572: I Stayed Sober 15 Year: Here’s the Methods I Still Use
Real Recovery Talk
Do you have a family member/loved one srtuggling with addiction? Fifteen years. Zero drinks. Thousands of days in recovery. In this special episode of Real Recovery Talk, Tom reflects on what it takes to reach a milestone few ever see: 15 years of continuous sobriety. Treatment Prep Guide: SoberLink: Join our Big Book Study! Join our FREE FB Support group!: Download our free guides!: Tom IG: Ben IG: RRT IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkpodcast/
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571: 5 Hidden Signs of Alcoholism You’re Probably Missing
Real Recovery Talk
Do you have a family member/loved one srtuggling with addiction? Most people think alcoholism is easy to spot — heavy drinking, blackouts, or DUIs. But the truth is, some of the most dangerous signs are the subtle ones you’re probably missing. In this video, I break down five hidden signs of alcoholism that don’t always get talked about but can completely change the way you view addiction. These are the red flags I’ve seen over and over again working with individuals and families for years in the recovery field — and you may even recognize one of them in yourself or someone you...
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570: Firefighter Told He’d Never Ride Again… Alcohol Nearly Killed Him
Real Recovery Talk
Do you have a family member/loved one srtuggling with addiction? In this episode of Real Recovery Talk, we sit down with Mattie Johnson, a firefighter who was told he would never ride a fire truck again. Why? Because alcohol nearly killed him. For years, Mattie lived fast — drinking hard, partying, and pushing his limits while working in the fire service. He ignored repeated warnings from doctors: “If you don’t stop drinking, you’re going to die.” The wake-up calls came in the form of multiple ICU visits, coughing up blood, and finally stage 4 liver failure. At one point,...
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569: She Got Sober Without Treatment: Here’s How
Real Recovery Talk
Do you have a family member/loved one srtuggling with addiction? In this episode of Real Recovery Talk, Tom and Ben sit down with Franchesca, who shares her powerful story of getting clean without traditional addiction treatment. After multiple failed attempts at rehab, Franchesca found recovery in the rooms of a 12-step fellowship — and she’s been clean for 13 years. This conversation dives into her early struggles, being a teen mom, losing and regaining custody of her son, detoxing without medical help, and how community, surrender, and honesty saved her life. Whether you’re in...
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568: Big Book Study: A Vision for you
Real Recovery Talk
Do you have a family member/loved one who struggles with addiction?: In today’s episode, Erik takes us through A Vision For You from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous Treatment Prep Guide: SoberLink: Join our Big Book Study! Join our FREE FB Support group!: Download our free guides!: Tom IG: Ben IG: RRT IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkpodcast/
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567: We want to OFFER YOU MORE with less...
Real Recovery Talk
Do you have someone in your life that struggles with addiction and you feel lost or alone? Join us here! We are excited for this new adventure, and freaked out a little bit too! 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe for more real conversations about addiction, recovery, and hope. 📩 Questions or need help? Reach out: [email protected]
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566: Pregnant and Addicted: Why There’s No Help for Women
Real Recovery Talk
Do you have someone in your life that struggles with addiction and you feel lost or alone? Join us here! What happens when a woman struggling with addiction becomes pregnant — and discovers there are little to no resources to help her? In this episode of Real Recovery Talk, Tom and Ben sit down with Heather, a researcher and advocate, to unpack the hidden struggles women face when battling addiction, especially during pregnancy. From stigma and lack of support to how treatment centers and families can respond, this conversation pulls back the curtain on an issue most people never talk...
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565: Big Book Study: Working with others Part 2
Real Recovery Talk
Do you have a family member/loved one who struggles with addiction?: In today’s episode, Erik takes us through Working with Others: Part 2 from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous Treatment Prep Guide: SoberLink: Join our Big Book Study! Join our FREE FB Support group!: Download our free guides!: Tom IG: Ben IG: RRT IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkpodcast/
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564: Build Your Sobriety Like a Business
Real Recovery Talk
Do you have a family member/loved one srtuggling with addiction? I was listening to a guy on a podcast talk about what it really takes to build a successful business. He said most entrepreneurs spend the first few years working seven days a week, sixteen hours a day, pouring absolutely everything into it. And I thought—man, that’s exactly what early sobriety should look like. You get out what you put in. If you treat your recovery like it’s part-time, you’re going to get part-time results. But if you go all-in, the payoff is massive. So today, we are breaking down three...
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563: Make your sobriety count! George Graduated with 2 Masters Degrees!
Real Recovery Talk
Do you have a family member/loved one srtuggling with addiction? In this episode of Real Recovery Talk, we sit down with George, who recently graduated with not one — but two master’s degrees. His story is a powerful reminder that getting clean and sober isn’t the end of the road — it’s the start of an entirely new life. George opens up about his journey through addiction, the turning points that led him to sobriety, and how he’s used his recovery as a launching pad for personal and professional transformation. From rebuilding his self-worth to achieving academic excellence,...
info_outline“I have a purpose today, and I feel God steps in my life a lot and he was telling me to have courage and be fearless.” -Ira
Today, Ben and I chatted with Ira, who’s a real deal addict. He’s had a ton of health issues like cancer, diabetes, and even facing death as a result of his drug and alcohol addiction. But he managed to turn his life around and now he’s going on two years sober! Listen in as he talks about getting addicted, how he overcame it, and all the people who helped save his life along the way.
Struggling to Find His Place
Growing up in the 70s as half Irish and half Vietnamese, Ira felt like he never fit in anywhere. He went through some verbal and physical abuse at an early age.
In seventh grade at age 13, he picked up his first beer and smoked dope for the first time. By age 15, he was an IV drug user and hooked on cocaine and opiates. Then he dropped out of high school with only a 9th-grade education and eventually became a convicted felon in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida.
Years after his father passed away from cirrhosis, Ira turned to heavy drinking. “I drank alcoholically because I was searching for the high from dope and pills or whatever it may be, and I wasn’t getting it.”
This led to frequent illness and hospital visits that did nothing to help his addiction... until a pivotal low point marked the real beginning of his turbulent recovery.
Helping Others in Recovery
After a lot of pain and uncertainty about where his life was headed, Ira has taken up a mantle that not many sober people choose. He shares his story in hopes of helping others recover from their addictions. Through his own experience of 35 years and newfound faith, he meets great people in places like hospitals, treatment centers, and psyche wards. Ira knows the importance of having a supportive person or group on the road to sobriety.
Check out our website, where you can download episodes with helpful information for those in recovery and their families. Share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review!
Show Highlights
[05:26] What made Ira swear off heavy drinking for 13 years
[07:26] How he got high on alcohol and drugs at the same time
[10:49] Frequent hospital visits as an easy way to get a fix
[14:11] Why the substance of choice plays a minor part in addiction overall
[18:46] Ira’s downturn before the turnaround
[29:36] An intervention that led to him getting treatment for his health problems
[40:04] The place and the meeting that ended up saving his life
[46:58] How the last few months of Ira’s life have changed
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Podcast editing and show notes by Pro Podcast Solutions