100 episodes

Mike and Nat are two middle-aged suburban dads wrestling with addiction and recovery while trying to juggle home life, work, and staying sober. Listen as they discuss current topics in the recovery community including 12 Step, alternative addiction recovery and the newest medical research . Listen to the guys talk about their daily struggle to maintain their recovery and anonymity in the world of soccer moms and PTA meetings. If the neighbors only knew...

Recovery in the Middle Ages - Two Middle-Aged Suburban Dads Talk About Recovering From Addiction to Drugs & Alcohol‪.‬ Recovery in the Middle Ages

    • Health & Fitness
    • 4.8 • 146 Ratings

Mike and Nat are two middle-aged suburban dads wrestling with addiction and recovery while trying to juggle home life, work, and staying sober. Listen as they discuss current topics in the recovery community including 12 Step, alternative addiction recovery and the newest medical research . Listen to the guys talk about their daily struggle to maintain their recovery and anonymity in the world of soccer moms and PTA meetings. If the neighbors only knew...

    Bouncing Back: Chris Herren’s Memoir ”Basketball Junkie,” & Queen Liz of Monksterhaven Joins Us!

    Bouncing Back: Chris Herren’s Memoir ”Basketball Junkie,” & Queen Liz of Monksterhaven Joins Us!

    RMA-Episode 114:  Bouncing Back: Chris Herron's Memoir "Basketball Junkie," and Queen Liz of Monksterhaven Joins Us! 
    This week, hosts Mike and Nat are thrilled to have a chat with Liz S, our longtime listener and the first guest on our new segment, “Meet a Monkster”. Plus, we take a deep dive into the addiction memoir, "Basketball Junkie."
    Liz S, has been an active and supportive listener of RMA since its early days. In today’s interview she shares her recovery journey, the unique challenges she faced as an older person ditching the booze in her 70s, her strategies for maintaining sobriety, and her thoughts on the importance of community in recovery. 
    Mike and Nat also review and discuss the memoir "Basketball Junkie" by Chris Herren, a former professional basketball player who battled addiction. The hosts share their reactions to the book, their thoughts on Herren's recovery journey, and the lessons to be learned from his story. They also discuss the cultural implications of addiction in the world of professional sports.
    Please remember to SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your favorite platform to get the latest episode delivered right to your devices as soon as it’s released.
     
    LINKS:
    www.soberliningsplaybook.com
    SMART Recovery
     
    We are a listener-supported podcast. If you like what we’re doing here at RMA and want to support the show, JOIN THE RECOVERY IN THE MIDDLE AGES PATREON 
    Our sole mission is to help other people achieve sobriety and become their best, most authentic selves. As little as $3 a month makes a big difference and helps us keep the lights on. 
    https://www.patreon.com/RecoveryintheMiddleAges
    Visit www.soberlink.com/middle-ages to sign up and receive $50 off your device. 
    As always, we thank you for your support.
     RMA ON YOUTUBE
    FOLLOW US ON TWITTER 
    Facebook Page
    We also have a Facebook Group! Request to join the group. It’s a private space for continuing the discussion of what Nat and Mike talk about on the podcast. Hope to see you there.
     
    PLEASE leave us a 5 star review on I-Tunes if you’re enjoying the show and SUBSCRIBE to get the latest episodes. 
     
    Email:
    MikeR@middleagesrecovery.com
    Natx@middleagesrecovery.com
    Check out the website:
    Www.middleagesrecovery.com 
     
    We all have a story. Tell us yours and we’ll share it on the show!
    E-Mail your story to miker@middleagesrecovery.com
     
    If you’re in trouble with substance abuse and need help, reach out. There are thousands of people who have put problems with addiction in their rear-view mirrors and you can be one of them. While we neither endorse nor condemn any particular program, the sheer number of available AA and NA meetings suggest that reaching out to those organizations would be a good first step (but maybe not the last step), on your road to recovery.  
     
    https://www.aa.org/
    https://www.na.org/meetingsearch/
     
    Marijuana Anonymous (just in case):
     
    This Naked Mind
     

    • 1 hr 47 min
    From Addiction’s Trance to Recovery’s Dance: A Discussion of Alcohol, Addiction and Public Policy with Grant Boyken

    From Addiction’s Trance to Recovery’s Dance: A Discussion of Alcohol, Addiction and Public Policy with Grant Boyken

    RMA-Episode 113: From Addiction’s Trance to Recovery’s Dance: A Discussion of Alcohol, Addiction and Public Policy with Grant Boyken
     
    Grant is back! Join us as the OG Monkster and creator of the popular website, soberliningsplaybook.com, shares his insights on the current public policy issues surrounding drug and alcohol addiction, and catches us up on what’s been going on in his life. 
     
