Real Recovery Talk

"At Rock I'm getting to talk to people and come to an understanding of what each of the twelve steps means." -Darell Today, Ben and I are chatting with Darell, who served 13 years in the United States Air Force as an EOD. We talk about his challenges post-service in the military and his progression of alcoholism through childhood, the military, and how he found solutions to his addiction when he r...

"I've built routines here at Rock Recovery Center that I still have today." -JP Today, Ben and I are chatting with JP Burton, an alumnus of Rock Recovery Center. We speak about essential life skill development that accompanies the treatment process and the road to recovery. Listen to our conversation about prayer, meditation, and positive lifestyle changes that have stayed with JP through his trea...

"I've had family members that have died from addiction, but I never thought that I would have an addiction." -Tommy Today, Ben and I are chatting with Tommy, who became an addict after taking narcotic drugs for pain relief after a motorcycle accident. Since he has addiction in his family, Tommy wasn't a stranger to the effects of drugs and alcohol on a person and their loved ones. Why Tommy Didn't...

"My mom was my biggest enabler and as soon as she took her foot off the gas pedal my life came crumbling down around me. That's where the biggest change and growth came from." -Noah Today, Ben and I are chatting with Noah, who was 20 when he received his first DUI. His parents kicked him out of the house after this event. Forced to attend AA, his grandmother took him to his meetings. Not understan...

"Alcoholics Anonymous didn't just save my life, it taught me how to live a life worthy of having been spared and changed me from the inside out." -Eric Sheets Today, Ben and I are chatting to Eric Sheets, who is sharing his story of recovery and how he has taken his experience to give back and help other addicts become sober again. Eric's Background with Drugs and Alcohol Eric says he came to the...

"I'm able to get high on life with sobriety." -Faith Penda  Today, Ben and I are chatting to Fatih Penda, a long-term addict who has recovered and is now leading a drug and alcohol-free life. Leading to building a recovery center, Fatih is now leading other adults into recovery and positive life. Fatih's Background with Drugs and Alcohol Born in Salem, Massechuessets with a Muslim upbringing, Fati...

Today I will talk about the process and path of a person moving from being a "normie" to using drugs and alcohol and becoming an addict. In this episode, I talk with Brad Jensen, the founder of Key Nutrition, and is in recovery. He comes to us today to talk about how fitness and health have positively impacted his sobriety. Brad also talks about his struggles with sobriety. He'll talk about his ex...

"I wanted to take something hard that I had to go through that was painful and help another human being to get through without struggling as hard as I did." -Maya  Today, Ben and I are chatting to Maya who is a full-time employee at Rock Recovery Center. She is here to talk about her past history and how she became a professional in the substance abuse space.  Why Maya Chose to Work with Recoverin...

Tom and Benjamin B. are joined by Keith. Keith is a rockstar when he plays the guitar. He is also here to talk about why it's so important to have structure within sober living. There are some places that don't have any structure, but a guy like Keith could whip them into shape really fast. Keith is a behavioral health tech. He has also been a house manager, and he is a recovering addict. He tells...

Geographical change can help assist people going through recovery. A change that includes getting away from the people and influences that led to the addiction in the first place can be helpful. Benjamin B. and Renee L. are here today to talk about the benefits of sending your loved one to recovery someplace that includes geographical change. We talk about South Florida recovery versus Northeast r...

"I know people that have gotten clean and sober off of their drug of choice... and have tried this 'medical marijuana' aspect of it... and... I don't know of anybody that was able to stay that way and maintain sobriety after going down that road." -Tom Conrad Today, Ben and I are chatting about California Sober, brought to light recently by Demi Lovato on Joe Rogan's podcast , offering our opinion...

"This disease does not discriminate and it's really hard to get sober." -Nicole Bifano Today, Ben and I are chatting to Nicole Bifano, a primary worker at Rock Recovery Center and an LCSW, about the therapeutic process, the steps of detoxification, and the details of AL-ANON membership. Why Nicole Chose to Work with Recovering Addicts Nicole felt called by God to work in the realm of addiction tre...

