The Recovering Reality Podcast

In this encouraging episode Erik gives some very helpful insights into fear and how it sneaks up on us. He also covers at length a story about Jesus, and His input on the crippling reality of fear. “Don’t Yield to Fear,” and make sure you share with friends so they don’t either!

We had the privilege of having Eric Birkhimer, The National Director of Business Development for Banyan Treatment Centers, on the show. He shared his powerful journey of his struggles with addiction into his nearly 12yrs of recovery. Make sure you check out this hope filled story and share with friends.

Dr. Ponnezhan is a man of faith and is doing amazing work in the emergency rooms and intensive care units at 2 hospitals in the downtown area of Los Angeles. We spoke about the massive increase in ER visits, due to drugs and alcohol, that is taking place since the pandemic started. He shares some powerful insights and encouragement. Check it out and share with friends!

We had the privilege of having our host Erik Frederickson’s cousin, Jack Mangum on the show. Jack is now the Vice President of a bank and has a beautiful family, but it wasn’t always like this for him. Addiction nearly took his life years ago, but it was a powerful encounter with God that set him free and radically changed the course of his life.

Recovery Advocate Meaghan Palumbo got sober at the age 22yrs. She is now coming up on 9yrs of recovery. She spends her days giving back as she helps people into treatment and runs a recovery based business. Make sure you check out this powerful episode as Meaghan powerfully articulates the pains of addiction and the joys of recovery.

Tired of fear holding you back? Have you tried facing it?

Bradley Alix has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Forensic Science and a Master’s in Forensic Science. He is also making a massive impact in Lee County with the Public Defenders office as the Disposition Specialist. In short, he and his growing team are helping transform people’s lives as they leave jail and re-enter society. Make sure you share this much needed conversation with your f...

Rebekkah Miranda is a flight nurse in Utah. She has seen the effects of The Opioid Epidemic first hand, on top of this her son battled addiction for years before recently starting his recovery journey. She is now walking out her own healing and spreading as much hope as possible. Don’t miss this much needed conversation with a mother, a nurse, and an overcomer.

We had the privilege of having Staci Danford back on the show. For our second conversation she takes us through what goes on in the brain when someone falls into isolation and the victim mentality. This episode is filled with practical insights and tips for spotting and overcoming the Victim Mentality.

Alton Voss is on a mission to prevent young people from making the same mistakes he made by sharing his story. As a 3 Star recruit from Gulf High School, with dreams of playing in the NFL, he earned a full-ride to play football at the University of South Florida. He threw it all away by choosing alcohol and drugs as a way of dealing with issues of anxiety, depression, failure and unmet expectation...

I believe that many people in recovery are entrepreneurial in nature, and Brandon is certainly an entrepreneur at heart. He is young and has a powerful recovery story. Brandon is also a very successful entrepreneur, and in this insightful episode we process recovery and it’s similarities to being an Entrepreneur. Enjoy!

Eastern Tennessee will never be the same since Dr. Chambless Johnston decided to bring the message of recovery into the mess of addiction in that region. Don’t miss this powerful story of hope, where an Emergency room doctor left the ER to help those caught in the grip of addiction.

We had a wonderful and insightful conversation with Staci Danford, who I call “The Grateful Brain Doctor.” Ever wondered what goes on in your brain when you are negative and ungrateful, vs what is going on in the brain when you are positive and grateful? And how does scripture tie into all of this? If you’re interested in knowing the answers to those questions she answers them in this show. Don’t...

With the addiction epidemic raging worse than ever in this nation many people don’t realize that the ramifications of addiction effect the entire family unit. We had a needed conversation with Shannon Erb and newly recovering Josh McCall, as they shared some of their story and recovery process. Conversations like these are desperately needed in this time so people can know that recovery is possibl...

What if you could upgrade your thinking and as a byproduct your brain would literally become stronger and healthier? Good news...You can! You don’t want to miss this episode.

We had the wonderful privilege of having Dr. Caroline Leaf on the podcast. Dr. Leaf is the author of 19 books, a communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist with a Masters and PhD in Communication Pathology and a BSc Logopaedics. She specializes in cognitive and metacognitive neuropsychology. Since the early 1980s she has researched the mind-brain connection, the nature of mental health...

In the last 8yrs Lance Lang has written 4 books, spoke to thousands of people, opened 21 Sober Living Homes and Founded the organization ‘Hope is Alive.’ He credits God with those achievements. But the journey before that was a dark and dangerous one. Be sure to check out this powerful transformation story and hear how Hope is Alive in Lance Lang’s life.

We had the privilege of having a hero of the faith, Chris Overstreet on the show. Chris was drinking and using drugs and weighed 400lbs when God met him in a jail cell. Roughly 20yrs later he has traveled the world sharing the Gospel, trained and equipped thousands of believers in their Kingdom identity, been in multiple documentaries and is a published author. This is a powerful story about the t...

This is one of the most powerful episodes we’ve done! Listen to Erik‘s mother share her heart about Erik’s addiction journey, and how she kept herself encouraged in the midst of it. She shares candidly about her own journey as well. You truly don’t want to miss this episode.

The last year has been a wild one, to say the least, but we don’t have to carry the residue of hopelessness, discouragement, and bitterness around with us anymore. We can live free from those burdens, but it starts with the “Renewing of the Mind”

These days Jenn helps thousands of women better understand their relationship with alcohol, and step into sobriety. But her journey wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows as she struggled with drinking for years before she stepped into a sober minded lifestyle. You don’t want to miss the valuable approach and perspective that @sobersis shares in this episode.

From the NFL to rehab. As a nationally recognized college football player success was all but guaranteed for Luke Wollet, until he was prescribed pain killers for an injury. That opened the door and took him down a dark path. Today, he has not only recovered but he is thriving and helps countless people in their recovery. He credits Christ with the transformation. Don’t miss this powerful story of...

Cody Wright spent well over a decade lost in addiction, he landed in prison and made 24 visits to rehabs, but after years of hopelessness he grabbed hold of recovery. He is now over 5yrs into his recovery journey and he wakes up everyday and helps others out of the mess he nearly died in.

Addiction should have killed Tim Craft. Today he is over 6YRS into recovery, is the director of High on Hope Ministries, has helped start 3 treatment centers, and is actively transforming struggling communities. Check out his powerful story in this episode.

Fellow recovery leader and “Battle Tested Podcast” host Mark Gagarin and Erik Frederickson dialogue and share wisdom about how to lean into transformation and God.