    In this week’s far ranging interview, Mike and Grant explore multiple aspects of current addiction policy, including the controversial topic of forced treatment. Don't miss this episode if you're interested in the crossroads of policy, addiction, and recovery. 
     
    Please remember to SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your favorite platform to get the latest episode delivered right to your devices as soon as it’s released.
     
    LINKS:

    Recovery in the News
     
    WSJ Article-Why Is Alcohol in Wine Such a Taboo Topic?
     
    www.soberliningsplaybook.com
     
    We are a listener-supported podcast. If you like what we’re doing here at RMA and want to support the show, JOIN THE RECOVERY IN THE MIDDLE AGES PATREON 
     
    Our sole mission is to help other people achieve sobriety and become their best, most authentic selves. As little as $3 a month makes a big difference and helps us keep the lights on. 
     
    https://www.patreon.com/RecoveryintheMiddleAges
     
    Visit www.soberlink.com/middle-ages to sign up and receive $50 off your device. 
     
    As always, we thank you for your support.
     
    LISTEN TO RMA ON YOUTUBE

    PLEASE leave us a 5 star review on I-Tunes if you’re enjoying the show and SUBSCRIBE to get the latest episodes. 
     
    You can reach us by email at:
    MikeR@middleagesrecovery.com
    Natx@middleagesrecovery.com
     
    Send comments, complaints, death threats, ideas and requests to be interviewed. We’ll talk to anyone!
     
    Check out the website:
     
    Www.middleagesrecovery.com 
     
    While you’re there, buy a T-Shirt and support your favorite recovery podcast.
     
    We all have a story. Tell us yours and we’ll share it on the show!
     
    E-Mail your story to miker@middleagesrecovery.com
     
    FOLLOW US ON TWITTER 

    Join the Facebook Page! Exciting things are happening there!
     
    We also have a Facebook Group! Request to join the group. It’s a private space for continuing the discussion of what Nat and Mike talk about on the podcast. Hope to see you there.
     
    If you’re in trouble with substance abuse and need help, reach out. There are thousands of people who have put problems with addiction in their rear-view mirrors and you can be one of them. While we neither endorse nor condemn any particular program, the sheer number of available AA and NA meetings suggest that reaching out to those organizations would be a good first step (but maybe not the last step), on your road to recovery.  
     
    https://www.aa.org/
    https://www.na.org/meetingsearch/
     
    Marijuana Anonymous (just in case):
     
    This Naked Mind

    • 2 hr 4 min
    Is Addiction a Conscious Choice? & What Neuroscientists and Philosophers Know About Addiction.

    Is Addiction a Conscious Choice? & What Neuroscientists and Philosophers Know About Addiction.

    RMA-Episode 112: Is Addiction a Conscious Choice? 
    Do we choose to use? In this week’s episode of RMA,  Mike and Nat delve into the complex and often contentious debate surrounding addiction: Is it a choice?  A disease? Something else? They'll explore the arguments on both sides, drawing on scientific studies, insights from addiction research, and a close read of Maia Szalavitz’s latest New York Time Op-Ed, This is What Neuroscientists and Philosophers Know About Addiction.
     
    Please remember to SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your favorite platform to get the latest episode delivered right to your devices as soon as it’s released.
    We are a listener-supported podcast. If you like what we’re doing here at RMA and want to support the show, JOIN THE RECOVERY IN THE MIDDLE AGES PATREON 
     
    Our sole mission is to help other people achieve sobriety and become their best, most authentic selves. As little as $3 a month makes a big difference and helps us keep the lights on. 
     
    https://www.patreon.com/RecoveryintheMiddleAges
     
    Visit www.soberlink.com/middle-ages to sign up and receive $50 off your device. 
     
