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Episode 18: “The Night I Packed My Bags to Relapse… and the Secret That Kept Me Sober”

In Episode 18 of the Get Unhooked Podcast, Jason Coombs takes listeners back to his fifth and final treatment center experience at age 31. This episode reveals the pivotal moment that changed everything - a moment balanced precariously between walking away from recovery forever and embracing the uncomfortable truth that would save his life.

Episode Highlights

[00:27] Jason introduces the person-centered approach and the "oxygen mask" principle
[03:43] Defining success as earning respect and trust from those closest to you
[05:39] The reality of being in his fifth treatment center with previous failures
[08:49] The dangerous mindset of thinking you have "treatment figured out"
[13:48] The miraculous moment of falling asleep instead of leaving treatment
[15:08] Kris's direct confrontation: "You gotta feel it to heal it"
[16:16] The two non-negotiable requirements to stay in treatment

The Moment Everything Changed

Jason's story reaches its climax at what he calls "the jumping off point" - that critical moment where addiction either claims another victim or loses its grip forever. After four failed treatment attempts, Jason arrived at his final program thinking he had mastered the art of appearing compliant while remaining unchanged.

But this treatment center operated differently. The staff refused to coddle or enable. They wouldn't co-sign his manipulation tactics. Most importantly, they challenged him to step outside his comfort zone.

The pivotal night arrived when Jason packed his belongings in anger, ready to walk 20-30 miles downtown for drugs. What happened next defies logical explanation - he simply fell asleep. "I don't even remember thinking about falling asleep," Jason reflects. "The reality is it may have well has been and probably was [divine intervention] because I don't remember thinking about falling asleep."

The Power of Therapeutic Confrontation

Upon waking, Jason encountered Kris, a counselor who would deliver the message that changed his trajectory. Her approach wasn't gentle or accommodating. Instead, she offered stark clarity:

"I could tell you're struggling, but I want you to feel it. In fact, you have to. You gotta feel it. You gotta heal it. Don't run from your emotions anymore."

Kris presented Jason with two simple requirements if he wanted to stay:

1. Follow the rules
2. Make amends to the patients he had wronged

These weren't suggestions or therapeutic recommendations. They were boundaries - clear, firm, and non-negotiable. Kris risked losing a client and the associated revenue, but she prioritized Jason's genuine recovery over financial considerations.

The Speed of Change and Pain

Jason introduces a fundamental principle that governs transformation: "We change at the speed of pain." This concept explains why some people remain stuck in destructive patterns while others breakthrough to lasting recovery.

Pain serves as the catalyst for change, but only when we stop running from it. As Kris taught Jason, emotions become teachers when we honor them rather than numb them. "Those feelings will be the gurus to teach me things if I don't numb and run and stuff 'em."

Wiser individuals learn from observing others' journeys rather than requiring perso

Register for Live UNHOOKED to reclaim your clarity, your strength, and your sanity starting today!

JOIN the next FREE Webclass at liveunhooked.com
For more information on treatment services, check out brickhouserecovery.com

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Episode 17: She Planned to Leave Him After Sobriety—Then This Happened…with Jeff & Bree Crabtree.

Recovery doesn’t end at sobriety—it begins there. In this raw, hope-filled episode, Jeff and Bree Crabtree return to share what happens after the first year, after the promises, and after the chaos settles… or doesn’t.

🔹 Bree opens up about the moment she planned to leave Jeff—even after three years sober.

🔹 Jeff reveals the daily routines that helped him transcend recovery “ceilings.”

🔹 Together, they unpack how trust, communication, and faith transformed their marriage, family, and even their business.

🎯 This episode isn’t just for individuals in recovery—it’s for families walking through the long game of healing.

⏱️ Episode Highlights:

• [00:31] Follow-up with Jeff & Bree
• [04:59] Breaking through recovery plateaus
• [12:58] Bree’s moment of truth: “I was going to leave him.”
• [21:15] The long road to rebuilding trust
• [34:03] The turning point at 3 years sober
• [40:59] Their daily spiritual + recovery routines
• [51:06] How recovery influences their tattoo business

✨ Whether you’re married to someone in recovery or navigating your own healing, this episode gives tangible hope—and a reality check.

📍 Jeff & Bree’s business:

Lighthouse Tattoo | Boise, Idaho

Website: lighthousetattooidaho.com

Instagram: @lighthousetattoo.id

Email: jeff@lighthousetattooidaho.com

📚 Get Jason’s book Unhooked on Audible or Amazon

🌐 More resources: brickhouserecovery.com

Register for Live UNHOOKED to reclaim your clarity, your strength, and your sanity starting today!

JOIN the next FREE Webclass at liveunhooked.com
For more information on treatment services, check out brickhouserecovery.com

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Rewind 90 days ago to when I Couldn’t Get Out of My Funk—Until I Did This One Thing

I was stuck. Stuck in compulsive overeating. Stuck in brain fog. Stuck in a post-surgery slump. And with the Ironman on the horizon, I knew something had to change.

In this episode, I walk you through my first-ever 3-day fast—from the mental battles on day one to the surprising spiritual clarity on day three. This wasn’t just a detox. It was a wake-up call that reset my body, mind, and soul.

If you’re feeling stuck in your own life, this might be the spark you need.

➡️ Listen in and find out how doing less helped me find more.

If you’re ready to break free from the cycles keeping you stuck—whether it’s with food, substances, or just the noise of life—I want to invite you to go deeper.

Join me for a free webclass at liveunhooked.com, where I walk you through the same framework I use at Brick House Recovery to help people not only get sober—but stay unhooked for good. This is the deeper work that transforms relapse into lasting change.

Also, if you haven’t already, check out my book Unhooked—it’s available on Audible and Amazon. And if you or a loved one are looking for treatment or support, visit us at brickhouserecovery.com.

💡

Short Description for the Webclass

Discover how to stop enabling addiction and start creating real, lasting change. In this free webclass, Jason Coombs shares the proven framework behind The Brick House Way and the “Get Unhooked” system to help individuals and families experience breakthrough—not burnout.

Register for Live UNHOOKED to reclaim your clarity, your strength, and your sanity starting today!

JOIN the next FREE Webclass at liveunhooked.com
For more information on treatment services, check out brickhouserecovery.com