Podcast
Recovery Demystified - Non-Religious Addiction Recovery and Harm Reduction for Queers, Neurodivergent People, & Their Allies
Welcome to the ONLY non-religious addiction recovery podcast exploring the queer and neurodivergent (autism/ADHD/etc) experience of addiction recovery, sobriety, and harm reduction. We tell addiction recovery stories to destigmatize recovery while navigating life in the process of healing from addiction and trauma. We leave shame and purity politics at the door.
Start here! https://sites.libsyn.com/560715/why-do-i-keep-relapsing-youre-not-broken-heres-how-to-break-the-cycle
We talk about addiction recovery support from a radical lens, thinking outside the box and providing viable alternatives to 12-step programs. Defining and creating our own recovery/sobriety/harm-reduction lifestyle fosters the environment of empowerment and self-love necessary to change our habits. We uplift perspectives from queer and neurodivergent people (autism/ADHD/etc), exploring things like relapse prevention, coping with cravings, trauma, anxiety, socializing while sober, and other common struggles.
You can expect empowerment, encouragement, and a healing environment. We prioritize representation and recovery stories from queer, neurodivergent, and non-religious voices. The goal here is to leave with shame reducing harm reduction tools and strategies, while we have discussions about sobriety challenges, relapse, and mental health. You'll find guidance for secular and alternative recovery paths with a punk, stigma-free, and inclusive approach to healing.
Whether you're looking for a queer recovery podcast, neurodivergent sobriety support, or just want real talk about addiction and harm reduction, Recovery Demystified is here to provide clarity, compassion, and community. We explore the dusty corners, the gray areas, and we are here to show you that nobody is too far gone.
If you have ever felt left behind or pushed to the fringes of society, you are in the right place! Recovery for the rest of us!
Connect with us:
Instagram - @recoverydemystified
Substack - @recoverydemystified
Email - info@recoverydemystified.com
Donate to our cause!
Patreon - Link in episode descriptions!
Venmo & Paypal - @recoverydemystified
https://www.recoverydemystified.com/donations/
- Alternative Health chart
- #155
- Episodes
- 101
- Releases
- Weekly
- Typical length
- 55 min
- On air since
- 2024
- Latest episode
- 13 hours ago
Episodes
101 episodes, newest first
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59 min
Meth Gave Me Confidence: Nick on Punk, Autism, Prison & Recovery
Show notes
At 9, Nick was a skater punk who felt like an outcast. Using meth gave him the confidence he was missing, but quite predictably, it didn't stay that way for long. Buckle up for Nick's story about growing up in Melbourne, watching his dad kick needles out of the driveway as a kid, finding that meth and heroin helped at first, and then watching it all spin out of control. If you're as afraid as I am of the phrase "unlimited xanax"... tune in for a harrowing tale of IV drug use, moving to another continent to escape the cycle (hint: it didn't work), robbing drug dealers, and getting sober in prison.
Holler at us: info@recoverydemystified.com
Book a free recovery coaching call with Early as a listener of the pod!
Logo: Stevie Petet
Theme Music: Logan Bragg
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38 min
Let's Talk Sober Dating with Logan on Episode 100!!!!
Show notes
Logan is back to talk about sober dating, science and spirituality, and trying something different when it comes to anger management and emotional regulation. Do we have to date other sober people if we are in recovery? How can we respond to anger without falling into the same patterns? Is it possible to balance science, spirituality, and multiple approaches to addiction recovery simultaneously? Logan is here to talk about his sober years, his daily routines to stay on track, and how even the worst of life's events further galvanize his decision to stay sober.
Holler at us: info@recoverydemystified.com
Logo: Stevie Petet
Theme Music: Logan Bragg
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28 min
Feeling Worse After Getting Sober? You're Normal. I Promise.
Show notes
Are your emotions overwhelming after you got sober? Or do you feel nothing at all? Navigating the unpredictable emotional landscape of sobriety can be a rocky road. In today's episode we talk about the grief of losing the substance, the process of allowing our brains to heal, and how addiction itself can be trauma. Whatever you're going through is normal, you're not broken, and you'll find some of my most helpful tips in this episode. Thanks for being here.
Get in touch! info@recoverydemystified.com
Book a Recovery Coaching call with Early!
Logo - Stevie Petet
Theme Music - Logan Bragg
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1 hr 7 min
Is Sex and Love Addiction Really Addiction? Dean Spade's Story
Show notes
Dean Spade, author of Love in a F*cked Up World joins Early to talk about his story with sex and love addiction, work addiction, and how his childhood experiences shaped his relationships as an adult. He talks about how a lot of this stuff maybe isn't even an "addiction" and how perhaps we all have strange relationships to work under capitalism and sex and love within patriarchy. Buckle up as we enter another gray area and explore the question: Is sex and love addiction really addiction?
