The Recovery Guide

Guardian Recovery
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Biweekly

The Recovery Guide is hosted by Michael Herbert, a person in long-term recovery with over 35 years clean and nearly four decades of experience in addiction and mental health. This show expands the conversation beyond abstinence, exploring the tools, mindset, health practices, and life rebuilding strategies that create lasting recovery. If you or someone you love is navigating addiction, this podcast offers practical guidance, hope, and a reminder that you don’t have to do it alone.

  1. 49m ago ·  Video

    "90% of My Healing Came After Five Years of Sobriety"

    Eight and a half years into recovery, and Kevin Lanning puts most of his healing in the last two.   For five of those years he stayed sober and did the work as it was handed to him—made amends, kept commitments, sponsored others. And was still, by his own description, mentally all over the place. He estimates about ten percent of his healing happened in that stretch.   The start was its own problem. Kevin didn't get sober because he believed he could. He'd been someone who thought they can't recover. So he took the leap of faith without the belief and let it catch up. His verdict now: he was wrong the whole time he told himself it wasn't possible.   What eventually moved the rest was purpose. Two years ago he started the podcast, and giving back reached something the first five years hadn't.   With host Michael Herbert, Kevin also gets into the anxiety and depression he was carrying early on and the three pillars—mental, spiritual, physical—holding the whole thing up today.   Follow Guardian: @guardianrecovery   This episode is sponsored by Guardian Recovery. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health challenges, Guardian can help. Visit https://www.guardianrecovery.com or call 888-721-3790 for confidential support and guidance.

  2. Jul 20 ·  Video

    Parenting Through Addiction Without Losing Yourself

    Keesha Scott knows addiction from the inside. As an author, a podcast host, and the co-founder of Guardian Recovery, she's built her life's work around helping others navigate parenting and addiction, but her own story runs deeper than her title.   A mother in recovery herself, Keesha has spent years loving a child through the very disease she's fought firsthand. She gets candid about the grief of losing her son's father to an overdose, and the "true PTSD" that lives underneath a parent's fear when addiction has already taken someone once.   But the heart of this conversation is something more personal: learning she can't put her own life on hold, waiting for everyone around her to be okay first. As she puts it, if she waits until everybody "lands," she'll be her mother's age before she ever finds happiness.With host Michael Herbert, Keesha opens up about parenting in recovery, the slow work of forgiveness, and why the hardest conversations are so often the ones that set us free.   Follow Guardian: https://www.instagram.com/guardianrecovery/   This episode is sponsored by Guardian Recovery. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health challenges, Guardian can help. Visit https://www.guardianrecovery.com or call 888-721-3790 for confidential support and guidance.

  3. Jul 14 ·  Video

    Loving an Addict, Losing Yourself: How Codependency Shapes a Marriage

    Shon Tripp grew up in a one-room shack with an outhouse in unincorporated Johnson County, one of five kids in a family where addiction and mental illness went unnamed — just "dysfunction." She became the family caretaker before she understood why, and found her calling in the kitchen, turning whatever was in the cabinet into a meal for her siblings. Years later, Shon met her husband, a man in recovery who was honest with her from the start about sobriety coming first. That honesty cracked open her own codependency: the control, the resentment, the belief that if she just managed everyone else's life well enough, she'd be safe. In this conversation with host Michael Herbert, Shon traces her path from unprocessed childhood trauma to marriage counseling, "Codependent No More," and the slow work of becoming an equal partner instead of a parent. Today she's a professional chef at a rehab facility, where she's learned that a plate of food can be its own form of dignity, love, and healing — for her clients and for herself. Follow Guardian: https://www.instagram.com/guardianrecovery/ This episode is sponsored by Guardian Recovery. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health challenges, Guardian can help. Visit https://www.guardianrecovery.com  or call 888-721-3790 for confidential support and guidance. 0:00 Cold Open 1:03 Welcome to The Recovery Guide Podcast 1:23 Meet Shon: Chef Since Age 16 2:04 Growing Up in a One-Room Shack 3:14 Becoming the Family Caretaker 3:30 Addiction Nobody Called Addiction 6:18 Feeding the Homeless: Selfish or Self-Caring? 7:22 The Time She Didn't Want to Be Here 10:00 Meeting Her Husband in Recovery 12:34 Realizing She Was Codependent 13:11 Marriage Counseling & Codependent No More 15:33 How Recovery Changed Her Marriage 16:58 Chef Inside a Rehab Facility 20:25 Heal Your Care Bear

