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If you or a loved one are battling alcoholism or drug addiction, this podcast will give you inspiration and hope that there is a way out. Addiction isn't a life sentence. People recover everyday. It takes time and some hard work, but in the end it is worth it! Hosted by Tom Conrad, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict himself. Tom shares from his own experiences and the experiences of others to teach you the things that you can do TODAY to start living a sober and free lifestyle!
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173 - Nicole Bifano, LCSW - The Therapeutic Process and AL-ANON
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“This disease does not discriminate and it’s really hard to get sober.” -Nicole Bifano Today, Ben and I are chatting to Nicole Bifano, a primary worker at Rock Recovery Center and an LCSW, about the therapeutic process, the steps of detoxification, and the details of AL-ANON membership. Why Nicole Chose to Work with Recovering Addicts Nicole felt c…
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172 - Steve the Intern at Rock Recovery Center - Shares his experience getting clean and sober and why he chose to work in the field of addiction
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36:28
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“I knew I didn’t like myself, but I didn’t even know myself.” -Steve Today, Ben and I are chatting with Steve, our intern at Rock Recovery Center, who will celebrate 12 years of sobriety this week! Steve has been with us since January. He is attending university for his bachelor’s degree in social work, and we are excited to have him on the show to…
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171 - The Importance of Exercise When Getting Clean and Sober
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Getting clean and sober can be stressful. We try to do everything possible to help people going through recovery deal with stress. It's scientifically proven that exercise will help reduce stress levels. This is why we can't emphasize the importance of exercise enough in the process of getting clean and sober. Today’s episode is about exercise and …
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170 - Allie Severino - Host and Producer of "Dope Sick Nation"
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Today, Ben and I are chatting with Allie Severino, host of the “Dope Sick Nation”, which premiered on VICE in 2019. Allie’s goal is to help educate and heal America with her series offering a unique, inside perspective on the addiction problems facing our country in addition to the addiction treatment industry. Allie is passionate about educating f…
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169 - Jacob tells his story about relapse - What happened after 3.5 years!
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45:51
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Today, Ben and I are chatting to Jacob, who tells us his story of relapse, which led him to his deterioration and how he dug himself back out to sobriety again. Being introduced to alcohol at age 8, Jacob had a long and challenging life ahead of himself, which has led to his recovery with support from Rock Recovery Center. Starting His Life of Alco…
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168 - How to NOT RELAPSE with Ben and Tom
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45:09
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Today, Ben and I are chatting about gaining enough positive capital into your life for relapse prevention. Many people get sober, and relapsing can be expected. In this episode, we want to teach you tools and action steps to prevent relapse. Build your emotional capital as a buffer against wanting to go back and becoming an addict again. Becoming P…
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167 - Ask yourself these 3 things before speaking to your son or daughter about getting clean and sober!
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Today, I’ll be talking about three questions you want to think about and reflect on before deciding to speak with your loved one about becoming clean and sober. No matter if they are a daughter, son, parent, or friend, these are three critical questions that you want to have answered before you start the conversation on recovery. Keep in mind that …
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166 - Is Methadone an Effective Treatment Option?
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21:42
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Are you considering methadone or suboxone prescription as a way to treat heroin addiction for you or a loved one? Is this a safe way to beat an opioid addiction or will it only make the struggle more difficult? Ben Bueno is a recovering heroin addict shares his experience of being treated with methadone. Resources mentioned in this episode: Faceboo…
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165 - How Self Esteem Directly Affects Our Recovery
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Everyone on the planet is affected by self-esteem in one way or another. Today, Tom discusses how self-esteem in general can influence addiction. In this episode, he talks about what self-esteem is and why positive self-esteem is so important for sobriety and getting and staying sober. He shares his own battle with self-esteem issues and why findin…
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164 - The Unfortunate Truths of Addiction
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34:21
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We received two phone calls a couple of days ago that two people we know quite well had overdosed on drugs. One was rushed to the hospital, treated, and released. However, the second person is in ICU and will most likely not make it through his overdose. As a result of these recent tragedies, Ben and I decided to talk about what happens when addict…
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163 - Charlie celebrates 2 years of sobriety!
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Charlie is here today to pick up his two years sobriety medallion at Rock Recovery Center. He is a graduate of our program and has successfully navigated a clean and sober life since leaving Rock Recovery Center. Charlie and his wife chat with us about how Charlie has been living his daily life as a clean and sober society member. The Beginnings of…
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162 - Ben celebrates 10 years of sobriety!!
