Ciara grew up in a pretty violent household as a child. By 11-years-old, on a search to find something in her life that she could control, Ciara had developed a serious eating disorder. If we fast-forward the next parts of her story through the drug and alcohol abuse, more trauma, stints in jail, stints in various treatment facilities, and time on probation, Ciara now lives a full and productive life in long-term recovery. Watch this video to hear from Ciara herself on how she was able to overcome the trauma and addiction to rise above the wounds of her past.

As an addict, you cause a lot of damage to your life and to the loved ones around you. When you get sober, mending those relationships and rebuilding trust isn’t always easy. It’s not just the stuff you stole – like money, clothes, jewelry, etc. It’s the time, the joy, the peace… stuff that you can’t pay back. Bob Springer is back in the studio with us, this time as an official member of the BKR crew, to talk from his perspective what that has been like for him as he started getting his life back together and worked to rebuild those relationships with family and friends.

During the first half of this episode, Jaime Murphy shares some insights on wellness in the workplace from the employer’s view. From her background in human resources, social work and her current role as the Corporate Relations Liaison for Allendale Treatment, Allendale Behavioral Health and Fort Wayne Recovery, Jaime talks about why addiction and mental health are not talked about openly enough in the business world, and what we can do to fix that so that employees have the support of their employers when seeking treatment.

In the second half of the episode, Zach Dawson, one of our Community Outreach Coordinators, shares his story of seeking out employment while freshly into recovery, and being open about his need to balance outpatient treatment, drug court, and work.

Mike Sedjo, one of the Bare Knuckle Recovery team members, sits down with Nate & Tommy to share his story of addiction and recovery. Mike, like a lot of families who are affected by addiction, thought that hard drugs and serious drug addiction was just something that you hear about in other areas of the country. “Certainly this doesn’t happen in my small town or in my family…” The truth is, addiction doesn’t care about where you live, what you do for a living, how much money you make, or anything else.

In this difficult but important episode, we explore the often-unseen impact of substance abuse – the toll it takes on families who lose loved ones to addiction. Nate & Tommy are joined by two special guests, Theresa Juillerat and Alice Jordan, who have both experienced the devastating loss of a child to substance abuse. They’ll share their powerful stories of grief, resilience, and the challenges of navigating a world without their child. We’ll discuss the unique struggles faced by families, how to find support, and ways to honor the memory of a loved one lost to addiction.

Tommy and Nate welcome BKR team member, Zach, back to the show along with longtime friend of the show, Dick Boggess. Now working together in the community to help those battling addiction, Zach & Dick’s history together started inside of drug court under very different circumstances.

Bob Springer from ‘Felonies to Recovery’ joined Nate and Tommy of Bare Knuckle Recovery to tell his very personal story of addiction. Bob’s struggle with drug use began at an early age and led him to crime and imprisonment on several occasions. He shares how he finally overcame the lifestyle and addiction to now not only live a full life in recovery, but to also help others who are battling the same demons.

Cody Knuckles and John Humphries make up the duo, Cody & John Speak. Both living in recovery, Cody & John lean on their firsthand experiences to speak to young people at schools about the true dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, to encourage them to understand that they have purpose, and to help them understand the power of their choices and decisions.

BKR Team Members, Sam & Andrew, join Nate and Tommy to share their stories of addiction to recovery.

Jarred White, Founder of FW22 in Fort Wayne, IN, sits down with Tommy and Nate to discuss his time serving in the Marines, and what he experienced after returning home. Every single day in the United States, 22 Veterans take their own lives. Give the episode a watch to learn about what FW22 is doing to help bring that number down, support families affected by suicide and encourage people to speak up about mental health.

From Sergeant Gerardot’s perspective working in the field, as well as Nate & Tommy’s perspective of using their own pain and struggles as they navigated through addiction and ultimately recovery, they are sharing their stories to try to help people going through similar situations today.