Dopey: On the Dark Comedy of Drug Addiction

NOTES:Listener emails: brutal black tar vein damage stories (toes, dick, and yes, arteries) plus a chilling NJ dope shack bust and snowstorm cigarette hikeDad's odd updates on protests, bad golf, AI school drama, and swampy lakesBehind-the-scenes Dopey studio chaos, show length fights, and hyped DopeyCon 10-year party plans with Sam Miller confirmedBobby Lee jumps in: stealing beers from his dad, shooting meth at 12, and that unforgettable speedball masturbation session in a medical book aisleChildhood trauma under a strict Korean roof, bullying, and how drugs became his escape hatchFirst rehab at 16, early sobriety struggles, and the surreal calm he found in AA meetings and art museumsFinding comedy through AA shares and improv; the jump to MADtv and flopping hardThe infamous Vicodin withdrawal meltdown — shitting his pants on set and all the chaos that came with itDeep dive into porn addiction, how it fucked his relationships, and the brutal relapse after losing his dadSpiritual battles — wrestling with God's will vs self-will, plus tales of bizarre AA characters like oxygen tank old guys in OklahomaClosing with a no-holds-barred “This or That” game: meth vs heroin, jerking off rules, and the legendary beef chip storyBobby's raw reflections on relapse, fame, and carving out peace in a messy, fucked-up lifeMy dad comes on to update the nation and to kind of ruin a classic episode

 Dopeywood!Note about ToddA  voicemail from a listener in Mexico: “¿Qué pasó David?”Email about a guy sober off weed and a listener who relapsed on shrooms and weed.Dave reflects on the cyclical pain of relapse in the Dopey Nation.Jessie G Segment“I formed like a make-believe relationship with him [Chris].”Jessie first listened to Dopey while working hotel jobs in 2018.“Early recovery sucks no matter which way you cut it.”“I was doing kratom and still eating acid in sober living.”She felt totally alone — “My roommates were gone, I was just in my house.”“I had to threaten suicide one night to get help.”“I think I would make a fine crackhead.”“I was just in my room with my foils.”“I was on probation… and doing really well… but using at the same time.”“I ended up getting arrested in Scranton.”“The methadone detox was the easiest of my life.”“I got a new number and was like, perfect.”“I was living a double life — one part spiritual, one part crazy.”“I was like, just give me a fucking bag.”Describes traveling while using: “I could see in my mind's eye the hotel we were in.”“COVID made it easy to disappear.”“Kensington was a wake-up call.”“I want a real life.”Todd Curry Tribute with DK“He was just a spark, man… I love Todd a lot and I miss him.”“He personified fun. If fun was a person, it was Todd on drugs.”“Do you think I beat a dead horse with Todd? I just can't stop honoring him.”Dave introduces the term “Todd Shot” — Dopey Nation's version of a “God Shot.”DK agrees to come back next year with stories of getting high with Todd.Dave invites listeners to submit Todd memories or tributes.OutroReflections on the importance of recovery: “It's the greatest thing I have in my life.”Outro song: “One More” by Rocker T“Stay strong Dopey Nation and fucking toodles for Chris.” 

Episode Notes!DOPEYWOOD COMING!AWESOME EMAILS AND VOICEMAILS!ABBEY:Postpartum anxiety and getting prescribed benzosHer first time using heroin — in sober livingMoving back to Pittsburgh with her dad to get her life togetherBuilding a YouTube following with her daughter MylaDealing with fame, trolls, and the dark side of "sober influencer" cultureWhy she stopped posting her daughter onlineSetting boundaries in co-parentingThe emotional side of recovery, relapse, and internet backlashHer evolving relationship with recovery, privacy, and motherhood

Doug's back in the kitchen after nearly dying from a TCI (mini-stroke)Dave compares Doug's Memorial Day scare to Ray the Clammer's UTI-induced brain fogRay heads to rehab; Dave wants to publish a book of Ray quotesDoug calls the meeting a “beginner's asylum”; Dave defends the newcomersRule 62, “start your day over,” and other Rayisms get debatedDave reflects on dirt, struggle, red cardinals, and the poetry of recoveryBagel store confrontation: Dave rolls his eyes and almost gets whackedReddit backlash: Dave reads Dopey Nation critiques of teaser formatFans on Reddit defend the show and say the $5/month is worth itDave tweaks the teaser style and explains his morning social media ritualMentions of Dopey Zooms and upcoming Patreon Zoom nightDave teases birthday content for a future episodeShoutout to Scott Wic aka The Rap God

