Real Recovery Podcast

About Real Recovery Podcast

Real Recovery Podcast Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN: 99-1347297) that empowers, enlightens, and inspires those on their recovery journey by sharing authentic stories, practical advice, and community insights. We create a safe and engaging platform for individuals to find solace, strength, and solidarity. Our podcast demystifies the recovery process, celebrates progress, and fosters belonging among listeners. By amplifying diverse voices within the recovery community, Real Recovery aims to be a beacon of hope.

Publisher

Julie and Peter

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

15 Feb 2024

Latest episode

23 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

153 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   23 Oct 2026

   RRP 137 — Cade M. / You Can Stop Digging Now: Getting Sober Young

   RRP 137: Cade M. RRP 137 — Cade M. / You Can Stop Digging Now: Getting Sober Young Presenters: Julie L and Peter D Episode length: Approximately 1 hour 48 minutes Release date: Friday, October 23, 2026 Summary At 23, Cade M. talks with Julie L and Peter D about getting sober at 19, finding people his own age in the rooms, and learning to follow the suggestions he once ignored. He shares a realization in a Minnesota hospital bed, the Wednesday home group he protects, and the work of sponsorship. His message to young newcomers is simple: you don't have to burn your life all the way to the ground first. Key points 00:05:00 Wednesday nights belong to his home group. 00:43:00 Treatment in Minnesota at 18. 00:49:00 A hospital stay and a thought about wanting more. 01:01:00 Finding a meeting where you fit, and why that wasn't enough. 01:29:00 Cade tells young newcomers they can stop digging now. 01:35:00 Working the steps and starting to sponsor around six months. 01:42:00 Having fun sober while continuing to do the work. Websites discussed Hazelden Betty Ford (https://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/) Alcoholics Anonymous (https://www.aa.org/) Cocaine Anonymous (https://ca.org/) 4D Recovery (https://4drecovery.org/) True Colors Recovery (https://www.truecolorsrecovery.org/) Alano Club of Portland (https://www.portlandalano.org/) Portland-area AA meeting finder (https://www.pdxaa.org/meetings/) Go the Distance (https://www.gtdgothedistance.org/) Transcending Hope (https://transcending-hope.com/) Walk for Recovery (https://oregonrecovers.org/walkFAQ/) Escape From New York Pizza (https://efnypizza.net/) Sizzle Pie (https://sizzlepie.com/menus) Helen Bernhard Bakery (https://www.helenbernhardbakery.com/) Drop the Rock (https://www.hazelden.org/store/item/6666?Drop-the-Rock-Second-Edition) The Ripple Effect (https://www.hazelden.org/store/item/367136?Drop-the-Rock--The-Ripple-Effect) AA books: Big Book, Plain Language Big Book, As Bill Sees It, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (https://onlineliterature.aa.org/ebooks) Real Recovery Podcast (https://www.realrecoverypodcast.com/) Listen to Episode 137 (https://mdcr1.com/137) Read the blog (https://mdcr1.com/137b) Subscribe to the newsletter (https://mdcr1.com/newsletter) you can stop digging now, man. Cade M. #RealRecoveryPodcast, #GettingSoberYoung, #Recovery, #Sobriety, @RealRecoveryPodcast

2. 

   16 Oct 2026

   RRP 136 — Brad O. / I Get to Open the Door. They Still Have to Walk Through.

   RRP 136 | Brad O. | I Get to Open the Door. They Still Have to Walk Through. RRP 136 — Brad O. / I Get to Open the Door. They Still Have to Walk Through. Recovery, Service, and Second Chances Presenters: Julie L and Peter D Episode length: 1 hour 20 minutes (confirmed by Peter) Release date: Friday, October 16, 2026 Brad O. wanted to play college baseball. Drinking and drug use took that goal away, and four DUIs eventually led him to treatment. Early recovery was rough. He kept going to Alcoholics Anonymous (https://www.aa.org/), and when he reached five years sober, an unexpected job offer gave him a way to help others at a detox program. Brad talks with Julie and Peter about making amends, working with people who face treatment or prison, and why he keeps opening doors even though each person must choose to walk through. Key Points 00:04:48 Brad traces his arrests, his lost baseball goal, and the moment he saw his infant son while sitting in jail. 00:07:54 A fourth DUI, treatment, and the difficult stretch before his January 1991 sobriety date. 00:11:46 Two women from his home group find Brad at a gas station, and one hug helps him decide to trust the fellowship. 00:15:00 Brad describes an amends to his former wife that took years to pay back. 00:18:00 A nurse's advice about taking care of himself comes back to Brad when he reaches five years sober and begins working in detox. 00:21:08 Brad recalls his work with Volunteers of America Oregon (https://www.voaor.org/) and a treatment-readiness program at Inverness Jail (https://multco.us/info/congregate-settings-mcdc-inverness-jail). 00:24:40 Brad says everybody deserves a chance, because you never know when the light will go on for someone. 00:26:13 Brad sums up his work: he gets to open the door, and each person still has to walk through. 00:27:13 He now helps families talk through what to do when a loved one is in trouble. 00:35:28 Brad remembers accompanying his mother to an Al-Anon (https://al-anon.org/) club as a child. 00:43:34 Brad says he does not give up on people, even when they need another chance. 00:50:16 Brad describes surrender as stepping back, regrouping, and returning more stable. 00:52:29 Brad describes the camaraderie he found in sober softball. 01:01:00 A cyclist confronts Brad after he cuts him off; Brad talks about owning the mistake. 01:15:13 Brad's message to anyone struggling: stay close to us, because you really are worth it. Websites Discussed Alcoholics Anonymous (https://www.aa.org/) Al-Anon Family Groups (https://al-anon.org/) Go the Distance (https://www.gtdgothedistance.org/) Oregon Recovers (https://oregonrecovers.org/) Volunteers of America Oregon (https://www.voaor.org/) Multnomah County treatment courts (https://www.courts.oregon.gov/courts/multnomah/programs-services/pages/treatment-courts.aspx) Multnomah County Inverness Jail (https://multco.us/info/congregate-settings-mcdc-inverness-jail) CODA (https://codainc.org/) Mel Robbins, The Let Them Theory (https://www.melrobbins.com/book/the-let-them-theory/) Real Recovery Podcast (https://www.realrecoverypodcast.com/) Listen (https://mdcr1.com/136)Blog (https://mdcr1.com/136b)Newsletter (https://mdcr1.com/newsletter) Episode Listen and Blog short links are planned, not yet active. "I get to open the door. They still have to walk through" Brad O. (transcript, 00:26:13) #RealRecoveryPodcast, #Recovery, #Sobriety, #RecoveryStory, #Service, #SecondChances, @realrecoverypodcast

