The Way Out Podcast

In this edition of The Way Out, Co-host extraordinaire Jason brings us a tremendous interview with person in long term recovery Tim Lodgen.Tim works with a number of great recovery organizations and has a story that reminds us that the disease of addiction does not discriminate! By all accounts he should have never ended up with substance use disorder. But it took him into his own personal hell and tore him all the way down. Today, Tim is an international speaker, advocating for PTSD, mental health, and addiction awareness! There’s no doubt you all will appreciate his story, as he tells it so eloquently. The vulnerability and strength come through in a powerful way and we’re so grateful that Tim took the time to share his story on this here episode that’s about to unfold before your very ears so listen up. Contact Tim on Instagram - @tlodgen   Recovery literature (quit-lit) recommendation: Drop the Rock: Removing Character Defects - Steps Six and Seven: P., Bill, Todd Weber, S., Sara: 9781592851614: Amazon.c

In this edition of The Way Out I’m honored and humbled to bring you my interview with Certified peer recovery specialist, Certified Peer specialist, forensic peer support specialist, Host of the Rise up Hour at WFNU Frogtown Radio, WRAP One facilitator, person in long term recovery, and my friend and brother in Recovery Muhannah Kakish. Muhannah sincerely, openly, and unflinchingly delivers us his journey to and through Recovery to this point and his accompanying message that Recovery from substance use disorder and compulsive gambling is possible and totally and utterly worth it. An additional word of warning, this episode contains discussions of sexual violence, self-harm and suicide. If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call or text 988. One of the most instructive elements of Muhannah’s story is his experience with compulsive gambling after being in Recovery from substance use disorder for a considerable length of time. Many of us have or may encounter a problem with anoth

In this rendition of The Way Out, I’m ecstatic to bring you my interview with two persons in long term recovery and the co-founders of Recess Games, Alex Peacock and Nolan Wright. The mission of Recess Games is to pair those in the community with people in recovery who are seeking healthy avenues to have good clean fun while building a meaningful and purposeful life. The mission of Recess Games is near and dear to our hearts here at The Way Out, as we know how essential connection, community, purpose, and fun are to promoting meaningful and sustainable Recovery. Nolan and Alex each share their respective journeys to and through Recovery to this point with us in the inspirational and candid fashion, which is just the way we like roll here on The Way Out Podcast. Their respective experiences both prior to and in Recovery share much in common and perhaps most instructive is what is unique about their experiences as they entered and traversed their early Recovery. Nolan had a spectacular spiritual experience foll

In this edition of The Way Out I’m pleased to bring you my interview with Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, person in long term recovery and author of several books on addiction and recovery including his newest offering, Mommy's Getting Sober: A children's picture book that also includes a caregiver's guide to talking to kids about addiction Casey Arrillaga. Casey shared his journey to and through recovery in greater depth and about his prior book on an earlier episode of The Way Out, which turned out to be a phenomenal interview so do check the show notes for a handy link to the aforementioned episode. Casey’s newest addition to his recovery literature repertoire fills two important gaps in the quit-lit space. First, it’s a children’s picture book with an accompanying caregiver’s guide that aims, as Casey so eloquently puts it, to aid families in interrupting harmful generational patterns resulting from addiction and alcoholism. Second and as impactful, is

In this edition of The Way Out I’m pleased to bring you my interview with Podcast Host, Sober Coach and Author of Sober Vibes: A Guide to Thriving in Your First Three Months Without Alcohol, Courtney Anderson. Courtney shares her journey to and through Recovery to this point with us in inspiring fashion, which makes sense for a woman who hosts a recovery podcast, wrote a recovery book and started the national sober day movement. Courtney’s book fills a key gap in the quit-lit space in that it focuses on the first 90 days of sobriety, a critical time for anyone who’s beginning their sobriety journey. Her book is very much a field guide and how to manual for your first 90 days, which is all about action, and action my fellow brothers and sisters is what gets us and keeps us sober and of equal importance, well. Actions saved my life in the beginning and keeps me well today, not my brain which was sabotaging me for far too long. One action I know you’ll be glad you took is listening to this tremendous interview w