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“I feel that if I didn’t take that crappy job that I hated, that I wouldn’t be here on the path I was meant to be on.” -Ben Ben's First Two Years in Recovery Today, Ben and I celebrate Ben's tenth year of sobriety! "Years two through now have flown by for me," says Ben reflecting back on his journey. He remembers his first two years being rough for…
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161 - Why 12-Step Programs Don't Work - And Why They Do
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If you or a loved one have tried a 12-Step program like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous and weren't successful this episode is for you. Find out what works and what doesn't work in the typical 12-step recovery program. Our guest, Ron, will also teach you what it takes to conduct an intervention to get someone you love into treatment for…
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160 - Pastor Tullian Tchividjian shares the disconnect between Church and recovery principles - What the Church can learn from recovering addicts
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1:13:36
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“There are two kinds of people in this world: people in recovery who think they’re not and people in recovery who think they are.” Tullian Tchividjian Today, I’ll be talking with Tullian Tchividjian, a pastor and active in the addiction community that Ben and I have gotten to know very well. He has come to Rock Recovery Center to share his experien…
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159 - Alex Uslar - Hybrid Performance Method - From Druggie Punk Rocker to Strength Icon
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Alex Uslar is the manager of the Hybrid Gym and the Director of Operations for the online company Hybrid Performance Method. Alex is a powerlifting, weight lifting, and crossfit coach. The Hybrid Performance Method is a virtual gym that provides accessible, affordable, and effective online workout programs to athletes of all skill and experience le…
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158 - How to approach my loved one to get help
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25:36
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Today, I’ll be talking about how to handle talking to your loved one to find out if they have a problem with addiction. Parents can have denial about their children’s addiction, and family members may not recognize signs of addiction. Find out how you can recognize the signs of addiction and what language to use in the delicate conversation of talk…
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157 - Sean B. breaks down the Full Circle of Recovery
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Ben and I talk to Sean, who works for Behave and Detox here in South Florida in today's episode. He is here to share his story of addiction and his recovery process. Sean shares what to look for in a detox center and details about the detox process. Born in the Bronx, Sean moved to Brooklyn with his mom when his parents separated. Brooklyn was a to…
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156 - Jeremy talks about his experience in the military and his addiction - NOW HIS RECOVERY!
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In today's episode, I talk to Jeremy about his story of addiction. He has decided to be a guest today to inspire others to also start their journey to sobriety. This is Jeremy's eighth attempt at sobriety and learning to live a clean life. Jeremy is now medically retired from the army at age 39 as a result of PTSD. He served our nation for nine yea…
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155 - Kat gives HOPE to those still struggling through her own testimony
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In today's episode, Ben and I talk to Kat, who shares her experiences, the strength she found in her recovery, and the hope she has for her future. Kat's home is in Louisiana, and she is a current resident at Rock Recovery Center. At 32, Kat's second attempt at recovery, with her previous attempt at a different location. Kat started using at the ag…
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154 - Vince has been to 10+ treatment centers - What will be different this time?
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In today's episode, Ben and I talk with Vince, a 25-year-old recovering addict from Philadelphia. He stole a bottle of vodka and drank the entire bottle in sixth grade. In the summer of his freshman year of high school, Vince started smoking pot. Cocaine became a weekend sports celebration during his junior year of high school. Vince became an addi…
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153 - Nick's first time in treatment - What happened and what he hopes for in the future
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In today's episode, Ben and I talk with Nick, a client here at Rock Recovery Center. Nick originates from Cleveland, Ohio, and this is his first time in recovery at the age of 27. Listen in to this episode to find out how he became addicted to drugs at 11. At a very young age, his first experience was smoking pot at age 11 and had his first drink a…
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152 - What we have to look forward to when getting SOBER!
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35:43
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In today's episode, Ben and I will talk about how addicts can get accustomed to the lifestyle of alcohol and drugs. It's often problematic for addicts to comprehend how to live a "normal" life without the use of illegal substances. Ben and I are both AA graduates, and our experience of sobriety results from working hard to successfully complete the…
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151 - We have to be able to make decisions for ourselves!
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In today's episode, Ben and I discuss the turning point when a newly sober client can start to make decisions for themselves. In the beginning, the person in recovery will be assigned a sponsor who is there for support and answering questions. Along the process, there's become a point in time that the person who is healing needs to become more inde…
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150 - Measuring Progress While In Addiction Treatment
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30:46
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In today's episode, Ben and I discuss how we measure our client's progress and what to expect in the first one to three months of recovery treatment. We'll talk about where we see our clients make the most common mistakes and where addicts fall short in the treatment process. During our team meeting once a week, our staff discusses challenges and c…
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149 - What we have seen with Covid-19 up to this point
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In today's episode, Ben and I are discussing the risk versus reward for addicts. We talk about the real risk of dying from a drug overdose as opposed to the more minimal chance of passing away from contracting COVID when traveling to a rehab facility or attending AA meetings. Many facilities have removed group gatherings at their location. As a res…