3. 

   9 Oct 2026

   RRP 135 — Walter B. / From the Trap House to Kona, Part 2: Becoming a Dopeless Hope Fiend

   RRP 135 — Walter B. / From the Trap House to Kona, Part 2: Becoming a Dopeless Hope Fiend RRP 135 — Walter B. / From the Trap House to Kona, Part 2: Becoming a Dopeless Hope Fiend Presenters: Julie L and Peter D Episode length: 1:00:21 Release date: Friday, October 9, 2026 In Part 1, Walter B. told us about the Rose Bowls, the years after the cheering stopped, and the day his friend Matt came to the trap house. In Part 2, he and Matt have a trip to Kona planned. Walter explains why the invitation means so much more to him than a vacation: Matt was the person who helped him find his way into recovery. The three of them also talk about loving yourself, the fourth step, what peer workers do, and the young people Walter looks out for while coaching football. He leaves listeners with a reason to keep going, even if they don't have a Matt in their lives. Key points 00:01:30Julie talks about how recovery has changed for her over the years, from meetings and raising her daughter to looking for balance today. 00:05:44Walter shares what he is still learning about loving himself and his wife. 00:07:49Matt surprises Walter with a trip they can take together. 00:10:03Why they chose Kona, and why Walter calls Matt his proof that recovery was possible. 00:12:23Peter talks about learning to look in the mirror without putting on a mask. 00:16:50Walter calls himself a "dopeless hope fiend" and describes the imposter syndrome he still feels. 00:20:05Walter and Julie talk about anger, taking the high road, and returning to the steps when they make a mistake. 00:23:22The fourth-step resentment list and the question Walter's sponsor saved for the last column: "What's your part?" 00:26:46Walter talks about being his own harshest critic even after years of recovery. 00:31:19Walter tells Julie and Peter why he wants to encourage others the way people encouraged him. 00:33:11Different experiences, different paths into recovery, and why sharing them matters. 00:34:00Six people show up on a weekend when Julie tells her meeting she is struggling; the meeting grows to seven days. 00:36:21Walter makes the case for better pay and support for peer workers. 00:43:27Walter shares what some former clients taught him about feeling safer outside than in unfamiliar housing. 00:46:01Coaching high school football while looking out for the young people on the team. 00:48:07Walter speaks to someone who is suffering and may not have a Matt to call. 00:49:23Walter tells the story of his older brother's place in his recovery and in their family. 00:55:13Julie and Peter talk about the family people find in recovery. Websites discussed Alcoholics Anonymous (https://www.aa.org/) · Narcotics Anonymous (https://www.na.org/) · Crystal Meth Anonymous (https://www.crystalmeth.org/meetings/) · Edward Jones (https://www.edwardjones.com/us-en) · Mel Robbins, *The Let Them Theory* (https://www.melrobbins.com/book/the-let-them-theory/) · Another Chance (https://www.anotherchancerehab.com/) · Central City Concern (https://centralcityconcern.org/) · Portland Rescue Mission (https://portlandrescuemission.org/) · Central Catholic High School football (https://www.centralcatholichigh.org/athletics/fall-sports/football) · Real Recovery Podcast (https://www.realrecoverypodcast.com/) "I always wanna give people some hope, because people gave me hope."Walter B. Listen to Episode 135 (https://mdcr1.com/135)Read the episode blog (https://mdcr1.com/135b)Newsletter (https://mdcr1.com/newsletter) #RealRecoveryPodcast #Recovery #Sobriety #RecoveryStory #PeerSupport #Portland @realrecoverypodcast

Who has been a guest on Real Recovery Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Becca S
• Bex
• Carrington C
• Jen L
• Devlin F

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

552

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.5 / 5

8 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 64 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

81

Social presence

0

YouTube

66

Engagement

51

Contact Real Recovery Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Real Recovery Podcast