Recovery Dialogues and Sober Stories

Antonio Matta
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Monthly

Recovery Dialogues and Sober Stories (RDSS) is an addiction and mental health recovery podcast hosted by Antonio Matta, exploring recovery as self-improvement—a self-directed process of reaching your potential through deliberate change. Episodes draw on lived-experience experts, clinical insight, and journalistic commentary to confront the cultural and systemic forces shaping who gets well. RDSS surfaces overlooked truths and builds momentum that lasts. Read show notes and more at recoverydialogues-soberstories.show.

  1. A Declaration of Interdependence

    8h ago

    A Declaration of Interdependence

    On the day this country celebrates independence, we asked what freedom actually means in addiction and mental health recovery. Seven real answers—from faith to found family to living fully despite an ongoing diagnosis—surface one of the most overlooked truths this show has covered all season. Official show site GoFundMe Merch with Meaning

    23 min
  2. The Connection Paradox: Overlooked Truths About Relationships in Recovery

    Jun 16

    The Connection Paradox: Overlooked Truths About Relationships in Recovery

    Mental health, addiction recovery, and self-improvement all have one overlooked truth in common: getting better is hard to do alone—and yet building new relationships may be the hardest part of recovery nobody talks about. In this solo episode, Antonio Matta breaks down why trust, connection, and attachment feel so difficult when you're living with mental illness or co-occurring disorders, and shares five evidence-based strategies to help you build, protect, and sustain the relationships your recovery depends on. If you've ever wondered whether real connection is still possible for you—this episode is your answer. Donate to City Voices Official RDSS website GoFundMe Merch with Meaning

    21 min
  3. Why Mental Health Awareness Month Isn't Enough

    May 20 ·  Bonus

    Why Mental Health Awareness Month Isn't Enough

    61.5 million Americans are living with mental illness—and nearly 30 million of them received no treatment last year. In this special Mental Health Awareness Month bonus episode, trauma-informed peer support counselor and author R. Antonio Matta reads from his spoken word album to be released soon, shares raw testimony from years of lived recovery, and makes the case that awareness without access—and clinical language without humanity—is failing the people who need help most. Season 5 of Recovery Dialogues & Sober Stories is coming, and this is where it starts.

    25 min
  4. Building an Addiction Treatment System That Works (with Dr. Suzette Glasner)

    10/10/2025

    Building an Addiction Treatment System That Works (with Dr. Suzette Glasner)

    UCLA addiction scientist Dr. Suzette Glasner joins Antonio to turn recovery from a rare headline into routine care—how to scale MOUD access, bring families into treatment, and fix the metrics that fail patients. Building on her exclusive conversation with Beverly Vance Aikins (Vice President JD Vance’s mother), she lays out urgent, evidence-based steps to make treatment accessible, humane, and effective.

    44 min
  5. Rewiring Recovery - Tools, Truth, and Hope

    09/20/2025

    Rewiring Recovery - Tools, Truth, and Hope

    Recovery isn’t a montage. In this Recovery Month episode, Antonio Matta names the Paradox of Control and the quiet shift toward nonlinear, pace-yourself healing—then models a brief “Dear Day-One Me” note and walks through five 10-minute neuroplasticity tools (Timer, Tactile, Breath, Words, Walk) you can use today. Skeptical? This blend of lived experience and evidence offers a kinder map, immediate felt wins, and proof that recovery is emphatically—and undeniably—possible.

    15 min
  6. How Does EMDR Work?

    09/07/2025

    How Does EMDR Work?

    Curious about EMDR beyond the hype? Antonio Matta breaks down what actually happens before and during reprocessing, tackles five real community questions—from safety and side effects to complex PTSD, dissociation, and addiction—and weaves therapist Victoria De Paula’s (www.victoriadepaula.com) insights to separate myths from evidence. No prescriptions here, just clear, research-backed guidance so you can decide whether EMDR is worth considering.

    13 min
  7. When "Trying Everything" Still Hurts

    08/29/2025

    When "Trying Everything" Still Hurts

    A private letter arrived that mirrors my own season of struggle, so I explore what it means to “try everything” and still feel alone—while honoring the writer’s boundaries and the power of consent. This solo conversation is my public response to that pain, meant for the listener who wrote in (and anyone who hears themselves here), offering one steady, self-directed step instead of a shiny fix. If you’re stuck between effort and relief, this episode makes room for both the ache and the way forward.

    11 min
  8. Skilled Trades for Recovery (The Follow Up Bonus Mini)

    08/15/2025

    Skilled Trades for Recovery (The Follow Up Bonus Mini)

    A returning sponsor sparks a timely conversation about how meaningful work can anchor recovery. Antonio explores the link between employment, mental health, and housing needs, drawing from real voices in online forums and evidence-based models like Individual Placement and Support. From the skilled trades to any role that offers purpose, structure, and fair pay, this episode asks: Who gets to build—and how can building help us heal?

    9 min
See All (45)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Recovery Dialogues and Sober Stories (RDSS) is an addiction and mental health recovery podcast hosted by Antonio Matta, exploring recovery as self-improvement—a self-directed process of reaching your potential through deliberate change. Episodes draw on lived-experience experts, clinical insight, and journalistic commentary to confront the cultural and systemic forces shaping who gets well. RDSS surfaces overlooked truths and builds momentum that lasts. Read show notes and more at recoverydialogues-soberstories.show.

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