Sober Spill

table {mso-displayed-decimal-separator:"\."; mso-displayed-thousand-separator:"\,";}tr {mso-height-source:auto;}col {mso-width-source:auto;}td {padding-top:1px; padding-right:1px; padding-left:1px; mso-ignore:padding; color:black; font-size:11.0pt; font-weight:400; font-style:normal; text-decoration:none; font-family:Arial, sans-serif; mso-font-charset:0; text-align:general; ve...

In this episode of Sober Spill, Isabel sits down with Melissa McGovern (aka The Sober New Yorker) to open up about the gray areas of drinking, pandemic grief, and the doctor's appointment that changed everything. After losing her best friend to alcohol-related illness, Melissa’s own bloodwork revealed dangerously elevated liver enzymes, high cholesterol, rising A1C levels, and a body under str...

In this episode of Sober Spill, Isabel is joined by Rachel Hechtman, founder of Sober in Central Park, to dive deep about the emotional journey of letting go of the party girl persona and the "The Rachel Pass Out" to finding five years of freedom in sobriety. Rachel shares her journey as a "sober entrepreneur" and travel host , proving that sobriety is anything but boring. This...

In this episode of Sober Spill, Jana is joined by Laura Cathcart Robbins, New York Times Bestselling author of Stash: My Life in Hiding, to pull back the curtain on her harrowing journey through Ambien addiction, high-functioning motherhood, and the "dark in the tunnel". Laura shares the raw reality of being the ""only one in the room"" as a Black woman in recovery an...

In this episode of Sober Spill, Jana is joined by Dr. Lipi Roy, physician and addiction expert, to break down what addiction really is — and why so many people still misunderstand it. Addiction isn't about willpower - Dr. Lipi Roy explains how substance use disorder affects the brain, why shame and punishment don’t work, and what evidence-based recovery actually looks like. This conversation o...

"In this episode of Sober Spill, Isabel sits down with Jamie Tall for a conversation on how recovery can be subtle, uncomfortable, and deeply personal during a journey of self-reflection and learning who you are after substance use. Jamie shares her personal growth, emotional honesty, and the quiet shifts that happen when you stop numbing and start paying attention. A grounded, relatable conv...

In this episode of Sober Spill, Isabel sits down with Abby for an honest conversation about sobriety, identity, and showing up authentically online. Abby shares what it’s really like navigating recovery in public, the pressure of being perceived, and how sobriety reshaped her relationship with herself and her audience. This conversation explores vulnerability, boundaries, and what it means to buil...

"In this episode of Sober Spill, Isabel sits down with Thuan Nguyen for an honest conversation about how recovery isn’t about having it all figured out — it’s about progress. Together, they explore how lived experience shapes perspective, the challenges of rebuilding trust with yourself, and what healing can look like beyond just sobriety. This episode offers encouragement for anyone navigati...

In this episode of Sober Spill, Isabel sits down with Cameron Breen, Street Outreach Case Manager at Liberation Programs, to unpack addiction, isolation, and why connection saves lives. Cameron opens up about growing up with addiction (from early substance use, multiple DUIs, and incarceration), the shame and isolation that followed him into adulthood, and how human connection became the turning p...

Twas the sober night before Christmas, and all through the sober house..not a person was drinking or drugging, not even a mouse! In this special holiday episode of Sober Spill, Isabel reads a heartwarming, special recovery-themed rendition of a seasonal classic all about finding peace, presence, and joy during the holidays — without alcohol or substances. Sitting in front of a twinkling Christmas...

In this episode of Sober Spill, Mountainside's Jana Wu is joined by Dr. Gill to break down what really works in addiction treatment AND WHY. Dr. Gill dives deep into the realities of addiction, mental health, and the science of recovery. Together, they unpack common misconceptions about recovery, the neuroscience behind substance use disorders, co-occurring mental health conditions, and why person...

In this vulnerable and wildly honest episode of Sober Spill, Isabel sits down with actress, musician, and TikTok creator Rivkah Reyes to talk about navigating addiction and sobriety, queer self-discovery, and rebuilding a creative life from the ground up. Rivkah opens up about early child-star pressures, destructive coping cycles and the spiritual maintenance required to stay sober while living a...

In this episode of Sober Spill, Isabel sits down with creative wellness advocate Marissa Aurora, founder of Altrd NYC – a sober rave redefining nightlife culture. They dive into mindfulness, movement, ADHD, sobriety, and how Marissa transformed a pivotal moment into a mission to help people "alter their reality" with no substances required. Marissa shared what it truly means to build a s...

