Rise Above with Kevin Lanning

Épisodes

• Inside A Chicago Street Junkie's 20-Year Spiral | 3 DUIs, Heroin, Cook County Jail & Finding God 01.06.2026 1h 24min

  Mike Supak was a Division 1 track athlete. He never touched a drop of alcohol in four years of high school. He was structured, dedicated, trustworthy — the model kid. Then he discovered alcohol the summer before college and everything changed immediately. What followed was 20 years of cocaine, heroin, DUIs, overdoses, jail, and a slow death that nobody around him could stop. He got his second and third DUIs within 48 hours of each other. He overdosed on heroin in the back of a cab, was Narcanned six times, and showed back up to his family's St. Patrick's Day party hours later wearing a blue paper hospital suit — with no memory of any of it. He tried to die. He kept waking up instead. It wasn't until a judge set his bond at $900,000 to keep him off the streets — and a nun in Saint Augustine, Florida answered a calling from God — that Mike finally found the thing that saved his life. He spent three years with no phone, no TV, no computer, washing his clothes in a five-gallon bucket, praying the rosary three times a day. And it worked. Now seven years sober, Mike is married, reconnected with his kids, back working as a building engineer in Chicago, and more at peace than he has ever been in his life. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may #RiseAbove #HeroinRecovery #SoberLife #7YearsSober #RecoveryIsPossible #AddictionRecovery#FaithAndRecovery #CatholicFaith #ChicagoAddiction #MensRecovery #GodSavedMyLife #SobrietyJourney#MentalHealth #JailToSober #RiseAbovePodcast #KevinLanning #MikeSupak #Unbreakable2413 #HopeReborn#OneMoreDay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• I Was Taking 10 Xanax Bars A Night At 17, Stabbed A Woman At 37 Weeks Pregnant & Sat On A Sidewalk Ready To Die | 11 Years Sober 30.05.2026 2h 6min

  Crystal Meliea grew up alone on 183 acres of North Carolina mountain property with a narcissist mother who left her unsupervised with music industry men in Los Angeles at 16. No protection. No parents. Just a bottle of Xanax she found in her mother's purse that made everything quiet for the first time in her life. By 19 she was running marijuana from Mexico to Texas to North Carolina on a massive scale. She was taking 10 Xanax bars in a single night — enough to black out most grown men. She was fighting so violently that police would call ahead and ask her to just turn herself in so they didn't have to find her. She went to jail three times in one week for physical violence alone. At 37 weeks pregnant she broke into a woman's house and stabbed her in the face with a broken beer bottle — leaving her with 40 stitches. Two weeks before her daughter was born the FBI, DEA and ATF swarmed her home. Then her daughter's father went to federal prison. She had her baby alone. And discovered opiates. What followed was years of IV drug use, meth, crack, halfway houses, relapses, a lesbian relationship that ended with a domestic battery charge, and finally — sitting on a sidewalk in Fort Lauderdale, watching buses go by, making the decision to walk in front of one. She went to detox the next day instead. And never looked back. Now 11 years sober, Crystal has two college degrees, ran a multimillion dollar insurance company, and is rebuilding her life with nothing but her daughter, her faith, and a story that should have ended on that sidewalk. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may #RiseAbove #WomenInRecovery #11YearsSober #XanaxAddiction #HeroinRecovery #SoberMom #RecoveryIsPossible#AddictionRecovery #TraumaAndRecovery #SingleMomInRecovery #FaithAndRecovery #SoberLife #MentalHealth#DrugCartel #RiseAbovePodcast #KevinLanning #CrystalMeliea #SuicidalIdeation #GodSavedMyLife#OneMoreDay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• I Made My First Million On Wall Street At 28 & Was Broke & Addicted To Opiates By 30 28.05.2026 1h 5min

