Recovering Out Loud

Addiction doesn’t only affect the person using substances — it affects everyone around them.
In this episode of Recovering Out Loud, Anthony shares a deeply personal and honest conversation about what happens when addiction enters a family. From broken trust and emotional chaos to the painful cycle of hope and disappointment, families often find themselves trying to fix something they cannot control.
Anthony speaks from experience about how addiction impacted his own family and the difficult amends that followed. He explains why addiction is often called a family disease, how enabling keeps addiction alive, and why healthy boundaries are one of the most important tools families have.
You’ll learn:
Why addiction changes the entire family system

The difference between supporting and enabling

Why families often feel guilt and responsibility

The importance of boundaries and self-care

Why families need recovery too

If you are struggling with a loved one in addiction, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and practical guidance.
Remember the three truths:
You didn’t cause it

You can’t control it

You can’t cure it

But you can protect yourself and support recovery.

In this episode, I break down what spirituality actually is — especially for people in recovery who don’t believe in God, grew up religious, or feel triggered by the word “spiritual.”
Spirituality in recovery isn’t dogma — it’s connection, grounding, meaning, and a power greater than your impulsive brain. Today I share practical spiritual tools, how I rebuilt my relationship with a higher power after relapse, and how spirituality became the anchor that keeps me sober.
We cover:
• Spirituality vs religion (what’s the difference?)
• Why willpower alone isn’t enough in addiction recovery
• The spiritual void caused by addiction
• Practical tools: stillness, gratitude, service, meaning-making, surrender
• How ego blocks your recovery
• How to build a spiritual practice even if you’re brand new
If you’re struggling, open to change, or tired of white-knuckling sobriety—this one’s for you.
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Many people believe that once they quit drugs or alcohol, the addiction is over. But for many in recovery, the addiction doesn’t disappear — it just changes form.
In this episode of Recovering Out Loud, Anthony breaks down cross addiction, the phenomenon where addictive patterns shift from substances to other behaviors like gambling, work, fitness, social media, shopping, or even relationships.
Drawing from his own experience — including how steroids and body dysmorphia led him back into addiction after years sober — Anthony explains how the real issue isn’t the substance, it’s the underlying addiction process.
You’ll learn:
• What cross addiction actually is
• Why the brain searches for new dopamine sources after quitting substances
• The warning signs of cross addiction
• The difference between healthy coping and addictive behavior
• How to prevent cross addiction in recovery
Recovery isn’t just about quitting substances.
It’s about learning how to live without needing to escape your life.
If you’re sober, in recovery, or supporting someone who is, this conversation could change how you understand addiction.

In this episode of Recovering Out Loud, Anthony dives deep into one of the most dangerous emotional patterns in addiction recovery: resentment.
Often called the number one offender of relapse, resentment quietly builds in the background through replayed anger, unmet expectations, and stories we tell ourselves about other people.
Anthony explains the difference between anger and resentment, why anger is often a secondary emotion rooted in fear, and how holding onto resentment keeps people stuck in a disturbed mental state.
Drawing from personal experience, recovery principles, and emotional sobriety practices, this episode explores:
• Why resentment feels justified but ultimately harms you
• How social media, expectations, and comparison fuel anger
• The connection between resentment and relapse
• The concept of being “disturbed vs undisturbed” in recovery
• Practical tools to regulate anger in the moment
• How forgiveness and responsibility dissolve resentment
• The idea of a “spiritual bank account” in sobriety
Anthony also shares practical strategies for dealing with anger in real time, including breathing techniques, meditation, boundary setting, and journaling.
Recovery isn’t about eliminating emotions — it’s about learning how to feel them without letting them control your actions.
If you're struggling with anger, resentment, or emotional triggers in recovery, this episode offers powerful insight and tools to help you move forward.

Have you ever been having a normal day when a smell, a song, or a place suddenly pulls you back into the past?
In this episode, we talk about intrusive memories in recovery — why they happen, why they feel so intense, and why they don’t mean relapse, failure, or weakness.
Intrusive memories aren’t something you choose. They’re automatic nervous system responses that often show up in addiction recovery, trauma healing, and emotional sobriety — especially once substances are no longer numbing the system.
We break down:
What intrusive memories actually are (and what they’re not)

Why smells, music, and places are such powerful triggers

Why sobriety can make memories feel louder before they soften

The difference between memory and meaning

Why intrusive memories are not cravings

What to do when an intrusive memory hits

Why triggers and obsessions fade over time in recovery

This episode is for anyone who’s ever thought:
“Why did that come out of nowhere?”
“Does this mean I still want to use?”
“Am I doing something wrong in recovery?”
You’re not broken.
You’re not back there.
Your nervous system is learning safety.