In the episode: In this week's podcast episode, we talk with Dr. Stephen Lloyd, Chief Medical Officer at Cedar Recovery and advising doctor for the Hulu miniseries, Dopesick. As an internal medicine physician and addict in recovery since 2004, Dr. Lloyd has a deep understanding of addiction giving him a unique approach to patient care that includes…

In the episode: In this week's episode, we talk to author Ray Vance, author of A Road Through Hell. Many of us in recovery know about the hell we put ourselves through while in active addiction. We've experienced our lives in chaos, legal problems, broken relationships, relapse after relapse, and defeat. But what do we do when our child has watched…

In the episode: We talk to Josh and Hollie, authors of Bang Head Here about the self-destructive behaviors that result from emotional pain. Much of how people are conditioned to deal with pain mirrors the way their caretakers dealt with pain. When a loved one acts out destructively it is easy for the caretaker to place blame on their loved one, ins…

In this Episode: In this episode of Back Porch Chats, we talk to Janet Gourand who struggled with alcohol for many years. She tells how she finally got sober in 2015 when she found her "people." She used her 25 years of experience in training and development to design and facilitate workshops to help people quit drinking. Her membership program, Tr…

In this Episode: Charlene Madden joins this episode of Back Porch Chats to share her story of childhood sexual violence, domestic abuse, mental illness, and suicide ideation in an open and authentic discussion to help remove some of the stigmas that surround those topics. Charlene is a mother of 3 children, wife, daughter, and reiki practitioner. S…

In this episode: Stephan Neff is an anesthetist, bestselling author, speaker and show host, and alcoholic in recovery. Stephan knows the challenges of trauma, depression, anxiety, and PTSD firsthand. As a man trying to drown his sorrows, he found out the hard way that the critters can swim. But the past does not equal the future. In this episode, S…

In this Episode: In this episode of Back Porch Chats, we talk to the author of seven books, Paul Trammell about living sober as a solo sailor. Paul talks about how his decision to stop drinking alcohol led to living a nomadic life on the sea and the completion of his book Alcoholics Not Anonymous, A Modern Way to Quit Drinking. His book focuses on …

In this Episode: In this episode of Back Porch Chats, Vince and Jeanna talk to Steve Bisson about managing trauma and addiction with therapy and getting help from sober communities. Steve Bisson has worked in the mental health/addiction field since 1999 as a therapist, coach, author, and podcaster. He has owned his private practice, Straight to the…

In this Episode: In this episode of Back Porch Chats, Vince and Jeanna talk to Serge Prengel who looks at the science behind 12-step programs in his book, The Proactive Twelve-Steps: A Mindful Program for Lasting Change. Serge is certified in Focusing, Core Energetics, and Somatic Experiencing. His work draws from Systems-Centered theory. He is a c…

In this Episode: Listen in as Vince and Jeanna talk to Theo Fleury, best known as an Olympic Hockey gold medalist and Stanly Cup winner, Theo Fleury now takes his story of abuse and addiction recovery public. His best-selling books, Playing with Fire and Conversations with a Rattlesnake, offer tools that help people who have experienced trauma lear…

In this Episode: On November 20, 2019, Laura Stack's 19-year-old son, Johnny, died by suicide after becoming psychotic from dabbing high-THC marijuana concentrates. Laura responded by forming the nonprofit, Johnny’s Ambassadors, to educate parents and teens about the dangers of today’s high-THC marijuana on adolescent brain development, mental illn…

In this Episode: In this episode of Back Porch Chats, Vince and Jeanna talk to Tamlin Allbritten who has worked for 40 years with families, children, and people in rehab using art to help them understand each other, their feeling, and recovery. During the month of January, Tamlin will be working with the Drug Education Council in Mobile, Alabama to…

In this Episode: Meet Peter Murphy, writer and recovering alcoholic with 50 years of sobriety. In this episode, Peter tells how he was abused as a child by a priest, his descent into alcoholism, waking up drunk in a gutter, and how writing helped inspire his recovery. Episode Highlights: Burying his mother's suicide in his memory. Traveling through…

In this Episode: Are you ready for a sober Christmas? Here at Back Porch Chats, we are. In this episode, Vince and Jeanna talk to Mary Hadley, a volunteer and member of the Board of Directors with the Drug Education Council in Mobile, Alabama. Listen to this lively episode to hear Mary's story and learn some tips you can use to enjoy a sober Christ…

In this Episode: In this episode of Back Porch Chats, Vince and Jeanna meet John Giordano, author of several books including, "How to Beat Your Addictions and Live a Quality Life" and most recently, "The Kid From the South Bronx Who Never Gave Up." His experience as a childhood molestation survivor and child of a heroin dealer eventually led him to…

In this Episode: In this episode of Back Porch Chats, Vince and Jeanna talk to Lydia Barber, organizer of the Out of Darkness Walk in Daphne, Alabama, about what you can do to help with suicide awareness and fight the emotional chaos you may be going through after the loss of a loved one. In 2011, Lydia lost her son to suicide. Listen to this episo…

