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A podcast about addiction, recovery, and mental health — with a focus on gambling, alcohol, and substance use.
Hosted by Adam Lyons, a compulsive gambler in recovery, The Modern Meeting shares real stories, support, and strategies for anyone impacted by addiction.
🎧 New episodes every Tuesday.
If you’re struggling, supporting someone who is, or just looking for connection, this is for you.
85 Episodes
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Adam makes it to Texas. Todd F is approaching two years in recovery from compulsive gambling, but his journey to get here wasn't linear. In this raw and honest conversation, Todd opens up about the intersection of bipolar disorder and gambling addiction—how manic episodes fueled his gambling, how two relapses tested his resolve, and how gambling ultimately cost him his marriage. Todd talks about what it's like to battle low self-worth even in recovery, why he leans on his GA family to get thr...
Adam sits down with Pedro Romero — a psychologist, safer gambling expert, and former Head of Gambling Therapy — to explore what’s actually driving gambling addiction beneath the surface. From the evolution of safer gambling inside the industry to the emerging research around psychedelic-assisted therapy, Pedro offers a rare perspective that blends clinical psychology, lived experience, and real-world impact. If you’re struggling right now, you’re not alone. Email me anytime at modernmeeting...
In this special collaboration episode, Adam Lyons of The Modern Meeting and Christina Cook of The Broke Girl Society, sit down for a reflective and forward-looking conversation on recovery, growth, and intention. Together, they look back on their biggest wins from 2025, unpack the difference between goals and resolutions, and share how they’re approaching 2026 with clarity instead of pressure. Adam names Consistency as his word for the year ahead, while Christina chooses Conversation, reflect...
Adam makes a decision on his future at National Harbor. Adam sits down with Kiki Marriott, who shares her story of trauma, addiction, and recovery. Kiki grew up in London in a chaotic and abusive environment and was introduced to drugs at a young age. She spent over 20 years addicted to cocaine before compulsive gambling entered her life during the final years of her addiction. Having never set foot in a casino, she still "lost her soul" due to gambling on her phone. Now 18 months...
Adam is waiting for the other shoe to drop at National Harbor. Stephen Matos shares his story of growing up around gambling and addiction, and how his father’s lifestyle quietly shaped his own. Stephen first found recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous, but for years didn’t recognize that gambling had become part of his daily routine — spending his days at the OTB while staying sober through AA at night. It wasn’t until someone pointed out the pattern that Stephen walked into his first GA meet...
After 20 years of compulsive gambling, bankruptcy, lies, constant moves, and living a double life, everything changed on February 8th, 2022. That night — my first GA meeting — was the beginning of a life I didn’t think was possible. In this episode, I walk through the exact steps I took early on: an honest breakdown of the first 10 things I did in my first 60 days of recovery. None of this is a blueprint — every path is different — but this is what helped me stay away from a bet. If you’re st...
Adam's "Winter Routine," in 2021 is not productive. Ken Feldstein joins to talk about his unique path of recovery from substance abuse. Growing up in 1960's Long Island as a teenager caught up in heroin use and the legal trouble that followed, Ken was sent to an 18-month therapeutic program that would end up changing the direction of his entire life. He’s been clean for more than fifty years — without ever returning to any "traditional" recovery work. And now, after retiring, and being ...
Mike Sciandra didn’t fall into gambling — he was brought up in it. He placed his first bet at 9 years old, growing up in a family marked by addiction, chaos, and incarceration. What felt normal as a kid turned into decades of hustling, secrecy, and living a double life through his 20's and 30's. Keno bars. Casino nights. Pull Tabs. Whatever he could find. Today, Mike hasn’t placed a bet since December 2020, and he now serves as the Executive Director of the Nebraska Council on Problem Gamblin...
Adam has his work cut out for him at his new job. Adam sits down with Janice Pierce, a financial planner who specializes in helping people rebuild their relationship with money — especially after chaos, addiction, and life transitions. Janice breaks down the behavioral side of finances: why we spend the way we do, how old habits follow us into recovery, and what it really takes to create a healthy plan that lasts. She also answers common questions about budgeting, debt, savings, and financial...