Book a Recovery Coaching call with Early!
Logo: Stevie Petet
Theme Music: Logan Bragg
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28 min
Staying Sober (and Even Happy) While the World Falls Apart
Show notes
I somehow accomplished the impossible -- I remain happy, content, and stay sober no matter what happens. What are my personal secrets and methods? And how do I stay steady through external crisis and impending apocalypse? I'm just here for the ride, my dudes. Tune into this week episode's to learn some of my best kept secrets to living the good life.
988 - Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Schedule a free 20-minute recovery coaching call with Early!
Logo - Stevie Petet
Theme Music - Logan Bragg
If this show helps you or reminds you of someone, tell a friend! Thanks for your support!
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1 hr 9 min
From Blacking Out to the Mental Shift That Changed Everything: Brian Walker of A Day Without Love
Show notes
Brian's story begins with a deep knowing that he was an outcast. Alcohol helped him fit in, and helped him feel confident: something he had rarely felt before. After a while, things spun out of control, and he found himself blacking out and waking up places he had never been before. One day he realized -- what if everything could get better? Even the good stuff?
Check out Brian Walker's music: A Day Without Love
Similar resources for those outside the US
Connect with us:
Book a free Recovery Coaching consultation with Early!
Credits:
Theme music - Logan Bragg
Logo - Stevie Petet
Everything.... else.... - Early Brunner
Your generosity is what keeps us going! Please rate, review, and share this episode with a friend who needs to hear this message today. You're doing amazing work!
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30 min
Why You Keep Relapsing, Part 2: How to Stop the Voice in Your Head and Find Peace
Show notes
Relapsing is a drag. You're not alone. A forgotten skill from Rational Recovery called Addicted Voice Recognition Technique might just be the key that you've been searching for! In today's episode, we go over AVRT more thoroughly -- what it is, why it works, and how you can use this skill to finally stop going back out and using/drinking. The best part about it is it's FREE!
Part 1 of Why You Keep Relapsing (Start here!)
Another episode on AVRT (Addicted Voice Recognition Technique)
Looking for more??
Book a Recovery Coaching call with Early!
Logo - Stevie Petet
Theme Music - Logan Bragg
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1 hr 10 min
A Southern Trans Addiction Story: Genderfucking Labels & Reclaiming Authenticity
Show notes
A lot of us use substances to bury our trauma and discomfort -- especially those of us who are queer and trans. Today we hear from Brody who tells their story of growing up queer in the deep south in heavily Christian surroundings. After being bullied for their gender expression, they flipped to hyper-femininity. They found solace and escape in substances, effectively self-medicating their trauma. Eventually, they found recovery through trauma therapy, meditation, making 12-step work for them, and notably -- coming out as trans. They talk about their stays in the psych ward, finding diagnostic labels to be meaningless, but finding the right medication to be helpful.
Book a Recovery Coaching call with Early!
Visit our merch store! (link fixed)
Theme music - Logan Bragg
Logo - Stevie Petet
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31 min
How to Build a Life You No Longer Need to Escape From (It's Not as Hard as it Seems!)
Show notes
Hot take alert! Making your life AWESOME isn't as hard as it seems -- and here's how you can do it! Today I talk about ways to balance our lives by reducing stress, adding in more cool stuff, and changing our perspective on life to make ourselves feel grateful as a knee-jerk reaction. I talk about my favorite empowerment skill from the book Nonviolent Communication, why we should all read the news less, and why we should work less. Then I talk about making space and intentionally doing things that make our life more comfortable and more meaningful and connected. Last, I discuss internal shifts we can make that allow us to have a more positive perspective, naturally. Oh, and I encourage you to get a happy fun cute DOG!!!
Book a free 20 minute Recovery Coaching Strategy Call with Early!
Logo - Stevie Petet
Theme Music - Logan Bragg
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1 hr 1 min
Weed, Extreme States, Psych Drugs, and Re-thinking Mental Health Care: Sascha Altman Dubrul's Story
Show notes
Sascha Altman Dubrul is a punk elder, therapist, and co-founder of The Icarus Project -- a radical mental health support network. In his interview he talks about being friends with people on TV as a kid, finding weed and having the whole universe open up, psychedelics, and ending up involuntarily commited to the psych ward. Sascha discusses extreme mental states, finding punks, how psychiatric drugs are also very much drugs, the harm reduction guide to coming off psych meds, AI relationships, and the complicated situation of having his life saved and simultaneously squashed and limited through being involuntarily committed to the psych ward. He talks about starting The Icarus Project, more compassionate and humanizing ways to think about mental health struggles, and ways of viewing ourselves and others outside of the lens of shame and discrimination.
Harm Reduction Guide to Coming off Psychiatric Drugs
------------------------------
Book a free 20 minute Recovery Coaching Strategy Call with Early!
