Focus! with David Essel Best-selling author and life coach David Essel knows a thing or two about addiction. He can trace the roots of his addiction to about eight years old when he began to use food to cope with his feelings. David then recalls having his first beer at twelve in an effort to fit in with some older guys. "It was magical. All of my cares and worries in the world were gone." For years, he would continue to use substances to treat his anxiety and chronic...

The Sinclair Method with Claudia Christian Claudia Christian has been in the film and television business as an actress for over 35 years. She has starred in over 50 films and thousands of hours of television. Sci-fi fans around the world know her best from her starring role on Babylon 5.  For years Claudia struggled with drinking. She tried many treatment methods, but nothing worked, and she couldn't seem to stay sober for more than a few months. That was until she...

Funky Brain with Dennis Berry Coach and Author Dennis Berry recalls being full of fear and insecurity from a very young age. When he took his first drink at fifteen, he felt an immediate weight come off of his shoulders. "I didn't have to feel anything anymore." Over the next fifteen years, Dennis's addiction would progress until his life completely unraveled. One day, after being confronted by his girlfriend, Dennis was finally able to admit that he couldn't stop drinking and...

Coming Clean with Peter O. Estevez Peter's relationship with drugs started at a fairly young age. He recalls sitting in his mom's closet drinking a six-pack of beer when he was about 12 years old. Although Peter grew up in poverty as one of thirteen children, he found great success in real estate and became a millionaire by the time he was 25. "But just as easily as I accomplished success, I always found a way of sabotaging it, primarily through alcohol." Peter had the money, a...

The Art of Tough Transitions with George Kalantzis Like many people who have struggled with addiction, George started to experiment with alcohol and drugs in his early teens. During his senior year of high school, he watched as his friends got accepted to college, but he didn't have any plans for his future. That all changed when he woke up hungover one morning with a Marine enlistment card in his pocket. George's life would completely change during his time in the service. He...

My Dirty Little Secrets with Tony Mandarich Former offensive lineman Tony Mandarich is proof that recovery works. Selected second in the 1989 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers, Tony had stellar expectations set for him. At 6' 5" and 330 pounds, he was a big guy and admittedly had the ego to match. Although alcohol and drugs weren't initially an issue for Tony, he had been using steroids regularly for years. "It can certainly be argued, that for me, steroids were a gateway...

Breaking Boxes into Confetti with Braunwyn Windham-Burke As a Real Housewives of Orange County cast member, Braunwyn gave the entire world a peek into what active alcoholism, early sobriety, and coming out as gay looks like. Growing up, she knew that her dad and aunt were alcoholics, but the family never talked about it. She vividly remembers drinking her first beer at fourteen and feeling like her issues with insecurity and feeling less than had been solved. Her drinking became...

Quitting to Win with Crystal Waltman As a young woman, Crystal was a high-achieving athlete with a competitive drive. At only fourteen, she was already playing varsity volleyball which created a lot of pressure, expectations, and social anxiety. Around the same time, she discovered drinking, which seemed like an easy way to escape these pressures. When she went to college, her drinking progressed, and the cycle continued. "It was all about playing hard, studying hard, winning,...

Nobody Cares Except You with Kosha Dillz Rapper Kosha Dillz can trace the roots of his addiction to when he was about twelve years old. Although there were substances like alcohol present, he also felt like his time as a wrestler and years of yoyo dieting were part of the problem. During high school, his substance abuse started to progress and the consequences became more severe, including multiple arrests. Kosha got introduced to recovery during his first stint in jail, but he...

Sober Heart with Greg Johnson Greg learned about addiction at an early age. His father was a Vietnam veteran who started drinking and using drugs to cope with the events he witnessed during the war. For years, Greg noticed his father's frequent erratic behavior, but he didn't understand what was happening. Everything became clear when Greg was in college, and he received a call that his father had overdosed. Then, only two months later, he would find out that his uncle committed...

Pregame with Maggie King As a young girl, Maggie planned on avoiding alcohol and drugs due to the negative effects it had on a few close family members. That plan changed as she started to struggle more with her sexuality and the pressure she felt to succeed in school. "Knowing that I was gay and knowing that I would have to fit in and have a boyfriend, I decided I would drink to try and make things easier." From the very beginning, her drinking was excessive, and she would...

A Happier Hour with Rebecca Weller Author and health coach Rebecca Weller says she had always been a binge drinker. In her younger years, she used alcohol as a "social lubricant" to feel less shy and more outgoing. As Rebecca got older, she realized that her excessive drinking had become a habit that wasn't at all in line with her goals and otherwise healthy lifestyle. Eventually, she started researching how to stop drinking, and she came across some very encouraging sober...

