Baelie: Recovery is my Reality

Baelie: Recovery is my Reality

From Rock Bottom to Recovery: Baelie’s Story of Alcohol Addiction, Rehab, and Sober Life in Utah | Rock Bottom with RyanOn Rock Bottom with Ryan, Ryan and co-host Rachel Sereni interview Baelie, a respiratory therapist from Moab, Utah, who got sober from alcohol on 4/26/24. Baelie describes growing up LDS, first drinking at 13–14, and how college freedom led to daily drinking—even during her respiratory therapy program—followed by health issues including facial swelling, liver pain, and an ER visit where a CT revealed early fatty liver disease. After a breakup she attributes to drinking-related choices, she sank into depression and guilt and attempted suicide by crashing her car while intoxicated, survived, briefly stopped, then relapsed and escalated again, including trying to drive drunk. A therapist and family intervention led her to a 47-day rehab stay, after which she stayed sober using coping tools, therapy, outdoor activity, and early AA before finding her sober community on TikTok, where she shares recovery content, dating boundaries, and advice for those struggling or feeling suicidal (including calling 988).00:00 Family Wake Up Call00:26 Health Scare And ER Reality01:17 Rock Bottom Intro01:46 Sponsor Message02:56 Meet Bailey And Sober Basics04:04 Growing Up LDS And Secret Drinking06:10 First Drink And Early Teens06:49 High School Sports And Partying07:34 College Freedom Turns Daily08:04 Drinking Through Respiratory School10:42 Fatty Liver Warning Signs12:40 Suicide Attempt And Breaking Point16:42 Relapse And Rehab Ultimatum20:00 Rehab Experience And Withdrawal21:51 Life After Rehab22:50 AA And Early Pride23:22 Sobriety On TikTok25:30 Daily Routine Outdoors26:48 Dating While Sober28:11 Medical Field Triggers29:22 Hiding Spots And Freedom32:08 Advice For Getting Sober35:19 Therapy And Community38:08 Suicidal Thoughts Help41:01 Handles And Wrap Up

Strong and Sturdy: Recovery and Redemption with Britt

In this episode of Rock Bottom with Ryan, Britt Gusmus shares his journey from chasing superficial gratification through years of alcohol and drug abuse to lasting recovery, faith, and service. Originally from Denver, Britt celebrates 20 years sober (9/19/2005) and recounts early warning signs, blackouts, violence, and escalating use that included cocaine, ecstasy, and meth, alongside deep shame, identity loss after athletics, and a “dying inside” internal war. He describes surrendering after losing everything, immersing in AA/CA/NA, men’s meetings, and rebuilding through community, sobriety softball, and a spiritual relationship with God. Today, Britt coaches football, works as a high school dean, and discusses his book and workbook, The Oak Tree Source, centered on digging deep, emotional resilience, integrity, service, and becoming strong and sturdy like an oak tree.

Sober By Design: Michael's Sobriety Story

Ryan interviews Michael, founder of Sober Hats, about his long, relapse-filled recovery journey. Michael describes starting alcohol at 13 with a Southern Comfort blackout, growing up in a family marked by secrecy and his father’s alcoholism, and first entering AA at 20 with periods of sobriety that faded as he stopped engaging in recovery. After building and selling a pizza business, running early coffee shops, and then working at a bank, he relapsed into vodka, hiding and blackouts, leading to multiple 30-day treatment stays. Later, prescription medications (opiates, Adderall, Xanax) escalated into street use and delusion, culminating in 2017 when his wife and kids left, prompting his sobriety date of September 23, 2017. He explains launching soberhats.com [http://soberhats.com/] to “recover out loud,” break stigma, and spark connection through hats like “Sober.,” “Clean.,” and “Sober Ally.”00:00 First Drink Blackout01:19 Podcast Intro and Sponsor02:50 Meet Michael from Sober Hats04:32 Early Drinking and AA Start05:52 Southern Comfort at 1308:35 Family Secrets and Dad’s Alcoholism13:15 Falling in Love with AA16:20 Business Success and Drifting19:59 Relapse After Nine Years23:29 Car Blackout and Rehab24:54 Bathroom Vodka Confession27:37 Second Slide and Opiates29:28 Blackout Work Ultimatum30:38 Treatment Shame Cycle31:28 Marriage Complacency Warning32:37 Adderall Xanax Spiral34:15 Family Leaves Rock Bottom35:29 Addiction Substitution Talk38:09 Kids Confront Hidden Pills40:35 Recovering Out Loud Idea41:24 Sober Period Hat Launch43:27 Influencers And Events47:12 Mike The Situation Connection50:23 Normalizing Addiction Stigma51:37 Building Brand Challenges54:52 Impact And Proud Smiles56:56 Community Shoutouts Closing