Get some cool RD shirts! (updated link that actually works!)
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35 min
Why You Keep Relapsing: You're Not Broken & Here's How to Break the Cycle
Show notes
When it comes to mysteries, why we relapse is among the most common problems in addiction recovery. In this episode I discuss four reasons why you keep relapsing and provide clear, actionable ways to catch yourself before it's too late. If you've ever wondered "Why do I keep relapsing?" ... get out your pen and paper, because we are about to demystify that shit. You're not broken, you just need more information about what it takes to re-write our programming. You can do this!
Related episodes -
The Two Mental Shifts That Make Addiction Recovery Possible
The #1 Skill You Need to Be Bulletproof in Recovery
Stop Fighting With Yourself - Train Your Brain to Stop Cravings
Support the Podcast -
Book a free 20 minute Recovery Coaching strategy call with Early!
Theme music - Logan Bragg
Logo - Stevie Petet
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55 min
The Pills to Heroin to Meth Pipeline: What Your Doctor Doesn't Warn You About, Josh's Addiction Recovery Story
Show notes
Josh Datant joins us today to tell his harrowing story of becoming an IV meth and heroin user after first being prescribed the painkiller pills Oxycontin by his doctor at the age of 15. The pills to heroin to meth pipeline is very real, and it's not the first time we have heard someone go down this path on our show. Opiate pills can seem like a miracle drug at first, but like so many folks, Josh quickly became addicted and then seek out heroin as a cheaper and easier to find alternative. We talk about his childhood trauma, growing up with an addicted parent, and living with OCD. We talk about how things crumbled and fell apart, and the tools he used (like music) to put them back together. Josh is here to show us that no one is too far gone. If you are having a hard time, there's hope for you.
Book a free 20 minute 1:1 Recovery Coaching strategy call with Early!
Get some world famous RD merch!
Logo - Stevie Petet
Theme Music - Logan Bragg
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32 min
Anxiety - Why You Have It and the Unexpected Way to Get Rid of It
Show notes
Nobody likes anxiety. It makes sense to want it to go away. In this episode we dive into how alcohol and other substances can cause a neurochemical spike that causes the anxiety that we are using the substance to relieve, and how this can be a slippery slope into self-medicating and addiction. What if the secret to getting rid of anxiety isn't about trying to make it go away? What if we can find a way to understand it, greet it, and allow it to happen -- and the allowing is what sets us free? We also talk about nervous system overwhelm (fight or flight) and how to get grounded again when the anxiety gets too far outside of our window of tolerance. And strangely enough, anxiety has a purpose, and we will talk about that as well.
You might not have an anxiety "disorder"... your body might just be adapting to the substances you're giving it, seeking homeostasis. Through healthy emotional regulation techniques and questioning our relationship to substances, we can get rid of that pesky anxiety or at least figure out how to negotiate space with it and let it process through us naturally. We dive into the RAIN technique and vagus nerve activation to relieve anxiety and panic.
The only way out is through. You got this.
Book a free 20 minute Recovery Coaching consultation with Early!
Logo - Stevie Petet
Theme Music - Logan Bragg
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1 hr 13 min
Is Weed Addictive? Armstrong's Story of Addiction, Psychedelics, and an Existential Crisis
Show notes
Why do people think weed addiction isn't real? Today we hear from Armstrong about his experience with the magic, medicine, and misery of weed. He also talks about high-dose psychedelic experiences and having what might be defined as a spiritual psychosis. Near the end of his addiction, he was scrounging around for roaches on the ground. The existential crisis has eased a bit, but it's still with him.
If you've ever wondered if weed is addictive, you'll definitely know the answer after today's episode. If you're questioning your use of weed, you're not alone. If you haven't fully recovered from a psychedelic experience, you're not the only one!
Send me an email! info@recoverydemystified.com
Book a 1:1 free consultation for Recovery Coaching with Early!
Theme music - Logan Bragg
Logo - Stevie Petet
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1 hr 6 min
When Shame and Self-Loathing Lead to Binge Drinking - Colleen's Story
Show notes
Binge drinking can be a response to unbearable emotions -- and that was the case for our guest today, Colleen Clifford. She talks about being a kid whose needs were unmet, people pleasing, and how a difficult diagnosis left her feeling broken. Unsure where to turn, she ended up finding solace in binge drinking. She kept it together while at sea as a commercial fisherwoman, but her time on land was frought with brown-outs, black-outs, and hangovers.
We talk about death of a loved one, grief, and how one moment can change everything.
Book a free 20-minute recovery coaching consultation with Early!
Support this podcast; join the Patreon!
Logo - Stevie Petet
Theme Music - Logan Bragg
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30 min
Sobriety Can Get Lonely - How to Socialize While Sober
Show notes
Getting sober can mean your social life changes overnight — and nobody really prepares you for that. We often get really bad advice about how we need to make extreme changes, but sometimes that can cause more harm than good. What if we moved slowly, with more intention, and landed in a place that is authentic to our needs?
This episode highlights unmasking and neurodivergence in addiction recovery, why "doing less" can be more sustainable, and why the rulebook that says you have to cut off every friend who still uses might not be right for everyone. Some of those friendships are worth keeping. This episode is for anyone who's felt awkward, isolated, or lost in a sea of other people's opinions. What you need to know is already inside of you, and planet Earth is your third space.
Book a free 20 minute Recovery Coaching call with Early!
Join the Patreon and support this podcast!
Donate to our nonprofit via our website!
Holler at me in the email - info@recoverydemystified.com
Logo - Stevie Petet
Theme Music - Logan Bragg
-
1 hr 2 min
What If We Stopped Feeling Ashamed of Ourselves? Elizabeth Roberts on Her Book "In Praise of Addiction"
Show notes
Shame is a huge driver of addiction, and cultural overvaluing of independence is keeping us stuck. How might things change if we destigmatized substance use, genuinely cared for each other, and prayed with endless devotion to the things that spark our ravishment?
In today's episode, we talk about one of my favorite books of 2025 - "In Praise of Addiction" by Elizabeth Roberts. We dig into the gray areas and dusty corners of addiction, compulsive eating, and the things that bring us together. Elizabeth didn't intend on studying addiction, but the thread interwove itself into her life in a way that made her re-think everything.
Book a free 20 minute Recovery Coaching consultation!
Join our Patreon and help support this podcast!
Donate to our nonprofit via our website!
Logo - Stevie Petet
Theme Music - Logan Bragg
-
25 min
You're Not Broken if Autism & ADHD Addiction Recovery Hits Different - Resources From Off the Beaten Path
Show notes
In this episode we dive into books & podcasts that are off the beaten path -- ones that cater specifically to struggles of people who are autistic and/or have ADHD. The way we recover is not the same as everyone else, and it has everything to do with authenticity and honoring our needs.
We also hear about a 30+ year old book that dives into intersectional feminism and how it relates to addiction and recovery. And we talk about a book that destigmatizes addiction on the next level. Buckle up and get out your pen and paper because you won't want to let these resources slip through your fingers.
Book a free 20-minute Recovery Coaching call with Early!
Support the podcast and join our Patreon!
Subscribe to our Substack newsletter!
Logo - Stevie Petet
Theme music - Logan Bragg
-
1 hr 4 min
The Unknown History of Harm Reduction: Meesh Mori on Queer + BIPOC History, the Drug War, and Getting Free
Show notes
Let's talk about the origins of harm reduction that are often overlooked: queer & BIPOC folks have always used underground methods of mutual aid as a method of survival. In this episode Meesh and Early discuss their paths to finding harm reduction spaces and practices, and we get a couple history lessons from Meesh on the origins of harm reduction and the war on drugs. Importantly, we also hear about how queerness and BIPOC struggles are inextricably linked to how we are treated differently when it comes to substance use.
If you're looking for a radical history lesson, you're in the right place.
Support the podcast by joining our Patreon!
Book a free 20 minute Recovery Coaching strategy call with Early!
Get a cool toad shirt from our merch store!
Subscribe to our Substack for more recovery content!
Donate to our nonprofit anonymously!
Holler at us with feedback - info@recoverydemystified.com
Logo - Stevie Petet
Theme Music - Logan Bragg
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37 min
Why AA Failed Me as a Queer, Neurodivergent Person (Part 2) Recovery Resources #35
Show notes
If AA didn't work for you, you're not broken. One size fits all isn't real, and it's ok to want something different...
In Part 2 of this series, we're diving deeper into why the 12-step model fell short — not as a personal failure, but as a structural one. If you're crossing our half the words in a book to make it work for you, why not just toss the book aside and write something brand new that fits YOU?
We're shining a light on the Christian purity culture hiding underneath "spiritual but not religious" language, and why trying to figure out "am I an alcoholic" (or not) is a meaningless exercise. We dive into how a program that tells you to distrust yourself and surrender to a higher power might be the last thing a trauma survivor needs, and the complete erasure of BIPOC history and resistance in mainstream recovery spaces. Oh, and how the 12 step abstinence-only model shuns harm reduction, lacks nuance, and doesn't take into account the fact that recovery is not a straight line for most people.
This one's for the queer, neurodivergent, radical people who sat in those folding chairs and thought — something is wrong here, and it isn't me.
Book a free 20-minute Recovery Coaching consultation with me!
Donate to our nonprofit via our website!
Logo -Stevie Petet
Theme Music - Logan Bragg
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