In episode 46 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Jeff, who shares his story of addiction, crime, and recovery, opening up about how growing up without a father figure and coming from a troubled family became his excuse for using drugs. He talks about how substance use within his family normalized addiction and led him down a path of criminal behavior, repeated prison time, and years stuck in the cycle of incarceration. Jeff reflects on the turning point that forced him to take accountability, break free from addiction, and leave the criminal lifestyle behind. Now four years in recovery, he shares how he rebuilt his life, found purpose, and proves that long-term recovery is possible after years of crime, prison, and substance use. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that challenge stigma and bring awareness to mental health and addiction. Chapters | 00:00 Welcome & Podcast Mission 01:14 Introducing Geeoff: Background & Early Life 02:40 Childhood Struggles & First Encounters with Addiction 05:08 Starting Substance Use as a Teen 08:05 Escalation: Crime, Jail, and Addiction Deepening 11:57 Living with Addiction: Violence, Jail Time & Consequences 16:36 Rock Bottom: Bank Robbery & Family Descent 23:31 Jail Time, Attempts at Recovery, and Relapse 28:00 The Turning Point: Last High & Entering Recovery 33:09 Sobriety Journey: Recovery Houses & New Beginnings 37:34 Family, Fatherhood & Life Changes 42:54 Life Today: Simplicity, Fear, and Values 47:15 Stepchildren, New Family Roles & Reflections 50:00 Faith, Baptism, and Spiritual Growth 51:32 Losing My Brother: Grief, Guilt, and Tough Love 58:37 Turning Pain into Purpose: Foundations & Giving Back 01:03:20 Understanding Addiction & Breaking the Stigma 01:09:28 Recovery, New Perspectives & Lived Experience 01:13:40 Lessons Learned & The Power of Real Experience 01:15:06 Concluding Thoughts & Inspirational Message Fuck the Stigma is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that believes people shouldn’t be judged or labeled based on their mental health status. Whether you are struggling with an addiction or have been taking meds for a diagnosis, our community doesn’t judge and seeks to collectively end the stigma around mental health. Our mission is to normalize mental health and mental illness as widespread, treatable, and acceptable. We do this by providing useful resources, improving access to services for those who need help, sharing stories, and building a community of young people who all agree… Follow us! Website | https://fthestigma.com/ Instagram | https://instagram.com/fukthestigma TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@fthestigma Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/FTStigma X | https://x.com/fthestigma Subscribe for more! | https://www.youtube.com/@fthestigma Tags in this video ↓fthestigma, podcast, addiction, recovery, trauma, anxiety, depression, ptsd, mentalhealth, mentalillness, nonprofit, vulnerability, youth, healthandwellness, god, sobriety, relapse, treatment, loss, grief, addicts, recovery, addict, relationships, psychological, experience, spiritual, spirituality, alcoholic, addiction recovery, insanity, psychosis, story, neglect, jail, prescription, alcoholic, alcoholism, treatment, diagnosis, prison, criminal, psychology, doctor, dealer, baltimore diagnosis, felony, felonies, forgiveness, spiritual, DUI#fthestigma #podcast #addiction #overdoseawareness #nonprofit #mentalhealth #mentalillness #recovery #criminal #addictionrecovery #addict
