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Alcohol and other drug addictions are at the root of a wide range of challenging social problems and are linked to our quality of life, the strength of the economy, and the safety of communities. But for 15 years, Face It Together has been at the forefront of those battling with addictions throughout the Sioux Empire. Wendy White and Katie Lail from Face It Together join the program to tell us about the organization, its mission, the programs they offer, and success stories. More information can be found at wefaceittogether.org or by calling 605-274-2262.
Send us a Text Message.In this powerful episode of Living the Dream with Curveball, host Curveball welcomes addiction wellness and peer coach Shannon Schlett. Born inside a prison and raised in North Dakota, Shannon shares her harrowing journey through addiction and her inspiring path to recovery. From growing up in a tumultuous household to battling her own demons, Shannon's story is one of resilience and transformation.
In this conversation, Wendy White, CEO of Face It Together, discusses her background in healthcare and her journey to her current role. She emphasizes the importance of work-life integration and flexibility in balancing her role as a CEO and a mother of four teenagers. Wendy also highlights the unique approach of Face It Together in providing peer coaching and support for individuals struggling with addiction and their loved ones. She shares success stories and the impact of the organization's holistic approach to recovery. Wendy's legacy is focused on creating a supportive workplace culture and helping individuals live their most fulfilled lives. Connect with Wendy White: Website: wefaceittogether.org Phone Number: 855 539 9375 Email: care@wefaceittogether.org Connect with Bennett Maxwell: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bennett-maxwell-703717126/ Instagram: @bennettmaxwell35 Subscribe to Deeper Than Dough: Apple Podcasts: https://shor
NOTE: In this episode, we will discuss childhood trauma, addiction, substance abuse, and sexual abuse.Terri Brown is a peer coach, also known as a recovery coach, specializing in helping individuals with childhood trauma, criminal justice involvement, and addiction recovery. In this episode, we will address the topic of harm reduction, goal-setting, and the role of peer coaching in addiction recovery. Terri shares personal experiences and insights into her work, emphasizing the importance of realistic goal-setting, finding purpose, and changing one's thoughts to change their world. We will also touch on the importance of creating a supportive network and the challenges faced in changing one's social environment. Terri is part of Face It Together, an organization that provides support and resources for addiction recovery.Connect with Terri or find a counselor for yourself at https://www.wefaceittogether.org/Support the showConnect with Magic:A Magical Life Podcast on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amagicallifepodcast/On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholisticnaturalhealth/Online: https://wholisticnaturalhealth.com.auA Subito Media production
Do you or someone you know struggle with addiction? In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Joe Tlustos to talk about how his mental health struggles turned into multiple addictions that greatly impacted his life.Joe shares the story of how he learned to slow down, accept himself for who he is, and get the help he needed. Through his journey, he learned that the opposite of addiction isn't sobriety, it's actually connection. He now helps people struggling with addiction connect with someone who can help them slow down and kick the addiction for good. Joe Tlustos is a peer coach for Face It TOGETHER, an addiction wellness nonprofit. Joe has extensive personal and coaching experience with addiction and mental health conditions having suffered from multiple addictions (including opioids, alcohol and others) for more than 20 years, mainly due to undiagnosed Bipolar Disorder II, severe depression, anxiety and adult ADHD. He voluntarily entered inpatient treatment in November of 2008 and has been in recovery ever since. Today, he's experienced as a coach and a peer in a place where highly creative talent, mental health and addiction intersect. In today's episode, we cover: What it's like struggling with mental health issues before people understood themThe rareness of true authenticity in the mental health spaceJoe's experience in the radio business and how it impacted his mental healthWhen Joe started suffering from multiple addictionsThe moment Joe knew he couldn't do it by himself anymore and he needed help The honesty it takes to kick an addictionThe importance of slowing down when you are struggling with your mental health Why the opposite of addiction isn't sobriety, it's connection Why you have to change the way you think if you are ready to find your way out of addiction The power of hope We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Joe! If you want to learn more from him or get some help, make sure to visit the Face It TOGETHER website. You can also follow them on Instagram. Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! Links: Visit Joe's website: https://www.wefaceittogether.org Follow Face It TOGETHER on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faceittogether/ Visit our website: https://fromsurvivortothriver.com/Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brushcreekthriversFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brushcreekthrivers/Get in touch: amgits.reverse@gmail.comQuotes: “The first thing I had to do when I wanted to kick the addiction was learn honesty.” -Joe “The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection.” - Joe “Mental health journeys are marathons. They aren't sprints.” - Erik “We're not going to change our behavior and how we feel if we don't change how we think and operate.” - Marc
In this episode i speak with Kattie Lail, who works on the coaching team for a nonprofit organization called Face It Together. Face it Together provides personalized, nonjudgmental peer coaching for those impacted by addiction, including loved ones.Don't miss the streaming of our next episode "America in Therapy" on Christmas Day all day on a loop live on the OTR YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChEYTddPDUaiZbFliit1r5QKattie grew up in a home with addiction She was exposed to meth at a very young age. Both her parents struggled with meth addiction, which resulted in a very dysfunctional home. Eventually, she was arrested on federal charges and spent three years in prison. That is when Kattie finally started to accept help from the people around her. She found a loving, supportive community to help her maintain wellness.Hear the Inspirational story of how Kattie finally got off of drugs after several attempts and turned her life around . She found a job where she could be herself and help others like her recover from addiction and the scars that lead them down the wrong path.Kattie's sites;Websites: https://www.wefaceittogether.org/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wefaceittogetherInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/faceittogether/Twitter: https://twitter.com/wefaceit2getherLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/face-it-together/ OTR sites:Podcast Website: https://bobadleman.wixsite.com/otrmentalhealthMail: OvertheRainbowbob@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/otrachievingmentalhealhfrInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/over_the_rainbow_achieving Twitter: https://twitter.com/overtherain1bownYouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChEYTddPDUaiZbFliit1r5QThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policyChartable - https://chartable.com/privacyPodtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Rachel and Tracy are honored to welcome Janelle Campbell to the show for an honest, hopeful conversation centered around drug and alcohol addiction and recovery. Currently a Loved One Coach at Face It TOGETHER (a non-profit organization that provides confidential, peer coaching for all those impacted by addiction), Janelle explores her motivation for giving up her previous career to devote herself to being the empathetic resource for others that she herself needed at the start of her journey. She also shares her own lived experience of addressing addiction in her own family and the life-changing intervention that led her to where she is today. Encouraged by the mantra "don't waste the pain", she explains how Face it TOGETHER uniquely approaches addiction and and urges listeners to remember there is always hope for wellness, healing, and recovery for those experiencing addiction - and that loved ones can regain their sense of peace and joy, even in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. Face It TOGETHER's Website: https://www.wefaceittogether.org/ Face It TOGETHER's Instagram: @faceittogether Face It TOGETHER's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wefaceittogether/ Sioux Falls Sidewalk Arts Festival https://www.washingtonpavilion.org/event/sidewalk-arts-festival-2024 What Are You Loving: Janelle: South Dakota Magazine https://www.southdakotamagazine.com/ Jorgenson Kraut and Pickles https://www.facebook.com/groups/104289523441/ Tracy: Mary Ruth's Liquid Morning Multivitamin https://amzn.to/3T7sgD4 Rachel: Delamu Sushi Making Kit https://amzn.to/46ET40r This episode is brought to you by Ignite Fitness Studio! Ignite is passionate about creating a space where everyone feels safe to bring their authentic selves, celebrating the beauty of diversity and believing that positive change must start from within! Check out Ignite at ignitefitness.studio or the MindBody App! The content of this podcast episode is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have.
Welcome to "Healthy Mind, Healthy Life," the podcast that delves into empowering stories and discussions about mental wellness and holistic health. Today, we're honored to introduce a remarkable individual, Joe Tlustos, whose journey navigates the complex intersection of addiction, mental health, and the path to lasting wellness. Joe is a revered peer coach for Face It TOGETHER, a distinguished nonprofit dedicated to addiction wellness. His expertise spans both personal and coaching realms, focusing on addiction and various mental health conditions, encompassing bipolar disorder, severe depression, anxiety, and adult ADHD. A Journey of Resilience: For over 20 years, Joe grappled with multiple addictions, including opioids and alcohol, all while silently battling undiagnosed mental health conditions. His journey took a transformative turn when, in November 2008, Joe voluntarily sought inpatient treatment, marking the beginning of his dedicated recovery. Broadcasting & Philanthropy: Beyond his remarkable personal journey, Joe boasts a profound legacy in the broadcast media industry, serving over 35 years in roles such as an Emmy-award winning program director and talent coach. His contributions extend to the domain of nonprofits, specifically those focused on hunger issues, where he's volunteered extensively. A Beacon of Hope: Since 2009, Joe has courageously shared his personal narrative of addiction, offering hope and guidance to others who navigate similar challenges. His journey took a pivotal turn in 2017 when he transitioned into a peer coaching role, providing support and guidance to countless individuals seeking lasting wellness from addiction. Unique Intersection of Talents: Joe's journey unfolds at the unique intersection where highly creative talent, mental health conditions, and addiction intersect, offering profound insights and lessons learned from both his personal struggles and his extensive experience as a coach. Join us as we explore Joe Tlustos's journey, his lessons learned, and his invaluable insights into addiction, mental health, and the transformative path towards lasting wellness.