In this rendition of The Way Out I’m pleased to bring you my interview with engineer, husband, brother, son, Person in long term recovery, and Author of the book Clean: the (mis)adventures of an alcoholic drug addict, Michael Rebellino. Michael shares his journey to and through Recovery to this point with us in humble and honest fashion and about the aforementioned book he authored which offers readers insight into the pain and struggle that is addiction and alcoholism and hope that Recovery is not just possible, it’s absolutely worth it. Micheal’s message to readers is this: Whoever you are and whatever you’re going through, you’re not alone. And there is hope. There is always hope. He truly believes if his story helps even just one person see that and believe that, it’ll all be worth it.  Similarly, this here interview with Michael Rebellino is worth every second of your time so listen up. Contact Michael and learn more about Clean: the (mis)adventures of an alcoholic drug addict: https://www.michaelrebelli

In this edition of The Way Out returning contributor NickWarnke, myself and cohost Jason bring you an illuminating and instructive discussion on Shadow Work in Recovery. A quick note about the subject matter and content of this episode. Specifically, some specific memories about childhood sexual trauma were discussed. I edited out some of the most graphic content, for everyone’s protection as one of the specific memories evoked was mine and Jason shared a memory of his own. The memory I shared has been on my heart and mind of late, which is coming up in a season of significant change for your truly. Still please be advised this episode does contain some brief descriptions of sexual trauma. There’s a whole lot else in this episode including a great explainer of what Shadow Work is, why it’s helpful for us in Recovery, our personal experiences around Shadow Work in our individual recoveries, and some practical information about how to start your own Shadow Work journey so listen up. Shadow Work Resources: Healt

In this rendition of The Way Out I’m ecstatic to bring you my interview with person in long term recovery and loyal listener of this podcast, CC. CC shares his journey to and through Recovery to this point with us with an enthusiasm and candor that’s as relatable as it is inspiring. As most of you well know by now, we here at The Way Out Podcast are tireless advocates that all pathways to Recovery are valid and worth elevating. CC recovered through Smart Recovery, which as we learn has many parallels to the 12 Steps and indeed other recovery pathways. One of the biggest recovery truths that came out of CC’s recovery story is that in many ways we have a relationship with our substance of choice, one that in one way or another starts out at least in part beneficially. Maybe we like the way we feel when we use it better than when we don’t. Maybe it numbed emotional or physical pain or both. For some, like yours truly and certainly CC and maybe you too, the relationship turns toxic and the pain and suffering it i

In this rendition of The Way Out I’m pleased to bring you my interview with Person in long term recovery, Sober Mom Advocate, writer, and Certified Recovery Coach Celeste Yvonne. As a certified recovery coach, Celeste works with women around the world who want to connect the dots between motherhood and self-fulfillment; exploring all that awaits when we seek a better way. Celeste shares her journey to and through Recovery to this point with us with the candor and wisdom that is without question the result of the hard work she’s put into her Recovery. A Recovery that has been at once imperfect and beautiful, full of struggle, success, pain, healing, joy, and true growth as a Sober Mom who reckoned with her own relationship with alcohol and now Recovers Out Loud and helps other Moms Reckon with their own relationship with alcohol and get on a path of sobriety and overall wellness so listen up. Contact Celeste Yvonne and learn more about her new book It's Not About the Wine: Why moms use alcohol to manage bu

In this rendition of The Way Out I’m beyond excited to bring you my interview with Person in long term Recovery and Chief Operating Officer of Wellness in the Woods, Dan L. Dan shares his on his journey to and through recovery to this point, about the great work Wellness in the Woods and Recovery in the Woods is doing in the Recovery Community in Minnesota, including but not limited to a peer support warm line, virtual peer support, and Recovery in the Woods meetings all facilitated and ran by people with lived experience with either mental health diagnoses, substance use disorder, or both. These services fill a critical space in the continuum of wellness and recovery services that are not addressed by formal substance use disorder treatment organizations, otherwise known as treatment centers and exists along side mutual aid groups like 12 Step & Smart Recovery meetings. Dan also shares about the pathways and tools that were and continue to be instrumental in his Recovery, not the least of which is WRAP o

