The Hopeaholics
Welcome to the Hopeaholics Podcast, where we tackle addiction and mental illness through sharing real life experiences, honesty and hope! Hosted by Chad Carlsen, who knows firsthand the destruction that these issues can cause, we're here to offer listeners a much-needed source of inspiration and understanding that will carry them through tough times. Through powerful, honest, and unfiltered interviews, The Hopeaholics provides a beacon of hope for listeners facing similar issues, banishing stigma in the process. If you're looking for an authentic podcast that'll motivate you to overcome hard times and live well, look no further. To get help for yourself or someone you love, call 949-989-6550
Episodes
Robbing From Loved Ones with Scott Schafer | The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this episode of The Hopeaholics Podcast, guest Scott Schafer delivers an unflinchingly honest and deeply moving account of his journey from professional athlete to addict, and ultimately to a man living a life of gratitude and purpose. Drafted by the New York Mets out of high school, Scott’s dreams were derailed after multiple injuries and surgeries le...
Finding Hope After the Unthinkable with Nat Suckley | The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this powerful episode of The Hopeaholics Podcast, Nat Suckley shares one of the most heartbreaking and inspiring stories ever told on the show. From losing his wife in what was described as “the most brutal murder in Corpus Christi history” to later losing his son to an overdose on his 24th birthday, Nat opens up about unimaginable pain, addic...
Through the Lens of an Addict’s Sister: Stephanie Balber | The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this powerful episode of The Hopeaholics Podcast, Stephanie Balber shares her emotional journey of growing up with a sister battling heroin and fentanyl addiction. She opens up about the pain, chaos, and heartbreak her family endured—from discovering her sister dealing drugs at her wedding to catching her using on Christmas night—and...
Revitalizing Life Through Food with Cloe Parker | The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this compelling episode of the Hopeaholics podcast, we sat down with Chloe Parker, the young owner of Parker Pastures, a regenerative agriculture meat company dedicated to providing clean, nutrient-dense beef, bison, lamb, pork, and chicken. Chloe opened up about her journey, growing up on a ranch, grappling with severe teenage anxiety and depress...
Join The Undead Club w/ Amanda Taylor & Brandon Thomas | The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this powerful episode of the Hopeaholic Podcast, Amanda Taylor and Brandon Thomas open up about their raw and inspiring journey through addiction, loss, faith, and recovery. From meeting in AA to reconnecting at work and building a relationship grounded in sobriety, their story is filled with dramatic turning points. Amanda shares how j...
Being a Hope Dealer w/Christin Day | The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this episode of the Hopeaholics Podcast, Christin Day shares a raw and emotional account of her journey through addiction, trauma, and recovery. She opens up about becoming a teen mom, experiencing multiple pregnancies and losses, and entering into an early marriage that quickly unraveled amid infidelity and violence. Her story follows a spiral into meth use, ...
Awakening The Warrior with J.R. Hutter | The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this episode, J.R. Hutter shares his raw and transformative life story, opening up about his upbringing, his father’s struggles with alcoholism, and how his own battles with PTSD, bipolar disorder, and addiction spiraled after serving in Iraq. He recounts years of heavy drinking, cocaine use, and the chaos of life as a DJ in South Florida, describing the c...
Staying Sober Strong with Chris Cohen | The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this episode of The Hopeaholics Podcast, the hosts welcome Chris Cohen, founder of Sober Strong, a sobriety-inspired apparel brand that’s more than just clothing—it’s a movement. Chris shares his powerful story of addiction, hitting rock bottom, and the life-changing car accident that led to major back surgery and ultimately a new perspective on life. He o...
Barbell Saves Project with David Perez & Robert Best | The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this inspiring episode of the Hopeaholics Podcast, Robert Best and David Perez share their powerful journeys through addiction and recovery, and how those experiences fueled their mission to create the Barbell Saves Project—a nonprofit fitness-based recovery community that’s changing lives. What started as free community workouts in a sm...
