Ep 91: How I Recovered from Oxycontin, Adderall, and Fentanyl Ladd wanted to be a good dad, a good husband, and a good employee. He couldn’t explain why he kept blowing off his commitments and continued to use. What began as college drinking gradually progressed to heavy use of Oxycontin, Adderall, and fentanyl, eventually leading to hallucinations. When things got bad enough he eventually went through MARR. While in treatment he faced some tough truths about himself and learned how to be supportive of others who were in sobriety. He also worked through the 12 Steps with a sponsor. Thing ..read more

Ep 90: The Dentist Who Couldn't Stop Using Drugs From the outside, it looked as if Brian had everything going for him. He had graduated from dental school. His career was off to a successful start. And in his spare time as a musician, he had even found the time to record an album. However, what people couldn’t see was that he was also developing a serious drug dependency. All this activity came to a halt when he was confronted by his supervisor and told to go to treatment. When he checked into MARR, he began learning about the underlying causes of his drug addiction. He also learned that ..read more

Ep 89: As Family, We Were Invited to Participate Family members can be a vital part of the recovery process. The two women on today’s episode are a prime example of that reality. Sallie and Rosemary are the wife and mother of one of our former clients, Rob. They watched Rob go through treatments before coming to MARR, and even participated in family programs at other treatment centers. But at MARR, they felt a confidence in the staff and program they hadn’t felt at previous treatment centers. They also accepted the invitation MARR extended to them to participate in their own recovery ..read more

Ep 87: The Significance of Family Week in Treatment When Laurie M.’s husband, Sam, checked into MARR (which you can hear about in episode 86), the relationships in their family were strained. Now, Laurie says, her marriage with Sam is better than ever, and there has been significant healing between her children and Sam. She credits a lot of the progress to the work that she and her kids were able to do in MARR’s Family Program. While her husband, Sam, was learning how to live in sobriety, Laurie was learning about her part in the family disease of addiction. She also learned how she cou ..read more

Ep 86: The Ego Deflation of a Successful Investor Sam M. was a high-flying investor in capital markets for residential mortgages. He had a wife and two kids that always took a back seat to his career. But that all changed when he got arrested for a DUI and ended up at MARR. In treatment, his peers and his counselors helped him realize what really mattered to him. In this episode, we also hear from Sam’s wife, Laurie, about her perception of Sam’s recovery. Our next episode will focus entirely on Laurie’s experience of Family Week at MARR, and how that experience was a game-changer for her a ..read more

Ep 85: Going Through Divorce with an Attitude of Service: Michelle H. Sequel Michelle H. participated in Stories of Recovery about 4 years ago in episode 45. At the time she had just gotten her nursing license back and was getting her feet underneath her again. Since then, she’s gone through some major changes, including an amicable divorce. Through the experience, she was able to use the principles of recovery to create harmony, welcoming her children’s new stepmother into the family. She also now serves on the MARR staff as a full-time nurse. She discusses what it’s like ..read more

Ep 84: How the Neurologist Found Peace in Science A lot of our guests talk about “God” a lot in their stories. Our guest today, Larry J., a neurologist who came to us from Kentucky, isn’t one of those people. And that’s why we thought it was important we talk to him. We want everyone to know that they are welcome here at MARR and there is a path to recovery for them, regardless of what they believe or don’t believe in. Feel free to email us at podcast@marrinc.org if you have any feedback or ideas, or if just want to connect. The post Ep 84: How the Neurologist Found Peace in Science ..read more

Ep 83: Getting Sober at 19 When Katie started college at Kennesaw State, things were already going poorly. She’d started using at 15. Probation was catching up with her, and she could have faced jail time. That was when Katie went to MARR, turning her life around as one of the youngest people in her group. She grew to understand the feelings that she treated with substance abuse, and now, over 10 years later, she lives a beautiful life of recovery with her husband and two kids. Katie (left) in treatment with her friend Aimee (right). Katie, present day, here with her family The post E ..read more

Ep 82: Marcia Smith Strong. Caring. Comforting. Direct. These are just a few words that clients have affectionately used to describe Marcia Smith, Director of MARR’s Right Side Up (RSU) – a six-month, state-funded, residential addiction treatment program for adult women (ages 18 and older), and adult women with dependent children (under age 13). Marcia has helped countless women change their lives and thus, their entire family system by facilitating a treatment environment that provides both loving support and accountability. In this episode, you will not only get a strong sense of th ..read more

Ep 81: How to Get Sober and Save a Marriage Brian K.’s marriage was on the rocks. He was drinking heavily and sleeping in his truck in the driveway. Desperate to keep his family intact, he checked into MARR on the same day as his twin sons’ 10th birthday. Through the process of living in community at MARR, attending groups, and working with an individual counselor, Brian learned how to show up authentically and tell the truth, regardless of how it made him look. Additionally, he gained valuable skills in managing conflicts and staying sober, even in the face of tragedy and loss. The post ..read more