Recovery Matters! Podcast

Hosted by Connecticut Community For Addiction Recovery (CCAR)

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223

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Oct 2026

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A podcast from one of the nation's original Recovery Community Organizations - CCAR. CCAR envisions a world where the power, hope, and healing of Recovery from addiction is thoroughly understood and embraced. We invite guests from all areas of the Recovery Movement to explore the concept of recovery with us, share their stories, and have real discussions that move us toward that world which we envision.

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October 20, 202641 min

Harm Reduction vs. Abstinence: What Does Recovery Really Mean?

Does recovery always have to mean abstinence? Cameron from Liberation Programs joins Stacy on the Recovery Matters Podcast for an honest conversation about harm reduction, substance use, and the many pathways to recovery. Drawing from his experience in street outreach and his own recovery journey, Cameron discusses the stigma surrounding addiction, the debate over overdose prevention centers, and why small positive changes deserve recognition. He also shares a deeply personal reflection on his younger self and the emotional challenges of supporting people who continue to struggle. At the heart of this conversation is a simple question: What happens when we focus on the person instead of just the substance? 0:00: Introduction 0:17: Cameron's Background & New Role 2:11: Meeting People Where They Are 4:07: Criticisms of Harm Reduction 6:25: Abstinence as the Only Measure of Success 8:30; Harm Reduction in Practice 10:02: People Can't Recover If They're Dead 10:54: Recovery Stories & Substance Use Stigma 12:24: Is Harm Reduction Just a Pathway to Abstinence? 14:08: Dignity, Compassion & Respect 16:17: Overdose Prevention Centers 22:46: Drug Checking & Tainted Supply 24:45: Legislative Barriers & Challenges 27:16: Recovery Community & the Abstinence Connection 33:55: An Uncomfortable Truth About Harm Reduction 37:17: Message to Those Struggling 40:25: Closing & Resources ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

October 6, 202627 min

Can You Actually “Sell” Sobriety?

What does it really take to build a recovery community...and what happens when creating the space is only half the battle? Shane Shackelford joins Recovery Matters to talk about his own recovery journey and the story behind Sober Southington, a community focused on connection, movement, social activities, service, and finding ways to enjoy life without substances. Shane shares what he has learned about rediscovering himself in sobriety, the role physical activity has played in his recovery, navigating social anxiety without a crutch, and the difference between building an online following and building a community where people actually show up. The conversation also explores giving back, creating sober spaces where people can have fun, and a question that isn't always easy to answer: if someone tried to “sell” you sobriety, would you buy it? For Shane, recovery is about much more than giving something up. It's about rebuilding connection, learning who you are, creating a life worth showing up for, and helping others do the same. 00:00 – Cold Open 00:09 – Meet Shane Shackelford 01:13 – Discovering Who You Are in Recovery 02:52 – The Four Pillars of Recovery 06:05 – Why Shane Created Sober Southington 08:27 – Mental Health & Social Connection 12:07 – Why Giving Back Matters 13:35 – Building a Recovery Community 14:44 – Online Support vs. Actually Showing Up 15:55 – Celebrating Recovery at the Yard Goats 17:23 – “Sell Me Sobriety” 20:36 – Where Should the Community Go Next? 23:25 – What Life on the Other Side Looks Like 25:38 – Why Shane Started a Podcast 26:55 – How to Find Sober Southington ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