  TJ DelVecchio was a Division 1 baseball player at Providence College who walked onto Wall Street during the dot-com boom and made his first million dollars by 28. By 30 he was broke, $300,000 in debt, unloading boxes at FedEx in the middle of the night just to keep health insurance for his kids — and quietly becoming addicted to opioids. For years he held it all together on the outside. Wall Street lunches with pint glasses three quarters full of vodka. Parties in Miami. VIP sections. A lifestyle that looked like success and felt like a slow death. At his worst he was taking 6 to 10 thirty milligram Roxies a day — spending $5,000 a month on pills — while his ankles swelled, his kidneys ached, and his soul quietly disappeared. Then one night on a hotel balcony in Miami, he looked up at the sky and told his late father — if I don't stop right now, I'm never going to see my kids again. He flushed the pills the next morning. No rehab. No Suboxone. Six weeks of pure hell. And he never looked back. Now six years sober, TJ is remarried, living in Sarasota, building rental properties with his wife, and finally the man he always wanted to be. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may #RiseAbove #WallStreet #OpiateAddiction #SoberLife #6YearsSober #RecoveryIsPossible #AddictionRecovery#FunctioningAddict #BaseballPlayer #FinancialRuin #MensRecovery #SobrietyJourney #MentalHealth#FaithAndRecovery #RiseAbovePodcast #KevinLanning #TJDelVecchio #WallStreetAddiction #ColdTurkeyDetox#OneMoreDay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Inside A Functioning Mom's Secret Alcoholism | My 30-Year Battle With Alcoholism 25.05.2026 1h 13min

  Kyle Garges had everything — a loving husband, a beautiful daughter, a career in advertising sales, and a life that looked perfectly put together from the outside. But behind closed doors she was hiding alcohol in her daughter's Stanley Cup. She was drinking through blackouts, through rehab, through aversion therapy in Seattle where they made her chug vodka until she vomited. She drank through her father's death. She drank through interventions. She drank through every promise she made to herself and everyone she loved. Thirty years of alcoholism. Three treatment centers. And a dying father who grabbed her by the neck and looked her in the eye one last time. Coming up on two years sober, Kyle is finally free. In this raw and deeply moving episode of Rise Above, Kyle shares: Growing up with an alcoholic father and watching the same disease take over her own life Missing 18 Mondays in a row in high school — and still graduating early Drinking through Ole Miss, UGA, Charleston, and a career in ad sales Aversion therapy in Seattle — chugging vodka until she vomited while staring at herself in a mirror How one beer after ten months sober during breastfeeding flipped the switch back on instantly Her dying father grabbing her by the neck and saying "don't let this disease get you" Filling her daughter's Stanley Cup with White Claw and calling an Uber to the airport — her last drink Waking up in an ambulance at 2am in North Carolina thinking she was finally going to die What she did differently this time that made sobriety finally stick The moment her daughter looked at her and said "I trust you, Mom" This one is for every woman out there who is hiding it and thinks nobody notices. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week 📲 Follow Kyle Garges on Instagram Kyle Garges had everything — a loving husband, a beautiful daughter, a career in advertising sales, and a life that looked perfectly put together from the outside.But behind closed doors she was hiding alcohol in her daughter's Stanley Cup. She was drinking through blackouts, through rehab, through aversion therapy in Seattle where they made her chug vodka until she vomited. She drank through her father's death. She drank through interventions. She drank through every promise she made to herself and everyone she loved.Thirty years of alcoholism. Three treatment centers. And a dying father who grabbed her by the neck and looked her in the eye one last time.Coming up on two years sober, Kyle is finally free.🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week📲 Follow Kyle Garges on Instagram If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may #RiseAbove #WomenInRecovery #MomInRecovery #AlcoholRecovery #SoberMom #FunctioningAlcoholic #SoberLife#RecoveryIsPossible #AlcoholismAwareness #MentalHealth #SobrietyJourney #GenerationalTrauma#RiseAbovePodcast #KevinLanning #KyleGarges #TwoYearsSober #AddictionRecovery #GriefAndRecovery#WomenWhoRecover #OneMoreDay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• 7-OH Pills Destroyed My Life | The SHOCKING Truth About 7-Hydroxymitragynine Addiction 22.05.2026 1h 28min

