Recovery Talks: The Podcast

The Big Moment

How do you know? And what do you do when you DO know? In this episode, Marc turns the guest microphone over to Dr. Doug Smith, the medical director of the Summit County ADM Board.  As you’ll hear, Dr. Smith gives that microphone quite the workout. And with good reason: Dr. Smith has seen his share of ‘big moments’, that critical time-period when patients with a diagnosable mental illness decides to ask for help. Marc and Doug also talk about the inescapable fact that 1 in 4 people have a mental illness, how the stigma is being eradicated, and how ‘TEXT4HOPE’ may be the difference between life and death.

 

 

When You Think You Call the Shots

Jeff Dafler thought he could call the shots. People sometimes think that when they feel like they play the role of God. But when he realized that he couldn’t start the morning without a shot, he knew he needed help. In this episode, Marc and Jeff explore the role of ‘religion’ in Jeff’s journey towards the light. From desperation to a life-changing retreat at a New York abbey, Jeff Dafler came to realize his inner strength. And he used his love of the psalms to emerge as an author, intent on helping others to do the same.

 

You're Not Gonna Be Here

Imagine you wake up in a recovery-room at the hospital after a procedure, and the first thought you have is: maybe I should be in recovery.  Before Billy Sullivan’s real ‘awakening’, this inescapable conclusion rose to the surface.  He woke up to the stern glare of both his doctor and his wife, paired with his physician’s mandate: “You’re not gonna be here if you continue doing what you’re doing.” In this episode, Marc speaks at length with fellow musician Billy Sullivan as he chronicles his journey, his last dance with the Stoli vodka drink which ‘made me toxic, instantly violently ill’, his quest to keep his musical vision intact, and his daily challenge to be the best band-mate, the best musician, and the best father that he can be.

 

 

I Had Everything and I Had Nothing

For over a decade, drummer Troy Luccetta lived the dream. Record deals. World tours. And all the ‘fringe benefits’ that come with it. When you’re a member of a band with the pedigree of Tesla, these things are to be expected. But for Troy, it was slipping away under the guise of addiction. And in his words, “I couldn’t see what I couldn’t see, and I couldn’t hear what I couldn’t hear”. In this episode, Marc gets in to the nitty-gritty with Troy… his journey, his plea for help, his long history in recovery…how he’s utilized the strength of his family, and why ‘being a good example of a bad example’ could act as a light for others in recovery.

 

I Loved Being Loved

Angels. Celestial beings who make their influence felt in our galaxy, in our world. How do they come to be? And if they present themselves, can we recognize them? And what if the ‘angel’ is the person with whom we fall in love? In this poignant, powerful episode, Marc breaks from the interview-template and turns the camera on himself. But more specifically, he turns the focus on ‘Elle’, his angel. Marc chronicles her entry in to his life, the numerous ways she turned it upside down, how Elle saved him from certain death before succumbing to her own, and the one vow he made to himself to help others, in order to keep her legacy alive.

I Looked Really Great on Paper

‘Bad-Ass-ery’ comes in many forms. But it usually doesn’t reveal itself wearing a white lab coat. For Dr. Nicole Labor, getting through medical school and passing her Boards, all the while doing so secretly as an addict, wasn’t the impressive part. Neither was the effort in pounding out her manuscript for the revered book, “The Addictholic Deconstructed”. It was coming to a realization, the one that eventually moved her in to bad-ass status: ‘The worst person is the one I created based on what I think you think of me’.  Dr. Labor joins Marc on the podcast to talk about her journey, her continual recovery, and why saying ‘f*ck’ a lot is sometimes cleansing and beneficial.

 

Higher Power, Higher Purpose

Nashville producer, session-player, teacher, and 12-year Darius Rucker band-member Lee Turner is unashamed to admit it and pulls no punches in celebrating it: his sobriety is largely dependent on his ‘higher power’. As you’ll discover with Marc during this episode, Lee had to wander down the path of broken marriages, poor musical performances, and life-sapping demons. And finally, while physically shaking and unable to even utter words, it was a phone call made on his behalf to the Betty Ford Clinic when he was finally able to say to himself, “Thank G-d, it’s over”.  Now, playing more vibrantly than ever before, Lee expands on why his belief in a higher power plays such an important part in his recovery, and why he feels his music has never sounded better.

 

 

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Showing Up Messy

Mary K. Riley possesses a list of degrees and academic accolades as long as your arm. And as a recovering alcoholic and addict, she admitted to ‘getting sober and having things go well really quickly’. But as Dr. Riley discusses with Marc on the podcast, even with scholarly success and a new marriage, she felt ‘sentenced to another day of life’. And it wasn’t until she discovered a path through art where she finally allowed herself to feel the feelings and granted herself ‘permission to be messy and a little unhinged’.

 

 

Living Two Days At a Time

“If you can’t kill yourself, maybe you ought to learn how to live”. These words coursed through the brain of Krishna Pendyala, which meant that they were the catalyst that started to lift him up when he was at his lowest point. He joins Marc on the podcast to talk about his journey from accident-victim to, now, keynote speaker, ‘choice’ evangelist, and President of Mindful Nation. Krishna helps people unveil their blind spots in order to make better choices, and he lends valuable and practical advice to those in recovery.

 

I Was So Damaged

“They wouldn’t pick on you if you just sat down and shut up’. Metal guitarist and boutique amp-designer Curran Murphy utilized this warped strategy, until his anger-issues would not obey. Then, he had to seek help.  Curran joins Marc Lee Shannon on the podcast to talk at length about his journey, how his wife became a motivating factor in helping him to walk on a more liberating path, and how ‘being lovable’ proved to be a jumping-off point towards ongoing health and healing.