Fentanyl vs. Heroin: "Trash high"—no legs, not the same rush, felt grateful when heroin disappearedFirst Shot: A friend made him do it for free—"Misery loves company"—then couldn't stopOD Stories: OD'd twice in one day—once behind the wheel on FDR, once after snorting Bronx bags, woke up in hospital, ripped tubes out, lied about asthmaMom's Heart Attack: 4 days after OD, mom has a heart attack from stressHustles: Selling weed, flipping Suboxone, scamming friends, "like a credit card"—balances, fronts, jugglingJam Band Scene: Heavy on acid, ketamine, nitrous, Calvin Klein (coke + K), LSD handling mishap at Camp Bisco led to paranoia for a weekMethadone Clinic Madness: Working in the clinic, finding crack pipes, wild characters, hustles in the waiting roomRecovery Pivot: Got clean after the ferry breakup, went to White Deer Run, cut methadone taper on day 3, Old Testament-level detox, started working the 12 steps, counselor Heath changed his lifeWorking in Treatment: From the methadone clinic to Ascendant, saw the whole spectrumWriting: Wrote Slingshot Diaries in Maryland, self-published hundreds of copies, found purposeReflection: Raw honesty, doesn't glorify but doesn't hide it either—“thank God for grace and mercy”

Knicks vs. Celtics playoff madnessDave vs. “New York City Dave”Shout out to Boston Dave G (but still, fuck Boston)Is The Last of Us now just lesbian Eat Pray Love?Getting recognized on the street (and overstaying the moment)Ray's Grindr adventures: “I clean toilets and give BJs”Anti-aging meds, eye lifts, and midlife crisis merch dropsMusic segment: “Good So Bad” live from the studioDopey Wood lineup updates: Darrell Hammond OUT, the rest still INCome to DopeyWOOD!— tickets are free!

Whats on Patreon:Adam's chaotic childhood, bullying, and getting high at 12Smoking weed with an abusive friend's stepdadGetting beat with wrenches, sent to institutions, and almost stabbedDropping acid at school, zeroing hits, playing in bandsCoke binges in L.A. writing sessions — snorting lines off Beyoncé plaquesSpiritual bottom after playing South by Southwest and weeping during ElfRecovery Unplugged, NA, and finding purpose through musicA live performance of his song SaviorThe Elsewhere program and recovery on the roadHis thoughts on music, God, and staying clean through service

In this Patreon teaser, Dave shares a clip from his deeply honest and hilarious conversation with Martin Johnson, frontman of Boys Like Girls. Martin opens up about fear, fame, and the moment in a sauna that changed his life — when a stranger challenged him to define anxiety.Martin talks about:Why he hates the word "anxiety"Staging a self-intervention while still on medsHis crushing fear of not being good enough — as a person, as a singer, as a frontmanThe performative madness of early fameTaking 12–14 Xanax bars a day while chasing successLosing huge chunks of time in a benzo fogThe overwhelming desire to be seen — even if it meant eating ants or wearing crazy outfitsDave opens the teaser with some classic Dopey flavor — spring break parenting chaos, Katz's Deli updates (including a pastrami smoothie?), and a weirdly triggering doctor visit that brought back memories of detox.Also in this episode:Dopeywood news! Tickets available now — free for patrons!Upcoming music & wellness eventsThe Dopey Fitness Challenge returnsShoutouts to the $100-tier dopes and all our loyal patronsAnd, of course, “Fucking Toodles for Chris.”

GaytreonSTREP THROAT!Ricky PowellBeastie BoysSeinfeldLSDSSDN FTFC!

SHOW NOTES:

THESE ARE NOTES ON THE EPISODE - NOT THE TEASER!

This week on Dopey! In one of the possibly most powerful and emotional episodes of Dopey ever, Dr. Nzinga Harrison returns to the show to tell a story she's never shared before—despite being around the show for over five years. Her older brother, Kofi (aka Debo), has spent the last 30 years in prison for a triple homicide he didn't commit. This episode is about injustice, resilience, heartbreak, and family—and how one letter from the foreman of the jury might change everything.

