Recoverycast: Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Stories

Epizodai

• 
  Jenna Foster | Alcohol, Xanax, & Meth Recovery to Treatment Advocate 29.07.2026 1val 11min

  In this powerful episode of Recoverycast, Jenna Foster shares her journey from childhood trauma and prescription drug misuse to lasting sobriety. Growing up as the child of a mother battling severe alcoholism, Jenna learned early on to suppress her emotions and act as the family peacemaker. When she began drinking at age 18, she found instant relief from anxiety, which eventually escalated into prescription Xanax misuse, poly-substance use, and a short struggle with meth. After facing two arr...
• 
  Victor "The Good Boss" Oliveira | Percocet Misuse, Incarceration, & Fresh Start Founder 22.07.2026 48min

  From Boston nightlife and drug dealing to surviving prison and founding Fresh Start, Victor Oliveira ("The Good Boss") shares his sobriety story. Find mental health and addiction treatment near you: https://recovery.com/ In this inspiring episode of Recoverycast, Victor Oliveira sits down with host Brittani to recount his journey from dropping out of high school and navigating heavy substance use in the Boston club scene to facing state prison time. Victor opens up about experiencing pain...
• 
  Louis Ruggiero | Sports Betting, $1 Million in Debt, & The Addiction With the Highest Suicide Rate 15.07.2026 1val 20min

  Louis Ruggiero shares his powerful journey from severe substance use and $1M in gambling debt to finding true freedom through recovery. As the son of a prominent New York news anchor, Louis opens up about his hidden battles with Xanax, alcohol, Roxy 30s, and a destructive compulsive gambling habit that pushed him to the absolute brink. Find mental health and addiction treatment near you: https://recovery.com/ In this vulnerable episode of Recoverycast, we explore how a substance use dis...
• 
  Jess Gustin | The Tired Mom on White-Knuckling Postpartum Depression & Spousal Sobriety 08.07.2026 1val

  What happens when you're battling severe postpartum depression while your partner is secretly struggling with alcohol and pills? In this moving episode of Recovery Cast, hosts Brittany Baynard and Sam Roberts sit down with Jess Gustin, widely known on social media as "The Tired Mom." Jess opens up about the invisible challenges of loving someone through substance use and navigating her own severe mental health battles. She shares her raw experience with postpartum depression, the isolation of...
• 
  Jon Gustin | 'The Tired Dad' on Finding Sobriety After Cocaine, Meth, & Alcohol Abuse 01.07.2026 59min

  Can vulnerable parenting heal a lifetime of hidden substance use? Jon Gustin shares his raw journey from teenage substance abuse to long-term sobriety. In this deeply moving episode of Recoverycast, hosts Brittany Baynard and Sam Roberts sit down with Jon Gustin, the creator behind The Tired Dad. Jon opens up about his early experimentation with prescription stimulants at age 13, experiencing severe alcohol poisoning in high school, and navigating a dark path involving cocaine, meth, and pres...
• 
  Casey Johnson | F Boy Island, Alcohol Abuse, & Sobriety Recovery 24.06.2026 1val 3min

  F Boy Island star Casey Johnson gets vulnerable about his hidden cycle of binge drinking, cocaine use, and his powerful journey to true sobriety. In this deeply moving episode of Recoverycast, reality TV star Casey Johnson opens up about the dark side of sudden fame, mental health challenges, and substance use. From his college baseball days to starring on multiple seasons of F Boy Island, Casey used alcohol and cocaine as a crutch to escape mild OCD, severe anxiety, and crippling panic atta...
• 
  Andrew Barr Returns | Sobriety, Stand-Up, & a 100km Treadmill Challenge 17.06.2026 37min

  Can running 12 hours on a treadmill mirror the trap of active substance dependency? Andrew Barr shares his powerful journey to long-term sobriety. Find mental health and addiction treatment near you: https://recovery.com/ In this deeply inspiring episode of Recoverycast, Canadian stand-up comedian Andrew Barr returns to discuss his powerful recovery journey after navigating 12 years of alcohol dependency and substance misuse. Celebrating over three and a half years of freedom, Andrew op...
• 
  Ripley Coope | Binge Drinking, Severe Anxiety, & Choosing Sobriety at 19 10.06.2026 1val 17min

  Can you survive severe binge drinking and trauma in college Greek life? Ripley Coope chose sobriety at 19 and is now a youth recovery advocate. In this deeply moving episode of Recoverycast, we sit down with public relations graduate and young adult recovery advocate Ripley Coope. Ripley shares her raw, inspiring journey navigating inherited mental illness, childhood eating restrictions, major depression, severe anxiety, and hidden solo alcoholism while maintaining a seemingly perfect front i...
• 
  David Millar | From Cocaine, Adderall, & Alcohol Addiction to Elite Ultra Runner & Med Student 03.06.2026 52min

  What happens when you trade drug-induced psychosis for medical school and 100-mile ultra marathons? David Millar shares his raw journey. In this moving episode of Recoverycast, hosts Sam Roberts and Brittany Baynard sit down with future neurosurgeon, elite ultra runner, and recovery advocate David Millar to explore his transformation from severe substance use disorder to extreme high-performance living. David opens up about growing up around family alcoholism , experiencing the instant relief...
• 
  Maggie Eats | Adderall Misuse, Alcohol Dependence & The Path to Radical Honesty 27.05.2026 38min

  What happens when a popular foodie mom's secret struggle with prescription pills and alcohol catches up to her? In this episode of Recoverycast, we sit down with culinary creator Maggie Eats to explore her powerful addiction recovery journey. Maggie opens up about how balancing early motherhood and college led to abusing Adderall, navigating the chaotic world of doctor shopping, and eventually turning to alcohol as a dangerous coping mechanism when her prescription access vanished. Her authen...
• 
  Justin Krompier | Heroin, ADHD Stimulants, & The Sacred Mosaic of Recovery 20.05.2026 1val