In this edition of The Way Out I’m honored to bring you my interview person in long term recovery, yoga teacher, and Author of the soon to be released book "Recovery with Yoga: Supportive Practices to Transcend Addiction" Brian Hyman. Brian shares his journey to and through Recovery to this point with us in an extremely instructive and relatable way with an emphasis on the pathways and practices that launched and continues to be the foundation of his recovery, specifically working the 12-Steps and Yoga. Perhaps one of the most poignant quotes extolled by Brian in our discussion is when he said, “I did all the things that were suggested because it was time to save my life”. I relate to that sentiment in the most intimate way, and I bet many of you do too. There is so much recovery and spiritual wisdom in the interview that’s about to unfold before your very ears that I know you all are just going to enjoy the living heck out of it so I’m going to do you all a favor and shut my yapper and let my discu

In this rendition of The Way Out co-host Jason and I, along with person in long term recovery and past guest of The Way Out Nick Warnke tackle a whopper of a Recovery Power Topic, Relationships and Recovery. As we mention in the discussion to follow, we did an episode on relationships in recovery, episode 114, back in December of 2018. Now five years later we’re taking a fresh look at this subject in a very different light from three people in long term recovery in unique current situations regarding our relationship statuses. Jason is in a romantic relationship and has been for more than three years. As he says it’s not perfect, but it’s a good relationship, so good in fact he’s engaged to be married. Jason, bless his heart, was the perfect person to balance out the yin and yang of where Nick and I are at with our relationships. I just got out of a serious, long term 5-year relationship, my first relationship in Recovery and in many ways it felt like a first for many reasons. What was also a first for me, is

In this edition of The Way Out I’m most excited about bringing you my interview with Person in Long Term Recovery and Director of Most High Ministries, Christian Janson. Christian shares his journey to and through recovery to this point with us, with a keen insight on addiction and recovery and an emphasis on the growth and evolution that is a direct result of doing the work that meaningful and enduring recovery demands. Christian is ever mindful of the person who is still suffering, and tailors his message as such which we here at The Way Out Podcast are big believers in, that when sharing our stories, the person who still suffers both in and out of Recovery often have the most to gain from our story. Christian’s story is most definitely chalked full of spiritual and recovery truth, and the most wonderful things that have manifested as a result of his most amazing Recovery like the work he does with Most High Media so listen up.   Reach Out to Reverend Christian Janson and learn more about Most High Media: h

In this rendition of The Way Out I’m pleased to bring you my interview with Person in Long Term Recovery and Ultra Marathon Swimmer Ben Tuff. Ben shares his journey to and through recovery to this point with and about his new documentary, Swim Tuff: How I Swam My Way Out of a Bottle and about his work with Clean Ocean Access as well. The epic swim the documentary centers around is also a perfect metaphor for his Recovery and I dare say recovery at large for a variety of reasons, perhaps most strikingly is the fact that Ben literally didn’t even know how to swim upon entering Recovery and now he’s swimming ultra marathons. Just like in Recovery, where we have no idea how to live a meaningful life without addictive substances and/or behaviors, but if we put in the work and are willing to learn, make mistakes, persevere through adversity, connect to ourselves, our spirituality and others we can achieve meaningful and enduring recovery and have opportunities to help others by Recovering Out Loud like Ben does on

In this edition of The Way Out cohost extraordinaire Jason had the pleasure of interviewing person in long term recovery, Deryl Glaze. Deryl is an Inspirational Addiction and Recovery Expert and Speaker, Motivational Coach, and Ordained Minister. Over the last twenty years interacting with recovering addicts and substance abusers in a variety of capacities, Deryl observed that the ones who didn't have any dreams, any "Big Whys" beyond abstinence, were far more likely to relapse or have a recurrence of their substance use disorder, than those who did. As a result Deryl developed a workshop to help those who are in Recovery find purpose or their “Big Why’s”. Now Deryl speaks, runs workshops, and is the Head Certified Recovery Coach at Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge. No matter what hat he's wearing, his message is that many folks find they need a goal bigger than merely abstinence to motivate themselves achieve meaningful and enduring recovery. You don't want to miss the tremendous mess