This Week on Dopey! I'm super excited to have had the chance to interview PAtrick J. Pespas and Sam Lipman-Stern from The Telemarketers!  A junky/true crime/scam busting documentary series on HBO! AI wrote all the juicy nuggets below - PLUS Dove updates us! Weighing heroin bags, and Siggy's 7 years!!!! All that and more on a brand spanking new episode of the good old Dopey Show!more dopey at: www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast

NEW DOPEY 'Teaser' Ray is back, and we're diving deep into the mysteries of junkie slang, Mamoun's falafel, and the eternal question—does coke make you gay?  Plus, the Jeff Tweedy rejection saga continues. Tune in for unhinged rants, unnecessary debates, and that sweet, sweet Dopey chaos.TO HEAR MORE RAY: www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast

This week on Dopey! Chris's sponsor Dylan is back! We hear all about how he is doing and reminisce about Chris and his final run before recovery! PLUS Cat Greenleaf stops in to read emails and talk shit!PATREON - www.patreon.com/dopeypodcastDOPEY LOVE LIVE with MARGARET CHO AND FRIENDS: https://publictheater.org/productions/joes-pub/2025/d/dopey-podcast-live/Episode Description:Buckle up, Dopey Nation—this one's a wild ride. Dylan returns to the show, and we get deep into the messiness of recovery: Is 12-step the only way? Can something else work? Does Dylan even want to build something new? It's a classic Dopey-style conversation—raw, honest, and full of uncertainty.Then, we get a next-level Dopey moment: a cleaning lady unknowingly eats a whole bar of mushroom chocolate, trips her face off, and leaves some of the most horrifying (and hilarious) voicemails we've ever heard.But that's not all. TV host and podcaster Kat Greenleaf stops by to talk about her version of recovery, her very personal views on "mouthfeel," and a psychedelic experience that supposedly did 30 years of therapy in one night. Plus, she shares the shocking truth about what she really loves to put in her mouth—and it's not what you think.Somehow, we squeeze in shoutouts, ads, and a surprise Pee-wee Herman connection. It's a jam-packed, totally unhinged episode of Dopey.Biggest Takeaways:Dylan wrestles with the idea of alternative recovery models—does he want to build one, or is he just doing Dopey?12-step's structure may be flawed, but it's survived nearly a century without scandals or profit motives, which is rare in the recovery world.A cleaning lady's accidental mushroom trip is both horrifying and peak Dopey chaos.Kat Greenleaf gets very candid about her oral fixation (in more ways than one).Psychedelic therapy might be the future—or just an excuse to get high in a controlled setting.Pee-wee Herman was secretly a huge Katz's fan and a sober ally.Don't leave drug-infused treats where unsuspecting people might eat them.Sponsors & Shoutouts:CustomStickers.com – Get Dopey stickers! Use code DOPIE20 for 20% off.Safe Spot – A service that stays on the phone with you while you use. Call 1-800-972-0590.Dylan's Berkshire Transition Network – Helping people in recovery.Final Notes:Stay strong, Dopey Nation—especially if you accidentally eat a whole chocolate bar of shrooms. And as always, fucking toodles for Chris.

ERIN KHAR is back on Patreon! She talks about her recent spiral into depression and how she has gotten out of it - plus a sort of scintillating sort of gross 'Ask Erin Question' and much much more on this brand new teaser of the dopey show! PLUS she talks Rick James and Elliott Smith and more! MORE! MORE!Patreon - www.patreon.com/dopeypodcastDOPEY LOVE TICKETS - https://publictheater.org/productions/joes-pub/2025/d/dopey-podcast-live/This is what AI says: 

This week on Dopey! Rejoice Lenny from the Beach is Free! Lenny from the Beach returns from being locked away! Hear all about his time away in Long Island's Jail System and then upstate for more time incarcerated before SHOCK treatment! Hear all the ins and outs of institutional living and the nature of incarcerated recovery! PLUS a crazy meth fishing voicemail and Dopey emails! All that and more on this brand new version of the good old Dopey Show!Patreon: www.patreon.com/dopeypodcastMargaret Cho/Dopey Love/Live Tickets: https://publictheater.org/productions/joes-pub/2025/d/dopey-podcast-live/Here is what AI Says:

