Emma explains her path into AA, her rehab and sober living experiences, and the realizations that provided her path to freedom from the recovery society.

“The only stuff you can’t get over is the stuff you're hanging onto!” This is a quote from a book written by Gary John Bishop called Wise as Fu*k.

Is there a solution to addiction? Addiction treatment providers and nearly all addiction help models will tell you that there isn't. The Freedom Model will show you there is!

Listen and learn about Finn's remarkable journey out of the Addiction treatment and recovery world after 35 years of entrapment.

The Netflix Documentary “The Program” exposes the shocking truth about the multi-million dollar troubled teen industry. What you may not know is it has its roots in AA’s “ego deflation at depth” ideology.

There are those that wear their “battle with addiction” like a badge of honor, but there are many more who consistently feel like they are losing that battle.

Like Mark and Michelle, Leslie’s exposure to Alcoholics Anonymous began in childhood.

Mark and Michelle discuss the rapidly growing addiction coaching industry.

Rene’s story is as remarkable as it is troubling. Hear his story on how escaped what he calls, The Recovery Cartel.

Over the next few episodes Mark and Michelle are interviewing people who have escaped or are in the process of escaping the addiction and recovery trap!

More and more people are contacting us to talk about their experiences in AA and other 12 step programs, and asking us to help them get out and move on with their lives.

Do people need therapy when working to solve the various emotional problems that often accompany a heavy substance use problem?

Mark and Michelle discuss the differences and similarities between problematic substance use and behavioral “addictions”,

Time marches on irrespective of the choices you make. Are you fighting against the passage of time or evolving with it?

AA members will tell you “It works if you work it!” And even people that reject AA still hold the belief that solving an addiction takes consistent effort and “work”.

There is a popular line in the book Alcoholics Anonymous that says selfishness is the root cause of an addiction. Is this statement true and helpful to those struggling with heavy substance use?

Most people agree that they don’t like to do the same activities at 40 years old that they liked to do at 10 years old. It’s common sense that our preferences change as a function of time and experience.

For our 200th Episode Mark and Michelle tell the story of how The Freedom Model began in the late 1980s, how they met, and how they walked out of the cult of recovery and developed The Freedom Model.

So you have found The Freedom Model and it changed your life, but someone you love is still struggling; how can you help them? What can you do for them?

Seeking magical experiences using substances can be a powerful reason to use frequently and heavily, but learning where the “magic” actually comes from is crucial to changing your preference.

What does it look like to be fully and deeply indoctrinated into addiction disease mythology?

Are "addictive" activities inherently pleasurable and that’s why so many people get “hooked” on them?

Were you told you needed to ditch your friends, change jobs or your career, distance yourself from family, or even leave a marriage to stop your substance use problem?

How effective is “addiction medication” at helping people to stop an addiction? And if it is so effective, then why are overdose rates in the US still rising rapidly.