The Point is Recovery Podcast Turning Point of Tampa

Today's guest was an elite athlete from a middle-class family with no history of abuse. She grew up sheltered, but later learned that blackout drinking brought out a side of her that everyone around her relished. It was at this point that Nikki Soda started down a path to alcoholism.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism, Alcohol-induced blackouts can lead to impaired memory of events that transpired while intoxicated and because blackouts tend to occur at high Blood Alcohol Concentrations, they commonly stem from binge drinking. According to a 2019 study of 18-22 year-olds, 28% of the people in this age group who are not enrolled in college and 33% of full-time college students in this age group reported binge drinking behaviors.
In recognition of Alcohol Awareness Month, Nikki shares her experience with alcohol use as well as her path to recovery. Nikki gets to share the hope for recovery across the country in her work with the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) and in her pursuit of a Masters Degree in Addiction Policy and Practice at Georgetown University. In the 18 years since she went to treatment, Nikki has built a life that is beyond her wildest dreams and we are grateful to witness her transformation.

www.naatp.org

Addiction Policy & Practice @ Georgetown University

Alcoholics Anonymous

www.tpoftampa.com

www.thepointisrecoverypodcast.com

www.facebook.com/TurningPointofTampa

www.twitter.com/TurningPointTPA

www.instagram.com/turningpointtpa

www.youtube.com/user/TurningPointofTampa

www.linkedin.com/company/turning-point-of-tampa-inc

Our guest for Episode 32 had a rough start in life. Born with a heart defect and debilitating asthma, Leonard lost his father to a heart attack when he was just 3 weeks old. He grew up fast in Logan, PA, learning about being a man from the guys who hung out on the corner. His only real sense of stability was the home that he lived in for 20 years. He never really felt a sense of confidence until he started selling dope and then he felt like “the man” because he had the good stuff that everyone wanted. 
Leonard's first dabble with addictive behavior began with a pound of sunflower seeds and an upset stomach inside a movie theatre. Ironically, the last he used ended almost the same way, but this time he found himself sick and sweaty inside a phone booth in California. After a stint in rehab at the Betty Ford Center, Leonard emerged having lost the desire to use drugs and eventually, the desire to use alcohol as well. He has been sober ever since.
Today, Leonard Lee Buschel is a California Certified Substance Abuse Counselor, the founder of Writers In Treatment, director of the REEL Recovery Film Festival & Symposium® and the editor/publisher of the weekly Addiction/Recovery eBulletin®. He also directs and produces the annual Experience, Strength and Hope Awards® in Los Angeles. Leonard’s memoir, HIGH: Confessions of A Cannabis Addict, was published in 2021 and is about his journey from drug dealer to drug counselor.

Alcoholics Anonymous

Narcotics Anonymous

Overeaters Anonymous

Gamblers Anonymous

HIGH: Confessions of a Cannabis Addict

Addiction Recovery EBulletin

REEL Recovery Film Festival

Comedy Intervention IX

www.tpoftampa.com

www.thepointisrecoverypodcast.com

www.facebook.com/TurningPointofTampa

www.twitter.com/TurningPointTPA

www.instagram.com/turningpointtpa

www.youtube.com/user/TurningPointofTampa

www.linkedin.com/company/turning-point-of-tampa-inc

**Listener note** This episode contains discussions about suicide and suicidal ideation. If you are having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800.273.8255
Our guest for Episode 31 is Sharon Fekete, Founder of The Doctor Whisperer & 13th Ave Media.  She has been whispering strategies to physicians for over 20 years & amplifies businesses through the power of social media. Sharon also speaks at medical conferences on topics such as hospitality in healthcare, hiring a dream team, and branding.
As a firm believer in advocating toward improved mental health, Sharon published her book, The Broken Road to Mental Health, in Life & in Business, on her 25th sober anniversary.  Her personal struggle with depression and thoughts of suicide were the impetus to writing her book, as she knew there were many people suffering in the business community who could relate.
Sharon also speaks to corporations about mental health in the workplace & includes her own previous struggles with addiction, depression and the journey to overcoming adversity.
Sharon hosts two podcasts, The Doctor Whisperer & The Broken Road to Mental Health.  Sharon is a wife, stepmom, fur baby mom, and avid bike rider who often says “We are all under construction.”
Sharon is quite witty and very grateful for all of her life experience, which she expertly weaves into her work with doctors. We hope you enjoy the episode.
Episode Resources
The Doctor Whisperer
Sharon's Book 
Al-Anon
Crisis Center of Tampa Bay
NAMI
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
SAMHSA
Susie Steiner Award from Hillsborough Community College
Comedy Intervention IX