This week on Dopey we are joined by recovery advocate and woman in recovery, Jamie Tall! Jamie shares all about her super crazy journey on this weeks show!TRIGGER WARNING: It gets very graphic around sex and violence, so please use caution! Jamie tells it all and is now sober helping addicts and alcoholics! Patreon is www.patreon.com/dopeypodcastDOPEY LOVE LIVE WITH MARGARET CHO, Dr. Nzinga Harrison, Brace Belden, Erin Khar, Ray Brown and Linda are available at:https://publictheater.org/productions/joes-pub/2025/d/dopey-podcast-live/https://podcast.feedspot.com/rehab_podcasts/Here is AI:"From Fucking the Devil to Finding God: The Jamie Tall Story"Show Notes:

I am in Florida! This is the Patreon Teaser! Hope you guys are great!This is not Cat Marnell. This is Cat Greenleaf - an alcoholic in recovery. Cat has done a tone of media - hosting the seminal New York City Cab Show - 'Talk Stoop'. Now she has a podcast called Soberness. All about recovery - with celebrities - i was briefly on one episode!Please write us at dopeypodcast@gmail.com and let me know what you thought! Join patreon at www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast buy DOPEY LOVE TICKETS AT: https://publictheater.org/productions/joes-pub/2025/d/dopey-podcast-live/Check us out at Feedspot here: https://podcast.feedspot.com/rehab_podcasts/

It's just a teaser!I talk about my back hurting, we read a note from instagram and play a few minutes from doc mcghee!What more do you guys want?

This Week on Dopey! Old School Dopey Abounds! Jason Cabello brings the fucking serious Dopey - too much to describe - but lets just say that his favorite mixture - his signature blend - if you will - was: The Jason Special

Patreon Post: Tuesday Teaser – Wild Turkeys, Roadcaster Woes, and Dopey Love Updates

This week on Dopey!!!! We are joined by Rachel Siegel of Mountainside! And she tells a crazy adventure of becoming a fentanyl addict in Tel Aviv - Israel! Rachel's story starts in Massachusetts but takes a serious turn to pure Israeli insanity! PLUS emails of cotton fever, crazy Wiley Voicemail and my Dad's 81st Birthday! Plus Elon>?????'Join Patreon at www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast

The Dopey Tuesday Teaser for Patreon is up! Hear the whole thing at www.patreon.com/dopeypodcastWe get the dirt on the trip to Cuba with 'Sugar Bear' John Bukaty and 'Salty/Sexy' Seth. PLUS a PCP voicemail from the Glass Bagel!   Here is what AI said:

This week on Dopey!!!!! Maia Szalavitz AND Bob Forrest are back on all sorts of stuff! Can ozempic save junkies??? And Bob updates us on what is really happening in Los Angeles! PLUS a voicemail from Australia and a few emails and much more on a brand new Dopey show! What AI thinks: Episode SummaryIn this thought-provoking episode, we're joined by the brilliant journalist and addiction expert Maia Szalavitz to tackle a fascinating question: Could medications like Ozempic play a role in helping addicts recover?

 Show Notes for Dopey Podcast Episode

This week on the teaser - Ben tells an insane Dopey story full of Walmart, guns and needles! Then the teaser with Leah Knauer - plus Should I go to Cuba??? https://www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast Here is what AI says: "Shot in the Groin, High on Chaos: Ben's Unbelievable Survival Story"

"Shot in the Groin, High on Chaos: Ben's Unbelievable Survival Story"

This Week on Dopey! We are honored to be joined by super big time NY Times best selling author, Oprah Winfrey buddy and thought leader, Dear Gabby Podcaster, Dream Manifester - Gabby Bernstein!!!!!!!! Gabby lays it all out how she went from horrible cocaine addiction to finding Self Love and creating her incredible career in helping people and teaching how people can help themselves! PLUS a crazy email from prison! Trouble shooting Heroin! And a chem sex Voicemail! PLUS ALSO Dave's high school friend's Jim and Devan are back to talk psychedelic New Years, rodents and Snakes on a brand new New Years episode of Dopey! Check out Gabby's book and tour dates here: https://gabbybernstein.com/events Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast Here is what AI came up with: