Recovery Unfiltered

he conversation covers the journey of faith, trust, and overcoming doubt in the context of recovery and sobriety. It delves into the significance of milestones, reflections on serenity, and the role of God in the recovery process. The discussion also explores the challenges of facing doubt and fear, and the importance of self-awareness and prayer in navigating these obstacles. The conversation delves into the themes of finding forgiveness, embracing emotional bottom, and the power of sobriety. It explores the journey of forgiveness and the emotional impact of personal struggles, as well as the transformative power of sobriety and faith...

# Navigating Empathy in Recovery: Insights from Real Conversations

Discover how empathy evolves in recovery. Learn compassionate insights and practical advice from real-life experiences shared on the Recovery Unfiltered Podcast.

When we talk about recovery, one question often arises: "How does empathy change as we navigate our journey?" In this post, we’ll explore insights from a recent episode of the Recovery Unfiltered Podcast, where hosts delve into the nature of empathy and its impact on recovery, sharing personal stories and practical advice for those on the same path.

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Brandon brings his son to the studio to talk thru the stuggles of having an alcoholic as a father and working through sobriety.

Kurt ,Rob , Katie & Larry relive the last few months of Kurts journey to the bottom. We also talk about Kurt finding sobriety with his relationship with God.

Rob & Larry are joined with Katie, We walk through the steps and break them down.. Listen to Rob and Katie dominate the show and not let Larry speak ..

We talk with Concetta about cliques in AA and do they exist. If they do how does an new person new to AA navigate them.

Come and listen to us talk about the corruption in Recovery centers. Concetta returns to discuss what she has seen in her years of working in the,

This conversation delves into the personal journeys of recovery, focusing on the struggles and triumphs faced by individuals overcoming addiction. It highlights the importance of choices, faith, and community support in the recovery process, as well as the impact of childhood experiences on adult behavior. The discussion also emphasizes the significance of sharing stories to inspire and help others on their recovery journeys. In this episode of the Recovery Unfiltered Podcast, the hosts delve into the struggles of alcoholism, the impact of trauma and loss, and the journey to sobriety. They discuss the importance of community, acceptance, and personal...

Summary

In this conversation, the speakers delve into their personal journeys of recovery from alcoholism, discussing the importance of spirituality, the 12 steps, and the role of fear and respect in their lives. They share insights on navigating relationships during sobriety and the significance of self-reflection and personal growth. The dialogue emphasizes the need for honesty, accountability, and the willingness to confront one's fears and limitations in the pursuit of a healthier life. This conversation delves into the complexities of trust, leadership, self-love, and the impact of sobriety on relationships. The speakers share personal experiences...

Summary

In this episode of the Recovery Unfiltered Podcast, hosts Larry and Rob reflect on their journey through recovery in 2025, sharing personal stories, insights, and the importance of community support. They discuss the role of honesty in recovery, the impact of women in the recovery community, and the significance of healing relationships. The conversation highlights transformative stories from guests, the challenges faced in recovery, and the steps that guide individuals towards healing. With humor and sincerity, the hosts emphasize the power of sharing experiences and the ongoing journey of recovery.

This conversation delves into the complex journey of addiction, exploring themes of power, control, and the impact of childhood experiences on adult behavior. The speaker shares personal stories of navigating adolescence, early sexual experiences, and the challenges of relationships within the context of addiction. The discussion highlights the cyclical nature of substance abuse, the struggle for autonomy, and the difficult path toward seeking help and recovery, culminating in the unexpected challenges of pregnancy during addiction. This conversation delves into the complex journey of addiction, recovery, and personal growth. The speaker shares their experiences with pregnancy, abortion, and the emotional...

Summary

This conversation delves into the personal recovery journeys of the speakers, highlighting the challenges and triumphs faced along the way. From childhood experiences that shaped their relationship with alcohol to the complexities of family dynamics, the discussion emphasizes the importance of community, support, and the ongoing journey of sobriety. The speakers share their stories of resilience, the impact of addiction on their lives, and the hope found in recovery and connection with others. This conversation delves into the personal journeys of recovery from alcoholism, exploring the complexities of relationships, the importance of support...

Dustin C shares his story of experience strength and hope. 14 years sober and he is still finding grace each day,

Rob and I go one on one for a new years Eve event. We talk about Life events and the struggles of recognizing God at work in your life.

Westside John is back. We catch up with John after his marriage to Heather ( #8 is a bitch ) and we work through a few holiday encouragements.. Reach us at recoveryunfilteredpodcast@gmail.com

Ashley is back with us for a Topic and a bit more of her story. we look forward to working with you more Ashley Thank You

Ashley comes in to tell her story about loss and redemption with every aspect of her heart.

In this episode of the Recovery Unfiltered Podcast, the hosts discuss the challenges of navigating sobriety during the holiday season. They share personal experiences and insights on how to cope with the pressures of family gatherings, the importance of community support, and strategies for maintaining sobriety. The conversation emphasizes the need for planning, setting boundaries, and embracing new traditions while staying connected to one's recovery journey.

Summary

In this episode of the Recovery Unfiltered Podcast, the hosts engage in a heartfelt discussion with guest John Kay, exploring themes of recovery, forgiveness, and the lessons learned from near-death experiences. They reflect on the importance of love, joy, and presence in life, while also addressing regrets and the impact of addiction on relationships and parenting. The conversation emphasizes the role of spirituality in recovery and the significance of open communication with loved ones.

n this episode of the Recovery Unfiltered podcast, John K shares his profound journey through addiction, recovery, and the impact of relationships on his sobriety. From a life-changing incident in his youth to the gradual evolution of his drinking habits, John reflects on the pivotal moments that shaped his path. He discusses the importance of community, the role of prayer, and the struggles with resentments in his relationships. As he navigates the challenges of alcoholism, including a relapse during the COVID-19 pandemic, John emphasizes the significance of support systems and honesty in the recovery process. His story is one...

In this episode of the Recovery Unfiltered Podcast, the hosts engage in a heartfelt conversation about the importance of acceptance in recovery and life. They reflect on previous episodes, share personal updates, and discuss the challenges and triumphs of living a sober life. The discussion emphasizes the need for acceptance as a tool for overcoming difficulties and fostering personal growth, while also highlighting the significance of being present in the moment.

We finish Nathans story from Episode 38.. These stories are why we do this podcast..

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One prayer. One big win. A thousand bad bets. This week we sit with a story that refuses to blink: from a first jackpot and comped rooms to forged signatures, meth-fueled investigations, DUIs, and a 400-foot plunge that somehow wasn’t the end. The chase for the next high becomes a full-time job—slots, credit kiting, Costco rug scams, fake IDs—until the truth finally breaks through in a courtroom where a judge gives one last chance and honesty becomes the only strategy left.

We walk through the parts that rarely get ai...

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A quiet prayer sets the tone, then the truth rushes in. We sit with Concetta as she maps a childhood of tight control and big love, school years tangled by dyslexia and undiagnosed ADHD, and a relentless need to be seen that bloomed into bulimia and blackout drinking. No melodrama, just the kind of detail you only share when you’re done hiding: raisins in the lunchbox while everyone else had Ding Dongs, a first drunk that turned into a public spectacle, and the way shame can feel like destiny when approval seems ti...

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What if the thing you’re most afraid to say is the exact key that unlocks your freedom? That’s where we start: with a prayer, an intention to be real, and the kind of honesty that makes sobriety livable at home, not just in a meeting.

We trace the Big Book’s roots back to the Sermon on the Mount, 1 Corinthians 13, and the Book of James to show why action-based faith beats white-knuckling every time. Step One gets clarified—powerless and unmanageable are two different admissions—and Steps Four and Five come...

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A wedding speech that kept getting soaked with tears. A 911 call that saved a friend who doesn’t remember it. A sponsor who hits a wall because “please in the morning, thank you at night” turned into “I’ll get to it later.” This one is unfiltered and full-hearted. We invited our wives back to talk about what balance really costs in recovery, marriage, and work—and how gratitude becomes more than a feeling when God moves to the center of the room.

We trace the arc from rehab to real life: why plan...

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The path to genuine freedom in sobriety often runs through our most difficult relationships. In this raw and moving conversation, we explore the transformative power of making amends—not just as a step in recovery, but as a profound act of healing that ripples beyond ourselves.

Our guests share deeply personal stories of reconnecting with ex-spouses after years of separation. One describes flying across the country for a five-minute conversation that changed everything, while another recounts finding the perfect moment at a funeral to finally take responsibility for past mistakes. These st...

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What happens when faith meets addiction recovery? Kat's story is a powerful testament to finding freedom through both spiritual awakening and the 12-step program. With raw honesty, she shares her journey from teenage drinking to maintaining a decade of sobriety—revealing the complex dance between faith, fellowship, and personal accountability.

Kat takes us through her early years when alcohol first made her feel comfortable in her own skin, through her development of a "double life" as a high-achieving student who partied in secret. Her story pivots when she finds Christianity at 18, ex...

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What happens when life goes sideways in recovery? When carefully laid plans crumble and unexpected tragedy strikes? Jason returns to Recovery Unfiltered to share a raw, emotional story that tests the limits of "living life on life's terms."

The journey begins with Jason's excitement about attending the International AA Convention in Vancouver—his first since getting sober. But as his departure approaches, warning signs appear: canceled accommodations, vanishing flights, and transportation nightmares. Despite these obstacles, Jason presses forward, feeling obligated to the friends he'd encouraged to join him.

Then co...

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Finding peace amid the chaos of your own mind might be recovery's greatest challenge. In this eye-opening episode, Stefani shares her remarkable journey from addiction to awakening, revealing how the 12 Steps silenced the cruel voices that had dominated her thoughts for years.