The Mental Health Mamas continue our theme of connection as a key to favorable outcomes as we hear Kattie Lail's compelling story of overcoming addiction. As Kattie shares her story we are feeling all of the feels! Listen in to hear about the wonderfully innovative model for recovery support Kattie leads. https://www.wefaceittogether.org/Visit our website for more content: https://mentalhealthmamas.com/Leave us a voice message: 607-288-3382Claim your FREE printable, 100 Ways to Care for Your Mental Health by joining our mailing list: https://mentalhealthmamas.com/connectMental Health Resources:Suicide Prevention Lifeline: The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. Visit https://988lifeline.org/ for a chat option or call 988 in the United States.Crisis Text Line: Our goal is to help texters move from hot moments to a cool calm. Sometimes, that means we give our texters a resource – like a breathing GIF to help them slow down or a link to finding a support group near them.Website: www.crisistextline.org USA text 741741Canada text 686868UK text 85258Ireland 50808NAMI HelpLine: The NAMI HelpLine is a free, nationwide peer-support service providing information, resource referrals and support to people living with a mental health condition, their family members and caregivers, mental health providers and the public. HelpLine staff and volunteers are experienced, well-trained and able to provide guidance. To contact the NAMI HelpLine, please call 800-950-NAMI (6264), Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., ET, or send an email to info@nami.org.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Helpline 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline SAMHSA's National Helpline is a free, confidential, treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. Available 24/7, 365 days a year. Call or SMS text: 988Mama's Comfort Camp: a peer support network where moms of all ages and stages, from around the world (and across the street) lift up each other. Our motto is: Moms don't need more advice, we need more support. Our lovingly moderated forums are always on: 24/7/365. Find us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mamas.comfort.camp/National Parent Helpline® Call the National Parent Helpline® to get emotional support from a trained advocate and become empowered and a stronger parent. Available 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday. 1-855-427-2736 (4APARENT)
In this episode we are speaking with Peer Coach, Joe Tlustos. Joe suffered from multiple addictions (including opioids, alcohol and others) for more than 20 years, mainly due to undiagnosed mental health conditions including Bipolar Disorder II, severe depression, anxiety and adult ADHD. Joe voluntarily entered inpatient treatment in November of 2008 and has been in recovery ever since. Prior to getting well, he spent more than 35 years in the broadcast media industry as an Emmy-award winning program director, on-air talent and talent coach. Joe started as a peer coach in 2017. In that time, he has helped hundreds of people from all walks of life find lasting wellness from addiction. He's learned a number of important lessons along the way and continues to share them with his members. He's experienced as a coach and a peer in that place where highly creative talent, mental health and addiction intersect. In this episode we discuss: 1) The importance of going slow to go fast, sometimes we are being asked to slow down, to tap in, to feed ourselves, take care of ourselves first, and none of it is a sign of weakness. 2) We have a current epidemic of loneliness, feeling as though we are lacking connection, not belonging or fitting in, and we're not as powerless as we think we are. Connect with Joe Email: joe@wefaceittogether.orgWebsite: https://www.wefaceittogether.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/wefaceit2gether Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faceittogether/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/face-it-together Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wefaceittogether YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@faceittogether Face It TOGETHER, an addiction wellness nonprofit, offers professional, compassionate peer coaching to families impacted by addiction. Free or low-cost coaching is available throughout the country virtually and in person in Sioux Falls, SD and Colorado Springs, CO. Please reach out if you're in need of support. Connect with us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84564864 Marsha Vanwynsberghe — Author, Speaker and Life Coach Marsha is the 6-time Bestselling Author of “When She Stopped Asking Why”. She shares her lessons as a parent who dealt with teen substance abuse far past the level of normal experimentation. Through her programs, coaching and live events for women, Marsha is on a mission to teach you how to “Own Your Choices” in your own life. She teaches women how to own their stories, lead themselves and pay it forward to others by creating businesses that serve, support and impact others
In this episode, we talk with Chelsea about her journey with addiction, the end of friendships to sobriety and new friendships, and new opportunities forged. Discussing her current path of being a peer recovery support specialist with an organization called Face It Together and sharing her experiences in hopes of helping others with addictions. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/2-girls-in-a-pod/support
Wendy White (@wefaceit2gether) is the CEO of Face It TOGETHER, an addiction wellness non-profit that offers support throughout America. We discuss the many aspects of addiction recovery and how its helpful for those around the person with the addiction to get help too. Wendy also shares her own story of addiction. Find out more at https://www.wefaceittogether.org/ Fill out the quick form here: https://forms.gle/AH1tusHRXkC3N5yM6 and be in with the chance of winning an Amazon Gift card Get your 2-month free trial of my Inner Circle here https://bit.ly/InnerCircle2MTrial Join the FREE Facebook group for The Michael Brian Show at https://www.facebook.com/groups/themichaelbrianshow Follow Mike on Facebook Instagram & Twitter
Joe suffered from multiple addiction for more than 20 years, mainly due to undiagnosed mental health conditions including Bipolar Disorder II, severe depression, anxiety and adult ADHD. Joe voluntarily entered inpatient treatment in November of 2008 and has been in recovery ever since. Joe spent more than 35 years in the broadcast media industry as an on-air talk talent, program director, talent coach and developer, and an Emmy Award-winning voice talent, operating radio stations in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Rochester, MN and Sioux Falls SD. He's also a cancer survivor and a long-time volunteer of other nonprofits. After 35 years as successful talk radio host, program director, public media network manager, talent coach/developer and an Emmy award-winning voice talent, Joe joined Face It TOGETHER, an addiction wellness nonprofit, as a peer addiction coach in 2017. Joe has extensive personal and coaching experience with addiction and mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety. His dynamic career daily put him a place where highly creative talent, mental health and addiction intersect. Often that intersection ran smoothly, but there were also massive crashes. Sometimes Joe got caught up in the wreckage. 3 Top Tips 1. Sometimes you have to go slow to go fast 2. The opposite of addiction is not sobriety 3. The “WHY”… https://www.wefaceittogether.org/ https://www.facebook.com/wefaceittogether https://www.instagram.com/faceittogether/ https://twitter.com/wefaceit2gether https://www.linkedin.com/company/face-it-together Face It TOGETHER offers effective, compassionate peer coaching in person and virtually. Sponsorship and low-cost options are available for those facing financial difficulty. We help family members as well as those with addiction!
Wendy White has been CEO of Face It TOGETHER since 2020. Wendy enjoys promoting wellness with those she encounters and helping change the narrative around addiction. She's focused on creating a sustainable organization with innovation and financial rigor. Her favorite things are watching the growth of team members and hearing stories of hope and wellness from our members. Creating a workplace culture that focuses on the importance of health and wellness is a critical component of her job. Prior to joining the Face It TOGETHER team, Wendy worked in healthcare for almost 20 years. She focused primarily on supporting clinicians and patient outcomes through the use of clinical systems. Wendy has a bachelor's degree in biology and clinical lab science (ASCP) and a master's in business administration. Wendy stays busy with her husband, four kids and four dogs. She enjoys camping and boating with her family for as long as the weather allows. She finds peace and self-care through yoga, exercise and the support of close friends. She loves to travel, but with four kids it means long road trips. Looking toward retirement, Wendy and her husband plan to live on a boat and complete the Great Loop. What is Face It Together? Face It TOGETHER is a peer-based nonprofit focused on data, science, and getting people well from addiction. They address addiction differently by supporting those with addiction and loved ones in a safe, non-judgmental environment. About 20 million Americans suffer from addiction. Almost 90% of them are missed every year by today's system. The human and financial consequences are enormous, affecting every sector of society. And for every person with addiction, about three to four loved ones are directly impacted. Moreover, drug and alcohol addiction is at the root of a wide range of challenging social problems and is inextricably linked to our quality of life, the strength of our economy and the safety of our communities. https://www.wefaceittogether.org/
CAS 4 - 21 - 1-2023 Jeff Brecht-Face It Together and Tom Jansa-SDGA Executive Director by Calling All Sports
Joe is a peer coach for Face It TOGETHER, an addiction wellness nonprofit. Joe has extensive personal and coaching experience with addiction and mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety. He's experienced as a coach and a peer in a place where highly creative talent, mental health and addiction intersect. For more, go to https://www.wefaceittogether.org/
Kattie was exposed to meth at a very young age. Both her parents struggled with meth addiction, which resulted in a very dysfunctional home. When she was arrested at 19, Kattie realized she didn't want to continue going down the same path. She went on to be a counselor of high-risk populations and remained sober for a number of years. After a relapse she was arrested on federal charges and spent three years in prison. That's when Kattie finally started to accept help from the people around her. She found a loving, supportive community to help her maintain wellness. She has a passion for criminal justice reform and wants to serve as a voice for those who are voiceless. She now serves as Addiction Wellness Coach Supervisor at Face It TOGETHER, a nonprofit dedicated to helping those impacted by addiction, including loved ones, get well. She's a wealth of knowledge and empathy and uses her painful past experiences to help others. 3 top tips for my audience: 1. Ask for help. It took me so long to accept help from people in my life. Once I did, it made all the difference. 2. Let go of your anger. I spent many years angry, especially at my Mom. As I've grown older, I've found much more compassion for her. 3. Incorporate mindfulness into your wellness whenever you can. I'm a big believer in the power of being present with your thoughts, feelings and actions. Social media and contact info. wefaceittogether.org facebook.com/wefaceittogether instagram.com/faceittogether/ twitter.com/wefaceit2gether linkedin.com/company/face-it-together
In this episode of “The Journey of My Mother's Son” podcast, I sit down to talk with Kattie Lail. Kattie was exposed to meth at a very young age. Both her parents struggled with meth addiction, which resulted in a very dysfunctional home. When she was arrested at 19, Kattie realized she didn't want to continue going down the same path. She went on to be a counselor of high-risk populations and remained sober for several years. After a relapse – or recurrence of symptoms – she was arrested on federal charges and spent three years in prison. That is when Kattie finally started to accept help from the people around her. She found a loving, supportive community to help her maintain wellness. Today, Kattie is married with a young son and two Great Danes. Through her work as a peer coach and supervisor at We Face it TOGETHER, she can give back and help others. She loves being there for her members and sees the best in them, even when they cannot. We Face it TOGETHER is a nonprofit addiction and wellness program which provides confidential, evidence-based peer coaching for those impacted by addiction, including loved ones. They don't require sobriety or follow a one-size-fits-all program. The story of We Face it Together starts with co-founder Kevin Kirby, a seasoned business executive. Despite being well connected in the community, having a loving family and the ability to draw upon significant financial resources, Kirby struggled to get well from his alcohol addiction. Once he did, after multiple treatment stays across a few years, he wanted to learn all he could about his disease and the addiction treatment landscape. Kirby recognized there were flaws in the system and wondered how people with fewer or no resources ever managed to get well. He was called to do something. First, he was connected with Charlie Day, a lawyer, CPA and health care finance expert, who would ultimately become Face It TOGETHER's other co-founder. Day had recently served as a senior finance officer in one of the nation's largest regional integrated health care systems. He was an experienced start-up strategist and business innovator and ready to give back to the community. Kirby and Day began crafting a vision for a community-wide transformation around the disease of addiction, along with some of the nation's leading experts. Very soon they could see that those with the most “skin in the game” – employers, health care organizations and others – needed to play a leading role. Their work led to a seven-month community town hall process that enlisted the private, public and social service sectors to identify shared solutions to addiction in the community. Face It TOGETHER was the outcome of those town halls. The organization's model was unique, innovative and designed to bring social transformation around addiction. In 2009, the nonprofit opened its doors and began coaching in the Sioux Falls community. Face It TOGETHER has been recognized by Ashoka, a leading network of social entrepreneurs, and has received the Bush Foundation's Prize for Community Innovation. The nonprofit has also partnered with the Daniels Fund, to expand programming into Colorado, and Stand Together, as part of its prestigious catalyst program. Since its start, Face It TOGETHER has coached members in more than 40 states, one U.S. territory and two other countries. The team's dedication to the mission and vision has remained unwavering. And although Face It TOGETHER's primary service, peer coaching, fundamentally has not changed, the organization has refined its processes and continued to learn from the communities in which it operates. To find out more about Kattie and the work that she is doing at We Face it Together, check out their website at www.wefaceittogether.org.