    As always, we thank you for your support.
     
    LINKS:
     
    This is What Neuroscientists and Philosophers Know About Addiction
     
    Recovery in the News
     
    The Week in Weird
     
    www.soberliningsplaybook.com

    LISTEN TO RMA ON YOUTUBE

    PLEASE leave us a 5 star review on I-Tunes if you’re enjoying the show and SUBSCRIBE to get the latest episodes. 
     
    You can reach us by email at:
    MikeR@middleagesrecovery.com
    Natx@middleagesrecovery.com
     
    Send comments, complaints, death threats, ideas and requests to be interviewed. We’ll talk to anyone!
     
    Check out the website:
     
    Www.middleagesrecovery.com 
     
    While you’re there, buy a T-Shirt and support your favorite recovery podcast.
     
    We all have a story. Tell us yours and we’ll share it on the show!
     
    E-Mail your story to miker@middleagesrecovery.com
     
    FOLLOW US ON TWITTER 

    Join the Facebook Page! Exciting things are happening there!
     
    We also have a Facebook Group! Request to join the group. It’s a private space for continuing the discussion of what Nat and Mike talk about on the podcast. Hope to see you there.
     
    If you’re in trouble with substance abuse and need help, reach out. There are thousands of people who have put problems with addiction in their rear-view mirrors and you can be one of them. While we neither endorse nor condemn any particular program, the sheer number of available AA and NA meetings suggest that reaching out to those organizations would be a good first step (but maybe not the last step), on your road to recovery.  
     
    https://www.aa.org/
    https://www.na.org/meetingsearch/
     
    Marijuana Anonymous (just in case):
     
    This Naked Mind

    • 1 hr 37 min
    I’ve Fallen, and I Can’t Get Up! From Frazzled to Balanced: A Guide to Finding Serenity in Sobriety

    I’ve Fallen, and I Can’t Get Up! From Frazzled to Balanced: A Guide to Finding Serenity in Sobriety

    RMA-Episode 111: From Frazzled to Balanced: A Guide to Finding Serenity in Sobriety
    In this week’s episode of Recovery in the Middle Ages, we explore Nat's harrowing tale of experiencing a seizure on his journey to Washington, prompting an urgent evaluation of his diet and stress levels by his doctor. Join us as we delve into practical tips and tricks for managing stress in recovery, optimizing your diet for sobriety, and steering clear of the addiction transfer trap. Draw inspiration from Nat's courageous journey and lay the foundation for your own harmonious path to a healthy recovery.
     
    Please remember to SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your favorite platform to get the latest episode delivered right to your devices as soon as it’s released.
    We are a listener-supported podcast. If you like what we’re doing here at RMA and want to support the show, JOIN THE RECOVERY IN THE MIDDLE AGES PATREON 
     
    Our sole mission is to help other people achieve sobriety and become their best, most authentic selves. As little as $3 a month makes a big difference and helps us keep the lights on. 
     
    https://www.patreon.com/RecoveryintheMiddleAges
     
    Visit www.soberlink.com/middle-ages to sign up and receive $50 off your device. 
     
    As always, we thank you for your support.
     
    LINKS:

    Recovery in the News
     
    www.soberliningsplaybook.com

    LISTEN TO RMA ON YOUTUBE

    PLEASE leave us a 5 star review on I-Tunes if you’re enjoying the show and SUBSCRIBE to get the latest episodes. 
     
    You can reach us by email at:
    MikeR@middleagesrecovery.com
    Natx@middleagesrecovery.com
     
    Send comments, complaints, death threats, ideas and requests to be interviewed. We’ll talk to anyone!
     
    Check out the website:
     
    Www.middleagesrecovery.com 
     
    While you’re there, buy a T-Shirt and support your favorite recovery podcast.
     
    We all have a story. Tell us yours and we’ll share it on the show!
     
    E-Mail your story to miker@middleagesrecovery.com
     
    FOLLOW US ON TWITTER 

    Join the Facebook Page! Exciting things are happening there!
     