  4. Jul 7 ·  Video

    He Lost Everything to Addiction... Then Built a Multi-Million Dollar Business

    What happens when someone loses everything... and decides to rebuild from the ground up? Derek Lewis shares his remarkable journey from addiction, multiple arrests, and prison to becoming the owner of one of South Florida's largest electrical companies. Derek opens up about the denial that kept him trapped, the relapse that nearly cost him everything after four years of sobriety, and the mentors who refused to give up on him. He explains how recovery became more than simply staying sober—it became a blueprint for building a successful business, raising a family, and giving others the same second chance he was given. This conversation explores addiction, resilience, entrepreneurship, discipline, faith, and the power of consistent action. Whether you're in recovery, love someone who is, or simply need encouragement to keep moving forward, Derek's story is proof that your past does not determine your future. Follow Guardian: https://www.instagram.com/guardianrecovery/ Learn More About Dereks company: https://www.instagram.com/razorbackelectric/  This episode is sponsored by Guardian Recovery. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health challenges, Guardian can help. Visit https://www.guardianrecovery.com  or call 888-721-3790 for confidential support and guidance. 00:00 Introduction 02:00 Early Addiction & Legal Trouble 06:45 First Experience in Recovery 09:20 Returning Home & Relapsing 10:45 Prison Changes Everything 15:15 A Second Chance in Florida 18:20 Losing Four Years of Sobriety 20:10 Rock Bottom & Starting Over 22:30 Building Razorback Electric 28:05 Success, Leadership & Giving Back 30:30 Marriage, Family & Fatherhood 33:00 Redefining Recovery 35:20 Faith, Business & The Future 40:00 Final Thoughts

  5. Jun 30 ·  Video

    What to do When Your Loved One Refuses Treatment

    In this episode, Craig Robinson shares how his own recovery journey reshaped his life, gave him a deeper sense of purpose, and ultimately led him to help families navigate one of the most painful situations imaginable: watching a loved one struggle with addiction while refusing help. The conversation explores why intelligence, success, and problem-solving skills can sometimes work against someone in addiction, and why recovery often requires humility, honesty, and a willingness to let go of old ways of thinking. Craig and Michael also unpack the difficult role families play in recovery, especially when love turns into enabling. They discuss why setting and holding boundaries can be one of the most loving things a family can do, even when it feels painful in the moment. The conversation also dives into the Marchman Act, how it works in Florida, who may qualify, and why it can be a critical legal tool when someone is impaired, unsafe, and unable to recognize their own need for care. Follow Guardian: https://www.instagram.com/guardianrecovery/ Learn More about the Marchman Act: https://robinsoncasey.com/ Follow Craig: https://www.instagram.com/thecraigr/  This episode is sponsored by Guardian Recovery. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health challenges, Guardian can help. Visit https://www.guardianrecovery.com  or call 888-721-3790 for confidential support and guidance. 00:00 – Introduction 01:57 – Early exposure to AA, NA, and recovery 05:13 – How addiction and substances have changed 10:27 – Why recovery opens life back up 13:47 – Treatment, ego, and being challenged 17:13 – Boundaries, consequences, and enabling 20:15 – When someone chooses jail over treatment 22:31 – Recovery is not about perfection 23:10 – Living an exciting life in recovery 25:57 – Why earning things builds self-esteem 28:22 – Finding purpose through recovery 30:29 – Honesty, shame, and personal growth 36:01 – Success, humility, and imposter syndrome 39:23 – Therapy, natural strengths, and helping others 42:18 – Addiction in high-functioning professionals 44:29 – Blending law, recovery, and social work 49:13 – Addiction as an equal opportunity illness 53:19 – The future of the Marchman Act 56:27 – Does involuntary treatment work? 59:14 – Hitting bottom and finding humility 01:02:27 – Why clinicians need to understand the Marchman Act 01:05:00 – Treatment length and early recovery 01:07:03 – Who is the Marchman Act for? 01:16:42 – How to connect with Craig Robinson 01:18:02 – Closing thoughts

  6. Jun 23

    Why Families NEED Guidance During Addiction Crisis

    In this episode of The Recovery Guide Podcast, we sit down with Marc Kantor for a powerful conversation about addiction, intervention, family support, enabling, food addiction, and what long-term recovery really requires. Marc shares his personal recovery journey, including what led him to treatment 21 years ago and how addiction had left his life, marriage, health, and career in shambles. What started as a desperate need for relief eventually became a life of recovery and a career helping families navigate addiction crisis. This conversation goes deep into the truth about interventions. Marc explains why most interventions are not the explosive scenes families imagine, why the loved one often reacts with fear or anger, and why the family plays the most important role in whether the intervention succeeds. Marc also breaks down how family members can unintentionally enable addiction by rescuing, sending money, removing consequences, or trying to make life comfortable for someone who needs accountability. He explains why treatment can save lives, but real recovery requires long-term structure, continuing care, and family involvement. The episode also explores food addiction, binge eating, sugar, executive addiction, control, relationships, and why families need their own recovery process too. This episode is for anyone in recovery, anyone who loves someone struggling with addiction, or any family trying to understand how to support a loved one without enabling them. Follow Guardian: https://www.instagram.com/guardianrecovery/ Learn More about Marc: https://www.instagram.com/helpforaddiction/  00:00 — Introduction 04:04 — Shame, anxiety, food addiction, and emotional coping 10:40 — The truth about interventions 13:10 — Why family plays the biggest role in recovery 15:44 — Accountability, consequences, and addiction crisis 18:35 — Executive addiction, control, and success at home 22:28 — How families sabotage treatment without realizing it 24:07 — Enabling, rescuing, and robbing people of their struggle 32:04 — Advice for families who feel helpless 33:15 — Choosing the right treatment and avoiding marketing traps 36:13 — Why treatment can save lives 39:04 — Why real recovery starts after treatment 41:15 — The family must recover too 42:42 — Closing thoughts with Marc Kantor This episode is sponsored by Guardian Recovery. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health challenges, Guardian can help. Visit https://www.guardianrecovery.com  or call 888-721-3790 for confidential support and guidance.