  You can buy it at a gas station. It's sold next to energy drinks and lottery tickets. And it almost destroyed Matt Dean's life. Matt Dean had already been through the pill mill era in Florida, cold turkey detoxed off 50-60 Percocet a day, built a career in real estate, and gotten sober from alcohol — twice. Then his little brother died of an overdose. And a well-meaning smoke shop employee handed him a free sample of 7-Hydroxymitragynine. Within weeks he was spending $100 a day — burning through his 401K and savings — chasing a high from something most people have never even heard of. He went to treatment twice just to get off it. The second time, he had to go back to detox just to get off the Suboxone they gave him to get off the 7-OH. This is one of the most important episodes of Rise Above to date — because 7-OH was just banned in Florida in August 2025, and something just like it is already taking its place. In this eye-opening episode, Matt shares: Growing up in a sober household and discovering opiates at 18 after surgery The pill mill era in Florida and cold turkey detoxing off 50-60 Percocets a day Getting sober from alcohol twice — and what kept pulling him back Losing his little brother to an overdose and the grief that followed How a free gas station sample of 7-OH started a $3,000-a-month addiction What 7-OH withdrawal actually feels like — and why treatment centers don't know how to treat it His relapse after treatment — and the second rehab stay just to get off Suboxone Where he is today with 3+ months clean and what he's building If you or someone you love is using Kratom or 7-OH and thinks it's "just a supplement" — you need to hear this. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may #RiseAbove #7Hydroxymitragynine #7OH #KratomAddiction #GasStationDrugs #AddictionRecovery #SoberLife#OpioidEpidemic #KratomWithdrawal #RecoveryIsPossible #NewDrugs #FentanylAlternative #MentalHealth#SobrietyJourney #PillMillEra #RiseAbovePodcast #KevinLanning #MattDean #FloridaAddiction #OneMoreDay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• I Was Held Hostage By The Cartel In Mexico | Inside A College Addict's Spiral 21.05.2026 58min

  John Luedke had it all on paper — a scholarship to Michigan State, a successful father, a big house, and every material thing a kid could want. But underneath it all, he was drowning. His parents' affair and messy seven-year divorce left him as the emotional middleman between two broken people. He got cut from the basketball team. He lost his identity. And he spent the next decade eating, drinking, using cocaine, nitrous oxide, and anything else he could find to fill the hole. At his heaviest, John weighed 315 pounds. By his senior year, he was paying people to take his classes, doing coke in Cabo while being held at gunpoint by cartel members, and surviving a campus mass shooting — all while telling himself he had it under control. He got sober on January 1st, 2024. He was 22 years old. In this raw and honest episode of Rise Above, John shares: Growing up privileged while quietly falling apart after his parents' divorce Getting cut from basketball and losing the only identity he had Paying people to take his classes while drinking and drugging through COVID Surviving the Michigan State campus shooting and what those hours of terror felt like Being held at gunpoint by cartel members in Cabo at 5am — the moment everything changed Going from 315 pounds to 196 through fitness, sobriety, and deep inner work How journaling, meditation and therapy helped him finally face the root causes Writing his book to help other young men who are suffering in silence This one is for every young guy out there who looks fine on the outside but is completely lost on the inside. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week 📲 Follow John Luedke: find him on Instagram and check out his book If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may #RiseAbove #CollegeAddiction #SoberAt23 #CocaineAddiction #WeightLossJourney #MichiganStateShooting#AddictionRecovery #SoberLife #MensmentalHealth #RecoveryIsPossible #GenZSober #YoungAndSober #75Hard#TraumaAndRecovery #SobrietyJourney #RiseAbovePodcast #KevinLanning #JohnLuedke #CartelStory#OneMoreDay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• I Was A Teacher With Two DUIs | 30 Years of Alcoholism & Finding Sobriety 19.05.2026 57min

  Elisa Nicole Saunders was a Palm Beach County schoolteacher, standing in front of classrooms every day — and quietly drinking and drugging her way through 30 years of addiction. Two DUIs. A five-car pile-up. Crashing drunk into a tow truck while two people had to run for their lives. Sitting in a jail cell staring at her wrist, wondering how it got this bad. She never wanted to get sober. A judge gave her the nudge. Now, coming up on 15 years of sobriety, Elisa has rebuilt her life from the ground up — from losing her teaching certificate, to borrowing gas money to attend an addiction conference, to becoming a respected professional in the drug and alcohol rehabilitation industry in Los Angeles. In this honest and deeply moving episode of Rise Above, Elisa shares: Teaching school hungover and in active alcoholism for over a decade Two DUIs — including a drunk driving crash that nearly killed two people What it really means to be "dry" versus truly sober — and why she was more miserable without drinking than with it Relapsing after treatment and spending years "white-knuckling" without a program Why financial amends took her 14 years to complete — and why she finally did it Losing both parents in sobriety and navigating grief without picking up How a deep spiritual connection became the foundation everything else was built on Going from Hurricane Liza — the woman who wrecked every room she walked into — to a woman who gives back without expecting anything in return This one is for anyone who thinks they're functioning just fine — and for anyone who's been sober a while but still feels like something's missing. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week 📲 Follow Elisa: @elisansaunders (Instagram & Facebook) | linkedin.com/in/elisansaunders If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may #RiseAbove #FunctioningAlcoholic #AlcoholRecovery #SoberLife #15YearsSober #DUIStory #TeacherInRecovery#AddictionRecovery #RecoveryIsPossible #SpiritualAwakening #WomenInRecovery #SobrietyJourney#MentalHealth #GriefAndRecovery #TwelveStepper #RiseAbovePodcast #KevinLanning #ElisaSaunders#DrinkingAndDriving #OneMoreDay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• I Was Ordering Fentanyl Off The Dark Web In College | Gambling, Xanax & How I Got Sober 18.05.2026 1h 20min

