Recovery Matters! Podcast

Connecticut Community For Addiction Recovery (CCAR)
  • 4.9 (18)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A podcast from one of the nation's original Recovery Community Organizations - CCAR. CCAR envisions a world where the power, hope, and healing of Recovery from addiction is thoroughly understood and embraced. We invite guests from all areas of the Recovery Movement to explore the concept of recovery with us, share their stories, and have real discussions that move us toward that world which we envision.

  1. 2D AGO

    I Honestly Hate Being Sober” – A Gen Z Recovery Story

    Gio doesn’t sugarcoat it. “I honestly hate it.” In this raw and honest conversation, Gio opens up about what it’s really like being a young person in early recovery — watching friends party in their late twenties while choosing to stay sober. From COVID day drinking to waking up shaking at 7am… from checking into detox alone to walking back into recovery after a relapse… this episode captures the uncomfortable, necessary truth about getting sober young. Gio talks about: Growing up with two alcoholic parents Realizing AA wasn’t the right pathway — and feeling shame about it The relapse that brought them back Why connection at a Recovery Community Center became their “saving grace” And how hope now looks like helping others This is an honest look at early recovery — not polished, not perfect — just real. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to choose sobriety when everyone else is “having fun,” this episode is for you. ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

    30 min

  2. FEB 17

    She Got Sober at 18… Then Her Son Became Addicted

    She got sober at 18 years old after a suicide attempt — convinced she had “lost her zest for life.” What followed wasn’t just long-term recovery… it was growing up in it. In this powerful episode of Recovery Matters Podcast, Wendy shares what it was like to build a life from nothing — 90 meetings in 90 days, cleaning houses, becoming a stockbroker, raising three children, losing everything financially, and refusing to pick up a drink through it all. But the real test came years later — when her own son became trapped in addiction. How do you stay grateful for your recovery when the same disease is killing your child? How do you set boundaries when every instinct says “save him”? And what does it look like to let go… without giving up? This is a story about resilience, tough love, motherhood, and the kind of faith that only comes from surviving the unthinkable. If you’ve ever wondered whether recovery can survive divorce, financial collapse, shame, or watching your child struggle — this episode is proof that it can.   ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

    38 min

  3. FEB 3

    He Was Sober on Weekdays — Drunk on Weekends

    What starts as a simple cup of coffee turns into a life-saving turning point. In this episode of the Recovery Patterns Podcast, Kris Robles shares how getting sober at just 18 years old set him on a path filled with relapse, honesty, homelessness, healing, and ultimately long-term recovery. Kris opens up about using substances to feel connected, surviving a suicide attempt, learning how to live without secrets, and discovering that recovery is bigger than meetings—it’s about relationships, balance, and staying honest with yourself. This is a raw conversation about growing up in recovery, redefining success, and learning how to live a full life without drugs or alcohol. 00:00 – Introduction & Recovery Dates 01:00 – The Mirror Moment That Sparked Change 02:30 – “Just Coffee” and the First Meeting 04:00 – Getting Sober at a Young Age 05:00 – Using Substances to Feel Connected 06:00 – Relapsing in Secret While Going to Meetings 08:45 – Suicide Attempt & Hospitalization 10:45 – Choosing Honesty in Recovery 11:45 – Homelessness & Starting Over at 21 13:45 – Finishing School & Building Stability 15:00 – Codependency & Unhealthy Relationships 17:30 – Learning What Healthy Relationships Look Like 20:30 – Recovery, Family, and Parenting 23:30 – Letting Go of Guilt Around Meetings 26:00 – Finding Community in a New Place 28:00 – Becoming a Social Worker 30:30 – Working in Behavioral Health & Substance Use 31:45 – Losing a Friend to Overdose 32:45 – Speaking Openly About Recovery 33:20 – Advice for Someone in Their First 24 Hours ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

    35 min

  4. JAN 20

    Recovery Beyond Sobriety: Healing Trauma Through Breathwork

    Michaela shares her powerful recovery journey shaped by trauma, homelessness, substance use, and mental health struggles. After surviving a suicide attempt that became her turning point, she found healing through peer support, holistic practices, and breathwork. Now the Executive Director of Advocacy Unlimited, Michaela reflects on long-term recovery, embodied healing, and helping others reconnect with themselves beyond their circumstances. 00:00 Intro & long-term recovery 01:00 What Advocacy Unlimited does 02:00 Childhood trauma and early substance use 03:00 Pregnancy, getting sober, and pushing everything down 04:45 Relapse, suicide attempt, and rock bottom 05:30 Choosing to live and beginning recovery 06:45 Early recovery and learning adulthood 08:30 Education, identity, and rebuilding life 10:30 Finding purpose through advocacy work 12:00 Discovering holistic and mind-body healing 14:30 Recovery beyond sobriety 16:00 Breathwork and nervous system regulation 19:00 Guided breathwork practice 24:00 How breathwork changed relationships and work 25:00 Advocacy Unlimited programs & resources 28:00 How to get involved / closing ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