  Justin Krompier was once a "shell of a human being," trapped in a cycle of heroin addiction and the long-term effects of childhood-prescribed stimulants. In this episode of Recoverycast, Justin joins hosts Brittani Baynard and Sam Roberts to share his profound transformation from a sedentary life of manipulation and isolation to becoming a celebrated photographer, filmmaker, and endurance athlete. Justin opens up about his early introduction to pharmaceuticals after an ADHD diagnosis at age ...
• 
  Lacey Spence | Overcoming Opioid Addiction, Prison, & Restoring Her Family 13.05.2026 1val

  Lacey Spence survived a childhood of foster care, an illegal "girls' home" in Mexico, and a harrowing journey through the prison system to build a life defined by radical resilience. After being abandoned by her mother and losing both her mother and sister to suicide, Lacey’s path led from prescribed Percocet to a "rolling ball of disaster" involving heroin, meth, and high-stakes robbery. Today, she is a professional dental assistant, a wife, and a mother who successfully fought to restore he...
• 
  Reno | From Rave Influencer to Sober Movement Advocate: Overcoming Trauma & Bipolar 06.05.2026 1val 1min

  From rave influencer to sober advocate, Reno (@CherryEmojiGirl) gets radically honest about the "cringe" and beauty of recovery. Reno shares her intense journey through polysubstance addiction, including alcohol, cocaine, ketamine, and whippets, while navigating the highs of Southern California's rave scene. She opens up about the deep-seated trauma of being adopted out at birth after her biological mother was convicted of child abuse related to Munchausen by proxy. Reno also discusses the co...
• 
  Riley Whelan Returns | Alcoholism, Relapse & the Path to Emotional Sobriety 29.04.2026 37min

  Coming up on three years of sobriety, Riley Whelan returns to Recoverycast to share the profound shift from "not drinking" to achieving true emotional sobriety. After a public journey through addiction and a humbling relapse, Riley discusses the reality of rebuilding a life, the anxiety of the "three-year itch," and why she transitioned from a chaotic lifestyle to finding peace in Saturday nights at home. Find mental health and addiction treatment near you: https://recovery.com/ In this episo...
• 
  Samuel Harness | The Voice, Acid, & Fatherhood-Driven Sobriety 23.04.2026 1val 5min

  Singer-songwriter Samuel Harness, known for his breakout performance on Season 21 of The Voice, joins Recoverycast to share the raw reality of his journey through addiction recovery and childhood trauma. In this vulnerable episode, Samuel discusses the long-term impact of sexual assault, the complexities of being an adoptee, and the intense pressure of the music industry. From navigating anxiety and depression to his experiences with Adderall, alcohol, and psychedelics, Samuel illustrates how...
• 
  David Manheim | Heroin Recovery, Grief, & Building the Dopey Nation 15.04.2026 54min

  From interviewing Coldplay while high to losing his best friend and co-host to a fatal relapse, David Manheim reveals the raw, unfiltered truth about heroin addiction and the grit required for long-term recovery. As the creator of the legendary Dopey podcast, David spent two decades navigating the "frantic energy" of a career at MTV and the legendary tables of Katz’s Deli while battling a severe substance use disorder. In this moving episode of Recoverycast, David discusses the "war stories"...
• 
  Gabe Pietrafesa | Alcoholism, Cocaine Recovery, & Choosing the Band Over the Bottle 08.04.2026 53min

  Can you still be funny—or even be yourself—without the substance? Gabe Pietrafesa, longtime guitarist for Young Culture and host of the Trapped on the Internet podcast, joins Recoverycast to share his vulnerable journey through the high-pressure world of the music industry and the internal battle for self-worth.. Gabe opens up about growing up as a "chameleon" and a people-pleaser, navigating a childhood shaped by divorce and a complicated relationship with his father's drinking.. What starte...
• 
  Lucas Curtin | Grief & Loss, Alcohol Addiction, & The Power of Friendship 01.04.2026 34min

  How do you keep going when the person you love most suddenly disappears? Lucas Curtin (known online as Fitzgerald Checksworth) opens up about the intersection of cyclical alcohol struggle, sudden grief, and the "snap" in the brain that changed everything. In this vulnerable episode, Lucas shares his journey from being the high school "class clown" to using alcohol to "shut up the voices" of deep-seated anxiety and depression. He recounts the heartbreaking loss of his girlfriend, Marissa, who ...
• 
  Ryan Hampton | OxyContin & Heroin Addiction to Mobilize Recovery Founder 25.03.2026 58min

  From walking the halls of the White House to facing homelessness due to a severe OxyContin and heroin addiction, Ryan Hampton’s story is unforgettable. Ryan Hampton was a rising political organizer and White House staffer when a hiking injury introduced him to highly addictive prescription opioids like Dilaudid and OxyContin. What started as a doctor-prescribed treatment quickly spiraled into a decade-long struggle with opioid use disorder, leading him to the streets and eventually to heroin...
• 
  Patrick Custer | Alcoholism, Delirium Tremens & Facing a Brain Tumor 18.03.2026 41min

  What do you do when the very thing you have feared since you were three years old actually happens—and you have to face it while five years sober? In this episode of RecoveryCast, Brittany Barnard talks with recovery advocate and media personality Patrick Custer about his intense journey through alcohol addiction and a life-altering medical crisis. Patrick opens up about a childhood shaped by hypervigilance and a "fear of God" that led to chronic anxiety. He describes how his first drink didn...