INTRODUCTION: Kattie was exposed to meth at a very young age. Both her parents struggled with meth addiction, which resulted in a very dysfunctional home. When she was arrested at 19, Kattie realized she didn't want to continue going down the same path. She went on to be a counselor of high-risk populations and remained sober for a number of years. After a relapse – or recurrence of symptoms – she was arrested on federal charges and spent three years in prison. That's when Kattie finally started to accept help from the people around her. She found a loving, supportive community to help her maintain wellness. Today, Kattie is married with a young son and twoGreat Danes. Through her work as a peer coach and supervisor, she's able togive back and help others. She loves being there for her members and sees thebest in them, even when they can't. INCLUDED IN THIS EPISODE (But not limited to): · Crystal Meth Stories · Face It Together Nonprofit · Better Alternatives In Addiction Recovery · Getting High With Mom· The Lifestyle vs. The Drugs· How Getting Arrested Can Be Beneficial · Federal Prison Tea· Trans Healthcare In Prison · The Hypocrisy Of The Anonymous Movement· Unusual Statistics CONNECT WITH KATTIE: Website: https://www.wefaceittogether.orgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/face-it-together/YouTube: https://bit.ly/3DHgW92Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wefaceittogetherInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/faceittogether/Twitter: https://twitter.com/wefaceit2gether CONNECT WITH DE'VANNON: Website: https://www.SexDrugsAndJesus.comWebsite: https://www.DownUnderApparel.comYouTube: https://bit.ly/3daTqCMFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SexDrugsAndJesus/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sexdrugsandjesuspodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/TabooTopixLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devannonPinterest: https://www.pinterest.es/SexDrugsAndJesus/_saved/Email: DeVannon@SexDrugsAndJesus.com DE'VANNON'S RECOMMENDATIONS: · Pray Away Documentary (NETFLIX)o https://www.netflix.com/title/81040370o TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk_CqGVfxEs · OverviewBible (Jeffrey Kranz)o https://overviewbible.como https://www.youtube.com/c/OverviewBible · Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed (Documentary)o https://press.discoveryplus.com/lifestyle/discovery-announces-key-participants-featured-in-upcoming-expose-of-the-hillsong-church-controversy-hillsong-a-megachurch-exposed/ · Leaving Hillsong Podcast With Tanya Levino https://leavinghillsong.podbean.com · Upwork: https://www.upwork.com· FreeUp: https://freeup.net VETERAN'S SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS · Disabled American Veterans (DAV): https://www.dav.org· American Legion: https://www.legion.org · What The World Needs Now (Dionne Warwick): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfHAs9cdTqg INTERESTED IN PODCASTING OR BEING A GUEST?: · PodMatch is awesome! This application streamlines the process of finding guests for your show and also helps you find shows to be a guest on. The PodMatch Community is a part of this and that is where you can ask questions and get help from an entire network of people so that you save both money and time on your podcasting journey.https://podmatch.com/signup/devannon TRANSCRIPT: [00:00:00]You're listening to the sex drugs and Jesus podcast, where we discuss whatever the fuck we want to! And yes, we can put sex and drugs and Jesus all in the same bed and still be all right at the end of the day. My name is De'Vannon and I'll be interviewing guests from every corner of this world as we dig into topics that are too risqué for the morning show, as we strive to help you understand what's really going on in your life.There is nothing off the table and we've got a lot to talk about. So let's dive right into this episode.De'Vannon: Katie Lail is an addiction, wellness coaching supervisor for a fabulous nonprofit called face it together. She sort of tell her story of her journey from learning how to use crystal methamphetamines. Y'all from her mama. Yeah. She learned how to use crystal meth from her mother y'all and then she became a drug dealer.And now she's dedicated her life to helping others find balance and peace. I'm super [00:01:00] excited about this nonprofit because they have alternative approaches to addiction recovery, and I think it's so refreshing relative to what I was exposed to and everything else that's out there. Please take a listen and go and share this knowledge with someone else. Hello, your beautiful souls out there. My name is Danna and Huber and welcome back to the sex drugs in Jesus podcast to have with me the lovely, wonderful miss Katie and believe L is your last name Le yep. Leo Katie L and she's the addiction wellness coaching supervisor for a beautiful nonprofit that I recently discovered called.We face it together and And she's in Sioux falls where the temperature is only like 73 degrees today. And I'm here roasting in Baton Rouge with a lovely 1 0 5. And I love the heat for that. Katie, how are you today? [00:02:00] I'm Kattie: doing so good. I'm just really grateful to be here, to be able to spend this time with you to just kind of share my story and, you know, get to know you a little bit better through this process.De'Vannon: Amen. And amen. And so in this episode, we're gonna be talking a lot about crystal meth. Y'all Katie and I both have our addictions of fucking around with miss Tina. Ooh, that bitch. We're gonna talk about the nonprofit face it together and towards the end, it's a beautiful Nonprofit. It's not like the anonymous movement.Y'all all know I've been through crystal meth, anonymous, alcohol, alcoholics, anonymous, narcotics anonymous all the anonymous and everything like that. And I find to face it together to be more open minded, more yielding, more negotiable, more relevant, more 2022. And and not anti-women. [00:03:00] And so, and not overly religious and it's not religious at all.The word mindfulness came up in my research of this nonprofit rather than higher power. And so we're gonna talk about that later on, but first we're gonna talk about Katie to see what her motivation was to get into this and to see how this program helped her before now, she's helping other people. And this is the most beautiful thing, the way it's supposed to go.We suffer. We get help that we realize that we got help. And we don't take it for granted and we don't, you know, you're not, you didn't go run off the live, a quiet, successful, happy, peaceful life you you're stopping to give back and to help somebody else. And that that's, that's what it's all the fuck about to me.So tell us you know, about your, your history with the methamphetamines. I know this started in your home when you were super young, both your parents to talk to us about that. Yeah. [00:04:00] So Kattie: it's funny because like, thinking back, like both of my parents. Use drugs. They were both IB meth addict as well.And I didn't know that like when I was younger, like I didn't quite comprehend that, but like, in my mind, like I remember being really young and in my mind, like I knew that that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to do drugs. Like I just knew that I wasn't comfortable in my own skin. Like, I, I just always wanted that escape.I didn't really understand what that meant. But you know, things kind of progressed. And, and I did when I was probably like 13, 14, I did start to kind of catch on like, oh, I think my parents are drug addicts. Like, I think that's actually what's going on here. And I remember, you know, being 13 and I found meth in like a, like a big ball of meth in my mom's closet.And I, you know, I brought it up to her. She goes, oh, I found that in the couch. I thought that was yours. I've been meaning to talk to you about it. And I'm like, this is the first time [00:05:00] I've ever seen meth. Like, this is your approach to that. So. It was just always like a really like interesting situation growing up for me.But it was around that time that my mom kind of got really outta control. She started taking off, she would be gone for days at a time. And she'd leave me with my younger siblings who are six and eight years younger than me. And, you know, I often was, you know, their primary caregiver. And when you're, you know, 13, 14, you don't have resources.You don't have anybody to reach out to and be like, Hey, , I'm struggling. Can you help us get some food? Or we don't have electricity. Like, it's like, you just play it. Cool. Because you don't want DSS coming in and, and taking you because that was always like the biggest fear, you know, was being taken away.In retrospect, maybe it would've been a blessing, but at the time it was terrifying. But going through that, I, I remember I was 15 years old. [00:06:00] And, you know, the only time my mom would ever really hang out with me is if we were partying together. And so, you know, we would drink together and whatever, and we were hanging out at her boyfriend's house and I and she was using meth.And so now she was openly using meth in front of me. And I just said, Hey, can I get high with you? And she's like, eh, kind of like hem to nod. And she's like, all right, well, let's do it. And so we got high for my first time. She'd just gotten some money for student loans. She took me to a casino in Minnesota.We spent two days partying at the casino. She snuck me in, it was like, The coolest experience of my life, because I got to hang out with my mom and like, see this lifestyle that she was living. And then, you know, like coming down for the first time and I was like, I'm never gonna do that again. That suckedBut as it turned out, like it, it had already gotten a hold of me. Within a few weeks of trying meth, I was shooting up meth. You know, I, I was in high [00:07:00] school and had a few other friends that I used with, but the primary person that I used with was my mom. And that was kind of the beginning of where my drug use started.And so I spent the next few years getting in trouble, spending time in like juvenile detention centers, getting sent to boot camps, getting out, trying to do well, but just going right back to the same old thing. So that was where it all began for me. De'Vannon: Okay, thank you for that breakdown. Tell me, so you started shooting up a few, few weeks after you first did it.So the first time you did it, did you smoke it? Did you swung, like how did you take it the first time I Kattie: snorted it? Yep. We just, yep. We did lines all the way up to Minnesota. We stopped at every bathroom, did a line off the back of every toilet that we could find. So De'Vannon: I was a good old days. yeah. Tell me when you, so you were doing this to hang out with your mom.Do you think that [00:08:00] well, like you said, it might have been better if you hadn't been taken away. So would you say that you really got into drugs more so for the community, you know, rather than the narcotic itself, Yeah, Kattie: can, that's an interesting question. And I, I don't know that I've ever really reflected on that, but I do remember like the first few times I got high, I was like, I don't even know if I enjoy this, but I enjoyed the lifestyle that was attached to it because there was always people there that you always had a purpose.Like you always had somebody like knocking on your door. And that felt good to me. You know, I was a shy kid. Like I was just like desperate for that attention. And like, to have this like just instant group of people that were your people, you know, that felt good to De'Vannon: me. Bingo. That is one of the main points that I always try to drive home when people get, like, when they don't understand people who use [00:09:00] drugs or for God's sakes, they get judgey about us.One of my big things that I, that I try to, to get inside of people's heads is that it's not always about. The dope when I was homeless. And when I was on drugs, myself, there was so much community out there on those streets. And then when you, whenever I see documentaries, a lot of times on television or, or in the media, in the news or whatever, it's always showing like the meth head with no teeth and their skin peeling off running across the field naked.But I'm like that, that is a thing. Absolutely. But that's not the only thing, you know, sometimes there's a, when I was homeless alone, I couldn't find food anywhere else. I would, I could go to a trap house. I could go to a meth house and they would feed me when they turned me away from the VA. And I couldn't go to my siblings.you know, mm-hmm, , you know, so it's not, you know, when I got kicked out of Lakewood church in Houston, Texas, you know, that ripped my community. and like, exactly like your words [00:10:00]were when I found the drugs again, or when they were offered to me again, I began to accept them. And I had a purpose again, as a dealer I felt wanted, I was valued, you know, all of those things went along with that.So it's not really just the drugs. Mm. When, when you first shot, do you, do, do you remember like the first time you did the IV drug uses and you injected it, did you do it to yourself? Did someone else do it to you? And do you remember how it felt? So Kattie: the crazy thing was like, I was so afraid of needles.Like I was like, I'm