail Our host Donna has been in recovery for nearly 5 years. Wendy was the Social Worker that caught her when she came skidding off the street, pregnant and desperate for a safer way. Join us this week as we take an intimate look at how these two met. We will hear some of what brought Wendy into recovery, and how she used her lived experience to help Donna out of the darkness, and put...

Send us Fan Mail "I had to steal to eat, I was written off by my family, and friends." Chris spent 8 years on opioids. Today, he is Board Member on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. "I knew if I didn't change I was going to die." He is also a 2 time cross Canada Cyclist, a Film maker, a Motivational Speaker, and Founder of Inspi...

Send us Fan Mail Keith Bowering is a person living well with substance use disorder in Saskatoon, SK. "I practiced a 12-step program for many years before I realized the harm reduction approach was the way for me." Keith also works for The Lighthouse, a supported living facility in downtown Saskatoon. "Not all the beds are closing like the media narrative suggests." We're...

Send us Fan Mail With the Methadone/Methadose transition now upon us here in Saskatchewan, Pharmacist, Amy Wiebe has been tasked with bringing awareness to the potential implications this transition could have on ill-informed participants of the Saskatchewan MAT program. This is happening, and it's happening in our own backyard. So she turned to us, The voices of lived/living experience. With...

Send us Fan Mail Daina is a woman in long-term recovery living in Saskatoon, SK. From early parenthood to sexual abuse, to debilitating alcoholism, Daina has an inspiring testimony to the power of lived experience. Today she is an Indigenous Social Worker right here on Treaty #6 Territory and she fought like hell to get here. We're honored to share the screen with Daina once again and you&apo...

Send us Fan Mail Ahbra Schiff is a graceful, sober woman of Alcoholics Anonymous who holds her head high and also occasionally trips and falls on her face. She is also the Production Manager of the REEL Recovery Film Festival, and Director of Operations and Outreach for the Experience, Strength, and Hope Awards. Join us this week and listen to Ahbra #takeofftheblinders around what she was like, wh...

Send us Fan Mail Wendy is a retired anesthesiologist. She is also a person in long-term recovery from alcoholism. Join us this week and listen to Wendy talk about how she found her way to sobriety, and what she's doing to help others find their way, in their own way, this week right here, On Phoenix Fire. ---------------------- Stay up to date on upcoming live streams, get on our email list, ...

Send us Fan Mail Guy was brought back from overdose at Vancouver's safe consumption site, Insite. He accessed that service over 4000 times in his 30 years of gangs, addiction, treatment, and jail. Today he is a person in long-term recovery and is world-renowned as a speaker, and harm reduction and recovery advocate. "Recovery is harm reduction and harm reduction is recovery. Gone are the...

Send us Fan Mail Holly grew up around substance use, and poverty. Today she is the Managing Director at Stewart Properties here is Saskatoon, SK. In her role and with her lived experience she has learned how to best navigate our fragmented system. And with those skills she spends her days advocating, housing the unhoused, and helping our more vulnerable demographic find stability as they seek a sa...

Send us Fan Mail Austin is a Recovery Influencer on TikTok. If you're into the social media recovery scene, you've definitely seen his content. Macdaddyg28 After overhearing a conversation at 11 years old, memories of molestation came flooding back to Austin. Oblivion was his escape. Join us this week and listen to Austin #takeofftheblinders around running from the pain. We'll talk...

Send us Fan Mail Join us each week for inspiring testimonies and real talk about all things substance use. This week's guest, harm reduction TikTok Influencer, Chauncie Beaston. Chauncie is a person in recovery. She found a safer way through the anonymous fellowships but became very aware of the closed-minded thinking displayed by some of her fellow members. Live. Laugh. Naloxone was born. Ch...

Send us Fan Mail Join us on the Hard Knox Talks platform twice a week for inspiring stories and real talk about all things substance use. This week's guest, Carissa McNaught. Carissa was a street kid at 15 years old. Today she lives a fulfilling as a loving mother of 4 and as a Kambo practitioner right here is Saskatoon, SK. She has had an incredible journey to get to where she is today and w...

Send us Fan Mail Join us every Tuesday for inspiring stories and real talk about all things substance use. This week's guest, Sober is the new cool creator, Kim Bellas. "My son's doctor said he could have 2 drinks with his medication, But I saw the writing on the wall." Kim's son has epilepsy, and drinking wasn't doing him any favors. "I quit to show him it was p...

Send us Fan Mail Join us live and interactive every Sunday evening for inspiring stories and real talk about all things substance use. This week's guest, creator, and host of Operation Tango Romeo, the Trauma Recovery Podcast Podcast, Mark E. Meincke. "I was hesitant to attend in-person peer support. But, the fella who invited me was persuasive, and I’m glad he was. In time, I became the...

Send us Fan Mail Join us live every week for inspiring stories and real talk about all things substance use. This week's guest, Natalie Vecchione. Natalie is an FASD parent advocate, author, and host of the long-running podcast FASD Hope. With 19 years of lived experience in not only parenting children with FASD, but homeschooling them as well, Natalie is a warrior, don't let the kind fa...

Send us Fan Mail Join us every week for inspiring stories and real talk about all things substance use. This week's guest, Angie Staines. Angie has a son who uses substances, she also does outreach on the streets of Edmonton, AB caring for people who use drugs. On one instance she came across a man who was overdosing. The man was her son. Join us this week and listen to Angie tell her story a...

Send us Fan Mail From the UK, Chris was recently told he has stage 4 cancer. As a person in recovery, he understands the life-saving power of story. So with uncertainty in his future and peace in his heart, he is stepping forward to share his journey. Maybe he can influence one person. That is his hope. We are humbled and honored to have been chosen as a platform to share the life and times, so fa...