"I knew I didn't like myself, but I didn't even know myself." - Steve  Today, Ben and I are chatting with Steve, our intern at Rock Recovery Center, who will celebrate 12 years of sobriety this week! Steve has been with us since January. He is attending university for his bachelor's degree in social work, and we are excited to have him on the show today to talk about his recovery and his work here...

Getting clean and sober can be stressful. We try to do everything possible to help people going through recovery deal with stress. It's scientifically proven that exercise will help reduce stress levels. This is why we can't emphasize the importance of exercise enough in the process of getting clean and sober. Today's episode is about exercise and why it is important to incorporate into your journ...

Today, Ben and I are chatting with Allie Severino, host of the "Dope Sick Nation", which premiered on VICE in 2019. Allie's goal is to help educate and heal America with her series offering a unique, inside perspective on the addiction problems facing our country in addition to the addiction treatment industry. Allie is passionate about educating families on the advancement of addiction treatment,...

Today, Ben and I are chatting to Jacob, who tells us his story of relapse, which led him to his deterioration and how he dug himself back out to sobriety again. Being introduced to alcohol at age 8, Jacob had a long and challenging life ahead of himself, which has led to his recovery with support from Rock Recovery Center. Starting His Life of Alcohol and Drugs at Age Eight At 26, Jacob has been l...

Today, Ben and I are chatting about gaining enough positive capital into your life for relapse prevention. Many people get sober, and relapsing can be expected. In this episode, we want to teach you tools and action steps to prevent relapse. Build your emotional capital as a buffer against wanting to go back and becoming an addict again. Becoming Proactive in Your Recovery Process Being proactive...

Today, I'll be talking about three questions you want to think about and reflect on before deciding to speak with your loved one about becoming clean and sober. No matter if they are a daughter, son, parent, or friend, these are three critical questions that you want to have answered before you start the conversation on recovery. Keep in mind that drugs and alcohol are not the only two forms of ad...

Are you considering methadone or suboxone prescription as a way to treat heroin addiction for you or a loved one? Is this a safe way to beat an opioid addiction or will it only make the struggle more difficult? Ben Bueno is a recovering heroin addict shares his experience of being treated with methadone. Resources mentioned in this episode: Facebook Support Group RealRecoveryTalk.com/Facebook

Everyone on the planet is affected by self-esteem in one way or another. Today, Tom discusses how self-esteem in general can influence addiction. In this episode, he talks about what self-esteem is and why positive self-esteem is so important for sobriety and getting and staying sober. He shares his own battle with self-esteem issues and why finding the root cause is so important.  He also stresse...

We received two phone calls a couple of days ago that two people we know quite well had overdosed on drugs. One was rushed to the hospital, treated, and released. However, the second person is in ICU and will most likely not make it through his overdose. As a result of these recent tragedies, Ben and I decided to talk about what happens when addicts come to a place where they overdose and signs yo...

Charlie is here today to pick up his two years sobriety medallion at Rock Recovery Center. He is a graduate of our program and has successfully navigated a clean and sober life since leaving Rock Recovery Center. Charlie and his wife chat with us about how Charlie has been living his daily life as a clean and sober society member. The Beginnings of Charlie's Addiction At age 13, Charlie left his h...

"I feel that if I didn't take that crappy job that I hated, that I wouldn't be here on the path I was meant to be on." - Ben Ben's First Two Years in Recovery Today, Ben and I celebrate Ben's tenth year of sobriety! "Years two through now have flown by for me," says Ben reflecting back on his journey. He remembers his first two years being rough for him as his first two years were a struggle. Ben...

If you or a loved one have tried a 12-Step program like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous and weren't successful this episode is for you. Find out what works and what doesn't work in the typical 12-step recovery program. Our guest, Ron, will also teach you what it takes to conduct an intervention to get someone you love into treatment for their alcohol or substance abuse issues.

"There are two kinds of people in this world: people in recovery who think they're not and people in recovery who think they are." Tullian Tchividjian Today, I'll be talking with Tullian Tchividjian, a pastor and active in the addiction community that Ben and I have gotten to know very well. He has come to Rock Recovery Center to share his experience and strength with our clients. Tullian is a pas...