Recovering Through Stem Cells w/ Mike O'Hearn & John Merola | The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this episode of the Hopeaholics Podcast, Mike O’Hearn and John Merola join the hosts to share powerful stories of resilience, discipline, and recovery, offering a rare look into the mindset it takes to overcome life’s greatest challenges. From the opening minutes, John reflects on his early struggles with addiction and recover...
BECOMING A MONSTER TO FACE LIFE w/ Michael "Multifaceted Monster"| The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this episode of the Hopeaholics Podcast, we sit down with Michael, also known as Multifaceted Monster, to hear his raw and powerful journey through addiction, heartbreak, and redemption. Michael opens up about his struggles with alcoholism, codependent relationships, and the chaos of blackout drinking that led to multipl...
"BLAMING GOD FOR MY ADDICTION": Vaughn Von Lewis | The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this episode of the Hopeaholics Podcast, Vaughn Von Lewis opens up about his remarkable journey of survival, struggle, and transformation. His life was shaped by a childhood of abuse, abandonment, and the devastating loss of his mother when he was just 17 years old. He began using drugs as early as eight years old, which set him on a pa...
Chasing Euphoria & Finding Faith with Kat Sorensen | The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this compelling episode of The Hopeaholics Podcast, Kat Sorensen, a recovering alcoholic and rehab center owner, who shares her powerful journey of overcoming addiction and finding purpose through faith and service. Kat candidly recounts her childhood in Denver, marked by feelings of alienation and sensitivity, which led to her discovery of...
Wendy Grijalva: How Victim Shaming Changed Everything | The Hopeaholics Podcast
Wendy Grijalva delivers a raw and inspiring exploration of her journey through addiction, trauma, and recovery. Wendy, celebrated for her impactful presence at a "Recover Out Loud" event, shares her story with vulnerability, detailing a childhood marked by feeling like the "black sheep" in a stable middle-class family, early...
Wade Muhlhauser: Plugged INTO Recovery | The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this gripping episode of The Hopeaholics Podcast, the CEO of Plugged In Recovery, Wade Muhlhauser, shares his remarkable journey from homelessness and a 20-year struggle with opioid addiction to founding a network of 14 sober living homes and a treatment center in Arizona. Wade candidly discusses his chaotic childhood in foster care, shaped by his father’s...
Phil "Wildcard" Andrade: Spitting Truth After Rock Bottom | The Hopeaholics Podcast #264
Phil Andrade, known as Wildcard, for a raw and inspiring conversation about his journey from addiction to artistic triumph! A rapper and filmmaker with a 20-year career, Phil shares how his love for music was ignited by influences like Oingo Boingo, Black Sabbath, and Guns N’ Roses, shaped by his creative upbringing and ...
Adam Larkin: Taking the Sober Risk | The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this inspiring episode of The Hopeaholics Podcast, hosts Natalie and Chad welcome back Adam Larkin, a recovering addict turned entrepreneur, who shares his transformative journey from a 17-year struggle with opioid and benzodiazepine addiction to building a thriving life of sobriety and purpose. Adam details his pivotal "God thing" moment in Kentucky...
Richard Macias: The Warpath to Redemption | The Hopeaholics Podcast
Growing up in San Bernardino County, Richard was exposed to alcohol as early as five years old, leading to years of substance abuse, run-ins with the law, and a lifestyle that strained his marriage and family. His breaking point came the day he returned home to find his wife and children gone—a moment that drove him to his knees in desperate prayer and spa...
Gabe Cohen: Creating a Legacy Through Lived Experience | The Hopeaholics Podcast
Gabe, a former convict turned recovery warrior whose unrelenting passion to save lives has transformed communities and inspired his powerful book, a guide for building recovery organizations from the ground up. Starting with no experience, no money, and no building, Gabe’s journey from addiction’s grip to founding a thriving nonprofit in Color...
Kristen Domke: Military Mental Health is Broken | The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this deeply emotional and brutally honest episode of the Hopeaholics Podcast, we sit down with Kristen Domke—an Air Force veteran, personal trainer, and survivor—whose life story is nothing short of extraordinary. Kristen opens up about the emotional toll of serving in the military, including multiple deployments, witnessing unimaginable trauma, ...
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