Real Recovery Talk

Alex Uslar is the manager of the Hybrid Gym and the Director of Operations for the online company Hybrid Performance Method. Alex is a powerlifting, weight lifting, and crossfit coach. The Hybrid Performance Method is a virtual gym that provides accessible, affordable, and effective online workout programs to athletes of all skill and experience levels. In this episode, we talk about Alex's journe...

Today, I'll be talking about how to handle talking to your loved one to find out if they have a problem with addiction. Parents can have denial about their children's addiction, and family members may not recognize signs of addiction. Find out how you can recognize the signs of addiction and what language to use in the delicate conversation of talking to your loved one who may be addicted to drugs...

Ben and I talk to Sean, who works for Behave and Detox here in South Florida in today's episode. He is here to share his story of addiction and his recovery process. Sean shares what to look for in a detox center and details about the detox process. Born in the Bronx, Sean moved to Brooklyn with his mom when his parents separated. Brooklyn was a tough place filled with violent crime, drugs, and al...

In today's episode, I talk to Jeremy about his story of addiction. He has decided to be a guest today to inspire others to also start their journey to sobriety. This is Jeremy's eighth attempt at sobriety and learning to live a clean life. Jeremy is now medically retired from the army at age 39 as a result of PTSD. He served our nation for nine years, starting at age 23. Brought up in Concord, Nor...

In today's episode, Ben and I talk to Kat, who shares her experiences, the strength she found in her recovery, and the hope she has for her future. Kat's home is in Louisiana, and she is a current resident at Rock Recovery Center. At 32, Kat's second attempt at recovery, with her previous attempt at a different location. Kat started using at the age of 15 and quickly chose heroin as her drug of ch...

In today's episode, Ben and I talk with Vince, a 25-year-old recovering addict from Philadelphia. He stole a bottle of vodka and drank the entire bottle in sixth grade. In the summer of his freshman year of high school, Vince started smoking pot. Cocaine became a weekend sports celebration during his junior year of high school. Vince became an addict after his team coach gave him a prescription na...

In today's episode, Ben and I talk with Nick, a client here at Rock Recovery Center. Nick originates from Cleveland, Ohio, and this is his first time in recovery at the age of 27. Listen in to this episode to find out how he became addicted to drugs at 11. At a very young age, his first experience was smoking pot at age 11 and had his first drink at 12. Nick is close to his sister, whom he spent m...

In today's episode, Ben and I will talk about how addicts can get accustomed to the lifestyle of alcohol and drugs. It's often problematic for addicts to comprehend how to live a "normal" life without the use of illegal substances. Ben and I are both AA graduates, and our experience of sobriety results from working hard to successfully complete the 12 steps of sobriety outlined in AA. This work br...

In today's episode, Ben and I discuss the turning point when a newly sober client can start to make decisions for themselves. In the beginning, the person in recovery will be assigned a sponsor who is there for support and answering questions. Along the process, there's become a point in time that the person who is healing needs to become more independent and start to create change for themselves....

In today's episode, Ben and I discuss how we measure our client's progress and what to expect in the first one to three months of recovery treatment. We'll talk about where we see our clients make the most common mistakes and where addicts fall short in the treatment process. During our team meeting once a week, our staff discusses challenges and celebrations among our patients. "One issue that ju...

In today's episode, Ben and I are discussing the risk versus reward for addicts. We talk about the real risk of dying from a drug overdose as opposed to the more minimal chance of passing away from contracting COVID when traveling to a rehab facility or attending AA meetings. Many facilities have removed group gatherings at their location. As a result, many addicts are not able to attend their reh...

"There's always hope, you have to take the first steps." - Tony     In today's episode, I'm talking with a current patient who has been with us at Rock Recovery Center for three weeks and is 31 days clean today! He is 37 years old and comes to us from Detroit, Michigan. His sister would take care of him and his siblings, as his mom was "in and out a lot" as a result of her addiction to drugs and a...