September 15, 202622 min

47 Years in Recovery: Turning Pain Into Purpose

What can nearly five decades in recovery teach us about service, connection, and helping others? In this episode of the Recovery Matters Podcast, Chris reflects on 47 years in recovery and the experiences that ultimately led him to a life centered around giving back. Chris shares his journey from years of pain and repeated attempts to find help to the moment he finally surrendered in December 1978. He explains how sharing his experience with others became an important part of his own recovery—and how that commitment to service eventually helped inspire Become Part of the Solution (BPS). BPS was created to help fill critical gaps when people in recovery find themselves just short of the resources they need to keep moving forward. Chris and John also discuss why stability matters, the importance of accountability, knowing the difference between helping and rescuing, and how genuine compassion can give someone hope at exactly the right time. This conversation is a reminder that recovery doesn't only change one life. Sometimes, what we survive becomes the very thing that allows us to help someone else. 00:00 Meet Chris & the importance of service 00:41 Chris's 47-year recovery journey 02:36 Filling the gaps for people in recovery 02:59 The story behind Become Part of the Solution 05:19 Building BPS around service 06:49 How BPS and CCAR work together 08:35 Addiction, denial & Chris's experience 10:09 His first recovery meeting 10:56 Six months without drinking—and what happened next 11:19 Faith, surrender & moving through pain 12:37 Love, compassion & hope in recovery 13:39 Supporting BPS through community 16:19 Why stability matters early in recovery 18:14 Accountability and responsible support 20:10 Helping someone vs. trying to save them 21:12 When change finally happens 22:10 Final thoughts ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

August 25, 202633 min

From Addiction to Transformation Kitchen | Chason Forehand on Recovery & Second Chances

Chason Forehand has spent 45 years in the culinary industry—but his story goes far beyond the kitchen. After experiencing abuse as a child, Chason turned to drugs at an early age while trying to cope with rage, fear, depression, and shame. His addiction followed him into the restaurant industry, where he was often able to perform even when his life outside of work was falling apart. Then one chef changed the direction of his life. After disappearing on a three-day bender and missing the busiest shifts of the week, Chason returned to work expecting to be fired. Instead, his chef revealed that he was 10 years clean and sober himself—and that someone had once given him a second chance. He decided to pay that same gift forward to Chason, becoming his mentor and first sponsor and helping him begin his own recovery journey. That experience would eventually influence the philosophy behind Transformation Kitchen , a program created to offer people more than culinary training. Participants develop job skills, life skills, financial literacy, conflict-resolution skills, community connections, work experience, and a pathway toward living-wage employment. But bringing Transformation Kitchen to the United States hasn't been easy. After coming incredibly close to opening a U.S. location, a lease fell through just before it was supposed to be signed. Chason describes the disappointment as devastating—and shares why, after 30 years in recovery, he found himself returning to NA meetings because he knew he needed to protect what he had built in his own life. In this episode of Recovery Matters , CCAR Executive Director Stacy Charpentier talks with Chason about addiction, long-term recovery, second chances, Transformation Kitchen, the danger of attaching our identity to outcomes, and why the work of recovery never truly stops. They also discuss what Chason learned from having a door close, why strong support systems still matter decades into recovery, and why he continues to believe that Transformation Kitchen will find its first home in the United States. 00:00 Meet Chason Forehand 02:36 Chason's Recovery Journey 05:53 Addiction, a Bender & a Second Chance 07:48 The Idea Behind Transformation Kitchen 11:33 What Happens When You Put People First 14:19 How Transformation Kitchen Works 15:25 Bringing Transformation Kitchen Around the World 17:22 Why Hasn't It Happened in the U.S.? 19:55 When the Dream Fell Apart 20:19 Protecting 30 Years of Recovery 22:18 Lessons From the Setback 24:30 When Recovery Work Becomes Your Identity 26:17 "Your Addictions Will Just Morph" 27:42 What Transformation Kitchen Needs Next 30:29 What Transformation Means to Chason 31:14 What to Do When a Door Closes ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

