Childhood Trauma: From Innocence to Addiction (Quick Sip with Ryan and Rachel)

The End of a Chapter: Devin Fish

On Rock Bottom with Ryan, author and Army soldier Devin Fish from Rockford, Illinois discusses growing up in poverty and instability, moving more than 16 times, bullying and extreme shyness, and witnessing addiction in his family, including his father’s cocaine-and-alcohol-fueled breakdown and his mother’s pain medication dependence. Devin shares how self-hatred and loneliness led him into a yearlong cycle of paid dating apps, catfishing, escalating blackmail scams—including an “age scam”—financial loss, and contracting chlamydia after paying for sex, culminating in suicidal ideation and later admitting himself to the hospital in 2022. He explains his book, “Answering the Hard Questions: Let It Be the End of the Chapter, Not the End of the Book,” its memoir/toolbox/journaling structure, his return to faith while writing, and his mission to spread honesty, truth, and hope to help others survive. 00:00 Early Chaos at Home00:41 Show Intro and Guest01:44 Growing Up in Rockford02:42 Unstable Childhood and Poverty04:24 Shy Kid and Bullying05:37 Dad Arrest and Apartment Scene09:48 Mom Opioids and Dysfunction11:53 Joining the Army to Escape13:43 Depression and Suicidal Thoughts16:03 Avoiding Substances and Facing Trauma18:02 Hard Truths and Blackmail19:48 Dating Sites Spiral and Scams22:17 STD Scare and Breaking Point24:13 Age Scam Explained and Second Attempt26:13 Hope for Real Connection27:23 Choosing Self Love27:44 Year of Online Scams28:27 Book Title Origins30:47 Writing and Publishing Sprint31:33 Healing Through Structure32:54 Hardest Chapters to Write34:20 Forgiveness and Family35:20 Meaning of the Subtitle36:35 Handling Setbacks Publicly37:46 Next Book and Faith39:24 Mental Health Misconceptions40:38 Message to Suicidal Viewers41:49 Mission After Publishing43:12 Dating Apps Are Predatory45:41 Breaking Silence in Recovery47:38 Support Without Enabling48:25 Avoiding Old Patterns50:46 Guilt Versus Accountability51:53 Leaving Readers With Hope54:57 Where to Find Devin56:30 Final Advice and Quotes57:23 Closing Reflections

Marked by Ink, Not by Luck: Jay Sapovits

In this insightful interview, Jay Sapovits shares his journey of overcoming gambling addiction, the importance of recovery, and how his experiences shaped his entrepreneurial success. Discover practical advice on taking action, facing ego, and building resilience from someone who has navigated the depths of addiction and emerged stronger.

Fit and Free: Patrick's Story of Addiction

Patrick, born and raised in Chicago, shares how childhood abuse and emotional neglect contributed to early marijuana use, dealing in high school, and multiple treatment stays that initially led to more connections to get high. At 18 he unknowingly tried heroin at a party, quickly progressed from snorting to injecting daily, cycled in and out of court-ordered treatment, and eventually became homeless with a $100-a-day habit, surviving through hustling and illegal activity. After a suicidal overdose attempt and a moment of clarity, he entered detox, received Suboxone, and transitioned to a suburban treatment center where he connected with a sponsor and began AA step work, including a transformative fourth and fifth step. Now sober since 5/3/18, he focuses on fatherhood, fitness, boundaries, and sharing recovery through speaking and social media. 00:00 From Pills to Heroin00:59 Recovery Mindset Shift01:19 Show Intro and Sponsor03:42 Meet Patrick Sober Story05:13 Childhood Trauma in Chicago09:10 Weed and Early Warning Signs10:36 Treatment and Escalation11:43 First Heroin High13:15 Needles and Losing Control15:52 Homeless Rock Bottom19:44 Suicidal Moment and Detox22:59 Detox to Treatment Breakthrough25:00 AA Meeting Full Circle26:49 Step Work and Healing Trauma29:18 Fast Track Steps One to Three31:10 Fourth Step Deep Dive32:12 Promises and Spiritual Shift35:04 Amends and Family Fallout40:21 Boundaries Protect Sobriety42:30 Quiet Life After Chaos44:27 Social Media Recovery Reach46:31 Any Path That Saves Lives48:03 Sober Strong Partnership52:17 Advice and Closing Thanks

Childhood Trauma: From Innocence to Addiction (Quick Sip with Ryan and Rachel)

In this Quick Sip episode of Rock Bottom with Ryan and Rachel, they discuss how traumatic childhood experiences shaped their adult lives and addictions. Rachel reflects on the anniversary of her mother’s overdose when she was 16, the guilt of pushing her mother out of the apartment the last day she saw her, and how grief contributed to her drinking, compounded this year by the recent death of her mother-in-law. Ryan shares how frequent moves after his parents’ divorce, changing schools, unstable relationships, and childhood sexual trauma affected his ability to settle and influenced his later relationships and substance use. Both talk about neglect, abandonment issues, repeating learned behaviors, making amends with parents, and continuing recovery, while also shouting out Sober Strong Apparel’s support and mission.00:00 Childhood Innocence Lost00:32 Addiction and Family Amends01:23 Rock Bottom Intro01:53 Sponsor Message02:53 Trauma and Grief Setup03:34 Mom Overdose Anniversary04:25 Guilt and Healing06:54 Mother In Law Loss08:22 Moving and Instability11:25 Sexual Trauma Impact12:24 Neglect and Loneliness15:15 Repeating the Pattern17:05 Relationship Blueprints20:43 Abandonment and Early Attention22:25 Seeking Love Wrong Places23:52 Ratchet Rachel Origins24:38 The One Childhood Change25:10 Missing Mother Figure25:38 Shoutout Two Girls26:55 Ryan's Nana and Moving29:51 Private School and Poverty31:53 Gratitude for Support32:47 Amazing Grace and Grief34:19 Pushing Through Sober37:08 Sober Strong Community39:46 Why Sober Strong Hits43:20 Wrap Up and DM Us

Amber: Relationships and Codependency

In this episode of Rock Bottom with Ryan, Ryan and co-host Rachel Sereni welcome back guest Amber, who shares her sobriety dates (11 years alcohol-free and clean from all substances since July 30, 2018) and recounts early addiction shaped by childhood chaos, including a rock-bottom moment waking up near a meth lab. Amber describes getting fully clean through NA/12-step support, taking suggestions, and rebuilding life through meetings, sober living, and stable housing. The conversation focuses on recovery as lifelong work, addressing people-pleasing, inner-child healing, anxious attachment, and codependency, including her long relationship with an incarcerated partner and how therapy helped her set boundaries after emotional infidelity and control. Amber discusses learning to spot red flags faster, avoiding “chaos as chemistry,” dating with standards, and her upcoming online self-worth/boundaries program, plus a brief Sober Strong Apparel sponsor segment.