The Rock Bottom Podcast

Gary Kiss looked healthy on the outside, but internally, something felt deeply wrong. In his late 30s, he was struggling with severe insomnia, relentless mind chatter, relationship challenges, and a persistent feeling of emptiness. When the pandemic forced him to spend more time alone with his thoughts, things intensified. His blood pressure eventually reached 238/190, and he was warned that he wa...

Dr. Amie Hornaman, better known as “The Thyroid Fixer,” was in her early 20s and competing in fitness shows when her body suddenly stopped responding the way it always had. Despite a strict diet and working out twice a day, she rapidly gained around 40 pounds. She went to six different doctors searching for answers, only to repeatedly hear that her labs were “normal,” she was “fine,” and she simpl...

Jon Hacker was just 11 years old when severe OCD made everyday life feel impossible. He hid his struggles from everyone, including his own twin brother, while growing up in a stressful home marked by financial hardship, bullying, and his father's battle with alcoholism. Desperate to understand what was happening inside his mind, Jon became obsessed with the nervous system, eventually transforming...

As a functional health practitioner, Jenn Malecha followed a clean diet, exercised regularly, took high-quality supplements, and lived what most people would consider a healthy lifestyle. Yet despite all of that, her health started to decline. She gained 15 pounds without explanation, developed cystic acne, experienced night sweats, and eventually woke up one morning with severe breast inflammatio...

Jeremy Malecha spent years doing everything he thought was right. He exercised regularly, ate organic and gluten-free, tracked his health obsessively, and followed expert advice. Yet despite his efforts, he continued to gain weight, struggle with chronic back pain, and watch his health markers move in the wrong direction. Everything changed when genetic and lab testing uncovered the root causes of...

Coach Dar was just 25 years old when a chiropractic neck adjustment led to a stroke that changed the course of her life. One moment she was treating traumatic brain injury and stroke patients at a world-renowned hospital — the next, she became the patient herself. Doctors told her she could die at any moment if the blood clot in her brain dislodged. She was warned not to run, not to get pregnant,...

After stopping birth control in her early 30s, Ashley Banek expected life to feel more natural and connected to her body. Instead, she began experiencing debilitating cycles, severe pain, vomiting, exhaustion, and symptoms so extreme they left her curled up on the bathroom floor for days at a time. Despite repeated attempts to get help, she says many medical professionals minimized her pain, dismi...

Barry Goldstein spent years chasing his dream career in music. He became a Grammy-winning producer, worked with legends like Les Paul, and built a successful career in the music industry. But behind the scenes, the pressure of deadlines, nonstop studio sessions, anxiety, and burnout slowly turned the thing he loved most into something painful. In this episode of The Rock Bottom Podcast, Barry shar...

Dr. Denise Worden already understood the importance of patient advocacy, but one hospital experience made it impossible to ignore just how critical it is. While advocating for her 92-year-old father in the hospital, she caught seven critical mistakes that could have cost him his life. Medications that had been discontinued were about to be administered. Vital details were missing from his chart. A...

Suzanne Dunn was just 19 years old and pregnant when her body began shutting down. She couldn’t walk. She was crawling. Her potassium levels dropped to a life-threatening 1.3—and doctors scrambled to stabilize her without fully understanding what was happening. What followed was decades of extreme fatigue, full-body cramping, heart palpitations, and a rare diagnosis that few in the medical system...

Dr. Shivani Gupta was known as “the sick kid,” constantly battling infections and relying on antibiotics. By college, her health had deteriorated to the point where daily life felt impossible. In this episode, she shares how a breaking point led her to Ayurveda, where she rebuilt her health and now teaches others that symptoms aren’t random — they’re signals pointing to the root cause. Dr. Shivani...

As a teenager and professional ballet dancer, Dr. Maddie Wagner struggled with the female athlete triad — an eating disorder, over-exercise, and losing her menstrual cycle for years. At just 17 years old, she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and PCOS , beginning a long and confusing journey through medications, symptoms, and searching for answers. Her real rock bottom came later — after years of tre...

Alisa Keeton is the founder of Revelation Wellness, a global nonprofit equipping thousands of health and fitness professionals to pursue wholeness in body, mind, and spirit. A longtime fitness leader, author, and speaker, Alisa built a thriving career helping others transform their bodies. From the outside, she looked like the picture of health — disciplined, successful, and in control. But beneat...

Emma Horn was 14 years old when she suddenly began having uncontrollable seizures. Her scans came back “normal.” Her bloodwork showed nothing alarming. And multiple doctors told her — and her family — that it was psychological, behavioral, or something she was “pretending.” In this episode of The Rock Bottom Podcast, Emma shares her harrowing journey through severe neurological symptoms, repeated...

Monica Hershaft is a functional health practitioner specializing in mystery illness, chronic symptoms, and conditions that don’t show up on standard lab tests. She works with people who have been told their symptoms are “normal,” unexplained, or all in their head. Before entering the health space, Monica was an actor, dancer, and lifelong athlete living in Los Angeles — until a popular, profession...

When former hospital executive Morley Robbins developed a frozen shoulder in his early 50s, the pain brought every part of his life to a halt. What followed—divorce, career loss, and reinvention—became the beginning of a completely new path. In this episode, Morley shares his journey from debilitating pain to discovering a new purpose. He discusses: The emotional storm leading up to his rock-botto...

Marina Ortega is the founder of Scottsdale Hydrotherapy , Arizona’s leading colon hydrotherapy and wellness center, and the co-creator of Trust Your Gut , a national wellness brand offering USDA Organic, gut-focused detox products, protocols, and education. A former college professor, master gardener , and semi professionally trained chef , Marina blends science, nature, and nutrition into a holis...

At just 18 years old, Chemaine Linnie hit rock bottom—280 pounds, a single mom, and told her life was over. But instead of giving up, she turned her pain into purpose. With faith, family, and determination, Chemaine lost 150 pounds and rebuilt her health from the inside out. In this inspiring episode of The Rock Bottom Podcast , Chemaine shares how she transformed her body and mindset after hittin...

Former pro hockey player Joey Raats was told he had just three days to live after a diagnosis of metastatic testicular cancer. In this powerful conversation, he shares how faith, intuition, and sheer determination helped him fight back — from the ice rink to the ICU and beyond. Joey reflects on his hockey beginnings, the shock of a terminal prognosis, the toll of chemotherapy, his turn toward holi...

Razi Berry , founder of Naturopathic Doctor News and Review and host of Love is Medicine, shares—for the first time—her personal story of losing nearly everything to a mysterious illness that left her bedridden and partially paralyzed for 5 years. Razi opens up about the terror of losing her independence, the painful medical uncertainty, and the long, layered road to recovery. Through vulnerabilit...

At 29, Liz Rozet hit a terrifying rock bottom — daily migraines, nerve pain, and complete exhaustion. What she thought were “just headaches” turned out to be a complex network of chronic conditions, including POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) , Type 1 Chiari malformation, hEDS (Hyper-mobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome) , CCI ( Cranial Cervical Instability), and MCAS (mast cell activation...

Terra Schaad is an equine trauma therapist who built a sanctuary where people heal through their connection with horses. After growing up in chaos, Terra found safety and emotional grounding in the presence of animals, and now helps others do the same through somatic, horse-assisted therapy. In this episode, she shares powerful stories about trauma, healing, and the deep wisdom horses offer when w...

Fred Patterson was the outgoing, social guy—until he wasn’t. After 15 years of medications, he decided to take his health into his own hands. What followed was a raw, personal journey to reclaim his health without a prescription pad. This episode unpacks what it really takes to heal from the inside out. Rock Bottom Podcast is sponsored by : Jigsaw Health Follow on TikTok Follow on Instagram Mentio...

Jimmy Meehan suffered a hemorrhagic stroke out of nowhere during a workout, losing consciousness for 30 days. In the aftermath, he was forced to surrender control, learn to accept help, and slowly rebuild his life through intensive rehab. Now, two years later, he’s almost fully recovered and reflecting on how stress, hormones, and mindset played deeper roles in his health than he ever realized. Ro...

Leah Hope shares her journey of losing over 190 pounds and the emotional healing that came with it. She explores the mindset shift that helped her stop chasing who she used to be and start living for who she is now. A raw and honest look at identity, health, and self-acceptance. Rock Bottom Podcast is sponsored by: Jigsaw Health Follow on TikTok Follow on Instagram Follow Leah Hope: TikTok Instagr...