In this Episode: In this episode of Back Porch Chats, Vince and Jeanna talk to Certified Inner Child Recovery Process Specialist, Bob Herdon about recovering from sex and porn addiction. Listen as we chat with Bob to understand how his addiction started, where it lead, and what you can do if you or a loved one is struggling with sex and porn addict…

In this Episode: In this episode of Back Porch Chats, Vince and Jeanna talk to life mastery coach, Dennis Berry. Dennis has helped people worldwide for over 15 years. He is the author of the best-selling book “Funky Wisdom: A Practical Guide to Life” and host of The Funky Brain Podcast. Sober since April 8, 2003, Dennis knows what it is like to be …

In this Episode: In this episode of Back Porch Chats, Vince and Jeanna talk to KL Wells. For more than twenty years, KL collaborated with hundreds of non-profit organizations, effectively leading initiatives with CEOs, senior executives, board directors, trustees, and philanthropists to attract hundreds of millions of dollars igniting organizationa…

In this Episode: Anyone can open a sober living home for people in recovery. Unfortunately, sometimes these homes have low living standards and don’t provide the support for successful recovery. In this episode of Back Porch Chats, Vince and Jeanna talk to three women who are trying to change that. Haley Beason, Lisa Teggart, and Laurye Brunson are…

In this Episode: Are you running from pain or towards pleasure? When new in recovery, most people are running from the pain they have endured because of their addiction to alcohol. After a while, however, that pain diminishes as they start to enjoy the benefits of recovery. It no longer feeds their motivation to stay sober and they relapse. That’s …

In this Episode: In this episode of Back Porch Chats, Vince and Jeanna restate their original mission in producing this podcast, and they share a recent opportunity they had to help a friend newly in recovery. Episode Highlights: How the A.C.E (Adverse Childhood Experiences) test can help you identify your risk for substance use disorder. An activi…

In this Episode: Have you considered the benefits of journaling for recovery from alcoholism and other addictions? In this episode of Back Porch Chats, Jeanna shares some of her journaling experience and expertise and the knowledge she has gained from it. Listen to this episode to hear Vince and Jeanna talk about the benefits of journaling. They al…

In this Episode: Now sober. Now what? For some, the next step in recovery is to completely rebuild their lives. That’s exactly what Louise did when she got married, had a baby, bought a house, and started a business. In this episode, Louise tells Vince and Jeanna about her relapses, why she struggled to stay sober, recovering from sexual abuse, and…

In this Special Episode: Are you fiercely independent? Does it get in the way of your relationships? Your well-being? In this episode, Jeanna gets real about her difficulties as a fiercely independent woman. She talks about how she came to be fiercely independent, how she let being ultra-responsible rule her life, and what she does to work through …

In this Special Episode: Today’s episode of Back Porch Chats features Virginia Guy and Jane Bartlett Pappas as they tell us about the events planned for The International Overdose Awareness Day in Mobile, Alabama to honor loved ones lost, remove the stigma of substance use disorder, and bring resource awareness to those in need. You can attend the …

In this Episode: Where do you go when you need to transition from a life of addiction to a life of sobriety? For some women, it’s the landing. Today’s episode of Back Porch Chats features Haley Beason’s story of addiction and recovery. For so many, getting sober leads to a helping role in the lives of others wanting to end their relationship with a…

In this Episode: Back Porch Chats brings to you, Lisa Teggart who, after experiencing the overdose death of her sister, realized that she had to do everything in her power to offer a “Door to Serenity” for those who needed it. In this episode, she tells her story and talks about her home for transitional living and the work she does to help people …

In this Episode: To honor International Overdose Awareness Day, we have another episode featuring a story of addiction and loss. In this episode, we talk to Marcia and David Grayson who lost their daughter, Mary Catherine, to overdose. Mary Catherine attended St. Jude school and was a member of All Saints Catholic Church. She was very involved in h…

In this Episode: International Overdose Awareness Day, August 31, is approaching fast, and here at Back Porch Chats, our goal is to heighten your awareness of the tragedy that drug addiction brings to both those who suffer and the families that have to endure life after loss. Stay tuned this week as we bring stories highlighting the life, death, an…

In this Episode: Covid hit the recovery world and made some drastic changes to how people stay sober and find new sources to meet. For many, it hasn’t been good as isolated drinking, relapse, and overdose deaths are on the rise, but for others, the pandemic has introduced a new way to get together—Zoom. In today’s episode, we talk to Steve and Anne…

In this Episode: Do you have a loved one whose alcohol or another substance use has gotten out of control? Are they behaving in ways that are incongruent with their own values? In this week’s episode, we talk to Jim Ware, psychologist, therapist, and interventionist with 25+ years of experience in interventions. Highlights in this Episode Include: …

In this Episode: She’s back. Vince and Jeanna have another conversation with Dr. Camila Williams. In this episode, they talk to Dr. Williams about the benefits of working a recovery program that involves therapy and a 12-step community and when to get a professional involved in recovery. Listen in as Camila identifies green light (all is good), yel…

