Stop Making it Worse

Scott Wisenbaker
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

**Stop Making It Worse** is about what happens when life gets complicated—and how the way we respond can make things better or worse. Hosted by Scott Wisenbaker of The Solution Program, the show covers family conflict, addiction, recovery, incarceration, reentry, court involvement, relationships, fear, consequences, accountability, and second chances. Real stories. Hard truths. Practical conversations about emotional control, better decisions, and what it takes to move forward. When life gets hard, stop making it worse.

Episodes

  1. 6d ago

    From Prison to Clinician: What Actually Creates Lasting Change

    In Episode 5 of Stop Making It Worse, Scott Wisenbaker sits down with Michael Meireles, LCSW, LCDC, SAP, a licensed clinician, treatment professional, and founder of R.E.C. Michael’s perspective is different because he has lived on both sides of the system. Before becoming a clinician and helping others rebuild their lives, he received a six-year prison sentence and served three years. Scott and Michael talk about addiction, incarceration, treatment, reentry, and what actually has to change if someone wants a different life. They also dig into the gaps in traditional treatment and why simply knowing what is wrong is not enough to create lasting behavioral change. This conversation is about more than addiction. It is about thinking, decision-making, accountability, purpose, and learning how to function differently once the consequences are real. Stop Making It Worse is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and to people inside correctional facilities across the country. Learn more about The Solution Program:www.thesolutionprogram.com Resources for individuals and families include:• Free family crisis resources• Family Crisis Pack• Court/CPS/Jail Communication Pack• How to Get Your Kid Off Drugs• Family Survival Toolkit• The Solution Freeworld Program #StopMakingItWorse #TheSolutionProgram #AddictionRecovery #Reentry #PrisonReentry #BehaviorChange #CriminalJusticeReform #Recovery #SubstanceAbuse #MentalHealth #SecondChances #Incarceration #Treatment #LCSW #LCDC

  2. Sep 3

    SMW Episode 4 |The Cop Who Got Tired of Arresting the Same People | Captain Jeff Davis

    Episode 4 of Stop Making It Worse features Captain Jeff Davis, Co-Creator of The Solution Program and a veteran law-enforcement officer with decades of experience fighting drugs, crime, and the cycle of repeat incarceration. Jeff has served as an FBI Task Force Officer, DEA Task Force Officer, U.S. Marshals Special Deputy, and founding member of a HIDTA task force. He has spent much of his career seeing firsthand what addiction, bad decisions, and untreated criminal thinking do to individuals, families, law enforcement, and entire communities. In this episode, Scott Wisenbaker and Jeff talk about what law enforcement sees that the public often doesn’t, why arresting the same people over and over is not a real solution, and why accountability and recovery have to work together. They also discuss the creation of The Solution Program, what they have learned working inside county jails, and why giving people practical tools before release can improve institutional safety, reduce recidivism, and give people a legitimate chance to stay free. The goal isn’t to excuse criminal behavior. It’s to stop repeating strategies that clearly aren’t working. Learn more about The Solution Program: www.thesolutionprogram.com The Solution Program provides addiction recovery, criminogenic behavior change, reentry education, and ongoing support for people in custody and in the free world. Stop Making It Worse is available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen to podcasts. #StopMakingItWorse #TheSolutionProgram #JeffDavis #ScottWisenbaker #LawEnforcement #CriminalJustice #JailReform #AddictionRecovery #Recovery #Reentry #Recidivism #PublicSafety #Corrections #CountyJail #SecondChances #IGNITE #NationalSheriffsAssociation

  3. Aug 27

    40 Years of Friendship, Bad Decisions & Brutal Honesty | Angela Owen | Episode 3

    In this episode of Stop Making It Worse, Scott Wisenbaker sits down with longtime friend and comedian Angela Owen for a conversation that is funny, candid, unpredictable, and very real. Scott and Angela have known each other for more than 30 years, which means there is plenty of history—and very little room for pretending. They talk about relationships, family, addiction, recovery, bad decisions, life experiences, humor, and what happens when you finally start looking honestly at your own part in the problems around you. This episode is a reminder of what Stop Making It Worse is really about: addiction is part of the conversation, but it isn't the whole conversation. We talk about the decisions, relationships, experiences, failures, successes, and sometimes ridiculous situations that shape who we become. 🎤 Follow Angela Owen:@angelaowencomedy 🔗 The Solution Program:www.thesolutionprogram.com HELP FOR FAMILIES If someone you love is struggling with drugs, alcohol, repeated arrests, court problems, CPS involvement, or destructive behavior, we have resources designed to help you figure out what to do next—and what to stop doing. FREE — 10 Things Not to Do When Court, Police, or CPS Are InvolvedStart here if your family is in crisis and you don't know what to do next. $27 — Family Crisis PackPractical tools to help families stop reacting emotionally and start responding with a plan. $47 — Court/CPS/Jail Communication PackDesigned to help families communicate more effectively when attorneys, courts, CPS, probation, law enforcement, or jail are involved. BOOK — How to Get Your Kid Off DrugsA straightforward guide for parents and families who are tired of watching addiction take control of their home. $97 — Family Survival ToolkitOur more complete collection of tools and guidance for families dealing with addiction, manipulation, consequences, boundaries, court involvement, and recovery. THE SOLUTION — Complete Freeworld ProgramOur full 60-lesson recovery, decision-making, criminogenic behavior change, and reentry program, including ongoing program support. ➡️ Start here: www.thesolutionprogram.com Subscribe to Stop Making It Worse for conversations about addiction, recovery, family, criminal justice, relationships, reentry, success, failure—and the things we can all do to stop making difficult situations worse. #StopMakingItWorse #AngelaOwen #AngelaOwenComedy #TheSolutionProgram #AddictionRecovery #Recovery #FamilyRecovery #AddictionHelp #ParentsOfAddicts #FamilyAddiction #StopEnabling #Boundaries #Codependency #Reentry #CriminalJusticeReform #SecondChances #Sobriety #RecoveryIsPossible #MentalHealth #PersonalGrowth #Podcast #ComedyPodcast HELP FOR FAMILIES