not gonna shoot up like that. I'm not going to, but the thing that got me is like, my mom was shooting up with all my friends and I'm like, well, fuck that. Like, I don't wanna be left out. Like, I don't wanna be the only one like this. And so I was like, I'm just gonna try it. And it was actually my friend's boyfriend and.I let him do it for me the first time, but it was after the [00:11:00] first time I was doing it by myself, I just picked it up right away. It seemed more comfortable for me than, you know, letting somebody else poke around in my arm. So,De'Vannon: well, you're bold with it. You know, I, it took a while for me. I let the guys do it first and then eventually, you know, I transitioned and after fucking up mini veins and I got, you know, all these scars and shit you know, then I took to it and oddly enough, it felt like a sense of accomplishment learning how to inject.So , you know, I, Kattie: I think for me, like when the first time that I had to go to treatment, like as a kid, like, I didn't so much like, fantasize about the drugs, but like I fantasized about like how badass, like I felt that I was able to shoot up for myself when I was 16 years old, you know, like, that's the thing that kept rolling through my mind.I was like, I don't care if it's just water, like, I'll just do it. Like I didn't, I didn't even care at that point. You know, I just felt like, [00:12:00] so I understand that sense of accomplishment. Like it felt, I don't know. I was weirdly proud of it.De'Vannon: Me too. Like I totally, I totally get it.Okay. Now you said you first went to treatment just now at the age of 15. Yeah. Kattie: I'm not exactly sure. It was either 15 or 16. I got sent away for my first time and I, I went to treatment for like a nine month, like a nine month, like boot camp. Treatment thing. So I was like remanded to the state. I was there for nine months, got out and was sent to live with my grandparents after that.De'Vannon: So, yeah. So I'm gonna circle back around to like your initial treatments in a second here. So you, I read, so you first got arrested the first time when you were 19 mm-hmm and then later on something [00:13:00] else happened. Tell, talk to me about that first arrest at 19. Kattie: So that was the eye opener for me.Cause I mean, I'd been arrested before, but it was like you're young. You don't have like any like charges you're not in jail. You have like a whole supportive team trying to like help you out. But when I was 19, I got arrested. For my first, first meth charge. And I remember going to county jail and you just, I had to sit there for six months, like not knowing like what my sentence was gonna be like when my next court date was gonna be.And honestly, like just having nobody give a shit that you're in distress. There's nobody there trying to help you or make your situation better anymore. You're an adult. And it was during that time that my mom moved to Denver and I just felt like super abandoned by her. And like, we had a whole bunch of like just bad experiences leading up to me going to jail.But that was like the first [00:14:00] time in my life that I like, like got some perspective and I'm like, I don't wanna be fucking doing this anymore. Like I don't wanna grow up and be living the lifestyle that my mom is living when I'm her age. Like I don't, I don't want this. So that was the first time that I.I wanted to quit using. And I, I had some like marginal success after that, but like I had no idea how to not use. Like, that was my lifestyle. That was all that I was aware of. De'Vannon: Okay. And then I see that you were arrested three years later and then this time it was federal. So what happened? Kattie: So it was actually quite a bit longer than three years later.I so after jail I gotten to a relationship with a guy who. I loved desperately. And I was also very dependent on and he wanted to be sober when we got together, but that was kind of like, not, not that wavered quite a bit. And so, you know, I would do [00:15:00] really well and then he would go back to using, and I would just jump off that cliff with him every time.Like I was just like, you know, some, so gung-ho to like maintain this relationship. And we were together for almost nine years. And then we had a series of, you know, just events. We, you know, we tried to have kids weren't able to went through all that and, you know, so I left him and it was after I left him, like I was just hurt and I just felt, had felt like so out of control for so long, and like I had been sober for, you know, about three years at that time.And I relapsed and from the day that I relapsed, I was. Until like six months later, that was when I got arrested. But that's when I started selling drugs and that's a whole nother beast in itself. And, and I don't think I would've ever quit if I wouldn't have gotten arrested by the federal government.De'Vannon: [00:16:00] Yeah. It's interesting. How you're saying so much interesting stuff that I'm taking my notes I can keep up with. Well, traveled of knowledge. It's interesting how that, how that works. When SWAT kicked my door in and came and nabbed at me when I was selling drugs, if there was an odd sense of relief to, to interrupt the, the trajectory that I was on was your.Arrest that dramatic. Was there a SWAT team? You know, how did they get you? Tell me, bring us into the room. Kattie: okay. So like, I, I had people that were getting arrested and like, you know, people were like calling you, like saying, Hey, just so you know, when I got arrested, they were asking me about you. Like they wanted information on you.So they're, they're, they're coming. They're going to, they're going to pick you up at some point. So I knew, but and so I'd been getting stuff in the mail. I'd just gotten a big shipment in the mail and I'm like, all I gotta get rid of all [00:17:00] this. But I I'd already gotten rid of my scale. I'd gotten rid of all the stuff.And like, of course I didn't wanna like rip myself off. So I still had a whole bunch of heroin and a whole bunch of meth in my, in my house. And I was with the guy that I was seeing at the time. And we were just gonna kind of like dump it off the next day. And so we were literally packing our bags, but, you know, we'd just gotten this good meth in the, in the mail.So we're also higher than a fricking kite, really struggling to like get out the door, get going. So I think when they came to arrest us, we we'd been having sex all night. I'm pretty sure that he was maybe wearing like a devil's outfit and like they knocked on the door and like, I'm just like trying to pull it together quick.I had every intention to answer the door, but you know, I'm like, hold on, hold on. But it didn't matter. They kicked in the door, came in guns blazing. It was a whole like federal SWAT team, the whole thing. And [00:18:00] it was, I mean, it was scary. Like it was surreal for sure. De'Vannon: I'm here for the devil costume.Kattie: that whole night, like, it was just too much, but yeah, I wish that I would've like if I could have had like, cameras on, like what that whole situation looked like. I, I don't even know. I can't even imagine De'Vannon: mm-hmm well, maybe you'll write a book one day and we can all read in great details. right. I heard you say heroin.So were you using heroin too? Or were you meth? Exclusive? Kattie: I was meth exclusive. Like my, my sisters used heroin. A lot of people that I knew used heroin and I, I sold it for a short period of time, like, because of the profit margin. I'd never tried it. I was going to at one point, but that same guy that I was dating, like he had been.We'd been up for a [00:19:00] few days doing meth. And he was just gonna do a little bit of heroin and like, and that was the day that I was gonna try it, but I remember him shooting it up and like, I remember him just like falling back and like all his muscles like tightening up and it just scared me so bad. Like it was just like, cause like, I don't think I can do this.Like I just don't need to add another thing to my list, another issue that I'm trying to fight. So I'm really grateful that I didn't end up trying it. Cause I, I do think that would've been another beast for me, but yeah, so I never tried it. I did sell it for just maybe the last few weeks there kind of, I added that to my repertoire.So De'Vannon: yeah, it sucks when they kicked the door in man. So which federal prison were you in? Kattie: So I went to FCI Waka, which is kind of in the middle of nowhere in Minnesota, but closest thing to where I'm at in South De'Vannon: Dakota. So bring me behind the walls of the [00:20:00] prison, because I'm getting oranges, the new black going on, you know, where you like the little you know, Piper running around in there trying to fix shit for everybody, you know, tell us, I want some dramatic prison story trying, stab each other with the saw off toothbrushes.I wanna give it all to me so Kattie: that I was like, I was, I really thought like the one thing that I thought that I was gonna be able to access is cigarettes. I was like, at least I'll be able to find cigarettes there, but there was not one cigarette to be had anywhere. So that was like a true bummer to me.But. And there was the biggest thing in the prison I was at was like relationships. You know, everybody had girlfriends, girlfriend drama, day one. I was like going down to check out like the rec area. And they had like a really big, nice gym. They had like a track and I'm like in the gym, I'm kind of walking on the treadmill.[00:21:00]And then I see these two girls, like down at the other end of the gym and I'm like, oh cool. They're working out together. And then then I was like, oh no, actually they're fingering each other right in the middle of the gym. So that was like day one of prison. And like, I , there was a lot of that. A lot of relationships, there was somebody twerking around every corner that you went down like, and for me, like, it was, it was honestly just.A culture shock. Like I'm from South Dakota. Like I hadn't been around people like from big cities often. And so like, it was a little bit overwhelming for me, like walking in, like having all of these different types of people, but I met some amazing people in person that I really stayed in touch with.And we had a really interesting dynamic in our prison because there is a program there for people who are wanting to transition from female to male. And so [00:22:00] they would send them to our prison and they would get like the hormone therapy, you know, as long as they were going through like the counseling process, which is great.And I think it's a really cool program, but having a male population inside the prison just adds a whole nother level of drama to, to theDe'Vannon: prison. Mm, so much drama . So any killings, any stabbings, any murders that happened behind there? Kattie: There was no killings while I was there. There was, there was often attacks.Like we didn't do like soap in a sock. It was a lock in a sock. So they'd fill up a sock and people with locks. So that happened multiple times while I was there. There was, yeah, no killings while I was there, but definitely I was there with a lot of people who had done some killings. I remember [00:23:00] just like maybe like day three or four.Some lady came down and asked me for sugar and I was like, oh yeah, I have sugar. And she left and it was fine. And I was asking my roommates. I was like, yeah, what's she here for? And they're like, oh, murder. And I was like, oh, and they're like, yeah, if you ask her how many people that she killed, she'll say one too many.De'Vannon: You might be next, I suppose, but , Kattie: it's like, well, I'm glad I gave her the sugar. De'Vannon: right. She might have got cut down over a cube. How was the food? Kattie: Not as bad as I thought it would be. It was just the repetition that killed you because you know, every Wednesday was a hamburger day. Every Thursday was chicken day.Every Friday. It was just the same all the time. But I will say that people, when they have a lot of time on their hands, they get really creative with the commissary food. People were cooking on the irons. Like it [00:24:00] was just crazy. De'Vannon: yeah. I remember that when I was locked up, this guy, he took like a whole bunch of my honey buns from commissary and made it look like a seven layer.Kattie: Yeah, I think my favorite thing was people made potato logs, which I can't even imagine how many calories are in this thing, but like, you take a bag of potato chips and you like moisten it and then like, turn it into like a paste. And then you put like meat and cheese and whatever, like in the middle of it.And then you wrap these potato chips around it and then you put it in hot water. So the inside gets all melty. It's gotta be like 5,000 calories and like one and you just eat it to yourself. But you know, the, the creativity behind that is something De'Vannon: mm-hmm . Were there any drugs and or gangs? So Kattie: the prison that I was at was actually a pretty well managed prison.So this was often the place that people went to when they had got like [00:25:00] disciplinary actions in other prisons, like to kind of like straighten them out. Cause there wasn't a lot of opportunity for like drugs and things like that to get in while I was there, I think it started getting worse. Like after, as I was getting ready to