"The steps removed so many voices in my head that I didn't know existed until they were gone," Stefani reflects, describing the vicious internal dialogue that kept her trapped in patterns of self-hatred long before substances entered the picture. Her story illuminates how isolation becomes both symptom and perpetuator...

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What begins as an ordinary story of teenage experimentation spirals into a harrowing journey through addiction's darkest corners. Stefani—raised in a loving, stable home with law enforcement connections—never imagined she'd become trapped in a cycle of heroin dependency and sex trafficking. Yet one casual drug experience in high school set her on a path that would ultimately cost her everything.

With remarkable candor, Stefani reveals how her "bar kept lowering" after each boundary she crossed. From a promising softball scholarship to being sexually assaulted on campus, from losing custody of h...

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Ever wonder what truly protects us from relapse? It's not white-knuckling through triggers or avoiding life's challenges – it's something far more powerful.

The conversation dives deep into the nature of fear in recovery, specifically the fear of relapse that haunts many on the sobriety journey. Through candid personal stories and powerful insights from both recovery literature and lived experience, we explore how faith serves as the antidote to fear. As one participant powerfully states, "Faith means courage. All men of faith have courage, not fear."

We unpack the crucial di...

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What happens when the weight of trauma becomes too heavy to bear? In this raw and deeply moving episode, we sit down with Jim, a retired Assistant Fire Chief with 33 years of service, who takes us through his harrowing journey with alcoholism, PTSD, and ultimately, a suicide attempt that changed everything.

Jim's story begins in a large Irish Catholic family where drinking was normalized from an early age. By 13, he was already developing a relationship with alcohol that would follow him through high school, college, and into his career as a...

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Shawn shares his journey from growing up in a household where drinking was normalized to finding sobriety and reconciliation with his oldest daughter after years of addiction and separation.

• First introduced to alcohol at age five when his mother gave him Schlitz malt liquor for a head injury
• Military career cut short after testing positive for cocaine, returned home to continue cycle of addiction
• Made the devastating choice to step away from his daughter's life when she was six years old
• Hit rock bottom after experiencing hallucinations during a metham...

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What happens when our emotional development gets frozen by addiction? How do we learn to process feelings we've been numbing for decades? This powerful episode brings together voices of lived experience and professional expertise to explore the profound connection between mental health and recovery.

The conversation begins with a fascinating examination of perspective in sobriety. Rob shares his belief that he's never had "bad days" in recovery, only "hard days" – a cognitive reframe that Dr. Rachel identifies as precisely the kind of thought pattern adjustment that helps people heal from depression. Th...

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When Stefani stepped onto the softball field at Sacramento State on scholarship, no one could have predicted the dark journey ahead. Her story shatters the myth that sex trafficking only happens to certain types of people from certain backgrounds.

Raised in a loving home with a law enforcement family, Stefani's path to addiction began subtly through a high school relationship. What started as experimental pill use spiraled after a sexual assault left her traumatized and withdrawn from college. Without support, she found herself gravitating toward increasingly dangerous situations and substances.
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Shawn shares his powerful journey from childhood exposure to alcohol through addiction, military service, and ultimate redemption through sobriety and family reconciliation.

• Grew up with normalized drinking in his household from age five
• Joined the Army at 23 partly to escape his destructive lifestyle
• Faced consequences for drug use during military service but continued pattern after discharge
• Lost relationship with his oldest daughter during active addiction years
• Experienced profound moment of clarity that led him to seek treatment
• Met his wife Mary after getting sober, creating a foundation f...

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The mountains speak to us in recovery. That special place where rivers merge becomes a profound metaphor for the spiritual transformation we undergo in sobriety—where God enables us to "match calamity with serenity." One host shares how returning to this sacred spot after gaining sobriety brought tears of gratitude rather than just momentary escape.

What does love truly mean in recovery? Before sobriety, many of us believed we understood love, but as one host powerfully states, "I didn't know what love was until I got sober." Through working the steps an...

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What do you do when you can't directly make amends to someone you've hurt long ago? How do you release the guilt of harmful words spoken decades in the past? These questions haunt many in recovery, and in this episode, we unpack the transformative power of "living amends."

The conversation begins with Larry sharing highlights from an AA convention in Canada, where a speaker's powerful message resonated deeply: "Higher powers will happen with or without me. Alcoholics Anonymous and the third step in particular is the invitation for me to get...

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What happens when a homeless alcoholic who had resigned himself to "drinking and drugging to death" finds recovery and transforms his life completely? Paul  story answers this question with raw honesty and profound hope.

Paul takes us through his journey from a childhood of constant relocations to his early drinking at age 13, through failed suicide attempts, living in his car, and abandoning his family—to eventually finding recovery in 1988. With unflinching candor, he describes the moment he experienced clinical death during a suicide attempt while in the Navy, floating above his bod...