In today's episode, Benjamin and I are going to talk about the "why" behind being an addict. Drinking and doing drugs is a cover for an underlying emotional issue that must be addressed to fully recover successfully. Our clients, because of the choices they have made in the past, do not have the best behavior or comments when they are moving through the process of recovery. In today's episode, Ben...

"When I started coming to meetings, I actually saw freedom in people's faces, and in the way they spoke, they were just really happy! And I wanted that, you know? It gave me a whole new perspective." - Patricia Ben and I are chatting with Patricia today. She is a very successful member of our community. Patricia took our suggestions and acted on them to become sober. Consuming her first drink at 1...

"I have little brothers and sisters that currently don't have a dad so I feel like if I work on myself and get better for myself I can be a better role model and support for my family back home.' " - Mitchell Ben and I are chatting with Mitchell, who is 21 and has been in treatment five times because of his previous cocaine addiction. He started his addiction at 16, with college friends smoking we...

"I remember looking in the bathroom mirror and saying to myself, 'You're an alcoholic because you are drinking just like your old man.' " - John S. Ben and I are chatting with John S., who is a "real alcoholic" in his words. We are going to talk to John about sponsorship, which he is very adamant about. Our group chat will also dive into the differences between privately run and not-for-profit run...

Benjamin and I will give you advice on how to overcome the three biggest challenges you may face when you are moving from a life of addiction to a life of sobriety. First, you have to establish new relationships with other sober people. Don't hang out with your old friends who are drinking or doing drugs. They will be a negative influence on your life and can drag you back down to return to being...

Benjamin and I will give you advice on the questions you should ask and how you can research recovery and addiction centers. There are seven key questions or points you should discuss when you are looking for a center. #1 Confirm that the person who answers the phone actually works at the facility and isn't a hotline operator. Make sure you are speaking to someone at the center, not an answering s...

"In every single way, my sobriety has become a blessing for me." -Sean, Rock Recovery Center I have a guest today, Sean, who is from Long Island, New York. He came to our recovery center eight years ago for thirty days and decided to become a resident of Florida. We talk about Sean's stage character, how he dropped his walls, and his process of recovery. Two days before he came to Rock Recovery Ce...

Set some friggin boundaries please www.realrecoverytalk.com tom@realrecoverytalk.com ben@realrecoverytalk.com I can't tell you how many phone calls I get from parents that don't know what to do with her addict son or daughter, a good place to start is setting some boundaries. Having a loved one with addiction problems can be a very stressful situation. Often times we try and navigate this path on...

I have a guest today, Maggie, from Pittsburgh, who has come forward to share her story with us. This is the third time she has been in recovery from alcoholism and is going to tell her story of her past, her present, and where she plans on taking her life in the future. Maggie is in our program at Rock Recovery Center. She is 25 years old and started drinking 13 years ago as a result of trying to...

Ben and I have two guests today who are sharing their experience with their current recovery experience concerning their past recovery experiences. We will talk to Dakota and Chris about what had impacted them from when they started their sobriety journey to where their journey is taking them in the future. My guests will also talk about how their hard work has paid off, and benefits sobriety has...

Ben and I have a guest with us today who is a patient at Rock Recovery Center. Mathew K, our special guest, shares his history and experience with recovery from alcohol addiction. Matt has been in several different types of treatment several times over the past five years. We discuss Matt's past wins, mistakes, and his past history related to his addiction. Currently, in his mid-30's, he started d...

Ben and I both share the same birthday - April 7th, 1984, with Ben just a few hours older than me!  COVID update from South Florida, as we are starting to get to the height of the Coronavirus. Professionals are currently predicting April 16th as the peak time for COVID in Florida. We are continuing our support for our clients with changes as necessary to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.  We are...

Here we are, chatting outside in the beautiful Florida weather, with Real Recovery Talk! COVID-19 has affected so many aspects of our lives, including how Ben and I record our podcasts. We are doing our best to provide recovery at Rock Recovery Center, along with abiding by all state, federal, and local guidelines regarding patient care and the COVID virus. Many people are struggling with the deci...