In this episode of Sober Spill, Jana sits down with Mountainside's own Keith Appleton, a U.S. Army Combat Veteran who shares the profound challenges of his military to civilian transition. After a medical retirement, Keith struggled with the abrupt loss of structure, community, and his identity as a soldier. Keith breaks down two often misunderstood topics: trauma and moral injury - while trau...

Award-winning Nashville songwriter Dylan Altman shares the unfiltered truth about navigating the music industry while battling addiction with Isabel on this week's Sober Spill episode. Dylan opens up about his powerful journey through the moments that nearly cost him everything in deep addiction—and the connection, courage, and community that helped him rebuild. This episode dives deep in a ra...

In this episode of Sober Spill, Isabel sits down with registered dietitian Mallory Page, creator of Live Unrestricted, to talk about orthorexia, food obsession, and the illusion of “healthy perfection.” Mallory opens up about her personal experience with disordered eating and how it shaped her work helping others find freedom with food. Together, they discuss body neutrality, diet culture, and how...

In this episode of Sober Spill, Isabel talks with Dr. Danielle Luciano, OB-GYN and co-director of EndoRISE, about the truth behind endometriosis - the emotional and physical toll of endo, the connection to anxiety and depression, and what real advocacy in medicine looks like. They break down the 7–10 year delay in diagnosis, the emotional impact of chronic pain, and how medical gaslighting affects...

Isabel goes solo for this Halloween episode of Sober Spill to open up about the real side of recovery and answer your biggest recovery questions — from early sobriety struggles to dating, relapse, and how to rebuild your life after addiction. She talks about learning kindness, surviving loss, working in recovery, and why you shouldn’t quit before the miracle happens. With humor and heart, Isabel r...

In this episode of Sober Spill, Isabel sits down with author of The Poisoned Arrow, Miguel Ruiz Jr., to talk about the deeper purpose of fear and how to use it as a guide, healing and trusting yourself, and lessons drawing from his Toltec teachings. They explore how fear shows up in daily life, how to tell the difference between real and imagined fear, and what it means to face the unknown with lo...

In this episode of Sober Spill, Jana sits down with Casey McGuire Davidson, host of The Hello Someday Podcast, to talk about what it really means to reinvent yourself in sobriety. Casey shares how she found freedom from drinking through a 100-day challenge. She left her high-powered executive job, built a life rooted in purpose, connection, and authenticity, and now helps other high-achieving wome...

In this episode of Sober Spill, Isabel sits down to talk with Dominic Chianese Jr. — actor, recovery coach, and son of Sopranos legend Dominic Chianese. He shares his powerful journey of 18 years of sobriety, the early roots of addiction, and the deep emotional work that recovery demands. With humor, honesty, and heart, Dominic opens up about his struggles of growing up in New York City, the chaos...

In this episode of Sober Spill, Jana sits down with Dave Manheim, creator of the Dopey Podcast, to talk about his raw, funny, and painfully real journey. Dave talks about growing up in New York, MTV dreams and heroin addiction, to finding recovery, parenting in sobriety, and building one of the most influential recovery podcasts. Dave shares how grief, relapse, and humor shaped his story—and how h...

In this powerful episode of Sober Spill, Isabel sits down with Tommy Rosen, founder of Recovery 2.0 and host of In the Circle Podcast. Together, they dive into emotional sobriety, codependency, the “bottom of self-disgust,” and how recovery evolves over time. Tommy explains a new way to define recovery—not as limitation, but as a path of discovery and why healing must include mind, body, and spiri...

In this episode of Sober Spill, Isabel sits down with Paul Brown, a man whose recovery story is filled with resilience, relapse, and redemption. Once a preacher’s kid who fell hard into drinking and drugs, Paul opens up about the guilt, shame, and isolation that fueled his addiction. After finding sobriety in the late ’90s, he built 20 years of recovery before relapsing after surgery, but came bac...

In this Recovery Month and 9/11 special, Isabel sits down with Pat McCarthy to talk about Pat’s emotional, and unforgettable story of addiction and recovery. Pat opens up about how alcoholism nearly destroyed his life and how his turning point—September 11, 2001—set him on a path to lasting sobriety. From his days chasing Grateful Dead shows to becoming a leader in recovery support, Pat shares the...