  Jordan Freeman had everything going for him — loving parents, a spot at one of the top business schools in the country, varsity baseball, and a bright future. But behind closed doors, he was ordering Xanax off the dark web, gambling with money he didn't have, blacking out and not remembering a single thing from the night before — and calling it normal. By his sophomore year at Indiana University, Jordan was locked in his apartment alone, blinds down, friends knocking on the door, completely lost. He didn't want to die. He just couldn't see any hope left. Now, coming up on 5 years clean from drugs and gambling and nearly 3 years alcohol-free, Jordan is finishing his Masters in Social Work at NYU and helping others find the path he fought so hard to find himself. In this raw and honest episode of Rise Above, Jordan shares: Ordering fentanyl-laced Xanax off the dark web in high school and college How gambling consumed every dollar, every thought, and every relationship The day he sat his parents down and finally said "I can't stop — I need help" Three months in treatment in Orange County and what actually changed Why he relapsed on alcohol nine months in — and how he came back stronger What it really looks like to get sober in your early twenties How he's now guiding families and individuals through the recovery process If you're a young person who thinks addiction could never happen to you — this episode is for you. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week 📲 Follow Jordan Freeman: @blueprintbyjordan (TikTok & Instagram) If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may #RiseAbove #CollegeAddiction #GamblingAddiction #SoberLife #XanaxAddiction #DarkWeb #RecoveryIsPossible#GenZSober #AddictionRecovery #YoungAndSober #GamblersAnonymous #SobrietyJourney #MentalHealth#RecoveryCoach #SocialWork #RiseAbovePodcast #KevinLanning #JordanFreeman #FentanylAwareness#OneMoreDay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• I Did Neurofeedback for Anxiety, Stress & PTSD — Here's What Happened | Compassion Behavioral Health 17.05.2026 30min

  I went inside Compassion Behavioral Health (CBH) headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to experience neurofeedback firsthand — and I vlogged the whole thing. In this episode, I go through my first two sessions: 🧠 Session 1 — Brain Mapping: Reading my actual brainwave patterns, identifying high-stress areas, mood fluctuations, and self-regulation challenges. ⚡ Session 2 — Brain Training: Wearing sensors while my brain learns to regulate itself in real time — watching a screen dim and brighten based on my own brainwave activity. We talk about how neurofeedback is being used to address: ✔️ PTSD & Trauma ✔️ Anxiety & Depression ✔️ ADHD ✔️ Addiction (drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex addiction) ✔️ Emotional dysregulation & mood swings --- 🏥 ABOUT COMPASSION BEHAVIORAL HEALTH Compassion Behavioral Health (CBH) is a leading treatment center based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, dedicated to helping people heal from addiction, mental health challenges, and co-occurring disorders. CBH offers a full spectrum of evidence-based and innovative therapies — including neurofeedback — tailored to each person's unique brain mapping results. Their team doesn't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Every client's brain is mapped individually so that training targets *their* specific areas of dysregulation. I saw firsthand how genuinely passionate the CBH team is about seeing people recover and re-enter the world with more confidence. --- 📞 If you or someone you love is struggling, reach out to Compassion Behavioral Health: 📱 Call or Text: 844-443-5669 🌐 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may --- This is not a quick fix — it's a process. And that's exactly why I'm documenting mine. Drop a comment below if you've ever tried neurofeedback or if you have questions. Let's rise above, together. 🙏 #RiseAbove #KevinLanning #Neurofeedback Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• He Overdosed, Died 3 Times & Woke Up an Amputee | Now He Has 14 Years Sober 16.05.2026 1h 16min