Alcohol Explained with William Porter Author William Porter's relationship with alcohol began around fourteen years old, which didn't feel very odd for a young man growing up in the UK. It wasn't long before he found himself binging and drinking to get as drunk as possible. "Over the years, the amount I was drinking continued to go up as my tolerance increased." Fast forward several years, William had served a tour of duty in Iraq, gotten married, and had children. Upon return...

The Sober Bodybuilder with Brad Jensen Brad recalls taking his first drink around 13 years old. The insecurity and awkwardness he felt as a chubby kid quickly faded as soon as the alcohol kicked in. As he got older, he developed a passion for fitness but realized that drinking would hamper his ability to build a great physique, so he turned to pain pills. When the pills were no longer available, his addiction progressed yet again, and this time Brad turned to heroin. For years...

Sober as F*** with Sarah Ordo Author Sarah Ordo says she was "your typical party girl" starting from the time she was about fourteen years old. For years her entire life was centered around drinking, which also was frequently accompanied by blackouts. Even after a near-fatal overdose, Sarah struggled to leave her old life behind. "I left like my life was in a tug of war because I wasn't ready to let go of who I used to be yet." That all changed when she entered therapy and...

Self Recovery with Dr. Daniel Hochman Dr. Hochman is an award-winning psychiatrist and physician who specializes in the field of addiction. Although not in recovery himself, he recalls seeing family and friends impacted by the pain and damage that addiction can cause. "To me, addiction captures a lot of what of what it means to be on this journey of life, where we have constant temptations to shortcut happiness." Through his online addiction program Self Recovery, and as a...

Mary Fran Bontempo is an award-winning author and 2-time TEDx speaker who teaches audiences how to uncover their brilliance and resilience 15 minutes at a time. Although not in recovery herself, she watched for years as her son David struggled with addiction for years. She saw the early warning signs, but like many parents, she justified what was happening. In retrospect, Mary has come to understand how hard it can be to see situations like this for what they really are.  "The two...

The Normal Album with Will Wood Singer and songwriter Will Wood can trace the roots of his addiction back to his teenage years. Like many teenagers, he used alcohol as a way to escape reality and cope with stress. As Will's substance abuse progressed, he eventually hit rock bottom and felt like the only thing he had to live for was his music. "If I'm going to fu*king die, then I might as well give this music thing a try." Joined by his band The Tapeworms, Will recorded his first album...

Pregnant in Prison with Jessica Kent Jessica's childhood was a constant struggle. She was bullied, suffered from multiple mental health disorders, and came from a home filled with addiction. Jessica recalls taking her first drink at only twelve years old and the instant relief she felt. "Alcohol made me happy, confident, and comfortable in my own skin." From then on, it was a fast and steady progression to pain pills, and eventually heroin.  To support her addiction and...

Life Transformation Coaching with Omar Pinto Omar looks back on his childhood as a very emotional time. He recalls feeling angry, frustrated, sad, disappointed, and like he was fighting simply to survive daily life. That changed when he took his first drink at sixteen. "It was like the world just stopped and got quiet." Omar found what he thought was a solution in alcohol and drugs, but little did he know he would continue to struggle through life for the next fifteen...

Reclaiming The Brain with Eric Gremminger For years Eric felt shame and regret because of the poor decisions he made in active addiction. He would wake up day after day, saying to himself, "I can't believe I did that" and then continue to repeat the same behavior. Although he knew he was struggling, it was hard for him to see that his substance abuse was his biggest problem. He tried living in different cities all over the country, went to rehab, and eventually ended up in prison...

Unraveled(Part 2) with Tom Boldt Tom's relationship with drugs started at a fairly young age. It all began when he had trouble sleeping before his first day of school. Thinking it would help, his parents gave him some anxiety medication. "I felt amazing, all of my fears went away, and I thought my solution was in pill form." As time went on, his addiction progressed to the point of daily use. Tom began to lose friends, relationships, and all of the things he cared about...

Unraveled(Part 1) with Laura Cook Boldt Laura grew up in an alcoholic family with a mother in recovery. She always promised herself that she wouldn't become an alcoholic, but that was a promise she couldn't keep. It started to become more apparent that she might be drinking excessively later in life after building a career and starting a family.  "I think I knew deep down I was an alcoholic, but I was too afraid to address those fears." Laura recalls moments where she would look...

The Comeback with Quincy Carter Quincy can never forget the feeling of drinking 40's and smoking his first joint with some friends at 16 years old. Out of high school, his athleticism afforded him options. He initially planned on playing football at Georgia Tech but instead chose to play minor-league baseball after the Chicago Cubs selected him as the 52nd overall pick in the MLB draft. Quincy struggled in the minors and turned to drugs and alcohol to help cope with his depression...