The Addiction Podcast-Point of No Return

Nick Ferguson grew up in the inner city of Miami, known as the projects.  Within his neighborhood and even his own family, he was aware of the negative effects of addiction from an early age.  With the influence of two of his teachers and his mother, he went down a different path and decided to use his God given talent as an athlete to pursue professional sports.  After 10 years in the NFL, he is...

In his just released book "Pharma", a meticulously documented expose of decades of fraud, incompetence, conspiracy and avarice, award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Gerald Posner traces the heroes and villains of the trillion-dollar-a-year pharmaceutical industry and uncovers how those once entrusted with improving life have often betrayed that ideal to corruption and rec...

James Brown has his own addiction story. It's not dissimilar to stories we've told about children starting on alcohol or marijuana. But James' story has so much tragedy - the loss of his siblings - that it's a wonder that he survived and has been clean and sober for more than a decade. Not only is he clean and sober but he's written three semi-autobiographical books in an effort to hell his story...

Running a rehab center might not be first and foremost on your list of professions you want to pursue. However, Fabian Padro - with a background of entrepreneurship and business - became the Executive Director of the most exclusive Narconon on the planet. He is dedicated to helping individuals get clean and sober and he's been doing a great job at it. His is a story about helping others with their...

Philip Markoff is an online influencer and thought leader on addiction education; he is known as his alias "CG Kid" and obtained a large audience primarily on YouTube as a vlogger and journalist. He has his own story of addiction and recovery and uses that to educate others, those in addiction or family and friends so that they can take steps to recovery.

Melissa's story is different than pretty much any other we've told on this podcast.  She was prescribed Ativan when she had her second child and couldn't sleep.  As the dosage was upped, she experienced seizures and when she tried to cut down on the medication, she had strokes.  After a year of decreasing the dosage, she finally was able to stop taking most of the drug but to this day is on a very...

From selling his first business at age 19 to building a multimillion-dollar A- list talent agency, Darren Prince has experienced what life is like in the celebrity world. He also saw the dark reality of addiction through his own personal struggle. After over 11 years of sobriety, Darren has become a sought-after speaker on addiction recovery and mental health. He specializes in helping high functi...

Michael is an ex-offender and former addict and gang member. After 12 years in prison he finally had his "point of no return", he became determined to ensure that no other child in America "turned out like me".  He has since presented drug education and prevention in all 50 states in over 700 schools throughout the US. Michael is on a mission to educate youth and parents on the dangers of drugs. I...

Marshall Faulk was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons, both for the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams. In 2011 , Marshall was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame , and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.   Now he is the National Spokesman for "The Foundation for a Drug Free World", a nonprofit public benefit corporation that empowers youth an...

Dr. Cali Estes has her own history with addiction involving food.  But dealing with that and studying the whole area of addiction made her much more able to deal with her rock musician husband - Tim - when he became addicted to heroin.  He's clean and sober with the help of his wife and both are giving back to people in need.

IIn 2002, Marianne Skolek Perez's daughter Jill died at the age of 29 after being prescribed OxyContin for back pain. As a nurse employed at a large medical center, Marianne wanted answers. Her research led her to Purdue Pharma and the FDA's involvement in a growing. Marianne has appeared in Federal Court on this matter and continues to work with government agencies and private attorneys in giving...

Kathleen left her husband due to his heavy drinking, thinking this would protect her children.  However, the cycle of alcohol abuse was repeated in her family.  Her message is one of hope and recovery.  Her book will be published shortly and hopefully will provide insight into addiction and how to deal with it in the family.  A mother's perspective.

Jonathan Goyer began his addiction journey with pot at age 7.  He, like so many others, worked his way up to pretty much all drugs - heroin, coke, meth - you name it.  He lost his dad to an overdose and then his brother to complications from a drug overdoes.  In 2013 he got clean and now he gives back via his nonprofit - https://www.atrecovery.org/   He recently was featured in the TV show " 60 Da...