    We also have a Facebook Group! Request to join the group. It’s a private space for continuing the discussion of what Nat and Mike talk about on the podcast. Hope to see you there.
     
    If you’re in trouble with substance abuse and need help, reach out. There are thousands of people who have put problems with addiction in their rear-view mirrors and you can be one of them. While we neither endorse nor condemn any particular program, the sheer number of available AA and NA meetings suggest that reaching out to those organizations would be a good first step (but maybe not the last step), on your road to recovery.  
     
    https://www.aa.org/
    https://www.na.org/meetingsearch/
     
    Marijuana Anonymous (just in case):
     
    This Naked Mind

    • 1 hr 28 min
    Fentanyl Follies: The Not-So-Funny Side of Misguided Drug Policies

    Fentanyl Follies: The Not-So-Funny Side of Misguided Drug Policies

    RMA-Episode 110: Fentanyl Follies: The Not-So-Funny Side of Misguided Drug Policies
    In this action-packed episode of Recovery in the Middle Ages, we delve into the perplexing world of recent legislation that's beefing up criminal penalties for fentanyl dealers. But are these laws actually helpful, or are they just a rehash of the failed War on Drugs? We'll also discuss public policy on addiction in general, navigating the maze of mixed messages and contradictory approaches that can leave even the experts scratching their heads. 
     
    Please remember to SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your favorite platform to get the latest episode delivered right to your devices as soon as it’s released.
    We are a listener-supported podcast. If you like what we’re doing here at RMA and want to support the show, JOIN THE RECOVERY IN THE MIDDLE AGES PATREON 
     
    Our sole mission is to help other people achieve sobriety and become their best, most authentic selves. As little as $3 a month makes a big difference and helps us keep the lights on. 
     
    https://www.patreon.com/RecoveryintheMiddleAges
     
    Visit www.soberlink.com/middle-ages to sign up and receive $50 off your device. 
     
    As always, we thank you for your support.
     
    LINKS:

    Recovery in the News
     
    The Week in Weird
     
    www.soberliningsplaybook.com

    LISTEN TO RMA ON YOUTUBE

    PLEASE leave us a 5 star review on I-Tunes if you’re enjoying the show and SUBSCRIBE to get the latest episodes. 
     
    You can reach us by email at:
    MikeR@middleagesrecovery.com
    Natx@middleagesrecovery.com
     
    Send comments, complaints, death threats, ideas and requests to be interviewed. We’ll talk to anyone!
     
    Check out the website:
     
    Www.middleagesrecovery.com 
     
    While you’re there, buy a T-Shirt and support your favorite recovery podcast.
     
    We all have a story. Tell us yours and we’ll share it on the show!
     
    E-Mail your story to miker@middleagesrecovery.com
     
    FOLLOW US ON TWITTER 

    Join the Facebook Page! Exciting things are happening there!
     
    We also have a Facebook Group! Request to join the group. It’s a private space for continuing the discussion of what Nat and Mike talk about on the podcast. Hope to see you there.
     
    If you’re in trouble with substance abuse and need help, reach out. There are thousands of people who have put problems with addiction in their rear-view mirrors and you can be one of them. While we neither endorse nor condemn any particular program, the sheer number of available AA and NA meetings suggest that reaching out to those organizations would be a good first step (but maybe not the last step), on your road to recovery.  
     
    https://www.aa.org/
    https://www.na.org/meetingsearch/
     
    Marijuana Anonymous (just in case):
     
    This Naked Mind

    • 1 hr 33 min
    Take your Pills: Xanax - Benzo Abuse, The Fallout, Big Pharma’s Deceptive Marketing and Undereducated Doctors

    Take your Pills: Xanax - Benzo Abuse, The Fallout, Big Pharma’s Deceptive Marketing and Undereducated Doctors

    RMA-Episode 109: Xanax Shenanigans: A Prescription for Disaster
    This week on RMA, we review the 2022 documentary film Take your Pills: Xanax, currently streaming on Netflix.  We also dive deep into the world of Xanax and benzodiazepine abuse, discussing the history, widespread use, and the challenges presented by aggressive pharmaceutical marketing and overprescription of these drugs.
     
    Please remember to SUBSCRIBE to the podcast on your favorite platform to get the latest episode delivered right to your devices as soon as it’s released.
    We are a listener-supported podcast. If you like what we’re doing here at RMA and want to support the show, JOIN THE RECOVERY IN THE MIDDLE AGES PATREON 
     
    Our sole mission is to help other people achieve sobriety and become their best, most authentic selves. As little as $3 a month makes a big difference and helps us keep the lights on. 
     
    https://www.patreon.com/RecoveryintheMiddleAges
     
    Visit www.soberlink.com/middle-ages to sign up and receive $50 off your device. 

    As always, we thank you for your support.
     
    LINKS:

    Recovery in the News
     
    www.soberliningsplaybook.com

    LISTEN TO RMA ON YOUTUBE

    PLEASE leave us a 5 star review on I-Tunes if you’re enjoying the show and SUBSCRIBE to get the latest episodes. 
     
    You can reach us by email at:
    MikeR@middleagesrecovery.com
    Natx@middleagesrecovery.com
     
    Send comments, complaints, death threats, ideas and requests to be interviewed. We’ll talk to anyone!
     
    Check out the website:
     
    Www.middleagesrecovery.com 
     
    While you’re there, buy a T-Shirt and support your favorite recovery podcast.
     
    We all have a story. Tell us yours and we’ll share it on the show!
     
    E-Mail your story to miker@middleagesrecovery.com
     
    FOLLOW US ON TWITTER 

    Join the Facebook Page! Exciting things are happening there!
     
    We also have a Facebook Group! Request to join the group. It’s a private space for continuing the discussion of what Nat and Mike talk about on the podcast. Hope to see you there.
     
    If you’re in trouble with substance abuse and need help, reach out. There are thousands of people who have put problems with addiction in their rear-view mirrors and you can be one of them. While we neither endorse nor condemn any particular program, the sheer number of available AA and NA meetings suggest that reaching out to those organizations would be a good first step (but maybe not the last step), on your road to recovery.  
     
    https://www.aa.org/
    https://www.na.org/meetingsearch/
     
    Marijuana Anonymous (just in case):
     
    This Naked Mind

    • 1 hr 27 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
146 Ratings

146 Ratings

Vinyl Boompa ,

My Home

Good evening Nat and Mike Mark,

As I’m currently listening to E76 and writing this as 112 just dropped, I’ve been hooked since day one. These gentlemen keep me going. I started checking out different wines about 8 years ago and THOUGHT it was cool. It quickly became uncool and a horrible jagged road. At one point I was easily downing two bottles of Pinot Noir a couple nights a week and definitely at least one.

I would wake up feeling awful and just wanting the evening to come so I could do it again and again and again.

As of now, I’m making great progress, but shooting for perfection. I’ve been sober 88 of the last 93 days. So yes I’ve had some trips, but haven’t full blown relapsed. This tick we have can be awful, but I’m beating it back.

Thanks guys!

Ed

music_moves_me ,

2 very normal guys sharing very impactful info

Nat and Mike meet in the kitchen once a week and share what’s going on in their lives. They are both in recovery, and hearing how two guys maneuver themselves on a daily basis is so refreshing. Their frankness and honesty, combined with their wit, compassion, and fabulous sense of humor, is something I look forward to every week. It really is unlike any other sobriety podcast I listen to, because they just go where the wind takes them. They both can really go off on a tangent, discussing their families, their grievances, the weather, lost hamsters — you name it. But it all comes back to the purpose of the podcast - to hold themselves accountable, to share their experiences, and to inspire someone like me to stay sober. Great chemistry, great camaraderie, great information, and truly great guys. I’m grateful that I found them.

gcdvvuu ,

Squatching the pod

I found this podcast through the Dopey podcast. I wasn’t sure if it would be for me at first, since I am not a middle-aged man, but it quickly became my new favorite. Nat and Mike are extremely relatable and both always have interesting insight on different topics. I went through and binged all of the episodes in a row while I was at work or at the gym. Anything I like, I like too much! I love the intro song, I love the stories, I love the guests, and I just love hearing about each of their lives. I feel like I have new friends that I’ve never met. Keep up the good work guys!

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