leave, people were getting like drug sent in on paper and things like that, but yeah.De'Vannon: Okay. And I find it cool that you said that they, that they were providing like the hormone therapy and everything for people transitioning. So is this for people who got locked up while they were in the middle of transition or was this for females who decided they wanted to transition while they were already there?Kattie: I am not sure. I don't think that. I don't think that they had to have been going through the process beforehand. I think that if there was that need and that desire and they wanted to do that, like, I think that that was made accessible to them as long as they went through like the therapy program that, that coincides with that.De'Vannon: Right. Cuz as I understand it anywhere you, anywhere you're at no matter locked up or [00:26:00] free, you can't just go transition. They make you go through, I think rightfully so. See some mental health therapists to be sure is what you wanna do, that you calculated the emotional and physical cost and toll and things like that.And then you have that throughout the whole thing. That was one of the most interesting things when I was watching, you know, orange is a new black. Of course, Laverne Cox played, you know, the the trans, you know, character in there. And there was a whole thing, you know, with her getting her you know, her hormones and everything like that and denying it.And it was like a whole shit show. But that's so cool that, you know, I mean, fuck, you know, so this means that some people have better access to trans healthcare behind prison walls than they do out in the fucking community. Kattie: yeah. Yeah. I definitely thought that many times, for sure. And like, they won't take 'em, they don't go all the way through like the operation procedures or anything, but they will do like the therapy and [00:27:00] everything up to that.So, I mean, like for some of those people that were going through that, like that was probably like a blessing that came along with going through prison cuz you sure didn't get it in the dental care. So. De'Vannon: What do you mean by dental care? Like they didn't give y'all dental care behind there. Oh, Kattie: I mean, they did kind of but like, there was no like crowns or anything like that.Like if you had a sore tooth and like, they couldn't just like plug it up with a filling, like they were taking your tooth out. So I did lose a few teeth in prison. We got 'em replaced. It's all good. How De'Vannon: long were you in prison for? I was in for three years. Okay. You were in for three years. Okay. Mm-hmmAnd for you, those of you who have not been arrested darlings, like one day behind jail prison wall feels like an eternity because, you know, think about it. You can't just like walk over to the fridge and get a Sprite or a glass of wine. You can't go. Outside at will or believes I couldn't where I was at.We didn't go outside at all for months, [00:28:00] but you know, you just can't like, go do what the fuck you wanna do when you wanna do it and shit like that. And so three years in the long ass time, so kudos to you for making it out of there. You're a thug ass bitch about my book. You got that mad bread. , you're definitely, you're definitely about that life.Kattie: I was about that life and then I went to prison. I'm like, definitely not, not doing that again. Done. De'Vannon: Okay. So you get outta prison. So you have how many felonies at this point? So Kattie: I had gotten a pardon for my first felony. Because I had, I went to school, got my degree. I was doing addictions counseling prior to my relapse and ending up selling drugs again.So I I'd done a lot of really hard work, but I was still just like engaging in this unhealthy relationship. So that was my only felony I had at that time. [00:29:00] So I got that removed. And then, so now I only have one felony, so that's a blessing, you know, De'Vannon: but right. Cause I think it's cool that you were, you know, sitting where you're at.Well, you know, with gainful employment, me personally, it was a bitch. I have four felonies so that none of them are part and there right there smack dab on my record. Even the one that the grand jury threw out still shows up. And even though it says it dismissed, it's still there. And so, so did you find it difficult to find employment after you got out?Did you know what was life after you got out of prison? Kattie: Yeah. It was a mixed bag for me. So you know, in addition to like the employment piece, which I will talk about, but I I'd gotten married a week before I went to prison. And so I came home and I was married and then I'm living with my husband for the first time in my life.And like, that was like, what, like, what is this? Like, I don't know that I was prepared for all that. So that was like a huge adjustment. And like, I kind of had this thing [00:30:00] in my mind. Like once I get out of prison, everything's going to be okay. But I really struggled. Like, I think I had like a six month period of just like, like an adjustment disorder, like type situation.Like I was just really like emotional and really struggling to like, adjust to like having normal. When I first got out, I worked at a restaurant for a while that some friends of mine own and it was a great experience, but like even there, like I just remember being like, oh my gosh, like all these, like young people are just gonna think that I'm up this pile of shit.Cause I just got out of prison and like, they're, they're just gonna make these assumptions about me, but everybody was so kind and so great. And like just really like supported me and rallied behind me, which really helped, like with rebuilding some of that like self confidence and like just in who I was.And then a few years after I'd been out of prison, I'm like, okay, well I have a bachelor's degree. Like I have like go to work history before all this happened. Like I I'm thinking if I go try to work for like, you [00:31:00] know, Like a social services or like, you know, I don't know, like human services, like where people are helping people that hopefully they'll be forgiving and like, understand that, like I went through this thing, but like that I'm actually really reliable and it wasn't the case.Like I had so many doors just like slammed in my face, the minute that they found out that I had a felony. And like, just even it, they just didn't even give you a chance. And that was like the coolest thing, because I was like hot on the pursuit and I just really wanted to do something where I'm giving back, because that's where my passion is.And that's what I'm good at doing. And I ran across this, the ad for the job at face it together. And like the first thing I thought, like, even when reading the description about the, the organization, I was like, this has to be a joke. Like this sounds too good to be true. And I remember like doing my interview and I was like, okay.So I just wanna cuz and I had too many doors outta my face, so I just wanted to be like open right up the bat. [00:32:00] And I remember just saying like, okay, so I have this felony, I did this time in prison. Like I struggled with this Matthews, like, this is my story, whatever. And they're like, that's great. Like, you have so much experience.You're gonna help so many people. And I was like, oh my gosh, if they don't hire me, I'm gonna die. And they did. And it was like such an amazing, beautiful experience. And that's how I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be. De'Vannon: And how long have you been there now? Kattie: So I have been here for about a year and a half De'Vannon: now.Okay. And, and how long by your definition would you consider yourself to be a person who was you know, in control of themselves with reference to drug use? Kattie: So it's been this January will be seven years for me since I've used any substances. I quit using the day that they kicked in my door. I had a year on pretrial release.And during that year, [00:33:00] I was just scared. And I just, like, I just knew that, like, this wasn't what I wanted to do. And that was when, like, I surrendered myself to like healing and like reaching out for help developing that support group and, you know, changing my life. De'Vannon: So now you said you, you first went to treatment when you were 15.So that tells me that you had, you've been to treatment all kinds of treatments several different times. So talk to me about the treatment experiences that you have had and then what was different, cause you were a client of. Together. Were you, were you Kattie: ever treated? I was, no. I actually was never a client of face it together.So I, when I went, like I went through the 12 step programs and so like, I wish that I would've been able to have something like face it together because I think it would've changed the whole trajectory because every time that I went to treatment, it was like, you have this narrow path and you have to follow this narrow path and this is what recovery is.And so there wasn't any like, leeway for anything else. So like, when I, you know, like when I wanted to do things [00:34:00] my way, or like when I didn't like connect with this higher power that they thought that I should connect with, like, it's like, I just started like disassociating, like pushing it away. And so I think I went through that process almost every time, you know, like I found that support as a good group of people, but like when I wasn't fitting on that path, like I just felt like I wasn't welcome anymore.De'Vannon: I have to say, unfortunately, that I concur, I don't care for the anonymous movement at all, because it's, it's old, it's antiquated. It's not something that's updated to like the year 20, 22, you know, and all of those anonymous Mo programs are based off of alcoholics anonymous and it's not like they are super original and alcoholics anonymous is an old ass book and it's very like anti-women, and it's very, very pro you know, like God and stuff like that.And so it's not really something that I think is really for most [00:35:00] people, but like you said, it's all that was presented. It's all that was presented to me, you know, and everything like that, you know? And so, and I never cared for it. And then eventually I realized that it was a fear based program. and that they're basically trying to coerce you into remaining sober out of theory, gonna lose everything and every oh, will be, you know, it's like chicken, little, the sky is falling no matter what happens, chaos and catastrophe.And I'm all like, goddammit. You know, now I'm back in the, it made me felt like I was back in the church or in the military again, where any little thing you do is chaos in catastrophe and very, very hyperbolized and very over the top. And, and I'm all like, this is you know, a use of negative energy to control the masses and it, and I don't care for it.And I don't think it's productive in a long term. I think the program becomes an addiction in and of itself. It's all over with people. Kattie: I it's funny that you [00:36:00] reference it that way, that fear based thing, because I think I still carry some of that fear with me. Like, even though, like, I I've outgrown the program, but like that fear, like when something starts to go a little bit wrong in my life, I'm like, oh, here I go again, it's a downward spiral.Like it's all downhill from here. Like, and it's not like that. Like, it's, that's not what my healing journey has been. Like. Like I, I have back steps, you know, that's life. That's how it works. But like, I'm still like on this forward trajectory, like I just really truly believe that people, that people are always striving to be better.And it's just everybody's own process. It's not like we just need to hold on. So tightly to this thing to be okay. And we lose our individuality in that process. De'Vannon: Right. And the statistics don't show that the anonymous movement has been all that damn successful. And then I was watching a documentary. I can't remember which one had this on it.I was watching one called the history of mental illnesses on [00:37:00] PBS, which is divine grade four, four or five hours of your life to spin right there. And another one is called how to change your mind, which is currently on Netflix. Both of them are free. Everyone check them out. Well, I guess if you have a Netflix subscription, but PBS is, is free.Then one of them were saying that one of the guys who helped to start or started the AA alcoholics anonymous movement, actually used mushrooms and sell Sabin to break his addiction before he put out the AA program. But didn't tell anyone about his little room experiment, his little Shroom trip mm-hmmAnd so . You knew of this Kattie: already. It's fine. My husband literally was just telling me about this the other day. He just got done watching how to change your mind. That's the one that it's from. And, and I was like, oh, like, that was definitely something that I never learned, like in going to school and learning all about bill w and the whole thing, like nobody ever mentioned that.De'Vannon: No, they didn't. And it makes me just really angry [00:38:00] because I'm like, so you got this very marvelous deliverance and you used mushrooms to do it, but you didn't tell anyone else what you did was you went and spun a narrative that was very political and very religious, you