The Point is Recovery Podcast

Today's guest was an elite athlete from a middle-class family with no history of abuse. She grew up sheltered, but later learned that blackout drinking brought out a side of her that everyone around her relished. It was at this point that Nikki Soda started down a path to alcoholism. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism, Alcohol-induced blackouts can lead to impaired memory of events that transpired while intoxicated and because blackouts tend to occur at high...

Our guest for Episode 32 had a rough start in life. Born with a heart defect and debilitating asthma, Leonard lost his father to a heart attack when he was just 3 weeks old. He grew up fast in Logan, PA, learning about being a man from the guys who hung out on the corner. His only real sense of stability was the home that he lived in for 20 years. He never really felt a sense of confidence until he started selling dope and then he felt like “the man” because he had the good stuff that everyon...

**Listener note** This episode contains discussions about suicide and suicidal ideation. If you are having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800.273.8255 Our guest for Episode 31 is Sharon Fekete, Founder of The Doctor Whisperer & 13th Ave Media. She has been whispering strategies to physicians for over 20 years & amplifies businesses through the power of social media. Sharon also speaks at medical conferences on topics such as hospi...

Mike Ortoll's world was turned upside down when his daughter Christine started abusing drugs and alcohol. Christine found recovery for several years, but sadly suffered a relapse and passed away from a fentanyl overdose in late 2020. In grieving his daughter, Mike started to think about how he could share his experience with other families facing addiction. Through a series of high-profile documentary films, including the Bowden Dynasty Film and another film documenting Christine’s story, Mik...

If you are familiar with recovery, you know it is suggested that you change a few things in order to protect your sobriety: people, places and things. And by places they mean you might have to find a new place to live! When we were using, many of us found ourselves homeless, couch surfing or not welcome back to the place we had once called home. Sober living has become an integral part of the recovery journey for countless people who are in need of a safe, sober and supportive living environm...

Today’s guest, Ahbra Schiff, joins us from Studio City, California to talk about a couple of upcoming events that shine a light on addiction and mental illness recovery. She also gives us the backstory on how she got involved with these events, starting with making the acquaintance of Leonard Bushel at a 12-step meeting! Almost 6 years after first meeting him, Ahbra has been working alongside Leonard to put on the REEL Recovery Film Festival (Now in its 13th year) and the Experience, Strength...

Addiction continues to be a serious national crisis that affects not only public health, but also social and economic welfare. Addiction is a family disease, meaning that the person who is using drugs and/or alcohol is not the only person impacted; the family is impacted too. Family support is crucial for those facing addiction, and very often this support and direction comes via an Intervention. Today’s guest is Marc Kantor. Marc is a Certified Intervention Professional (CIP) who founded Sou...

When faced with a crisis, many families to do not know where to turn. It can be very challenging to help a loved one who is experiencing a mental health crisis or facing addiction. When someone you know is decompensating to the point where they are threating to hurt themselves or someone else or they are using drugs and/or alcohol with no regard for severe consequences, an intervention is necessary. Unfortunately, not everyone is open to accepting help. You may beg and plead with your l...

The Point is Recovery Podcast was started one year ago in the midst of the Covid-19 Pandemic to shine a light on some good news. And that good news is that Addiction Recovery is Possible! The podcast was the brainchild of the Professional Relations Team at Turning Point of Tampa, which is led by Joan Browne, Director of Professional Relations turned Producer. The team was focused on covering relevant topics that would be of interest to everyone, because let’s be clear, addiction does not disc...

Since 2006, over 58,000 people have joined The Phoenix, a Sober Active community focused on the transformational power of connection. Founder Scott Strode found hope in his own recovery while discovering how ice climbing helped all his problems, fears and the shame of addiction melt away. Through his own experience, The Phoenix was born and a movement was started. That movement has spread to 53 cities in 22 states and is showing no signs of slowing down. For this episode we are joined by a Ta...

Check out these facts affecting people in the United States: · Seventeen out of every 10,000 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2019 · In 2020 in Hillsborough County, Florida, 2,741 people experienced a mental health crisis that resulted in a Baker Act · 1 in 4 law enforcement uses of deadly force are against the mentally ill These people represent a cross-section of America and inclu...

The Big Show. The Big Leagues. The Big Time. The Pros. Drinking and Driving. Overdose. Coma. Treatment. All of these are references to the life of today's guest. Vance Johnson is a former wide receiver for the Denver Broncos where he played for 10 seasons. During the “glory years,” Vance was struggling with an addiction to drugs and alcohol so intensely that he walked away from the NFL and a pending contract renewal. He struggled for over 20 years and eventually found himself in the hospita...

You may have heard it said before that “we are only as sick as our secrets” and this could not be truer than with eating disorders. People suffering with an eating disorder tend to be very secretive and dishonest about what is going on behind closed doors. Keeping that secret can be life threatening. Today’s guest is an incredible example of how recovery can change our lives and reveal our purpose. Allison Walsh suffered with Anorexia and Bulimia for years before receiving the help she needed...

It is estimated that 30 million people in the United States will have an eating disorder at some point in their lives. Contrary to popular belief, eating disorders are not “just a girl thing,” as 10 million of these people will be men. Eating disorders are serious conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact health, emotions and the ability to function in important areas of life. The most common eating disorders are Anorexia, Bulimia and Binge Eating Disorder and a...

Anxiety. Depression. OCD. Bipolar Disorder. ADHD. Most of these conditions probably sound familiar, however, these conditions, and many others, are widely misunderstood. Mental illnesses include many different conditions that vary in degree of severity. According to recent reports, these conditions affect 51.9 million people in the United States and 10% of the global population. The World Health Organization (WHO), recently stated "the burden of mental disorders continues to grow with signifi...