Libsyn Directory

197 - Getting Hooked On (and Off) Drugs and Drink

Release Date: 11/19/2021

581: Should You Date in Early Recovery? (This Answer Will Surprise You)

Real Recovery Talk

Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBINAR! Getting into a relationship in early recovery can feel amazing… until it quietly becomes the thing that takes you out. In this episode, we talk honestly about why early-recovery relationships are so intense, why they so often end badly, and what actually makes a relationship healthy in long-term sobriety. And we finally share something big with the Real Recovery Talk family: Ben and Destiny are in a committed relationship now. 🎙❤️ We use their story as a real-life example of what can work in...

580: Top 5 Tips To Getting Your Loved One Sober (You Won't Believe This!)

Real Recovery Talk

Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBINAR! Learn how you can stop focusing on your addict loved one and RECLAIM your life back! Join our SKOOL Group: MindPump Media: Join our Big Book Study! Tom IG: Ben IG: RRT IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkpodcast/

579: How To Get Sober In Your 40's (It's Not What You Think!)

Real Recovery Talk

Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? J oin Our FREE WEBINAR! A lot of people think if they haven’t gotten sober by 40, it’s too late. That the damage is done. The truth? It’s not too late — but it is different. In this episode, we break down what it really takes to get sober after 40. From rebuilding your health and relationships to rediscovering your purpose, this conversation is raw, practical, and full of hope. We talk about how to stop comparing your journey to everyone else’s, how to get your body and mind back after years of neglect, and how faith...

578: How Do You Forgive an Addict? Omar El Takrori

Real Recovery Talk

Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBINAR! When your own dad struggles with addiction, it changes everything. In this episode, Omar shares the painful truth about growing up with an alcoholic father — the fear, the confusion, and the faith that eventually brought healing. We talk about what addiction does to families, how faith can transform even the darkest situations, and why true recovery goes far beyond just “getting sober.” Omar opens up about his father’s alcoholism, his mother’s strength, and how God used all of it to shape...

577: Adopted at Birth, Addicted by 12: Rachel’s Fight for Freedom

Real Recovery Talk

Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBINAR! When Rachel was adopted as a baby, she didn’t understand why she felt so different. By age 12, she was already using drugs — searching for a sense of belonging she never felt. For the next 26 years, addiction took everything from her — her health, her peace, her identity. But through it all, she discovered a truth that changed everything In this episode, Rachel shares her powerful story of addiction, adoption, and redemption — from childhood confusion and rebellion to finally finding purpose,...

576: Why Addicts Lie, Guilt-Trip, and Play the Victim (and HOW TO stop it)

Real Recovery Talk

Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBINAR! You’ve probably heard the promises: “I swear I’ll change.” “You don’t trust me?” “If you loved me, you’d help me.” These are phrases many families hear over and over again — and it’s exhausting. In this video, we break down how addicts manipulate the ones who love them most, why it happens, and what you can do to stop getting caught in the emotional trap. This isn’t about blaming or shaming — it’s about understanding the psychology behind addict manipulation so you can finally...

575: Why You Keep Using Even When You Don’t Want To

Real Recovery Talk

🥃 Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBINAR! Why do we keep going back to drugs or alcohol — even when we swear we’re done? In this episode of Real Recovery Talk, Tom, Ben, and Jeff dive deep into the uncomfortable truth: for many, addiction becomes worship. It’s not just about the substances — it’s about what we’re running from, what we’re trying to fill, and the void that only a higher power or spiritual awakening can heal. Jeff, from Reprieve Treatment Center, shares his personal story of overdose, survival, and discovering...

574: What to Expect in Alcohol Rehab (Step by Step Guide)

Real Recovery Talk

Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join our next FREE webinar! We are discussing alcohol treatment. What to know and how to MAKE SURE you get what you need. Contact me: Join our FREE FB Support group!: https://www.facebook.com/groups/realrecoverytalk Download our free guides!: https://www.realrecoverytalk.com/guides

573: Should You Date in Early Sobriety? Ali shares the truth!

Real Recovery Talk

Do you have a family member/loved one srtuggling with addiction? 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/

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/

More Episodes

“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

Episode Links and Resources

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