    29 min

  5. JAN 13

    I lost my gratitude. I stopped doing the things that kept me clean — and I relapsed

    Andrew Grazen shares his journey from a seemingly normal childhood into years of addiction, incarceration, and near-death experiences, and how recovery, community, and writing ultimately saved his life. From discovering substances at a young age to overdosing in his car and writing a memoir while incarcerated, Andrew reflects on loss, resilience, and why staying connected—and holding onto hope—can change everything. ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

    24 min

  6. JAN 6

    Men Don’t Cry

    Raised around biker culture, gangs, and addiction, Dave began using drugs and alcohol at a young age, experienced multiple overdoses, and lived a life surrounded by violence, crime, and loss. After losing both parents, surviving near-death experiences, and reaching a breaking point, Dave made a life-changing decision to seek recovery. In this episode, Dave talks about trauma, addiction, spirituality, accountability, and what it truly means to rewrite your story. Today, he is a tattoo shop owner, mentor, and someone deeply committed to service, recovery, and personal growth. This is a raw, honest conversation about addiction, recovery, faith, and transformation. 00:00 Introduction & Dave’s recovery time 01:00 Growing up around biker culture and gangs 03:00 Early trauma, loss, and first substance use 06:00 First overdose and rehab at 14 09:00 Exposure to heroin and escalation 12:00 Gangs, weapons charges, and self-destruction 15:00 Spiritual breaking point and near-death experience 18:00 Entering treatment with willingness 21:00 Emotional breakthrough in rehab 24:00 Early recovery and rebuilding trust 27:00 Tattooing, service work, and purpose 30:00 Life today in recovery 33:00 Giving back and redefining success ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

    37 min

  7. 12/23/2025 · BONUS

    Struggling to Stay Sober During the Holidays? This Hotline Helps

    The holidays can be one of the hardest times to stay sober — especially in early recovery or when you’re sober curious. In this conversation, Derek Benson shares why he created the Sober Holiday Hotline, a peer-to-peer support line for anyone struggling to get through holiday gatherings, family pressure, or moments of temptation. This hotline isn’t affiliated with rehabs, government agencies, or 12-step programs. Instead, it offers anonymous, lived-experience support from people in recovery who understand what those moments feel like. From practical tips to simple human connection, the goal is to help someone get through the night sober — and remind them they’re not alone. If staying sober during the holidays feels overwhelming, this conversation explains why connection matters and how support can make all the difference. ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

    12 min

  8. 12/16/2025

    Why Addiction and Unhealthy Relationships Often Go Together

    Carrie and Michelle talk openly about how addiction, trauma, and unhealthy relationships often go hand in hand. They share lived experiences with abusive relationships, codependency, and emotional manipulation — and how recovery became the foundation for learning self-love, boundaries, and healthy connections. From leaving toxic partners to rebuilding trust in themselves, this episode explores what healing relationships actually look like in sobriety, why community matters, and how spaces like The Phoenix helped them rediscover who they are beyond addiction. 00:00 – Introductions & Recovery Backgrounds 01:00 – Why Unhealthy Relationships Are Common in Addiction 02:00 – Addiction, Insecurity, and Chasing Validation 03:15 – Substances Amplifying Relationship Chaos 04:16 – Knowing a Relationship Is Unhealthy but Staying 05:24 – Trauma Bonds and Why It’s Hard to Leave 06:20 – Self-Love, Boundaries, and Codependency 08:09 – Escalation, Gaslighting, and Emotional Abuse 08:40 – How Each Person Finally Got Out 10:19 – What Self-Love Looks Like in Recovery 11:43 – Healthy Friendships vs. Old “Using” Relationships 13:47 – Finding Support and Community in Recovery 15:00 – Hitting Bottom and Choosing Something Different 16:08 – Therapy, Boundaries, and Learning Red Flags 18:25 – Seeing People for Their Actions, Not Words 20:41 – Choosing Peace and the Cost of Chronic Stress 22:04 – Building Healthy Relationships in Recovery 23:25 – Confidence, Community, and Personal Growth 26:16 – Healing, Self-Respect, and Facing the Past 29:22 – What The Phoenix Is and Why It Matters 31:18 – Recovery Events, Connection, and Belonging 36:16 – Recovery Is About Discovering Who You Are 39:38 – Advice for Someone in Their First 24 Hours ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

    43 min
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4.9
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

A podcast from one of the nation's original Recovery Community Organizations - CCAR. CCAR envisions a world where the power, hope, and healing of Recovery from addiction is thoroughly understood and embraced. We invite guests from all areas of the Recovery Movement to explore the concept of recovery with us, share their stories, and have real discussions that move us toward that world which we envision.

Information

  • Creator
    Connecticut Community For Addiction Recovery (CCAR)
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    212
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 - Recovery Matters Podcast - Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery
  • Show Website
    Recovery Matters! Podcast