  Kevin Parker had everything stripped from him — his health, his freedom, his leg, and nearly his life. After a night that started with a family intervention and ended with him face-down in his own vomit, Kevin flatlined three times, spent three weeks in a coma, developed sepsis, gangrene in all four limbs, multi-organ failure, and woke up an amputee. The doctors said he'd be brain dead. They said he'd never walk. They said he'd never use his hand again. He proved every single one of them wrong. In this raw and powerful episode of Rise Above, Kevin shares: The morning of his overdose and what led up to it Waking from a coma to find out he'd lost his left leg How he went from atheist to finding God in that hospital bed Learning to walk again in 2 months (doctors said 2 years) How he regained nerve-damaged hand function through sheer will His journey from concrete laborer and drug dealer to certified recovery coach and motivational speaker Why he believes addiction is a spiritual search — not a moral failure If you're in your first 90 days, deep in it, or loving someone who is — this episode is for you. 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week 📲 Follow Kevin Parker: @thekevinjparker (Instagram) | Recovery Warrior 33 (TikTok) 📩 Email: truewarriorssuccess@gmail.com If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may #RiseAbove #AddictionRecovery #SoberLife #RecoveryCoach #OverdoseSurvivor #14YearsSober #Amputee#SecondChance #SobrietyStory #HeroinRecovery #OpioidCrisis #TrueWarrior #RecoveryIsPossible#MentalHealth #SpiritualAwakening #PodcastInterview #RiseAbovePodcast #KevinLanning #KevinParker#OneMoreDay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• From Eating Disorder to 30 Years in Recovery: Trauma, EMDR & Healing 15.05.2026 58min

  In this powerful episode, I sit down with Rachel Pappert Docekal, a recovery advocate and executive at the Hanley Center in West Palm Beach. Rachel opens up about her own 30-year recovery journey — starting with an eating disorder in college, the friends who loved her enough to intervene, and the layers of childhood trauma she's worked through over decades of therapy, including EMDR. We also get into: Why addiction is a brain disease — and why removing the substance alone isn't enough How process addictions (gambling, food, phones) hijack the same dopamine system as drugs The danger of high-THC cannabis and marijuana-induced psychosis Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) — what it is, when it helps, and how to think about it Hanley's groundbreaking 5-day family program and why family support is the #1 relapse prevention tool Kratom, 7-OH, and the next addiction crisis coming for our kids What life in long-term recovery actually looks like Whether you're in recovery, supporting a loved one, or just curious — this one is not to be missed. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may #RecoveryPodcast #AddictionRecovery #RiseAbove #EatingDisorderRecovery #TraumaHealing #EMDR#HanleyCenter #MentalHealth #SubstanceUseDisorder #SoberLife #SoberCurious #FamilyRecovery#MATtreatment #AddictionAwareness #RecoveryIsPossible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• She Married a Drug Dealer in Vegas While Running From Cops | Cocaine Addiction, a Federal Raid & Getting Sober 14.05.2026 51min

  Courtney Janssen grew up in a farm town outside Chicago watching domestic abuse and drinking become "normal." By 12 she had her first drink. By her twenties she was doing cocaine daily to survive double shifts bartending in Nashville. Then she impulsively married a man she barely knew — in Vegas, hours after he fled an undercover detective — and woke up pregnant, broke, and trapped in a verbally abusive marriage while feds surveilled her house. The morning federal agents kicked in her door with guns drawn, her daughter was two months old and she was still breastfeeding. This is the story of how she climbed out of it all — postpartum psychosis, divorce lawyers weaponizing her past, years of sobriety — and is now building a sober nightlife concept in South Florida. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may #sobriety #recoveryispossible #addiction #soberlife #cocainerecovery #postpartumdepression#domesticabuse #survivorstory #mentalhealthmatters #sobercommunity #addictionrecovery #traumarecovery#truecrime #podcast #womeninsober Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Throwing Up Blood & Still Drinking | Stage 4 Cirrhosis, Liver Transplant & 19 Months Sober 12.05.2026 1h 7min