www.tpoftampa.com

www.thepointisrecoverypodcast.com

www.facebook.com/TurningPointofTampa

www.twitter.com/TurningPointTPA

www.instagram.com/turningpointtpa

www.youtube.com/user/TurningPointofTampa

www.linkedin.com/company/turning-point-of-tampa-inc

Mike Ortoll's world was turned upside down when his daughter Christine started abusing drugs and alcohol. Christine found recovery for several years, but sadly suffered a relapse and passed away from a fentanyl overdose in late 2020. In grieving his daughter, Mike started to think about how he could share his experience with other families facing addiction. Through a series of high-profile documentary films, including the Bowden Dynasty Film and another film documenting Christine’s story, Mike and a few of his Sigma Chi Fraternity Brothers are now providing support to the Collegiate Recovery Program at Florida State University (FSU), called LIFT. Mike also started the Christine Ortoll Recovery Organization to raise awareness, share resources, and lead a national “call to action” across the country of changing the conversation about addiction and recovery.
The CDC has reported that more than 100,000 Americans died of a drug overdose in a 12 month period from 2020 to 2021, and many of those deaths have been attributed to Fentanyl. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80-100 times stronger than morphine. Fentanyl is often times added to heroin to increase its potency, or to be disguised as highly potent heroin. Many users believe they are purchasing heroin and don’t know that they are actually purchasing fentanyl – which often results in overdose deaths.
Christine Ortoll Recovery Organization

Association of Recovery in Higher Education

LIFT at Florida State University (FSU)

Center for Health Advocacy Wellness at FSU

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

www.tpoftampa.com

www.thepointisrecoverypodcast.com

www.facebook.com/TurningPointofTampa

www.twitter.com/TurningPointTPA

www.instagram.com/turningpointtpa

www.youtube.com/user/TurningPointofTampa

www.linkedin.com/company/turning-point-of-tampa-inc

If you are familiar with recovery, you know it is suggested that you change a few things in order to protect your sobriety: people, places and things. And by places they mean you might have to find a new place to live! When we were using, many of us found ourselves homeless, couch surfing or not welcome back to the place we had once called home.
Sober living has become an integral part of the recovery journey for countless people who are in need of a safe, sober and supportive living environment. The guest on today's podcast is Patrick Slattery, the owner/operator of Real Recovery Sober Living. Patrick had an interesting experience with finding a place to live in the early days of his own recovery and now operates a sober residence where he once lived. Talk about life coming full circle!
Real Recovery Sober Living is the largest provider of recovery residences in the state of Florida, with 300 beds for men across six locations in the greater Tampa Bay area. Patrick is a Certified Recovery Residence Administrator (CRRA), a Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) and a Certified Recovery Coach (CRC) and he uses his strong foundation in recovery to inform the work he does with men new in recovery.
Florida Alliance for State Advocacy Facebook Page 
Real Recovery
Real Recovery Facebook Page
FARR
NARR

www.tpoftampa.com

www.thepointisrecoverypodcast.com

www.facebook.com/TurningPointofTampa

www.twitter.com/TurningPointTPA

www.instagram.com/turningpointtpa

www.youtube.com/user/TurningPointofTampa

www.linkedin.com/company/turning-point-of-tampa-inc

Today’s guest, Ahbra Schiff, joins us from Studio City, California to talk about a couple of upcoming events that shine a light on addiction and mental illness recovery. She also gives us the backstory on how she got involved with these events, starting with making the acquaintance of Leonard Bushel at a 12-step meeting!
Almost 6 years after first meeting him, Ahbra has been working alongside Leonard to put on the REEL Recovery Film Festival (Now in its 13th year) and the Experience, Strength & Hope Awards’ Gratitude Dinner. Both of these events are dedicated to increasing awareness of and reducing the stigma associated with alcoholism, addiction and mental illness.
As far as Ahbra is concerned, she is a sober woman with 3 grown children and she is grateful and proud to work alongside American and International filmmakers who make honest films about addiction, alcoholism, behavioral disorders, treatment and recovery. 
You can learn more about both the REEL Recovery Film Festival and the Experience, Strength and Hope Awards’ Gratitude Dinner online:
REEL Recovery Film Festival - https://reelrecoveryfilmfestival.org/
Experience, Strength & Hope Awards’ Gratitude Dinner - https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5139476
Writers in Treatment - https://www.writersintreatment.org/

Addiction/Recovery eBulletin

www.tpoftampa.com

www.thepointisrecoverypodcast.com

www.facebook.com/TurningPointofTampa

www.twitter.com/TurningPointTPA

www.instagram.com/turningpointtpa

www.youtube.com/user/TurningPointofTampa

www.linkedin.com/company/turning-point-of-tampa-inc