Positive Sobriety Podcast

In this deeply moving episode of the Positive Sobriety Podcast, Nate Larkin and David Hampton welcome Dr. Lipi Roy, an internal medicine and addiction medicine physician and national voice for compassionate, evidence-based addiction care.   The episode opens with a heartfelt remembrance of Nancy Priya, whose quiet faithfulness and grace shaped the early recovery journeys of many. That spirit of compassion carries into a wide-ranging conversation about addiction, trauma, mental health, and spirituality.   Dr. Roy explains why addiction affects people across all backgrounds and why it so often co-occurs with mental health conditions. She challenges stigma by reframing addiction as a chronic disease rather than a moral failure, and she highlights the importance of harm reduction, individualized treatment, and evidence-based care.   A central focus of the discussion is spirituality—how faith and spiritual practices can support recovery by fostering meaning, connection, and hope, but can also hinder healing when framed through shame or rigid dogma. This episode offers a hopeful, humane vision of recovery grounded in science, compassion, and dignity.   Key Topics Covered: • Addiction as a chronic disease, not a moral failing • Trauma and mental health in addiction • Dual diagnosis and co-occurring disorders • Harm reduction and individualized care • The role of spirituality and faith in recovery • Breaking stigma and shame • Evidence-based treatment and emerging research • Why connection is central to healing   Notable Quotes: “The opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety — it’s connection.” — Dr. Lipi Roy “Addiction is a chronic disease of the brain, not a moral failure.” — Dr. Lipi Roy “Recovery is not linear. It’s a process that ebbs and flows.” — Dr. Lipi Roy “I only get to keep my freedom by giving it away.” — Nate Larkin   About the Guest: Dr. Lipi Roy is an internal medicine and addiction medicine physician, speaker, and writer. She has worked in hospitals, homeless health programs, jails, and academic medicine, and is a leading advocate for trauma-informed, compassionate addiction care.   Resources: YouTube: Health, Humor & Harmony (search “Dr. Lipi Roy”) Instagram / TikTok: @LipiRoyMD Website: https://SitaMedLLC.com

In this episode of the Positive Sobriety Podcast, Nate Larkin and David Hampton explore what happens after treatment—and why long-term recovery depends on more than good intentions and a discharge binder. They are joined by Cooper Zelnick, CEO of Groups Recover Together, a national provider of outpatient addiction treatment that combines medication-assisted treatment, group therapy, and wraparound community support. Cooper shares his own recovery story, getting sober at age 22, and reflects on why so many people succeed in treatment but struggle once they return home. Together, the conversation examines the limits of short-term, acute care and the urgent need for accessible, community-based recovery models—especially in rural and underserved areas. Key Topics Covered: • Recovery as a long-term process • The aftercare gap • Group-based recovery and peer support • Medication-assisted treatment • Harm reduction vs. zero-tolerance • Trauma-informed, evidence-based care • Access to treatment in rural communities • Breaking secrecy and shame Notable Quotes: “Recovery is a collaborative exercise. Nobody recovers alone.” — Nate Larkin “If addiction runs in social circles, recovery can too.” — Cooper Zelnick “You can find in recovery what you were looking for in addiction.” — Cooper Zelnick “The first step isn’t treatment. The first step is telling somebody.” — Cooper Zelnick   Guest Bio: Cooper Zelnick is the CEO of Groups Recover Together, a national organization providing outpatient treatment for substance use disorders through medication-assisted treatment, group therapy, and community-based support. Resources: Website: https://joingroups.com Phone: 888-581-7233

In this episode of the Positive Sobriety Podcast, Nate Larkin and David Hampton reflect on how grief, health challenges, and prolonged stress can quietly reopen the door to alcohol. Drawing from their own recent experiences, they explore why alcohol feels regulating in the moment—but ultimately increases anxiety and emotional strain. They are joined by Dr. Joseph Volpicelli, Executive Director of the Institute for Addiction Medicine, who explains the biological connection between stress, alcohol use, and the brain’s opioid system. Dr. Volpicelli shares how uncontrollable stress can increase drinking, why some people are more biologically vulnerable than others, and how medications like naltrexone can help reduce cravings by blocking alcohol’s rewarding effects. This episode blends personal honesty with neuroscience, offering hope and clarity for anyone seeking a positive, sustainable path to sobriety.