  4. Aug 19

    SMW | Episode 2 |A Life Outside the Box | Michelle Boerst

    In this episode of Stop Making It Worse, I sit down with my longtime friend Michelle Boerst for a conversation about reinvention, grief, resilience, freedom, personal responsibility, beekeeping, and building a life that actually fits who you are. Michelle has lived several very different chapters. She spent years working with people affected by addiction, incarceration, and family crisis before reinventing herself through beekeeping, eventually becoming a Master Beekeeper and teaching others about bees, hives, and the lessons nature can teach us about leadership, cooperation, survival, and community.We also talk about her unconventional approach to life, independence, self-sufficiency, the Constitution, freedom, questioning authority, and the responsibility that has to come with individual rights. The conversation also goes deeper into grief, starting over, friendship, family, music, and what it takes to keep building a meaningful life after profound loss. This is a conversation about refusing to live on autopilot, being willing to question the way things have always been done, and having the courage to build a life that actually works for you. We also have some fun with communes, strange skills, conspiracy theories, bees, and the question of which is harder to manage: a hive, a classroom, a nonprofit staff, or a family. If you have ever felt trapped in a life that no longer fits, this episode is about starting over, taking risks, learning from mistakes, and finding a better way forward. Learn more about The Solution Program at TheSolutionProgram.com. #StopMakingItWorse #TheSolutionProgram #MichelleBoerst #Beekeeping #MasterBeekeeper #StartingOver #Resilience #PersonalResponsibility #Freedom #SelfReliance #SecondChances #LifeLessons #GriefAndLoss #Reinvention #PersonalGrowth #UnconventionalLife #Leadership #Community #Bees #Podcast

  5. Aug 13

    Punished for Years. Prepared for Nothing. | Britni Bunn

    Punished for Years. Prepared for Nothing. | Britni Bunn In Episode 1 of Stop Making It Worse, I sit down with Britni Bunn for a conversation about addiction, tragedy, prison, guilt, recovery, redemption, and what really happens when someone is released and expected to rebuild a life. Britni doesn’t minimize what happened or make excuses for the decisions that changed her life and the lives of others. She talks openly about accepting responsibility, living with consequences, and learning how to move forward while carrying something that can never be undone. We also get into a subject that doesn’t get talked about enough: we can punish someone for years and still do almost nothing to prepare them to succeed when they come home. Britni shares what prison was really like, what she expected after release versus what actually happened, and the challenges of trying to rebuild a life with a felony conviction. We talk about guilt, self-forgiveness, recovery, family support, and whether incarceration by itself actually prepares someone to change. Today, Britni is also involved with The Solution Program and occasionally facilitates classes, using her experience to help people who are facing many of the same struggles she once faced. This conversation is not about excusing terrible decisions. It is about what happens after the punishment ends—and what accountability, recovery, redemption, and meaningful reentry actually look like. If we genuinely care about safer communities, reducing recidivism, and giving people an opportunity to become productive members of society, punishment cannot be the entire plan. Watch the full conversation and tell us what you think: Is prison enough to change someone—and what should real reentry look like? Learn more about The Solution Program and our recovery, reentry, family, jail-based, and community programs at TheSolutionProgram.com. I’m not here to give legal advice, clinical advice, or tell families they can control another person. I’m here to teach practical communication, emotional control, accountability, and structure so people stop making already painful situations worse.

  • 5 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

**Stop Making It Worse** is about what happens when life gets complicated—and how the way we respond can make things better or worse. Hosted by Scott Wisenbaker of The Solution Program, the show covers family conflict, addiction, recovery, incarceration, reentry, court involvement, relationships, fear, consequences, accountability, and second chances. Real stories. Hard truths. Practical conversations about emotional control, better decisions, and what it takes to move forward. When life gets hard, stop making it worse.

Information

  • Creator
    Scott Wisenbaker
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Scott Wisenbaker
  • Show Website
    Stop Making it Worse