Untoxicated Podcast

Michael Arnold is an alcoholic and drug addict in recovery, and she is loud and proud about it. Her rock bottom was when her heart stopped in an ambulance after suffering a seizure when she detoxed too fast. She almost died. That explains why she is so enthusiastic about her life in recovery. I am excited to have her on the podcast to talk about all of this, and her new book, Drowning in Addiction...

I’ve talked and written extensively about my relationship with my wife. Now it is her turn to talk. Hear about the damage done to our marriage as we suffered decades of alcoholism and emerged clinging to survival. This is the most emotional and raw episode we’ve ever recorded. Hear what an alcoholic marriage is all about.

Jason and Matt have interviewed experts on addiction and relationships. Now it’s time to hear the stories of the damage their addictions have caused in their own marriages. These are painful stories, but they are also the stories of survival and love.

We asked Dave Friedentag why he works with troubled youth to help them move past their drug and alcohol abuse problems and find a better way forward. He explained that high school is when he started getting into trouble and began a journey that led to the death of his brother. When we experience trauma, we want to help others avoid the same life-altering pitfalls. And we are all glad Dave chose to...

Counseling couples to help them navigate challenges in their relationships often involves tackling the many issues surrounding addiction. In Ep6, our Untoxicated Podcast guest, Therapist Melissa Ryan, talks with us about the ways addiction effects our interactions with the ones we love. From open and communicative partners who are willing to work to improve their relationships, to quiet and closed...

Everyone knows addiction is a leading cause of divorce, but did you know sobriety destroys marriages, too? Sometimes – quite often, really – couples adapt their behaviors and reactions to manage heavy drinking in the marriage. It isn’t until one or both people in the relationship get sober, and the marriage dynamics change so drastically, that the bond cannot survive. Getting hea...

Why do traditional addiction recovery programs have such terrible success rates? Talk therapy, group sessions, working the steps, etc. are key components to health in sobriety, but is something missing? The Addiction Nutritionist, Kelly Miller, explains that trying to recover without a nutrition plan designed to repair the damage done in addiction is like trying to build a house without a solid fo...

Matt’s love affair with alcohol began with sips of his dad’s beer as a kid, continued with experimentation in high school and binge drinking in college, and developed into full-blown addiction with after work cocktails and beer filled weekends as a young adult. He struggled and fought his way through life as a high-functioning alcoholic somehow managing to conceal the extent of his dis...

Jason’s dance with addiction really was a journey from innocent alcohol experimentation to weed, hallucinogens, cocaine and, eventually, pornography. Jason felt incomplete until he found these different ways to escape. He fought to reconcile his addictions with his Zen practice in a 20 year quest for peace. Now, Jason seeks peace in recovery.

Shhh. Did you hear about my friend’s divorce? I hear his wife told him to quit drinking or get out. Shhh. I bet my uncle will be drunk at Thanksgiving again this year. Shhh. Our neighbors canceled the trip they planned because they had to use their vacation money for their DUI lawyer. Shhh. My boss’ daughter got kicked out of school for possession of heroine. Hard to believe in their n...