In this Episode: While Vince and Jeanna have enjoyed producing these podcasts for you, sometimes they are a struggle. This one about their struggles with the podcast was no different. In this episode, they dig deep into their fears to address where they really come from. It takes a turn in a direction that was unexpected but offers a lot for the re…

In this Episode: A common concern for alcoholics is how to deal with the things that trigger them to drink. In fact, many relapses happen at the start of a trigger. Familiar environments, people, or events launch a thought in the alcoholic's brain that says, “let’s deal with this by drinking” and often, the alcoholic follows the routine without eve…

In this Episode: A few months ago, Vince and I had the opportunity to see hypnotist, Terry Stokes Jr. perform his comedy show for an audience of alcoholics. In his show, he works the message of recovery into an environment of laughter. In this episode, Terry talks with Vince and Jeanna about limiting beliefs and how they affect recovery. Highlights…

In this Episode: If you have had, are considering having, or have a loved one who is considering having gastric bypass, you will want to listen to this episode. One of the leading difficulties amongst gastric bypass patients is the development of alcohol addiction post-surgery. In this episode, Shana talks about her insecurities with her weight, he…

Fun with Carol and Anna Part 1 In this Episode: And boy did we have fun. In this first part, Anna shares her story of recovery, isolation, and connecting with nature. It’s a short episode full of laughter. Highlights in this Episode Include: How alcoholics don’t understand fun without alcohol at first but are able to learn. Both women’s connection …

Fun with Carol and Anna Part 2 In this Episode: Gears switch drastically as we continue this episode of “Fun with Carol and Anna” on a more serious note. Carol talks about her multiple addictions, experience with mental institutions, and growing up in a critical home. It’s important to know that if you deal with mental illness, you are not alone. T…

Roban’s Story and Driving Miss Jeanna In this Episode: In this episode of “Back Porch Chats”, Vince meets Roban, Jeanna’s taxi driver from “back in the day”. Roban tells her story of how she was introduced to her drug of choice (meth) and quickly became addicted. She also shares with us how her daughter saved her from that life only to follow a sim…

In this Episode: For many of us, helping is part of our nature. We want to help our children, our parents as they age. and our partners. Unfortunately, sometimes our desire to help leads to more harm than good. That helping becomes enabling. Do you know when enabling becomes abuse? If you think that your actions have transformed from help to harm, …

In this Episode: Do you have trouble determining the difference between selfishness and self-care? If so, this episode is for you. Often, the recovering alcoholic feels guilty when they provide themselves with self-care because it means they sometimes have to put themselves before others, and that feels selfish, but there is a difference. In this e…

In this Episode: We had the wonderful opportunity to speak with friend, Jenny Hewett Smith. She tells about her childhood in South Africa and the trauma she endured during Apartheid. In this episode of Back Porch Chats, Vince and Jeanna listen as she tells about how witnessing traumatic events led to her belief that the world isn’t a safe place and…

In this Episode: Anger, fear, shame, and grief. These emotions give us the energy we need to overcome adversity, but they can become destructive energy when the wrong choices are made. In this episode of Back Porch Chats, Vince and Jeanna discuss how these emotions stack on top of each other to mask the more difficult feelings underneath. Other Hig…

In this episode: Vince and Jeanna continue their conversation with Rob Wilds, wrestler, recovering addict, and podcaster. Listen in to part two of this two-part series as Rob continues his story of grace, hope, and recovery. Other highlights in this episode include: · His feelings and beliefs about the 12-step program. · Vince and Jeanna also share…

In this episode: Vince and Jeanna talk with Rob Wilds, wrestler, a recovering addict, and podcaster. Listen in to part one of this two-part series and hear Rob tell his story of grace, hope, and recovery. Other highlights in this episode include: · His life as a pro wrestler. · How he was introduced to his drug of choice and how it developed into a…

In this episode: Last week we met Randy who told us what was like to grow up in an extremely violent environment. This week we meet his wife, Gail, as she tells her own story growing up and how her childhood led to co-dependency. Other highlights in this episode include: · How she grew up with alcohol in the family. · Her addiction to food. · The e…

In this episode: Meet Randy who tells us what it’s like to grow up in an extremely violent environment filled with severe physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Listen in as we hear about how he used alcohol, drugs, and sex addiction to deal with his trauma and his stormy path to recovery. Other highlights in this episode include: · How he landed i…

In this episode: With vulnerability and insightfulness, Vince shares his story about addiction, abuse, and recovery in a talk he gave for an event called “The Family After.” Other highlights in this episode include: · His first memory of abuse. · How he disassociated to deal with the event. · His later experience with alcohol and drugs and how it a…

In this episode: Drugs, alcohol, food—any of these may be causing havoc in your life, but does that mean you’re addicted? If your life isn’t going the way you would like and you think an addiction may be the problem, listen along as Vince and Jeanna explore five signs that may identify you as an alcoholic and how those same five signs could also id…