In this rendition of the Way Out I’m extremely excited to bring you my interview with person in long term Recovery and Producer and founder of Global Domination Productions Alex “King Roach” Montanez. Alex has been Recovering Out Loud with his Blog, Dominate the Glob since his Recovery began over a year ago and now he’s Recovering Out Loud with us by sharing his journey to and through recovery to this point with us in a distinctly frank and compelling manner, and in a way that brings in stark relief hallmarks of addiction and alcoholism that are worth highlighting. Of particular import, is the common feature of active addiction that can be described as bargaining with ourselves, which we’ve discussed more than a time or two on this podcast. This is the act of restricting or changing the amount, frequency, type, environment, or manner of the problematic substance or behavior, which and this is key, invariably fails. As important to understand, is that we don’t have to do this with other things we like, but don

In this edition of The Way Out I’m absolutely delighted to bring you my interview with fellow Recovery Podcaster and person in long term Recovery, Gary Menkes. Gary Recovers Out Loud with us and shares his journey to and through recovery with the remarkable insight and candor that only comes from a person that has experienced the depths of despair that alcoholism and addiction can bring, followed by an enlightening and inspiring recovery. A recovery that was not linear, and indeed imperfect, which makes it all the more inspirational. Equally as inspiring, is Gary’s decision to help others Recover Out Loud with The Begin Again Podcast, of which our amazing cohost Jason and I were able to be on recently, and the episode featuring Jason and I is now available for your listening pleasure, a handy link to that episode is in the show notes for your convenience so give it a listen, won’t you? We bet you won’t be able to stop there, as Gary is already doing great work with The Begin Again Podcast. Gary’s message is t

In this installment of The Way Out, our tremendous Recovery Podcast Co-host Jason has an outstanding interview with author and humanitarian Sandra Lee, who shares her journey to and through recovery to this point with us. Sandra is the author of the book Rockstar Resilience and also started a speaking team called Rockstar Testimonies which travels around the country speaking to schools about addiction and recovery. In addition, Sandra is the founder of the #LightItUpProject which is an awareness campaign that aims to reduce the stigma around mental health, and she’s is doing so much more, soon to come. In the interview that’s about to unfold before your very years, you’ll quickly hear how well Jason and Sandra hit it off right away and ended up having a lot of laughs! We bet You'll love Sandra and her passion for helping others, so listen up.   Sandra Lee’s Contact Info: www.sandraleespeaks.com Love and Light to the World non-profit: www.loveandlighttotheworld.org Book recommendation: Boundaries Updated a

In this edition of The Way Out I’m beyond honored to bring you my interview with President of Operations of South Metro Community Services and person in long-term recovery, Ashlee Herget. South Metro Community Services, is a 501 (C3) Nonprofit Recovery Community Organization. They strive to connect individuals with substance use disorder to vital resources tailored to each persons unique needs, and they fight to empower autonomy and decrease stigma. Ashlee shares a bit about her journey to and through recovery this point, and if you you’d like to hear her entire story, I highly encourage you to check out episode 184 for Co-host Jason’s outstanding interview with Ashlee, both of whom I am a complete and unabashed fan. What makes up the lion’s share of what turned out to be a truly stellar discussion is illuminating what a Recovery Community Organization or RCO is, how they fit into the Recovery services landscape, what specific services South Metro Community Services provides the Recovery community, and perhap

In this edition of The Way Out our intrepid and outstanding recovery podcast co-host Jason had the opportunity to interview Sheilah, aka, "She She" Powell, who has the ability make one feel like bit of a slacker. She does more volunteering than your average single mom. This multi-talented momma is busting her behind to advocate for the recovery community both locally and around the world. Sheilah shares her journey to and through recovery to this point with in a candid discussion that traverses a myriad of deep, profound, and indeed inspiring topics! We bet you won’t regret hearing all the recovery wisdom and truth about to be unfurled in the tremendous recovery rap session that’s about to unfold before your very ears so listen up. Contact info: sheelah777@gmail.com Resource links: WEConnect Health Management https://www.weconnecthealth.io/ Mainstream Recovery https://www.mainstreamrecovery.com Mobilize Recovery https://mobilizerecovery.org/ Recovery Literature (Quit-Lit) Recommendation: Broken Op