  Chelsea Garber was diagnosed with Stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver — and kept drinking for nine more months. After losing her son, battling drug addiction, surviving 50+ hospital admissions, and being given just three months to live, Chelsea made the hardest decision of her life: she poured out her last drink on September 29th, 2024. Just 80 days after a life-saving liver transplant, she sat down with Kevin Lanning to share the full story — the suicide note she wrote to her daughter, the moment everything changed, and what keeps her fighting every single day with 19 months sober. This is one of the most powerful episodes we've ever done on Rise Above. ⸻ 📲 Follow Chelsea: TikTok: @chelseablake1125 If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may #addiction #recovery #sobriety #livercirrhosis #livertransplant #alcoholism #soberstories #riseabove #mentalhealth #soberlife #alcoholrecovery #cirrhosis #liverDisease #sober #drugsrecovery #recoveryispossible #addictionrecovery #sobertok #kevinlanning #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• I Survived Iraq…Then Crystal Meth Nearly Destroyed My Life | 5 Felonies, Combat Trauma & Finding Sobriety 10.05.2026 1h 7min

  Marine Corps veteran Spencer Jones opens up about surviving combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, battling trauma after leaving the military, and falling into a devastating crystal meth addiction that led to five felonies and complete chaos. After serving over 20 years in the Marines, Spencer struggled with the loss of structure, identity, and purpose once civilian life began. What started as partying quickly spiraled into addiction, arrests, and rock bottom. Today, Spencer is over 3 years sober and now helps others in recovery through his work at Compassion Behavioral Health. In this episode, Spencer shares: Combat trauma and surviving IED attacks in Iraq The mental health struggles veterans face after service How crystal meth addiction took over his life Getting arrested and facing 5 felonies Veterans Court and rebuilding his life Finding purpose through sobriety and helping others recover Spencer now works at Compassion Behavioral Health, the sponsor of Rise Above, where he helps veterans and others struggling with addiction and mental health challenges find recovery and purpose again. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may #AddictionRecovery #MarineVeteran #Sobriety #CrystalMeth #MentalHealth #RecoveryJourney #PTSD #Veterans #RiseAbovePodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Inside a Heroin Addict’s BRUTAL Lifestyle | Joining a Gang, Attempted Murder, Prison & Sobriety 09.05.2026 2h 4min

  Robert Cruz shares his unbelievable story of addiction, gang violence, prison, armed robbery, and ultimately redemption. After losing his brother at 13, Robert turned to drugs and alcohol to numb the pain. What started with marijuana eventually spiraled into heroin addiction, gang life, violent crime, prison sentences, and multiple arrests. Robert opens up about being charged with attempted murder, serving years in prison, robbing people to feed his addiction, and hitting rock bottom after realizing how far heroin had taken him. He also shares the powerful moment that changed everything and how he’s now approaching 16 years sober. This is one of the rawest addiction and recovery stories ever shared on Rise Above. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may #addiction #heroinaddiction #sobriety #prisonstory #recovery #ganglife #mentalhealth #riseabovepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• I Was Drinking a Bottle of Vodka a Day at 20 | Inside a Young Alcoholic’s DOUBLE Life 07.05.2026 1h 4min

  Alkhuzama Zaini shares her powerful story of alcoholism, blackouts, college addiction, mental health struggles, and finding sobriety at a young age. From moving to America from Saudi Arabia, to drinking a bottle of vodka a day at ASU, hiding her addiction from family, terrifying withdrawals, and ultimately rebuilding her life through recovery, this is a raw and honest conversation about Gen Z addiction, validation, isolation, and healing. This episode discusses alcoholism, mental health, blackouts, recovery, relapse, therapy, family dynamics, and the reality of getting sober young. Follow Alkhuzama: TikTok & Instagram: @alkhuzamazaini If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may #addiction #sobriety #alcoholism #recovery #mentalhealth #sober #alcoholaddiction #genz #recoveryjourney #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• I Was an IV Fentanyl Addict | Heroin, Felonies & How I Finally Got Clean 06.05.2026 52min

  Kyle Caughman grew up in a small town with a great family, played sports, and had no trauma… but one decision changed everything. What started with pain pills quickly spiraled into shooting heroin, driving hours to buy drugs, and selling it back in his hometown. As addiction took over, Kyle lost control of his life, faced multiple felonies, lost custody of his son, and found himself trapped in the cycle of fentanyl. “I did a lot of drugs by myself… I’d take a shot and just wake up hours later.” After years of addiction, jail time, and hitting rock bottom, Kyle finally reached a breaking point and chose a different path. Today, he’s over 2 years sober, rebuilding his life, his family, and his future. This is a raw, unfiltered story about heroin, fentanyl, crime, and what it really takes to get clean. If you or someone you love is struggling, this episode could be the wake-up call. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=may #heroinaddiction #fentanyl #addictionrecovery #sobrietyjourney #drugs #recovery #dopestory #cleanandsober #addictionhelp #mentalhealth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• I Was Binge Drinking & Doing Coke… But Was High Functioning | Getting Sober Without a Rock Bottom 05.05.2026 1h 16min