August 11, 202636 min

Bestselling Author Paige Dearth on Trauma, Addiction & Finding Hope

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author and advocate Paige Dearth joins CCAR Executive Director Stacy Charpentier for a powerful conversation about trauma, addiction, family, recovery, and the experiences that have shaped her writing. Paige shares how surviving childhood trauma eventually led her to find her voice and begin writing stories centered on people who are often judged, misunderstood, or overlooked. She also opens up about living alongside a loved one struggling with meth and heroin addiction, including five years, 13 rehab stays, the financial and emotional toll on the family, and her eventual realization that supporting someone and enabling them are not the same thing. Together, Paige and Stacy discuss why addiction affects entire families, the importance of seeing people as more than the labels placed on them, how small acts of kindness can change someone's life, and why healing and recovery are rarely linear. Paige also shares an exclusive first look at her upcoming book and the real-life experiences that inspired its story. This episode includes discussions of childhood sexual abuse, addiction, trauma, human trafficking, and family experiences surrounding substance use. Recovery Matters Podcast is brought to you by the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR). 0:00 – Introduction 0:50 – Paige Dearth’s Childhood Trauma and Finding Her Voice 3:46 – How Real-Life Experiences Shape Her Characters 5:18 – Writing About Trauma Without Exploiting It 8:15 – What Fiction Can Teach Us About Addiction and Trauma 9:47 – The Real People Who Inspired Her Characters 11:18 – How Paige’s Books Have Impacted Readers 14:13 – How Addiction Affects the Entire Family 17:06 – Five Years, 13 Rehabs and the Cost of Addiction 19:35 – Creating Characters Beyond Their Labels 22:08 – Small Acts of Kindness Can Change a Life 24:16 – Recovery, Healing and Holding Onto Hope 26:49 – Paige’s Message to People in Recovery and Their Families 28:41 – The Most Difficult Book Paige Ever Wrote 29:36 – The Character Paige Wishes She Could Have Been 31:42 – What Paige Dearth Is Writing Next 32:14 – Exclusive Reveal: Paige’s Upcoming Book 34:24 – Where to Find Paige Dearth’s Books 35:17 – Final Thoughts and a Message of Hope ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

June 24, 202626 min

Making Sobriety Stick: Stephanie Hazard on Recovery Coaching & Real Support

In this episode of the Recovery Matters Podcast , Stacy speaks with Stephanie Hazard , recovery coach, author, and person in long-term recovery, about her upcoming book Making Sobriety Stick . Stephanie shares how recovery coaching became a powerful part of her own journey, why this non-clinical support role can be a missing piece for so many people, and how recovery support can help individuals and families navigate life beyond treatment. The conversation also explores sober curiosity, eating disorder recovery, recovery capital, family support, and why asking for help can sometimes begin with something as simple as opening a book. Stephanie’s book, Making Sobriety Stick , is available for pre-order now, and part of the proceeds from pre-orders will support CCAR’s recovery support services . Pre-order the book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/making-sobriety-stick-stephanie-hazard/1150265768?ean=9798895151006 00:00 Introduction to Stephanie Hazard 00:18 Stephanie’s Recovery and Coaching Background 02:33 What Making Sobriety Stick Is About 05:39 Why a Book Can Be a Gentle Way to Ask for Help 07:24 What Led Stephanie to Recovery Coaching 08:58 Recovery Coaching as the Missing Piece 11:56 Substance Use Recovery vs. Eating Disorder Recovery 21:00 Process Addictions and Recovery Capital 25:04 Pre-Orders, Proceeds, and Supporting CCAR 27:31 Why Recovery Coaching Helps Families Too 29:51 Recovery Begins After Discharge 32:39 Advice for People Who Are Sober Curious 35:19 How CCAR Provides Free Recovery Support 36:14 CCAR’s Local and Global Impact 37:26 Closing Thoughts ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

May 12, 202628 min

38 Years in Recovery and Still Learning How to Stay Connected: Phil Valentine Returns (Part 2)

In Part II of this conversation, Phil Valentine reflects on what recovery looks like after retirement, after leadership, and after life changes the rhythm you once knew. After decades in recovery and years of leading CCAR, Phil shares how returning to meetings helped him reconnect with something deeply familiar: community. He talks about finding his people again, the difference between solitude and isolation, and why face-to-face connection still matters in a world full of screens, Zoom meetings, and technology. This episode is a reminder that recovery doesn’t stop growing just because you have time behind you. Sometimes, the next chapter brings you back to the simple things: showing up, being known, encouraging someone, and remembering that the best is still yet to come. 00:00 Returning to Meetings 01:00 Finding Community Again 02:00 What Real Community Looks Like 04:00 Being Celebrated in Recovery 05:00 Rekindling Connection 06:00 Carrying the Message 07:00 Loving Recovery Again 09:00 Recovery Community Centers 11:00 Multiple Pathways of Recovery 12:00 Finding Your People 13:30 Solitude vs. Isolation 16:00 Why Community Matters 18:00 In-Person Connection vs. Technology 22:00 The Power of Vulnerability 24:00 Simple Words That Can Change a Life 25:00 Phil’s Legacy 26:00 Advice for Early Recovery 27:00 The Best Is Yet to Come 28:00 Closing Reflections ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