Adam settles in to another new place. In Part 2 of the conversation with Brian Hatch, he talks about how he continued to battle with his gambling addiction. Suffering from relapse, loss, and the chaos that followed him across state lines, Brian eventually found a path that allowed him to rebuild his life, his recovery, and his purpose. Brian shares how his story became a lifeline as he launched the first podcast of its kind, and why he feels a responsibility to speak up for people still suffe...
Adam does a live Cold Open with his Cousin Casie. Adam sits down with Brian Hatch, host of All In: The Addicted Gambler’s Podcast — one of the original voices in the gambling recovery space. In Part 1 of a 2-Part conversation, Brian opens up about his first experiences gambling in college, the early warning signs he didn't take seriously, and how the cycle of relapse and recovery defined much of his twenties. The Modern Meeting is supported by Evive! Evive meets you exactly where you ar...
Deanna grew up in a strict religious home, under the weight of a tough mother and a childhood that she spent in isolation in her room. Decades later, while raising her daughter with her husband, she experienced loss and she found gambling. She never set foot in a casino, yet she lost millions. All in truck stops, bars, and restaurants. What started as a distraction became destruction. Deanna began borrowing and eventually embezzling from her husband’s business. When he passed away suddenly, t...
Adam accepts the job at MGM National Harbor. Saul Malek’s gambling story is short in years — but deep in impact. What began as casual sports betting in college quickly turned into chaos. In less than two years, Saul was juggling debt, hiding lies, and chasing losses through every bailout and bookie he could find. But after hitting his breaking point after a year of GA meetings while still gambling, Saul found hope and with the help of his sponsor, he rebuilt his life from the ground up. Today...
Adam and TMM Field Correspondent Alex, discuss the recent allegations surrounding NBA players and coaches involved in gambling scandals. They explore the implications of legalized sports betting, the historical context of gambling in sports, and the impact of gambling addiction on athletes. They also touch on media coverage, the NBA's struggle to maintain integrity while profiting from gambling, and the need for greater awareness and regulation in the industry. The Modern Meeting is sup...
In Part 2, I pick up where I left off on October 4, 2020. After a couple wins and being "up" early, the night turned into the kind of long and quiet downfall that defined so much of my gambling. Most of the footage is silent. Just me, a slot machine, and the delusion that this night was going to be different. As I watched it back five years later, I tried to put words to what was happening inside my head during those stretches of silence — the hope, the denial, the self-talk that kept me chas...
On October 4 2020, during my last few weeks living in Las Vegas, I decided to record myself on what I planned to be my last night gambling. I wanted to capture what one of my typical nights in the casino really looked like. I filmed everything from start to finish — rambling to the camera about betting strategies, chasing losses, and dying a slow death at the Keno Slots. Five years later, in 2025, I’m watching the footage -- some of which I am seeing for the first time. Nothing is edited or ...
Adam is planning his exit strategy in Vegas. Jenn returns to discuss the differences between her first and second year in recovery as she's celebrating 2 years away from a bet. Adam and Jenn reflect on how their recovery has evolved, how to avoid "binge-recovery", and continuing to find balance in their lives. Adam recaps his time at the CCPG Conference in Hartford. The Modern Meeting is supported by Evive! Evive meets you exactly where you are. Download Evive today or visit www.g...
Adam and Noah land in Las Vegas. Adam sits down with Tana Russell, Deputy Director of the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling in Washington State — one of the most forward-thinking organizations in the country when it comes to awareness, training, and prevention. Tana shares how she entered the world of problem gambling support and she breaks down Evergreen’s approach to training clinicians, collaborating with casinos, and creating community programs that actually make an impact. The Mode...
In this week’s episode, it's all things Ellie. Adam sits down with his Mom to do a deep dive into his own and their family's history with addiction and gambling. Ellie didn’t grow up surrounded by gambling — but when the casino doors opened in Connecticut in the early ’90s, things changed. Gambling ran in her family, even if she didn’t gamble much herself. It was in her blood. She saw the patterns, the pull, the danger — and she’s the first to admit that if it weren’t for Adam’s dad keeping h...
Robert G joined Gamblers Anonymous in 1993, buried under a million dollars in debt and determined to turn his life around. Over three decades later, he’s still showing up — not just for himself, but for others. But Robert’s story isn’t one of perfection. It’s a story about what happens when life catches you off guard, when honesty slips, and when you’re forced to start over even after years of recovery. The Modern Meeting is supported by Evive! Evive meets you exactly where you are. Dow...
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