Ed Kressy was bullied had many childhood issues. As a teen he became a meth addict for 11 years. Stealing, after being arrested, he was shown compassion by a caring police officer. But his addiction led to losing his job, he stole from his family and ended up rock bottom. Spirituality brought him back. He persevered for years, got sober, and was later awarded the FBI Director's Community Leadershi...

Branislav Jankic's story is not so much about his addiction as it is about him dealing with his mother's addiction to drugs and alcohol.  When his mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he wanted to tell her everything that he had experienced as a result of her addiction but he found that the best way he could do that was through his documentary short film "Letter to My Mother".

Drew's addiction began before the 7th grade with prescription drugs for "ADHD".  Add an abusive father, anger issues and add pot, meth, coke, ecstasy, Atavan, Zoloft and more. Drew's story of recovery leaves no stone unturned. Now stably sober through the Narconon program, his whole family is closer together. He is now staff and knows there is hope for anybody that wants to achieve sobriety.

Jam Alker is a songwriter who spins his experiences into stories. These stories, told through music, often touch on life's dark, gritty underbelly, without judgment or condemnation, but often with a message of hope. In his formative years on Chicago's music scene, Jam played virtually every stage in the city, then toured the country. Though he loved music, he lost his way. In the depths of misery...

Austin is a husband and father living in rural Wyoming. He was raised in a family struggling with addiction and while he swore he wouldn't go down that road, ultimately he did end up addicted to drugs and alcohol. He now has a wife and 4 year old daughter who miraculously survived her mother's addiction. You can watch this also on YouTube Channel

This episode is an interview with award winning actor Tony Denison - co-star of TNT's #1 drama series "The Closer" and "Major Crimes".  He describes how he overcame his battle with alcohol and cocaine and how he is now helping others become sober and stay sober. T ony has received a Prism Award by the Entertainment Industry Council for Outstanding Performance in a Drama Series and five SAG nominat...

A prize winning nonfiction writer's account of a troubled adolescence spent immersed in alcohol, drugs, and crime. She is author of "Body Leaping Backward: Memoir of a Delinquent Girlhood". Her essays and memoirs have been published in Creative Nonfiction, Fourth Genre, The Florida Review, New England Review, and River Teeth, among others. She has received the Iowa Review Prize, the American Liter...

Jade Eilers is title holder of Miss Teen Ohio International 2019, placing top 5 in the world. These titles have given her an International audience for her platform "Start Talking, Building a Drug Free Future." She has done more than most to help counter the drug problem nationally. Jade talks about how it is OK to not do drugs, smoke, vape or drink and that it should be validated not ostracized....

TV co-star in "60 Days in Narcoland", Alexis Johnson is 4 years clean and sober. She has suffered everything imaginable, from 7 overdoses, 2 flatlines, 3 DUI's, 7 trips to prison, burying 16 of her friends- including her ex-fiancé, and giving her addiction 15 years of her life. Today, she is an international fitness model, making 2 magazine covers and getting published in one of the most prestigio...

Jason and Joanie talk about pharmaceutical companies recently being sued and having to fork over millions, if not billions for their part in this whole opioid epidemic plaguing the world. it's a start. And they get into the vaping controversy. The dangers just outweigh the benefits - if there are any.  

Grant Feasel was a starting center and long snapper for the Seattle Seahawks from 1987 to 1992. During that time he suffered multiple traumas and used alcohol and drugs to dull the pain. This eventually led to his death. This interview with his wife Cyndy tells the battle they went through for years to deal with the trauma and drugs. Cyndy has documented Grant's battles in her book -"After the Che...

When Paul Fletcher was a major league baseball player for the the Phillies and Oakland Athletics, many of his teammates drank. Alcohol was readily available. But Paul got to the point where he couldn't stop. His wife and kids left him and he tried taking his own life by downing a bottle of prescription meds. But still he didn't stop drinking. Finally he got clean and sober and is working to help o...