This Week on our Giant Christmas Episode we are joined by Kimber King and a shit tons of Dopes in our annual Dopey Christmas Craptacular. I feel like i should stop writing note because AI does it so well! So sit back and enjoy a super special Dopey episode! With a cavalcade of Dopes - some voicemails, stories and more on this brand new episode of the good old dopey show! 

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Dopey Podcast: A Very Dopey Christmas

🎄 Episode Summary: This special Christmas episode of Dopey: The Podcast on Drugs, Addiction, and Dumb Shit brings all the chaotic holiday vibes, dark humor, heartfelt confessions, and reminders of the power of connection. Host Dave Manheim dives into Christmas-themed stories, raw moments of struggle, and the importance of staying strong in recovery, even during the most emotionally charged season of the year.

From Kimber King's startling confession about almost relapsing to Ray’s California adventures and Dave's chaotic day managing Katz’s Deli and family life, this episode brings all the dopey holiday feels—raw, real, and hilarious.

Key Segments:
🎤 Holiday Songs with a Dopey Twist

• Ray Brown's Dopey Christmas Anthems:
  
  
  
  • A hilarious rendition of Mariah Carey’s "All I Want for Christmas is You" with a dark, dopey twist. Expect plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor about addiction and recovery struggles.
  
  
  • Dive into Ray's process for creating these twisted holiday gems.
  
  
  
  

🎄 Kimber King's Christmas Crisis (00:37:00 )

• Kimber calls Dave to confess her almost-relapse plan during the holidays: ordering coke and shooting up alone during her week off.


• She shares the power of reaching out, her codependent struggles with family, and the impact of staying connected in recovery.


• Key takeaway: Even when the urge feels overwhelming, talking about it can stop you from spiraling.

🚨 Dopey Christmas Stories

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  Courtney's Christmas in a Walmart Parking Lot (01:49:51 ):

  
  
  
  
  • Courtney recalls a freezing winter spent homeless in a broken-down car, nodding out with cigarettes in hand. A gritty, real look at what addiction can do during the holidays.
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  Kimber’s Family Christmas Gone Wrong (01:04:40 ):

  
  
  
  
  • A chaotic Christmas memory involving family dysfunction, biker bars, and violence. Proof that not all holiday stories come with a warm fuzzy ending.
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  Dave’s Heroin-Fueled Holiday Drive (01:09:17 ):

  
  
  
  
  • Dave shares a surreal, haunting memory of nodding out on heroin while driving to his girlfriend’s family Christmas party, with old-timey Christmas music as the soundtrack.
  
  
  
  

🎄 Dopey Nation Shout-Outs and Voicemails

• Dopey Nation members share holiday greetings, updates, and their own struggles with staying sober during the holiday season.
  
  
  
  • Standout voicemails:
    
    
    
    • Courtney’s story of being homeless on Christmas.
    
    
    • Lou’s reflections on being a still-using member of the Dopey Nation and how the show keeps them connected.
    
    
    • Margaret Cho and Erin Carr drop in to wish the Dopey Nation a happy holiday.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

✉️ Listener Emails and Notes

• Dave reads emails from fans, including:
  
  
  
  • Nishma, who’s listening from Norway and relates deeply to the stories.
  
  
  • An anonymous fan who hilariously mishears "calm" as "dot com" and shares gratitude for the podcast’s balance of humor and recovery.
  
  
  
  

🌴 Ray Brown’s California Adventures (01:26:18 )

• Ray calls in from Palm Springs to share stories of hiking, swimming, and staying healthy—while dodging the bizarre transactional culture of Palm Springs.


• Ray promises a custom-made Dopey t-shirt for Dopey Wood.

🛠 Updates and Announcements

• 
  

  Dopey Wood is Coming!

  
  
  
  
  • January 11th in Los Angeles with special guests like Bob Forrest, Rich Roll, and more.
  
  
  • Dave shares behind-the-scenes chaos about planning the event.
  
  
  
  


• 
  

  Call for Stories and Help:

  
  
  
  
  • Dave urges listeners to send in stories, voicemails, and emails to keep the show alive.
  
  
  
  

💬 Heartfelt Messages

• A Christmas Reminder:
  
  
  
  • Dave reflects on the melancholy of the holidays and urges listeners who are struggling to reach out. Whether through a friend, the Safe Spot hotline (1-800-972-0590), or Dopey Nation Zoom meetings, help is always available.
  
  
  • The importance of staying alive and staying connected, because "dead people can’t recover."
  
  
  
  

Resources & Links:

🔗 Dopey Patreon: patreon.com/dopeypodcast – Extra episodes, bonus content, and a way to support the show.

🔗 Dopey Nation Zoom Meetings: Check the Dopey Podcast Instagram for the full schedule.

🔗 Safe Spot Hotline: 1-800-972-0590 – If you're using and need support, call this confidential, harm reduction hotline.

🔗 Oro Recovery: ororecovery.com – A treatment center offering connection and compassion.

🔗 Mountainside Recovery: mountainside.com/dopey – Incredible programs to support recovery.

🔗 Discover Recovery: discoverrecovery.com – Based in Washington state, offering excellent addiction treatment.

Toodles for Chris

As always, this episode is dedicated to Chris and all those we've lost in the Dopey Nation. Stay strong, stay connected, and remember, recovery is possible.

🎧 Listen Now: Wherever you get your podcasts! 🌟