Rise Above with Kevin Lanning

Dina grew up excelling in school and sports — but behind the scenes, she was spiraling. Expelled from multiple schools, battling attention-seeking behavior, and drawn to chaos, her life took a dark turn into opiate addiction. She lived a double life, fooling friends, family, and even herself — until her parents made the hardest decision of their lives: to cut her off and have her arrested. What fo...

Zach was addicted to porn for over a decade — a secret he hid while building a successful career and life overseas. His sex addiction escalated into dark, isolating patterns that he couldn’t escape — until he hit a breaking point. In this raw and revealing interview, Zach opens up about the childhood traumas, depression, and validation-seeking that fed his addiction. Now over 9 years sober, Zach i...

Ricki Friedman was prescribed Adderall at just 7 years old. After losing her mom to cancer at 13, she battled decades of emotional pain, a secret marijuana addiction, and an identity built around medication. Despite creating a successful brand and coaching thousands through “Break the Weight,” Ricki was silently crumbling. In this raw and unfiltered interview, Ricki opens up about living a double...

Sheila spent years as a top critical‑care nurse, running ICU floors and even traveling coast to coast as a contract RN. But after a brutal ankle injury and two surgeries, legitimate pain management morphed into a secret prescription racket. Sheila reveals how she ran a telehealth practice from her home, writing pain‑killer scripts for herself—and even family members—until the medical board caught...

At just 9 years old, Eric watched a man strangle his mother with a phone cord—the same man who later became a convicted serial killer. That moment shaped his entire life. From martial arts champion to nightclub enforcer, to losing his wife to a terminal illness, and ending up homeless and suicidal—Eric’s story is raw, powerful, and ultimately redemptive. In this gripping episode, Eric opens up abo...

At just 19 years old, Andrew’s life imploded after selling weed to an undercover cop and spending 30 days in jail. What followed was a six-year spiral into OxyContin, heroin, and IV drug use that nearly killed him—literally. On Christmas Eve, after a near-fatal overdose, his life changed forever. In this raw and inspiring episode, Andrew opens up about:Growing up in Jersey and the trauma of divorc...

Maddee was prescribed 300 oxycodone 30s a month after a minor injury. What followed was years of addiction, jail time for marijuana DUIs, a suicide attempt, and being told she had 8 years of prison hanging over her head. But when rock bottom came, she made a decision that would change her life forever. Now 10 years clean, Maddee shares how jail saved her life, how journaling and prayer helped her...

At 25, Michael Barschi was crippled by anxiety, drowning in addiction, and secretly planning to end it all. Today, he's 22 years sober, a father of three, and one of the most respected therapists in the recovery space. In this powerful episode, I sit down with the man who helped me through my first year of sobriety—my former social worker, Michael Barschi. We talk about his darkest moments: the sh...

Kat Sorensen (@socalkattt) drank for the first time at age 7, blacked out by 13, and was married and cheating by her early 20s — all while hiding her addiction behind a successful career. But when her double life nearly cost her everything, she surrendered to recovery and found purpose in helping others. Now, 9.5 years sober, Kat shares how she went from suicidal thoughts and secret drug use to la...

Robert was born into chaos—raised by a controlling mother, traumatized by his father’s suicide at 8, and conditioned to seek validation in everything but himself. After achieving 10 years sober, he relapsed and spiraled, losing his business, wife, and—most painfully—custody of his daughter. But in the ashes of devastation, Robert found God, healing, and a new identity. In this raw, unfiltered inte...

Louis grew up in privilege—but addiction doesn’t discriminate. In this raw and emotional interview, he opens up about getting arrested, battling drug and gambling addictions, and testifying in a high-profile murder trial involving his former best friend. From being publicly shamed in the press to rebuilding his life through sobriety, Louis shares how he broke a generational curse and stepped into...

Krystal’s story is nothing short of incredible. Her father immigrated to America from Nigeria with just $20 in his pocket and walked miles to enroll in college—on the last possible day. Years later, Krystal faced a defining moment of her own: she walked away from medical school against her family’s wishes, lied about it for months, and hustled her way from sleeping on a friend’s couch to landing a...

Paul Hutchinson was a billionaire real estate mogul living a life of luxury—until one phone call changed everything. He went undercover to infiltrate a child sex resort being built by a cartel, and what he witnessed would alter the course of his life forever. In this gripping interview, Paul exposes the brutal reality of child trafficking, the addictions and trauma behind it, and how he made rescu...