May 5, 202618 min

Recovery, Ego, and Letting Go of Control: Phil Valentine Returns (Part 1)

After 25 years leading one of the most impactful recovery organizations, Phil Valentine made the decision to step away… but what came next wasn’t clarity, it was uncertainty. In Part One of this conversation, Phil opens up about what it really feels like to lose a role that defined your entire life. From battling cancer and burnout to rediscovering purpose, he shares the quiet, honest moments that don’t often get talked about. This isn’t just about leadership, it’s about identity, ego, recovery, and learning how to let go of something you love without losing yourself in the process. If you’ve ever wondered who you are outside of what you do… this conversation will hit. 00:00 Intro 01:00 Life After Leaving CCAR 02:15 Burnout, Cancer, and Recovery 04:00 Losing Purpose After Leadership 06:00 “The Sleeping Tiger” – Addiction Mindset 08:00 Recovery First vs Ego 10:00 Leadership, Letting Go, and Trust 12:30 Authenticity in Recovery 15:30 Emotional Intelligence & Leadership 17:00 The Weight of Words ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

April 14, 202624 min

“He Took Me on a Date… to an NA Meeting”

She thought she was going on a date. Instead, he took her to her first NA meeting—and that moment changed everything. After years of heavy drinking, drug use, and a near-fatal overdose, Katerina knew she needed to stop… but had no idea how. What started as confusion and frustration inside that meeting quickly turned into something unexpected: connection, honesty, and the realization that she wasn’t alone. In this episode, she shares the moment that shifted her path, how addiction took over her life, and what finally helped her begin the journey to recovery. Sometimes the thing you need most shows up when you least expect it. 00:00 Introduction 00:19 Childhood & Early Exposure to Alcohol 01:00 Drinking Becomes a Daily Habit 02:00 Life in Colombia & Escalating Drug Use 04:00 Daily Drug Cycle & Loss of Control 05:00 Overdose & Waking Up in the Hospital 06:20 Trying to Stop But Can’t 09:50 First NA Meeting Experience 11:30 Asking for Help & Going to Rehab 13:00 Early Recovery Struggles 15:00 Returning Home & Rebuilding Life 16:30 Recovery Routine & Personal Growth 17:30 Moving to the U.S. & New Opportunities 19:10 Relapse After Success 20:30 Loss, Grief & Finding Recovery Again 21:50 Discovering Multiple Pathways to Recovery 23:20 Advice for Someone New in Recovery ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

March 31, 202629 min

“If It Kept Working… I’d Still Be Using” | From Addiction to PhD

Margaret Lloyd Seger shares her recovery story—getting sober at just 25 years old and transforming her life into one of purpose, research, and impact. From early struggles with alcohol and Adderall to becoming a PhD researcher studying addiction and pregnancy, her journey highlights the reality of addiction, the difficulty of early recovery, and the hope that keeps people going. This conversation dives into: What early addiction really looks like The hardest parts of early recovery How recovery can rebuild a life The truth about substance use during pregnancy Why people deserve recovery—no matter what Recovery is possible. And it starts one day at a time. 0:00 – Margaret introduces herself (15 years in recovery) 1:05 – “I had a great childhood… still became an alcoholic” 1:40 – First exposure to drinking & drugs 2:27 – Early red flags: “I only wanted to drink to get drunk” 3:00 – Why addiction is hard to see when you’re in it 4:00 – Loss + addiction getting worse 5:00 – The moment it finally clicked 5:25 – First recovery meeting at 25 6:10 – “Drugs and alcohol stopped working” 7:30 – Early recovery was the hardest thing she’s ever done 8:00 – 10 days sober… nervous system completely shot 9:15 – Surviving early recovery (meetings + “hope shots”) 10:45 – Rebuilding life in recovery 13:30 – Working with kids affected by addiction 16:50 – Her focus now: pregnancy & addiction 20:40 – Research + TikTok education 22:10 – Cannabis use during pregnancy 24:45 – The risks most people don’t realize 28:50 – Advice for someone in their first 24 hours ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery

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