This deeply compassionate episode features Dr. Carrie Wilkens, co-founder of the Center for Motivation and Change (CMC) and co-author of Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change. With over 25 years of experience, Dr. Wilkens offers a fresh, evidence-based approach to helping families support loved ones with substance use challenges. She debunks myths like “hitting rock bottom” and highlights the power of CRAFT and the Invitation to Change (ITC) approach, combining science with empathy to promote real, sustainable change. Key Takeaways CRAFT vs. Traditional Methods Dr. Wilkens explains how Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) empowers families to influence change through positive reinforcement and effective communication—far outperforming confrontational or 12-step-only approaches. Research shows CRAFT engages 65–75% of unmotivated loved ones in treatment . Invitation to Change (ITC) Developed by CMC:Foundation for Change, ITC blends CRAFT, Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT). It’s structured yet compassionate—and designed for both professionals and families . Breaking Stigma with Science & Kindness Dr. Wilkens underscores her mission at CMC: “Science plus kindness equals change,” seeking to dismantle stigma while grounding strategies in rigorous evidence . Resources Mentioned in the Episode **Invitation to Change (ITC) Training (16-hour virtual workshop)** A structured training in ITC for professionals—offered by CMC: Foundation for Change → Register or Learn More **Rethinking Rock Bottom** A 6-part CMC-hosted podcast series co-led by Dr. Carrie Wilkens and Rev. Jan Brown, exploring the impact of stigma and offering empathetic support to families → Listen or Learn More **Center for Motivation & Change (CMC)** Dr. Wilkens’s organization offering a range of resources, including books, workbooks, trainings, and support services → Visit CMC Books by Dr. Carrie Wilkens Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change The Beyond Addiction Workbook for Family and Friends   Quote Highlight “Families don’t have to choose between enabling or giving up. With science and compassion on your side, you can be the bridge—not the barrier—to change.” — Dr. Carrie Wilkens Connect & Learn More Dr. Carrie Wilkens & CMC: motivationandchange.com Invitation to Change Training: Register/Register Info Rethinking Rock Bottom Podcast: Listen Here Books by Dr. Wilkens: Beyond Addiction and Beyond Addiction Workbook Support the Show Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc. Share this episode to uplift someone navigating addiction in their life Visit positivesobrietypodcast.com for more episodes and resources

In this soul-stirring episode of the Positive Sobriety Podcast, co-hosts welcome Dr. Samantha Blake Harte—physician, author, podcast host, and trauma survivor—whose multidisciplinary background and unflinching honesty bring a refreshing depth to the conversation about addiction and recovery.   Dr. Harte shares the inspiration behind her groundbreaking book, Breaking The Circuit: How To Rewire Your Mind for Hope, Resilience and Joy in the Face of Trauma. Drawing from her personal journey through childhood trauma, betrayal, addiction, and loss, she speaks candidly about the emotional and neurological circuits that keep us stuck—and how we can break free.   With the grace of a healer and the grit of a survivor, Dr. Harte opens up about: Navigating life with a mother struggling with mental illness The hidden patterns of addiction and how they resurface in recovery Her path to becoming a sober mom of two and a voice for truth in healing Why speaking the unspoken truths of addiction is essential for true transformation   The conversation also highlights Dr. Harte’s podcast, The Truth About Addiction, where she tackles myths, shame, and the emotional residue of trauma in a no-holds-barred format. 🔑 Key Takeaways Addiction isn’t just about substances—it’s a wiring issue. Dr. Harte explains how our nervous system can get stuck in loops of survival and how we can begin the hard but hopeful work of rewiring. Telling the truth is healing. By speaking her truth, Dr. Harte invites others to step out of secrecy and into a space of shared worthiness. Sobriety is a whole-body, whole-life transformation. Through her work in physical therapy, coaching, and trauma-informed practices, she emphasizes the importance of healing both physically and emotionally. 📚 Learn More About Dr. Harte Book: Breaking The Circuit Podcast: The Truth About Addiction Website & Retreats: samanthaharte.com 💬 Quote from the Episode   “Addiction isn’t just about using. It’s about what we’re trying not to feel. And healing means getting honest with ourselves and each other.” — Dr. Samantha Harte  

An illuminating conversation with Kim Humphrey, Executive Director and CEO of PAL (Parents of Addicted Loved Ones).