  Rachel Hechtman opens up about her journey from binge drinking, cocaine use, and crippling anxiety to nearly 5 years of sobriety. Unlike many addiction stories, Rachel never had a dramatic rock bottom—but what she did experience was just as powerful: years of guilt, shame, and mental health struggles that slowly became unbearable. From waking up on bathroom floors to battling paranoia and depression, Rachel shares how her breaking point wasn’t one moment—it was the accumulation of pain. In this episode, we dive into: • Why not everyone needs a “rock bottom” to get sober • How alcohol made her anxiety 10x worse • The turning point that changed everything in 2021 • Walking miles through Central Park to fight cravings • Building a sober community from scratch • How she turned her pain into purpose helping others If you’ve ever questioned your relationship with alcohol or felt stuck in the cycle, this episode will hit home. 🎙️ Rachel is now the creator of “Sober in Central Park” and helps others find freedom from addiction. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=april #Sobriety #AddictionRecovery #Alcoholism #MentalHealth #SoberLife #RecoveryJourney #Anxiety #CocaineAddiction #RelapsePrevention #RiseAbove Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Addiction Q&A: Rock Bottom, Relapse, Triggers & Sobriety Truths 03.05.2026 1h 31min

  In this episode, I sit down with Karina Miesner for a raw Q&A covering the most asked questions around addiction, relapse, and sobriety. We break down real experiences from both sides of recovery including rock bottom moments, near relapses, triggers, relationships, trauma, and what actually works when it comes to staying sober. Karina opens up about hitting rock bottom in the ICU with liver disease, while we both share the truth about relapse, shame, and how recovery really happens. If you’re struggling, early in sobriety, or trying to understand addiction, this episode gives you honest, unfiltered answers from people who’ve lived it. Topics include: What rock bottom actually looks like Can you get sober without rehab? Triggers that almost caused relapse Is relapse part of recovery or failure Therapy, trauma, and EMDR Relationships in early sobriety Daily routines that keep us sober Letting go of your old identity This is the conversation people need but rarely hear. Follow Karina Miesner: Instagram: @karinamiesner (update if needed) TikTok: @karinamiesner Full episode based on real Q&A from the Rise Above community If this helped you, share it with someone who needs it. #addictionrecovery #sobrietyjourney #recoveryispossible #mentalhealthmatters #relapseprevention #soberlife #addictionhelp #12steprecovery #traumahealing #recoverycommunity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
• Shooting Heroin in Kensington | I Took a Bus 5 Hours a Day to Get High… From a Normal Childhood 30.04.2026 1h 7min

  Lauren Gaffney shares her raw, unfiltered story of addiction, trauma, and recovery. From a “normal” childhood in the suburbs to taking 5-hour bus rides into Kensington to score drugs, her life spiraled into heroin use, crack addiction, arrests, and years of chaos. After multiple run-ins with the law and waking up to sheriffs at her door, Lauren finally hit a breaking point. This is the story of how addiction took everything… and how she fought her way back to sobriety. If you or someone you love is struggling, this episode could change everything. Lauren Gaffney shares her raw, unfiltered story of addiction, trauma, and recovery. From a “normal” childhood in the suburbs to taking 5-hour bus rides into Kensington to score drugs, her life spiraled into heroin use, crack addiction, arrests, and years of chaos.After multiple run-ins with the law and waking up to sheriffs at her door, Lauren finally hit a breaking point. This is the story of how addiction took everything… and how she fought her way back to sobriety.If you or someone you love is struggling, this episode could change everything. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to my partners at Compassion Behavioral Health. They offer individualized care and a full continuum of treatment. Call or Text: 844-443-5669 Visit: https://compassionbehavioralhealth.com/?utm_source=rise%20above%20with%20kevin%20lanning&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=april #addiction #heroinaddiction #recovery #sobriety #mentalhealth #truecrime #kensingtontheory #drugaddiction #recoveryjourney #riseabove Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices