Harry shares about obtaining his GED in prison and what a huge accomplishment that was for him. After his release he worked various jobs while his disease started getting worse.  He shares about a “God” moment where he heard his father telling him that he needed to get his life together immediately.  Harry breaks down how he was fortunate enough to get a bed in a sober living home and his relationship with a man in recovery who basically saved his life and introduced him to NA.  He opens up about how his first episode on BAMN podcast allowed his brother to understand Harry’s “demon”, the disease of addiction and how they have been able to come together like true brothers!! BAMN

Noel speaks about what early recovery looks like for some calling it happy, joyous and free. He says this lasts for a brief period calling it a “pink cloud”. Then the addict might self medicate with familiar childhood addictions which he calls “process addiction”. We get into my own personal battle with sugar and the tools he’s provided which has helped me tremendously!! BAMN

I’m fortunate enough to be a patient of Noel who specifically treats me for addiction therapy. Noel also has an amazing 23 years clean! He shares about being in early recovery and helping other recovering addicts which led him to getting his masters in mental health counseling. Noel breaks down trauma with the  “inner child” and what it looks like if it’s not addressed with mental health treatment throughout the years. He also touches on the solutions being simple but not easy to master and having to be gentle and firm with self consistently. Big thank you to Noel for always being patient with me and guiding me in this journey of my recovery. 

My first sponsor Len who has an amazing 16 years clean used drugs for 34 years. Len shares about an early horrific trauma being struck by a car at the very young age of 3 years old and how he developed a speech impediment. He was teased and bullied by his peers and that took a huge emotional toll on him. Len was an active athlete in grade school and high school never touching alcohol or drugs. He shares about a football injury that lead him to being prescribed Vicodin at 18. That’s when his addiction started and lead him to try any new designer drug that came out for the next 34 years. Len shares about his “God” moment in treatment and has stayed clean one day at a time. #bamn 

Devyn joins the podcast with 4 months clean. They openly share about the affects of their parents being divorced had on them. As a juvenile, they were sexually abused and couldn’t confide to their mother. Feeling lonely and not validated their first addiction surfaced, cutting. Devyn describes the feeling of euphoria after the cutting episodes. Devyn talks about abusing alcohol and weed all through high school with the feeling of blissful while intoxicated. As time passed Devyn was in and out of mental hospitals for suicidal ideation and was given psych medication and diagnosed with bipolar and addicted to cocaine. They fortunately got into rehab and joined the fellowship of narcotics anonymous and has a sponsor and works a diligent program to stay clean one day at a time. #bamn

My good friend Jason with 27 months clean shares his heroic story!! He gets real and opens up being sexually molested by his uncle, taking numerous beatings from his father and being given up for adoption by his mother.

Renee has an unbelievable story! She opens up about the horrific trauma as a very young girl dealing with an alcoholic father who constantly beat her. Furthermore being molested by her uncle, she had to hide it from her parents. Renee eventually became hooked on smoking crack and after multiple relapses she got clean and has 32 years in recovery after all the trauma she was dealt with.

My good friend Tyler who has over 11 years sober, shares his story. Tyler talks about his trauma from his best friend getting struck and killed by a train. Tyler has worked in the recovery field for most of his recovery, and speaks about the importance of helping struggling addicts and how that shapes his recovery.

My good friend Octavio shares his amazing story growing up in Nicaragua with his tight knit family. He talks about his first time using cocaine and what that did to his psyche. After multiple relapses he delves into his mental process and what it took to remain sober and how he works his program in recovery.

Brother Manny is in the studio, 10 1/2 years clean after growing up battling in the streets. He bounced around in adolescent homes, which eventually led him to start smoking weed. Then graduated to smoking crack. After serving 11 years in jail, he got out and started a good life for himself, but picked up crack once more and lost everything. This was his final relapse, where he decided to get clean and work a strict program in NA.