An inspiring conversation with recovering addict, prison reform advocate, and best-selling author Lara Love Hardin, whose memoir, The Many Lives of Mama Love, is a 2024 Oprah Book Club pick and a New York Times bestseller. 

A candid conversation with Tom Farley, brother of the late Chris Farley and longtime advocate for mental health and addiction recovery. Tom has recently joined as one of the key leaders of Recovery.com, a network of 15,000+ treatment centers, helping others navigate their paths toward sobriety and wellness.

What happens when a physician gets treatment for addiction? In the case of Dr. Christopher Schenewerk, his practice expands as he talks about his experience and creates new opportunities for recovery.

An entertaining and inspiring conversation with Janice Johnson Dowd, author of Rebuilding Relationships in Recovery: How to Connect with Family and Friends After Active Alcoholism and Addiction.

An inspiring conversation with Brian Cuban - attorney, bestselling author, and recovery advocate (who happens to be Mark Cuban's younger brother). With 17 years of continuous sobriety from alcohol, cocaine, and bulimia, Brian offers powerful insights into addiction, recovery, and professional redemption.

Nate and David open the show discussing the neurology of character change, then interview journalist Hanna Seariac, who has spent 2024 investigating the fentanyl crisis in rural Utah. Drug overdose deaths in Utah involving opioids have doubled in the last five years.   In the first article of her series, “The rural Utah community at the crossroads of the fentanyl epidemic (https://www.deseret.com/politics/2024/08/10/fentanyl-crisis-in-rural-utah/),” Hanna explores small towns that have seen the devastation of opioid addiction and fentanyl first hand. How did we get here? What can be done to stop this horrifying epidemic from destroying more lives and families?   Hanna searched through years of data and interviewed more than 20 people connected to the crisis, including those in recovery, former fentanyl distributers, law enforcement officials and recovery specialists.   With the second article in the series, Hanna speaks with five Utahns who have nearly lost everything to fentanyl (https://www.deseret.com/utah/2024/08/10/drug-addiction-recovery-in-utah/) and how they have managed to rebuild their lives and find the strength to not only overcome addiction, but to help others. Books referenced by Nate in this episode are Renovated, by Jim Wilder and Dallas Willard, The Master and His Emissary, by Iain McGilchrist, Banana, The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World, by Dan Koeppel

Why should addiction treatment be restricted to late-stage addicts and expensive specialists?  Dr. Joshua D. Lee provides an alternate vision.  An associate professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and director of the NYU Fellowship in Addiction Medicine, Dr. Lee is a clinician-researcher focused on investigating addiction pharmacotherapies in primary care and criminal justice system-involved populations. He has conducted multiple NIH clinical trials examining the use of naltrexone and buprenorphine opioid and alcohol treatments in criminal justice system-involved adults, at community re-entry, and within primary care settings.

Dually certified business and life coach, published author, trainer, and speaker Jenny Teeters models vulnerability in this remarkable conversation with David and Nate.  Her new memoir, Every Day is a New Day, is available on Amazon and in fine bookstores everywhere.

Need help regulating your nervous system, facing your anxiety and practicing healthy self-care?  Take a few minutes to listen to our inspiring conversation with life coach Amy Guerrero.  (You can reach her at https://www.regulatewithamy.com/)

An inspiring conversation with story coach and literary consultant Amy W. Vogel, author of the personal devotional Come to Me and the fantasy novel Teleosis.

An upbeat conversation with a remarkable motivator, James Swanwick, author of The 30-Day No-Alcohol Challenge and host of the Alcohol-Free Lifestyle Podcast.  James is the creator of Alcohol-Free Lifestyle, a coaching community for high achievers committed to sober living.

An entertaining and stimulating conversation with Dr. Robb Kelly, whose treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction via telehealth comes with a money-back guarantee.  More information at robbkelly.com

David and Nate have an inspiring and surprisingly candid conversation with model and athlete Jonathan Niziol.  Discover more about Jonathan Niziol and his compelling story on his website: jonathanniziolofficial.com/

What if, rather than trying harder to suppress unwanted behavior, we would approach it with open curiosity? What is it trying to tell us?  What need are we really trying to meet?  An intriguing conversation with therapist Blake Roberts.