Kenneth 2.0: The Frequent Flyer Who Finally Landed

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

158: From Last Call to High Calling - Dr. Ashley Amundson

Ashley Amundson: From Bartending & Alcohol Withdrawal to 10 Years Sober, COO & Therapist | Rock Bottom with RyanOn Rock Bottom with Ryan, Ashley Amundson shares growing up in San Diego in a complex military family with six siblings and a live-in nanny, feeling like she didn’t belong in school, and using alcohol as a tool for confidence that became a crutch. After entering the bar industry at 21, drinking escalated from after-work shots to on-the-job use, leading to physical dependence, repeated hospitalizations, DT hallucinations, and a doctor warning she might not live to 35 due to organ failure and alcoholic hepatitis. Ashley chose rehab, built early sobriety through structured sober living and testing, and transitioned from bartending to working in a women’s-only holistic rehab. She earned a master’s, became a therapist in 2020, completed a doctorate in behavioral health, rose to COO, and discusses trauma-informed modalities like somatic work, breathwork, Reiki, EMDR, and brain spotting.00:00 High School Awkwardness01:10 Rock Bottom Intro01:34 Sponsor Message02:58 Meet Ashley03:16 Recovery Basics04:54 Military Family Roots08:16 Nanny and Attachment10:50 Teen Identity Struggles14:37 First Drinks and Confidence18:37 Skipping School and College22:35 Bar Industry Begins25:14 Dating and Boundaries28:41 Drinking Culture Escalates31:55 Naivety and Masking35:10 Alcohol Takes Over39:02 Hallucinations and Fallout39:36 ER Withdrawal Stigma42:00 Doctor Wake Up Call47:47 Underdog Motivation49:14 Early Sobriety Blueprint52:40 From Tech to COO58:15 Holistic Trauma Modalities01:02:35 Therapist Mindset and Burnout01:08:37 Advice and Compassion01:14:00 Closing Quote and Wrap

157: Recovery Rebel - Ashley Baker's Story

On Rock Bottom with Ryan, guest Ashley Baker shares how childhood trauma—his mother’s two suicide attempts and his father leaving—fed rebellion and led him to start drinking at 12 while growing up in Dubai. Alcohol quickly became daily, escalating after moving to Germany where access was easier and drinking was normalized in the restaurant industry as he trained and worked as a chef. At his worst he needed two bottles of wine in the morning to stop shaking, blacked out for years, and once woke in jail after passing out on rail tracks shortly before a train. After a two-week rehab stay and a brief relapse, he returned to treatment and stayed sober, building a new life through routines, travel, spirituality, and self-directed learning. Now 17 years sober, he’s an addiction coach with a holistic approach focused on trauma, nervous system regulation, breathwork, and long-term healing.00:00 Trauma And Drinking00:53 Podcast Intro And Sponsor02:33 Meet Ashley Baker04:10 Roots Of Addiction06:38 First Drinks At 1208:48 Daily Drinking Escalation10:24 Wake Up Calls And Withdrawals13:32 Blackouts And Jail Scare15:17 Hiding It From Loved Ones17:41 Rehab Decision Point20:59 Relapse And Second Rehab26:19 Life After Treatment29:14 Chef Life Sober30:26 Cravings and Confidence31:44 Purpose Through Coaching33:12 Holistic Counselor Training35:06 Healing Beyond Detox37:04 ADHD Depression Patterns38:17 Regulation Tools Breathwork41:21 Neuroplasticity and Identity43:42 Chef Work and Youth46:19 Legacy and Lifelong Healing53:36 Getting Help and Contact59:18 Grounded Practices Farewell

156: A Conversation with Meghan Hanes

From Social Anxiety to Two Bottles a Night: Meghan Haynes on Alcohol Recovery, Treatment, and Sober-Curious SupportOn Rock Bottom with Ryan, guest Meghan Haynes (sober date February 19, 2023; alcohol; raised in Washington, now in Central Oregon) shares how perfectionism, social anxiety, and not fitting in led her to love alcohol after her first drink in high school. In college at the University of Washington, loss of control contributed to severe anorexia and hospitalization; therapy helped, but later her drinking escalated through Greek-life culture, grad school isolation in Denver, and solo nightly wine—often up to two bottles—while working in mental health crisis roles. After pancreatitis, a DUI, repeated IOP failures, and probation, she entered 30-day treatment, where she found relief, began addressing codependency, self-worth, and coping, and met her future husband. Now an Oregon LCSW, she offers trauma-focused therapy (including EMDR) and sobriety coaching for sober-curious women to reduce stigma, build community, and support change without needing “rock bottom.” 00:00 Small Town Roots01:09 Podcast Intro01:38 Sponsor Message02:39 Meet Meghan Haynes03:50 Gymnast Identity05:14 Social Anxiety Emerges08:20 First Drink Relief11:38 College Expectations Crash13:20 Anorexia Takes Over16:04 Therapy and Alcohol Return17:11 Greek Life Drinking Culture24:49 Grad School Isolation28:23 Living Alone Spiral30:02 Functional Drinking Rewards31:16 Solo Drinking Spiral31:41 A Day in Addiction34:04 Isolation and Family Signs35:38 Health Scare and DUI40:25 Treatment Turning Point42:28 Recovery Insights and Self Worth45:27 Love and Life After Rehab47:01 Therapist in Recovery48:37 Sober Curious Explained51:09 Women and Recovery Challenges55:04 Advice and Closing Resources