Kenneth 2.0: The Frequent Flyer Who Finally Landed

Kenneth’s 476 Days Sober: Trauma, Rock Bottom, and Rebuilding a Life in Recovery | Rock Bottom with RyanIn this episode of Rock Bottom with Ryan, Ryan reunites with Kenneth, now 476 days sober, to revisit his long history of addiction beginning in early teens amid severe childhood trauma and sexual abuse, and major adult traumas including miscarriages, his wife’s HELLP syndrome and years of surgeries, raising a son with cerebral palsy and autism, divorcing after 24 years, and his father’s death from alcoholism. Kenneth describes decades of heavy alcohol and drug use, including cocaine, and reaching a suicidal low point after his partner ended their relationship, leaving him homeless and drinking every morning, even going to work intoxicated. After calling 988 and entering 90 days inpatient rehab plus nine months sober living/IOP, he embraced recovery work, therapy, meetings, and service, is preparing to sponsor, wrote a science-informed recovery handbook-style book, shares his sobriety publicly on Instagram, pursues speaking/TED goals, and plans to become an AOD counselor while focusing on presence, simplicity, and self-kindness.00:00 Marriage Breaking Point01:01 Love Without Liking01:13 Show Intro And Sponsor03:01 Kenneth Returns Update04:21 Early Addiction And Aces05:20 Abuse Masks And Survival07:14 Pregnancy Loss And Hellp09:09 Deck Tears Divorce Wait10:01 Father Alcoholic Death11:54 Trauma Intimacy Hypervigilance15:13 Perfectionism And Work Validation18:09 Functioning Alcoholic Routine20:05 Doc And Drug Use21:25 Seventh Time Rock Bottom23:05 Crisis Call And Rehab Choice24:40 Student Of Recovery Mantras26:14 Sponsorship Fear And Service28:01 Writing A Recovery Handbook31:16 Instagram Sobriety Journey33:40 Learning To Slow Down34:30 God Pause Simplicity35:39 Recovery Promises Realized36:12 Money Credit Patience38:14 New Job New Normal38:52 Counseling Full Circle40:11 Overthinking To Peace41:27 Solitude And Anxiety44:58 Neurodivergence Discovery50:31 Family Healing Fatherhood54:17 Book TED Gratitude58:41 Be Present Daily Practice01:00:34 Closing Thanks Signoff

159: Breaking The Mold - Reimagining Education with Stephen Solen

In this episode of Rock Bottom with Ryan, Ryan and co-host Rachel Sereni interview Utah educator and alternative-school principal Steve Solon about his path into education, severe financial hardship caused by repeated paycheck cuts at a charter school, and how he eventually found purpose working with incarcerated and credit-deficient youth in a district-run alternative program. Steve explains how the school serves local credit-deficient students, adult education learners, and group-home youth, and how shifting away from traditional schooling—changing credits, classes, and competency measures—helped raise graduation rates from roughly 30–40% to 80–90%, including 46 graduates out of about 120 students. He discusses trauma’s impact on behavior and learning, building trust with students, balancing compassion with accountability alongside group-home staff, community supports to prevent justice-system involvement, and shares student success stories. He also mentions his Dad Bod Warrior podcast and supplements brand.00:00 From Hunger to Hope00:58 Podcast Intro and Sponsor02:27 Meet Steve Solon03:03 Checklist Life in Utah04:40 Teaching Dreams Meet 200806:07 Pay Cuts and Survival Mode08:24 Standing Up and Quitting12:10 Alternative School Mission13:47 Becoming Principal During COVID18:16 Reinventing Credits and Graduation19:11 New Students and Anxiety22:04 Trauma and the Healing Brain24:58 Recovery Stories and Guest Speakers29:20 Redefining Success After Graduation30:15 Defining Real Success31:33 Grades Versus Growth32:12 Leadership Load34:28 Accountability With Compassion35:50 Program Lengths Explained37:04 Autism And Patience38:44 Breaking Community Stigma40:43 Strict Upbringing And Tattoos45:00 Stories That Stick50:13 Preventing Youth Justice Entry53:26 Advice For Future Leaders57:11 Hope For Every Kid57:48 Podcast And Supplements01:00:00 Final Thanks And Wrap