know, and I'm sure profited from it somehow.And so that's not cool, man. And so that makes me feel like I can't trust anything else. The anonymous movement has put out because you weren't transparent. Mm-hmm , you know, And now the, you know, the research is showing us that we can use LSD and Mein IOSCO, you know, whatever you wanna call it in shrooms and MDMA and all of these things therapeutically, as we did back before, I believe it was FDR created this hideous war against drugs, you know?So, so I just wanted to just say that about the anonymous movement. I don't care for it. I did appreciate the, the self reflection and the best thing I took out of it was that not everything has to [00:39:00] be about me. Hmm. That, that was like the, my key takeaway that has nothing to do with me shooting up crystal meth though.But, you know, you know, like the therapy and the talking was great, but it didn't really do much for my drug useKattie: for me, because I will say I did take a lot out of it and you're right. It is that self reflect. But the thing, the piece that was like, Important for me is the people like that's what I needed is I needed people. You know, coming out of that, because that was a thing that was keeping me going in my use was the people.And so when you are trying to quit that, and you don't have any people, like that's a place you can go and you are welcome. Do you know? And you do have people and support in somebody that you can call. So that was, that was my biggest takeaway from, from the whole thing is just having that place where you can go cry and be like, well, life falling.And they're gonna be like, you know, oh, we got you back. So, I mean, [00:40:00] there are a few good things that come from it, for sure. De'Vannon: A few, a few. Yes . So now we're gonna get more granular and talk about face it together. We wanna talk about particularly, you know, how it parallel, how it's different from the anonymous movement.And mm-hmm, referencing y'all the anonymous movement a lot because when people think about. Drug recovery anonymous is the first thing that pops up in most people's heads. Mm-hmm, not just like harm reduction or really anything, you know, alternative or the use of psychedelics is relatively new compared to how old the anonymous movement is in the foothold that it has on the world.Mm-hmm I liked reading the rational recovery book, which was written as the antithesis of the anonymous movement. I ain't saying I agree with everything in rational recovery, but I do find it to be more rational and more. And more practical. See what I did there. And you know, , [00:41:00] it's more practical and down the earth and just like real people shit than the anonymous movement.And I don't feel like they're trying to cast a spell on me and, you know, voodoo my mind and shit like the anonymous movement. So face it together. And of course y'all wanna put the website to this and the show notes, but if you're just burning hear right now, I'm gonna tell you it's www dot. We face it together.org and they're on Facebook, Instagram, Instagram, Twitter, shit, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.And so, so you you had said like earlier, like you take steps back. Some, sometimes that's a part of life. So when I was re rereading on your website on the face, it together, website y'all have a different term for relapse. It's some other kind of way you describe it. What is that? Kattie: Recurrence of symptoms is a big one that we use.Yeah. Recurrence of use recurrence of symptoms. We work really hard to break the [00:42:00] stigma and some of that, like, I, I just feel like there's a lot of harmful language that's coming. That's came out of like the anonymous movements and you know, the other you know, recovery type things. And so we, we really try to break that, like we don't, we're not gonna make anybody say you're an addict.Like, because that's, you know, like that's such a label and it's such a, a harmful thing. And so we really try to switch that to, you know, I've struggled with an addiction or I've struggled, struggled with problematic use, or I would like to address my use. Like we don't wanna label anybody. We don't want to make it seem like we try not to use.Clean or dirty because that's like an indication that like, if you're one way it's good and if you're the other way that it's bad. And so we just, I really, we try to be very aware of the language that we De'Vannon: use. You're fucking right. I didn't say that shit for very long, even when I was fucking with the anonymous movement, because it just sounded like a negative manifestation.Like isn't the whole point for [00:43:00] me to, to stop being an addict. But are you gonna make me stand here and call myself that just before I can speak? You know, that's very, cult-like like, you can talk, but you must say this negative thing about yourself first, so we can keep you under our thumb, you know? Cause heaven forbid you really get healed because we won't have a program anymore.Mm-hmm , you know, they're just like the church, they like churches and you know, these, these programs don't really want everyone to. Heal because then they would cease to exist. You know, you really don't need to go to a church to learn about God, or at least you might wanna start off that way, but there's no reason to do that for the rest of your life.You know, education, you know, and these in the anonymous movement is no different. I refuse, I would say something like, hi, my name is the van and I'm an addict in recovery or something like that. I had to throw some sort of positivity into it because I refuse to just be like, I am an addict and I will always be an addict.Another thing that fucked with me was that, you know, my higher power is the Trinity and of course everyone can pick their own higher power. Be it [00:44:00] the duck flying in the fucking sky, the chair, you know, your tits or whatever can be your higher power. I'm like, so if I believe in Jesus Christ, he can heal anything.Why the fuck can he heal me of being an addict? And you know, you know, it was just, there's so much shit that has never made sense, but that, that relapse shit. You know, to me, why can't it just be, I made a mistake or I did, or made a mistake in terms of I did what I had intended not to do. Mm-hmm I don't see why it has to be catastrophe, you know, or it has to be this whole like downward spiral, just because you did a thing.Mm-hmm what I learned from my hip therapy training, cuz I'm a licensed heist as well. Was. You have to be careful of the constructs you set up in your subconscious because you're setting yourself up for that. And when you're exposed, every time you stand there, if you call yourself an addict and you listen to the rhetoric, that if you use one thing, you're gonna end up in an institution or you're gonna die, you're gonna jail, you're gonna lose everything.And the only reason you have anything you have [00:45:00] is because of the program, you know, you know, is what they try to tell you. And I'm all like our program wasn't there when I got this job. So I don't know about that. You know, so, and so, you know, and so I'm saying all this to say, if you reinforcing your head, that relapse is the most terrible thing in the world, the way they want you to be fearful of it, when it happens and it kind of tends to happen.If you believe it must be catastrophe and chaos, then it, it will be catastrophe and chaos. Not because it had to be, but because you've already set that up to happen. So you can say something now that's my, Kattie: no, yeah, no, like, just talk about the power of language. Like we that's missed so often. And like, like just the way that this language has been affecting people, like how many times in 12, seven meetings did you hear?If you're not in recovery you're in relapse. Like it's like either one or the other, [00:46:00] there's no middle ground and that scary as shit. Like, okay. So what do I need to do to make sure that I'm in whatever this recovery thing is and like buy their guidelines and I need to do all these things like exactly.Right. Otherwise I'm screwed. And that was like my fear for a long time. And I think with face it together I, my view on addiction, like, even though, like, I didn't necessarily like subscribe to like this 12 step thing before, and I knew there had to be something else, like my view on addiction and wellness and all of that has grown so much since I've been here.But like, I think, you know, the, they always talk about like the, the cycle of the stages of change, you know? And so you go through this and then you get to maintenance and then after maintenance it's relapse, and then it's, you know, pre, contemplation, contemplation, and you're just always going in this cycle.But like, we believe there's an exit. like, we believe that you can get out of this cycle. Like it's a cycle that you're in and then you heal. Like we believe in that healing, which I think is something that really sets us [00:47:00] apart. De'Vannon: I'm gonna read a, a section from your website that I feel like is really, really relevant right now.And from the website that says that the world has one data point for addiction, wellness, sobriety, And y'all on the website. Say we don't buy that. Mm-hmm follows. You say we focus on all aspects of life. We ask our members, are you more hopeful? Is your employment more stable? Are things better at home?These and many other measurements prove that our members are doing better in doing better, not just being sober is what gets people well. So when I read this beautiful statement here, it sounds like a person could be. And you know, when we say harm reduction, that means not stopping all drugs. It means doing them less and less and less until eventually you you're either off of them or you come to a place that you feel like you're in control again.And so it seems like maybe that allowance is being made, made here. It seems like it's not [00:48:00]really defined what sobriety is for each individual. So tell us about this state. Kattie: Yeah. I, I think that's really powerful. Like, so anytime we have somebody come in the door, we have them take our assessment and our assessment.Like it doesn't ask anything about like, what is your drug use? Like now? Like how much are you using? Like, that is not what we think it's important to measure. Oftentimes I believe that the use is a symptom of whatever the actual issue is. So let's focus on those issues. Let's focus on you as a person, let's figure out what it is that your goals are, you know?So, Hey, like I'm using meth. Like, I, I would like to quit using meth, but I, I don't want to quit smoking pot at this point. Like that, that is, I feel like I'm okay with that. Okay. That's great. Let's work with that. Or, Hey, I'm drinking. I'm drinking way more than I would like to. I don't wanna quit. This is what I would like my drinking to look like.All right. Let's work on that. Let's we just [00:49:00] really wanna hear like. What it is that the person wants, and we want to be able to help them accomplish that goal rather than saying, this is, this is a way that you succeed. We honor that success for everybody's really different. De'Vannon: So how this difference from the anonymous movement y'all is like, so you have like a sponsor and all of this, and they're very, like, you can't do any drugs at all, period.Mm-hmm, , I'm, you know, I've never stopped drinking my wine and everything like that. And, you know, I would, you know, my sponsor didn't really ride my ass about that or nothing like that. He would not, for instance, have been open minded to be somebody who smoked weed. I'm like weed is quite legal these days, but you know, the anonymous program last I checked has not changed their language to say that it's okay.They don't give a fuck what's going on, medically, you know? And I don't foresee a a day. Can you imagine the anonymous movement saying Hey, shrooms are okay. And LSD is okay. And MDMA [00:50:00] is okay. That would just everything that they stand for. Mm-hmm but I felt like those people were like so full of shit because.People, you know, you go to these meetings and they're chainsmoking cigarettes outside. And each one of them has their own personal pot of coffee that they can't function without. And you gonna tell me to stop meth, but you can't go a day without smoking two packs of cigarettes and drinking a gallon of coffee.Kattie: Yeah. Yeah, for sure. For sure. And then as you were talking about before, like, you know, they're like, oh, I didn't make it to a meeting all week and now I'm not okay. Like that, that has become their addiction. They, they're not learning how to like function its individuals in society. They're learning how to become dependent on meetings and they're learning how to become dependent on, you know, coffee cigarettes, all of that.De'Vannon: And we're gonna circle back to get on statistics, a little heavier in a couple of minutes, but since you mentioned [00:51:00] that, you know, you feel like some time, but oftentimes a lot of the issues are not the drugs itself, but the problems when I was reviewing the statistics that you have on your website, which is also a very unique approach that you have, you had on their, like the metrics of like income, race and stuff like that.And it seemed like from your clientele, not, you know, people, I think it was like