  7. Jun 9 ·  Video

    I Had to Lose Everything to Find Myself…

    Today, Danielle Sharpe shares her powerful story of addiction, trauma, survival, and recovery in this deeply honest conversation about rebuilding a life from the ground up. Growing up around addiction and chaos, Danielle found herself trapped in a cycle of alcoholism, drugs, survival mode, and self-destruction that eventually led to arrests, suicide attempts, and rock bottom moments. But through recovery, therapy, self-discovery, and relentless personal growth, she transformed her life into one filled with purpose, healing, and hope. In this episode, Danielle opens up about: -Growing up with addicted parents -Living in survival mode -The reality of addiction and rock bottom -Emotional sobriety and trauma recovery -Rebuilding relationships with family and her daughter -Therapy, recovery work, and self-discovery -Endurance training, discipline, and personal growth -What recovery truly means beyond just abstinence This is a powerful conversation about resilience, healing, and discovering who you truly are after addiction. Follow Guardian: https://www.instagram.com/guardianrecovery/ This episode is sponsored by Guardian Recovery. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health challenges, Guardian can help. Visit https://www.guardianrecovery.com  or call 888-721-3790 for confidential support and guidance. 00:00 – Introduction 02:03 – Recovery, Ego & Self-Doubt 05:09 – Why the Work Matters More Than the Win 08:08 – 14 Years of Recovery & Learning Self-Worth 10:04 – Recovery Beyond Meetings & Therapy 13:04 – Growing Up Around Addiction 15:06 – Arrests, Addiction & Rock Bottom 17:25 – Suicide Attempts & Asking for Help 19:10 – Entering Treatment & Early Sobriety 22:02 – Emotional Sobriety & Trauma Recovery 24:23 – Survival Mode & The Reality of Addiction 26:34 – Therapy, EMDR & Healing Trauma 28:08 – Discipline, Growth & Endurance Training 31:05 – Motherhood, Recovery & Rebuilding Family 35:20 – Letting Go of Control as a Parent 38:06 – Recovery Happens in Many Forms 41:13 – Addiction Beyond Drugs & Alcohol 44:07 – Working in the Recovery Field 45:38 – Danielle Reflects on Her Journey

  8. May 26

    Why Modern Marijuana Is Causing Psychosis & Panic Attacks

    Today we sit down with mental health professional John Puls to discuss the growing mental health crisis, the dangerous rise of high-potency THC, the failures within addiction treatment, and why recovery needs to evolve. John breaks down the shocking differences between marijuana from decades ago versus today’s highly concentrated THC products, explaining why anxiety, panic attacks, psychosis, and hospitalizations are becoming increasingly common—especially among young adults. The conversation also dives into the addiction treatment industry, inexperienced clinicians entering private practice too early, the lack of family support in recovery, ketamine therapy, kratom, gas station drugs, and why purpose and meaningful living are essential for long-term sobriety. This episode is an honest and eye-opening discussion about modern mental health, recovery, and the systems meant to help people heal. Follow Guardian: https://www.instagram.com/guardianrecovery/ Read More About John: https://full-life-comprehensive-care.com/  00:00 – Introduction 02:21 – “Blind Leading the Blind” in Therapy 03:09 – Impaired Therapists & Ethical Failures 08:05 – Why Modern Weed Is Different 10:25 – THC Potency Has Skyrocketed 13:56 – Panic Attacks & Psychosis From Marijuana 14:56 – Why Insurance Won’t Cover Marijuana Addiction 17:00 – John Puls’ Personal Story & Addiction Journey 22:02 – Why Rehab Fails So Many People 23:21 – Recovery Needs More Than Meetings 27:28 – Redefining Recovery & Purpose 32:32 – Has Marijuana Legalization Gone Too Far? 33:13 – The Cannabis Industry Is Unregulated 38:04 – Why Young Adults Are Most At Risk 41:25 – Plant Medicine, Ayahuasca & Recovery 45:16 – Ketamine Therapy Explained 50:02 – Kratom, Kava & Gas Station Drugs 55:07 – Helping Families Through Addiction 56:26 – Why Families Need Support Too 59:26 – The Future of Mental Health & Recovery This episode is sponsored by Guardian Recovery. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health challenges, Guardian can help. Visit https://www.guardianrecovery.com  or call 888-721-3790 for confidential support and guidance.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Recovery Guide is hosted by Michael Herbert, a person in long-term recovery with over 35 years clean and nearly four decades of experience in addiction and mental health. This show expands the conversation beyond abstinence, exploring the tools, mindset, health practices, and life rebuilding strategies that create lasting recovery. If you or someone you love is navigating addiction, this podcast offers practical guidance, hope, and a reminder that you don’t have to do it alone.

Information

  • Creator
    Guardian Recovery
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Recovery Guide