Voices In Recovery Podcast

This week's guest is David M. He stops by to share his story including 42 years of sobriety. Not only has his life done a 180 since sobering up four decades ago, he's done several 180's finding healing in places he never imagined he would or could. Today David works with many humans in sobriety and has created a program for dads in recovery. It was fun getting to know a fellow we had never really spoken with. Thank you Dave, good luck and God speed sir.

This week my friend, Chris stops by to share his story with us. Fear was a regular part of Chris's life growing up. From a difficult home life, Chris endured bigotry at the hands of the church for being gay. As life in active addiction progressed, Chris found himself falling deeper and deeper into the darkness. Chris was raped and when he reported the offense he was demonized by the police. This intense trauma coupled by being retraumatized at the hands of law enforcement added fuel to Chris's spiral down. Chris became homeless, showed violent tenancies in connection with his intravenous drug use, and found himself in the sex trade.Chris has now been sober for 9 months and focuses on giving back in many different ways! He spends a lot of time helping 2SLGBTQ humans adjust to a life in recovery and is a part of opening Calgary's first 2SLGBTQ treatment center in Calgary. We are extremely grateful you are out there Chris, thank you for your courage strength and hope my friend.

This week Priya stops by and shares her pathway into recovery. She talks about the journey with her family through addiction and into recovery. We learn how she came to be the Chief Administrative Officer of Simon House Recovery Centre. She is a part of some incredible existing programs and those that are on the horizon for the centre.  Thank you Priya, we appreciate you!

This week, I get riled up by my besties and we celebrate not only our 200th podcast, but we start our 5th season of Voices in Recovery as well! Thank you to all of our guests and every listener who's tuned in for our very human stories through these last four years. We appreciate you! A huge thank you to Darcy for his continued work and support as we navigate the waters of podcasting. Another thank you to Dom and Jon for always agreeing to come on and poke this bear in the interest of a good time. This episode is no different than any other of course, as we talk about things, which can be incredibly triggering for humans. Having said that, we really hope you enjoy the three of them poking me with sticks, as though I'd already passed on. There's little doubt in my mind that laughter is really good medicine for what ails us.

This week's guest, Samantha Ann stopped by and wow; she shared a story of compassion, love, strength, and acceptance of the human wherever they are at. Sadly, she lost her soul mate to drug poisoning over a year ago and her life was forever changed. Today, she is driven and her mission has become one of love, advocacy, and tolerance. Thank you Samantha Ann; your courage, intelligence, and compassion are changing the world.

This week, Mike stopped by to share his journey from trauma into recovery. Mike's story, like many others we hear, is one of tragedy. The kind of evolving tragedy, which led him to many bottoms. Where he imagined his bottom to be, kept changing and bringing him lower and lower into the darkness of his life. Mike's perseverance throughout his life has been his saving grace from a higher power. It has kept him trying to recover at every turn. His journey is his and watching him fight for his life encourages me deeply. Thank you Mike!

Our guest this week, Riaz stopped by and shares his story. He spoke of being adopted from India and how grateful he is to have been brought to Canada. He spent a good deal of time working in the restaurant industry where he noted that his drinking and using became more of a lifestyle of necessity. At one time he went to university for culinary arts and ended up dropping out due to his addiction. His faith has been transformed through his recovery although he experienced some relapses. Riaz inevitably left the food industry to work on and support his recovery in a more direct manner. He moved into the helping profession and is now a peer support worker for one of the wonderful treatment centers in Calgary. Thank you Riaz!

This week Vince stops by and shares his difficult journey into recovery. He talks about how important the music industry is for him and his journey of sobriety. To say he survived some difficult times throughout his life, is an understatement. Thank you Vince! Please check out Vince's music and pages at the following places:on Instagram @the_vinz1   and in Facebook @Vinz Wolvie On Spotify: No Lie https://open.spotify.com/album/2RXmmlz320lerT6TTNFiw5

This week our guest, Gina stops by and shares her incredible journey in recovery so far. Her story begins in childhood where she experienced abuse and a gamut of "isms" from the time she was very young. Where she brings us throughout the episode? To a deeper understanding of how untreated codependency can destroy lives. The depths of her own codependency led to her losing her right arm in a terrible work place accident. She works hard on her recovery and of course, according to her, she is far from perfect. She believes continued work on one's life brings the freedom she always sought. Thank you Gina, we appreciate you.

Wow! I am so grateful to have been able to sit down with this week's guest, Dee. We definitely go back a fair ways in our recovery journeys and it was a pleasure to sit a chat. She has been through so many things, but it's best I leave that to her! It was a lot of fun seeing you Dee! Thank you for sharing your experience, strength and hope with all of us. We appreciate you and your courage to be vulnerable.