about 42% of the people were like below, like 40,000 a year or something like that. And then maybe only 15% or like in the 90, over a hundred thousand range mm-hmm . So it seems like there's some sort of correlation between like quality of life and, you know, get into a point where you spiral out of control with drugs, you know, and I thought about when I was a dealer, you know, like my higher end clientele, you know, usually we're not.The people you, that, that really, you know, appeared, you know, they, some of 'em didn't come around a lot. Like they only would like do drugs four or five times a year, and then that was it. Or they only did like pills and [00:52:00] stuff like that. They seemed to be more like in control. I did have, you know, one rich, you know, very, very, you know, well to do, you know, client who I think did a bit, much meth, you know, but other than that, most of my high end people seem to keep it together.And I don't know. Do you think that that's because of the better quality of life or Kattie: II've never thought about that before. That's a really alls I can do is give you my initial thought on it because, you know, I think that, I think that there might be some truth to that, that quality of life, but like also. Think about, think about the stigma that you face in being an addict. And so being an addict who also struggles with poverty how further into the margins does that push you?You know, as being a person who struggles with addiction, but has money and prestige in the community, [00:53:00] it's easier to keep your head above water. You know? So I, I that's like the first correlation that comes into my mind, you know, that I can think of. De'Vannon: I concur. So since, so, since your approach is not like higher powered centered I saw the word mindfulness on your website.How does mindfulness play into what you. So, Kattie: you know, I think that spirituality means different things to different people. And so always trying to like any, any members we call clients, members, anybody that walks through the door, they're a member. So any member like I would work with to figure out, like, what does spirituality mean to you?How is that important to you? But also like mindfulness, like how amazing of a skill that is like, how amazing is it to be able to bring mindfulness into your life and help clear the clutter that constant like movement of the mind and be able to focus on the here and [00:54:00] now, and really just reign it back because you know, a lot of times people are using too quiet, just that constant chatter, just that constant activity in their mind.So helping people find that mindfulness and, and what that De'Vannon: means to them. But yeah, hearing you say that reminds me of a client that I had when I was a drug dealer who had some sort of physical ailment that caused him pain. And, and he was like, the only thing that brings me peace is when I do these drugs and I, and I would tell him a lot of meth and G and I was like, okay, well, I'm doing the Lord's work hallelu.So, you know yeah. You know, you just don't know. That's why I don't believe drugs are just bad inherently, you know, mm-hmm and couldn't find physical peace anywhere. Mm-hmm, , you know, at all, except for when he was high on these drugs. So judge it, if you will, but I advise you not to do with people cuz you, you know, God's gonna judge you one day, says let people go.Mm now [00:55:00]Kattie: and, and giving people the autonomy to decide what it is, that's good for their lives rather than like us determining that for De'Vannon: them. Yeah, that's very, very empowering because you're not saying like how so many, I mean, medical facilities, mental health facilities, not just the anonymous movement.When you check in there, they're like you're dumb ass adult fee. We know what's better than you. So set your ass here and do what we're gonna tell you. Mm-hmm then we'll let you leave. When we, when we decide that you're, that you're able to a recurring theme that I saw through your website and when I was researching you was that's like you, there was a time you couldn't see the best in yourself, and now that's a big deal for you is, is helping somebody see what's good in them, even when they don't.So I remember when I was homeless and walking the streets of Houston, I would always walk with my head down and it looking at the ground, it seemed like it took way too much effort for me to either look straight ahead and for God's sakes to look up, you know, like the heaven or anything [00:56:00]like that, I felt so like hollow.You know, as a, as a human, I didn't feel like there was anything left in me at all. There was no light mm-hmm . So talk to us about the, and people had to see that lightened me to, to make me believe that I could actually continue to live. So how important is that? Kattie: so important. I think it's, it's everything, because if people can't see that sense of purpose and value within themselves, like they're not gonna invest in anything if they can't see anything beyond where they're at right then and there.And like, I have, I have a member that just comes to my mind, like right away. And I we're often operating from like a deficit model, you know, like trying to tell people what's wrong with him and what they need to fix. Like, I really want people to understand what's right with them and why they should work forward because they have this to offer.And I just remember him sitting here for our, maybe our like third session. And I was like, [00:57:00]what do you like about yourself? And it was just silent and he could not come up with one thing. Like one thing that was worth him, you know, just even continuing to live for. And, you know, I, I generally don't like to like, feed those things that people like.I want people to recognize it for themselves, but I started telling him the things that I seen in him, and I really started pushing him. And it's just cool because I met with him yesterday and he is getting ready to go to college for data sciences. And he has just grown so much. And like I, he said, things are going pretty well.Like I can see myself doing pretty good and like, he's starting to grow this confidence. And like, just like seeing that transformation as he started to believe in himself, like. I don't think if he wouldn't have had somebody in his corner saying like, if that's the way you wanna do this, I trust you. I trust you.Like, even if it was something that I was like, I don't know if this is gonna work for him, but like, just being [00:58:00] able to say, I trust you. Like, and, and being that first person that believed in him really just changed his life. De'Vannon: Yeah. A little bit goes the long damn way. Especially when you, when nobody around you is acting like they believe in you.I mean, I've been there before, you know, mm-hmm so I wanna talk about the pricing structure and usually I wouldn't get into this, but since y'all have it displayed out on your website for all the world to see I, and I think that transparency speaks to how much you believe in what you do. I think that the rates, if they start at like 80 an hour, something like that, which is on par with mental health, you know, anywhere else that I've been.But you also have programs to help sponsor and pay for this for people if they can't afford it themselves. I think the ver on your website reads like, do you know you have a lot of generous sponsors and stuff like that. I wanted to read a Testament, a Testament though, from someone on your website, her name is Lexi.And what Lexi has to say about this is I'm a single mom. [00:59:00] So about 90% of my disposable income goes to my son. And he is the most important thing in the world to me. But I also knew that I had to get better and I had to figure out what was wrong with me. I was so nervous. I wouldn't get the financial help from face it together, but they said there were lots of options and to not worry about it, it really took the stress away.Mm-hmm so talk to us about how you help people afford what you're offering. So Kattie: we. There's two things that we do. So as you've seen, we're very data focused and we use that data to be able to get grant funding so that we're able to say what we're doing is working. We're making a difference in people's lives.Can you help us not make finances, a barrier for people to receiving the services that they need? So that is one thing that we do, and we do a lot of fundraising as well. We're just getting ready to do a multi-state March. So on September 24th, we'll do something called a March into the light where we do a [01:00:00] symbolic walk into the light.And then we do like a 5k and a fun run. And just this event and we raise money and we just reach out to our community and like ask for the support and this help. And we do a golf tournament every year and we do these big things so that we can be able to provide. Those social good sponsorships to people because you know, it is hard when you want help.And I go onto the prison. I have so many guys there, there, like I was trying to get into treatment. I was trying to get into treatment, but I didn't have the money to do it. We don't want that to be a thing anymore.De'Vannon: Yeah. When I was in rehab, you know, there was a guy who had to stop treatment because the insurance cut off the funding midway, which was like the, one of the most asinine and insane things I've ever seen in this entire.The man's here for help strung out on drugs and, oh, well you gotta go because you know, money's not coming in anymore. So what the fuck do you think's gonna happen? Mm-hmm but I love the fact that you fundraised, I have never met a mental [01:01:00] health or, you know, or emotional support facility that does fundraising like that.And which all are do reminds me of my fundraising days in the military, I used to do all that. I used to host golf tournaments, sell popcorn bowls, burger burns, you know, whatever times of ways. So have your assistance, add my email to the list so that when you do these things, I can send y'all some money.Kattie: Absolutely. We'll definitely add you to our list. We'll take you up on that offer. De'Vannon: y'all throw like social events, like galas or like dances or anything like that, you Kattie: know? We, we don't currently like the March is the March is a kind of a big event that we do. It's open to the public. You don't have to fundraise or, you know, donate to be able to participate.It's just a, an event in honor of people getting well. So that's like the big thing that we do. We. We've done [01:02:00] like a few things in the past. I don't think that we quite got the engagement that we were hoping for in the community at the time, but you know, it definitely is something that we may be interested in doing again in the future.De'Vannon: So there's always room for growth. And I love that. Now I just have a few more questions. Thank you for hanging with me. Yeah. I wanted to, to, to touch on the experience because y'all this website, you must check it out. It is so cool. I love that the color scheme kind of echoes my website a little bit, just the tip screen, you know, and the black on.And and you know, and we were inspired by breaking bad when we designed my website. So, you know, we're all connected here. maybe we'll have lunch with Heisenb
September is Mental Health Awareness Month. One of the many organizations in the Sioux Empire that helps people face their mental illness and addictions is Face It Together. This focuses on one-on-one coaching to help others confront their addictions and move past their struggles with it. Truly, coaches and clients face addiction and substance abuse together. Joe Tlustos and Steve Handel are in the studio to talk about Face It Together along with their own struggles with addiction. More information can be found at wefaceittogether.org.
September is Mental Health Awareness Month. One of the many organizations in the Sioux Empire that helps people face their mental illness and addictions is Face It Together. This focuses on one-on-one coaching to help others confront their addictions and move past their struggles with it. Truly, coaches and clients face addiction and substance abuse together. Joe Tlustos and Steve Handel are in the studio to talk about Face It Together along with their own struggles with addiction. More information can be found at wefaceittogether.org.
Addiction is a dark place. It drives us to lie, cheat, and steal - to hurt the people closest to us and to explain away the consequences of our actions. Terri has been to that hell realm and back. She's coming on the show to share her story of recovery and rebirth. Buckle your seatbelts for this one folks - it's going to be a wild ride.
Addiction is a dark place. It drives us to lie, cheat, and steal - to hurt the people closest to us and to explain away the consequences of our actions. Terri has been to that hell realm and back. She's coming on the show to share her story of recovery and rebirth. Buckle your seatbelts for this one folks - it's going to be a wild ride.
Addiction is a dark place. It drives us to lie, cheat, and steal - to hurt the people closest to us and to explain away the consequences of our actions. Terri has been to that hell realm and back. She's coming on the show to share her story of recovery and rebirth. Buckle your seatbelts for this one folks - it's going to be a wild ride.