Chris Olson was a straight-A student at an elite boarding school when he took his first ADHD pill—and it changed everything. What started as prescription meds quickly escalated to Vyvanse, Adderall, benzos, and eventually intravenous heroin and cocaine. By 21, he was prescribed 6mg of Klonopin a day and using over 100 Xanax bars weekly. At 25, on a solo hike in the South of France, Chris had a spi...

Rodney grew up surrounded by addiction, violence, and heartbreak. By 12, he was stealing food to survive. By 14, he was being paid to carry out violent crimes. He faced multiple life sentences—including for a kidnapping—and spiraled into a world of crack cocaine, street justice, and desperation while trying to save his mother from her own addiction. But this is not where his story ends. Rodney ope...

Sean went from leading Coast Guard drug busts to becoming a full-blown addict selling the very drugs he once confiscated. He was arrested more times than any cop in history, ended up homeless and addicted, and cycled through 10 rehabs. His story spirals through violence, strip clubs, overdoses, and jail—until a final moment of grace saved his life. Today, Sean runs a successful business, cares for...

Dr. Linda Varisco had it all: a thriving chiropractic business, two kids, and what seemed like the perfect marriage. But when her husband spiraled into drug addiction, infidelity, and shady business dealings, her world came crashing down. Caught in a $25M healthcare fraud scheme she didn’t fully understand, Linda cooperated with the FBI—and still ended up behind bars. In this explosive follow-up i...

Ryan Penley was deep in a spiral of addiction — partying in Las Vegas, hooked on alcohol and 14 Roxy pills a day. But nothing could’ve prepared him for what happened next: he blacked out during a multi-day bender… and woke up in jail for trying to decapitate his own mother. In this gripping and brutally honest interview, Ryan shares:His chaotic upbringing with addicted parentsHow a broken leg led...

In this first episode of Rise Above Reflections, I open up about how I lost myself to addiction—and how surrendering to God completely transformed my life. From chasing external validation to battling shame, I reflect on the moments that nearly broke me… and the spiritual breakthrough that saved me. This isn’t just my story—it’s the truth about addiction, identity, and the healing power of faith....

Casey was deep in the Florida pill mill scene—doctor shopping, pushing 40 Roxy 30s a day, and connected to the infamous George brothers. But a violent bust and prison sentence changed everything. In this raw, unfiltered interview, Casey shares how trauma, addiction, and near-death moments led to a full transformation—from inmate to entrepreneur and father fighting for custody of his daughter.⚠️ Fr...

Tyler never expected one pain pill would spiral into a full-blown opiate addiction. What started as a prescription for a finger injury turned into 30 OxyContins a day. He was sniffing pills, partying non-stop, and buying Roxys from Camden bodegas. After hitting rock bottom, losing his girlfriend, and nearly ending his life, Tyler checked into treatment and never looked back. In this raw and unfilt...

Marci was just six years old when she had to choose between safety and her own mother. Raised in a home filled with alcoholism, abuse, and betrayal, her childhood was a nightmare. She was groomed, sexually abused, abandoned emotionally by both parents — and began drinking at age 12. By her 20s, she was spiraling through toxic relationships, addiction, and the pain of unhealed trauma. But everythin...

Kevin Corbin grew up in the chaos of 1980s Boston—gunshots, addiction, and dysfunction were the norm. A star athlete who played junior hockey under a former NHL player, Kevin's life spiraled after one arrest derailed his college dreams. He fell into addiction, worked security at biker bars, and ended up in prison after a toxic relationship led to felony charges. But today, he’s nearly six years so...

Shauna thought she’d met the perfect man—until one day, he showed up at her door high and told her the feds had just raided his office. What followed was over a decade of addiction, legal chaos, a $12 million fraud case, and prison time. In this raw and powerful interview, Shauna opens up for the first time about surviving an abusive past, building a multi-million dollar lash business from nothing...

You know him from Anchorman, The Office, and Saturday Night Live—but you’ve never heard David Koechner like this. In this raw, emotional interview, David opens up about his decades-long struggle with alcohol, the death of his best friend from fentanyl, a DUI that made TMZ, and the journey that led him to nearly two years of sobriety. He shares how Antabuse, accountability, and spiritual growth hav...