Your PAST does not DEFINE your FUTURE! Just because you endured some hardship you can still come out on the other side victorious. In this segment, Terri Brown shares her story of how she grew up in a toxic environment in California and suffered from the effects of childhood trauma for years. Her drug addiction started when she was about 11 years old. She began her wellness journey around age 37 after spending time in prison. The early years of recovery were a struggle, but they allowed Terri to become who she is. She was finally able to find truth and fulfillment in life. See video here - https://youtu.be/JXj0dubsHME WHO IS TERRI? Terri has been a peer coach since 2009. She has a special interest in helping members with childhood trauma and criminal justice involvement, as well as those in the LGBTQIA+ community. TERRI'S CALL TO ACTION If you're impacted by addiction and looking for support, please visit Face It TOGETHER's website to get started in peer coaching. https://www.wefaceittogether.org/ https://www.facebook.com/wefaceittogether https://www.instagram.com/faceittogether/ https://twitter.com/wefaceit2gether GENESIS'S INFO https://genesisamariskemp.net/ CALL TO ACTION Subscribe to GEMS with Genesis Amaris Kemp Channel, Hit the notifications bell so you don't miss any content, and share with family/friends. **REMEMBER - You do not have to let limitations or barriers keep you from achieving your success. Mind over Matter...It's time to shift and unleash your greatest potential. If you would like to be a SPONSOR or have any of your merchandise mentioned, please reach out via email at GEMSwithGenesisAmarisKemp@gmail.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/genesis-amaris-kemp/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/genesis-amaris-kemp/support
CAS 5 - 2-2 - 2022 Jeff Brecht-Face-It-Together by Calling All Sports
Roman is passionate about overcoming the stigma of addiction in the military. After getting back from his deployment in Afghanistan, he was relying on alcohol daily. He finally quit drinking in 2019 without any professional help because he was afraid of being judged and reprimanded by his superiors. Roman grew up around addiction and has extensive lived experience as an impacted loved one. Today, Roman is a father of four and lives in Colorado Springs, CO. He's a wealth of knowledge and passion when it comes to addiction recovery and family wellness. In his short time as a peer coach, Roman has helped many people, particularly loved ones, find wellness. He's incredibly enthusiastic in his work and has amazing success stories to share. .If you liked this, and want to hear more, give us a follow and let us know! Or maybe you just want to tell us how awful we are? Comments help the algorithm, and we love to see ‘em! And as always, don't kill the messenger. .Connect with Roman:Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, & Twitter. **Extra help** -- When you end up connecting with Roman and WeFaceItTogether, let them know we sent you! .~Beloved Sponsors~Rogue Ales & Spirits - https://www.rogue.com/ Exotic Fridge - https://www.instagram.com/exoticfridge .Join our DISCORD server!! https://discord.gg/z7Nbk2Fkv9 .Whiskey Fund (help support our podcast habit!):PayPal - hermesauslander@gmail.com Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/hermesauslander YouTube - https://youtube.com/channel/UCY9JLTc925sjlmRUjxHPC3Q. If you're interested in some of the stuff we use or maybe just some of the specific items discussed during the episode: check out these links. Full disclosure, we do get a monetary kickback from some of them. We seriously just want to keep doing this forever, and links like this make it possible. Thanks for your support!.Affiliate Links https://linktr.ee/equiplinks .Connect with Hermes:https://www.instagram.com/hermes_auslander/ https://twitter.com/hermesauslanderSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/hermesauslander?fan_landing=true)
"What if your fears were the keys to your dreams?'In this episode, we are talking to Christine Conti, BS, MEd, best selling author of Split Second Courage and creator of Let's Face It Together, TM, a facial fitness and rehabilitation program. Come along on Christine's journey of how she overcame her fears after being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and how having split second courage gave her the keys to her happiness and success!See how her original idea of clients asking her to help decrease the signs of aging led Christine to create a facial fitness program and how that program has been beneficial to helping people with Parkinson's disease, MS, Stroke, Alzheimers and more. She is author of the Arthritis Fitness Specialist course and has recently added best selling author with her book Split Second Courage.Want to know more about Christine? You can find more information below:https://contifit.comhttps://twofitcrazies.comhttps://www.facebook.com/christine.conti.96https://www.instagram.com/get_contifit/
Today's discussion topic: Repairing relationships – and letting go of toxic ones – in early recovery from your drug or alcohol addiction. Zach and Michael interview Lacey, who struggled with an addiction to alcohol and other drugs for 20 years, found recovery, and now serves as a peer coach for individuals who are working to build healthier lives and relationships, as well as their families. They talk about having a plan when leaving rehab, finding a person or support group you can confide in, giving relationships time, and repairing your own self-esteem. Lacey Durham is a peer coach for Face It TOGETHER, an addiction wellness nonprofit with locations in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Colorado Springs, Colorado. Face It TOGETHER is a disruptive social enterprise committed to solving our nation's – and every community's – greatest health challenge of chronic drug and alcohol addiction through peer coaching. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Seek Treatment at Landmark Recovery 888-448-0302 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-8255 Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233 Letting Go of Toxic Relationships After Rehab https://landmarkrecovery.com/letting-toxic-relationships-after-rehab/ 10 Tips for Staying Sober https://landmarkrecovery.com/10-tips-for-staying-sober/ Face it TOGETHER https://www.wefaceittogether.org/ SHOW NOTES: [6:06] Preparing to leave rehab or your treatment program. [6:50] Progress not perfection. Mentally preparing for if things don't go according to plan, how to keep it from disrupting your recovery. [8:32] Recognizing what you don't have control over. For example, you can't control how other people act or treat you. [12:49] Mistakes after leaving treatment. [13:10] Repairing relationships takes time. [18:55] Whether or not to let go of a toxic relationship. [20:40] Rebuilding and repairing your own self-esteem and sense of self worth.
In this episode we interview Wendy White, CEO of Face It Together. Face It Together is an organization on a mission to get people with addiction and their loved ones well. 20 million Americans suffer from addiction. Almost 90% of them are missed every year by today's system. The human and financial consequences are enormous, affecting every sector of society. Want to learn more, donate, or get engaged? Donate: https://www.wefaceittogether.org/give Phone: +1 (855) 539-9375 Email: care@wefaceittogether.org Website: https://www.wefaceittogether.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wefaceittogether/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faceittogether/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/face-it-together/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKI-4Ker7SINISHv_Vw9jgA Twitter: https://twitter.com/wefaceit2gether
Listen as Rich and David Whitesock discuss his unbelievable journey from jail to law school graduate. David is passionate about helping others find recovery and solving the health crisis of addiction. He invented the Recovery Capital Index, which was validated, that measures change in wellbeing with respect to addiction. Find him here:https://www.davidwhitesock.com/BIO:David is constantly curious and believes that everything connects. When we're fully aware of what, where, and how things connect, we can understand the effects and modify the mechanisms in between for a greater good.As Chief Innovation Officer at Face It TOGETHER, it has been David's job to design better methods and experiences that can drive solutions for addiction. Through that lens and with a host of personal and professional experiences, David believes we will solve addiction when we don't solve for addiction. He is dedicated to doing work that advances towards that vision. Along the way, vastly more people will realize connections to their purpose, improving the greater good for themselves and others.David earned a joint JD/MA and BS from the University of South Dakota.In 2015, he won e Bush Foundation Leadership Fellowship. During the two years of the Fellowship, he studied the art and science of happiness. He traveled to the happiness places on earth, like Iceland and Denmark, to see and experience these cultures first hand.David is the inventor of the Recovery Capital Index® (RCI), a quantified, multi-dimensional survey that measures addiction wellbeing. The instrument was validated in 2018, subjected to peer review, and findings published in the May 2018 South Dakota Medical Journal.
Episode 230 – Catching Up with the Two Fit Crazies “Without People, You’re Nothing.”“The way you get to a better world is, you don’t put up with substandard anything.”-Joe Strummer Happy Summer! In this long-awaited episode, Christine and Brian FINALLY reconnect to shed some light on their latest projects and antics. Tune in to hear Christine dish out what’s new with Let’s FACE It Together™, FallPROOF™, arthritis fitness, eating disorder courses, and of course, the book that drops in January 2021. More details to come about SPLIT-SECOND COURAGE in the next few months! Next up, Brian wins the “MOST AWESOME HUMAN AWARD” as he shares his experience watching his two youngest sons win a baseball championship, offers his time to coach youth running clinics, and fixes bike tires for neighborhood kids. If that does not warm your heart, listen up as Brian reveals how he practically founded the Joe Strummer Foundation Runners with a simple email. And yes, we are talking about “the” Joe Strummer from the CLASH who will forever live on through his music and the meaningful work of his foundation. If you are a runner, or even if you are not, listen closely to hear about this amazing foundation and how to get involved! Take it from Joe Strummer, “people can change anything they want to, and that means everything in the world.”Stay Healthy! Stay Crazie!Christine and Briantfcpro@twofitcrazies.comwww.twofitcrazies.com Episode Links:IG: @twofitcrazies @c.o.d._father @get_contifit @JSFRunnersFacebook: Two Fit Crazies and a Microphone Podcast, Brian Prendergast, Christine ContiWebsite: www.twofitcrazies.com, JSF Runners - The Joe Strummer Foundation - https://joestrummerfoundation.org/jsf-runners-announced/#twofitcrazies #jsfrunners #splitsecondcourage #yesyoucan #punkrock
This week’s guests are three highly creative, very successful men who are on a mission to help those with dementia lead happier, easier, more fulfilled lives. Their latest collaboration is a colourful one with a powerful past that stretches back to the 18th century when trades unions were illegal and women’s votes were a long way off. They are: the Bard of Barnsley aka Ian McMillan, a man with so many titles it’s difficult to know which to choose, but I’ve plumped for poet, comic & broadcaster; internationally acclaimed photographer Ian Beesley; and last but by no means least, one of the UK’s most prolific & best-loved cartoonists, not to mention previousWell I Know Now guest, Tony Husband. They joined me to chat about the The Unfurlings, a series of richly & traditionally embellished banners which they created with people living with dementia to illustrate the best – & worst – aspects of how we as a country and a society treat those with the condition. Brought together in 2018 through a series of what sound like fairly riotous workshops in Exeter, the trio – along with people with dementia – compiled comments, poems, cartoons & photographs to help the public better understand what it’s really like to live with the condition. And in that same year, the first banner was created with Yorkshire dementia & empowerment project, or DEEP, who were campaigning for those living with dementia to be better served by public transport. The Right to a Grand Day Out, as it’s called with a nod to Wallace & Gromit, was unfurled in the middle of the rush hour at York station, with Ian McMillan reading his poems. Which is altogether a wonderful image.Many more banners followed – from the Young Dementia Leeds Cottingley Crew marching forward together against dementia to the Budding Friends Allotment Project in Exeter digging for memory & growing stories, the Hamari Yaadeen South Asian dementia café in Leeds & Bradford’s Face It Together group who work with local businesses to make facilities such as cash machines more accessible.What links them all is colour, humour, understanding, warmth, local knowledge & a sense of shared history. Banners traditionally represented hope for the future, they showed what ordinary people could achieve when they united in a common cause. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Today's episode is a conversation with social and business entrepreneur, Kevin Kirby. Kevin is the co-founder and CEO of Face It Together, which works in Kevin's words, “In revolutionary ways to solve our nation's most challenging health and social issue–the disease of drug and alcohol addiction.” Kevin's passion for this trail blazing work stems from his own 12 year and counting survival of the disease. He says it clearly right up front, “Everything we think and do about addiction has to change. That means we're driven by a commitment to collaboration.” Kevin and his team at Face It Together are committed–NO DRIVEN to disrupting the status quo and transforming our world for the better…a team I'm standing up and cheering for. If you want to learn more about a team of people who are harnessing the forces of change and the tools of business to unleash the full potential of individuals, families and communities, listen in. You can find out more about Kevin Kirby and his work at WeFaceItTogether.org.
Pastor Tim Ross shares a message titled “Whatever It Is, Let's Face It Together” where he speaks on the importance of living our lives in community.
Pastor Tim Ross shares a message titled “Whatever It Is, Let's Face It Together” where he speaks on the importance of living our lives in community.