smartrecovery.org

Pete Rubinas has been a SMART Recovery participant, facilitator, and Regional Coordinator. He comes to his current position with a diverse set of experiences that he plans to use to help SMART Recovery USA thrive. Pete’s last position saw him lead a local Montessori non-profit from a one-room private preschool into a thriving private preschool and public charter school serving children through 8th grade. In that role, he did extensive work creating an effective governance structure across three separate non-profit organizations to keep the community focused on its mission while complying with the requirements of being a public school. Prior to that, Pete spent 10 years as an internal control auditor and consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Pete believes that SMART Recovery should be available in every community and to individuals from all walks of life. He has studied how power is held in organizations, and how to shift that power so that more voices are included in the decision-making that occurs. He passionately believes that empowerment is the ultimate goal in supporting those with addictive behaviors and those who love them. If we collectively stay focused on empowering one another at all levels of this organization, someday soon SMART Recovery will be a household name and the demographics of those we serve will have expanded dramatically from where we started.

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Pete has worked hard to build a balanced life that includes time for his family, birding, native pollinator gardening, and running. He continues to facilitate a local SMART Recovery meeting and an online Family & Friends meeting in Chapel Hill, NC on a volunteer basis. His mantra is “You are enough.”

This week Wendie Kidwell joins the show. She shares about her journey in recovery, losing her son to sucide as a result of undiagnosed mental illness, and how it was the catalyst to make something happen to help others. Thank you for listening.

Ricky's Retreat

Ricky's Retreat is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created as a free resource for young community members to receive mental health support from trained Peer Support Specialists in a safe and welcoming environment. Ricky's Retreat provides a unique place to connect with peers and discuss challenging issues.

rickysretreat.com

Welcome to another mini nugget-Spring has spring! How is spring changing your thoughts, actions, and motivations?

David hops on to share an update all things going on, including a fundraising he is taking part in.

mission22.com

https://www.facebook.com/donate/911394723863480/10161626647608185/

Katie Lain jumps on the podcast to discuss a Not so New method to help others with Alcohol Substance Use disorder. She shares her story and the spiral Alcohol took her on and how this method turned her life around. Thanks for listening.

thrivealcoholrecovery.com

https://www.youtube.com/@thrivealcoholrecovery/videos

Dr. Dallas Bragg comes on the podcast to share his story of recovery from Crystal Meth. He helps gay men break free from the chains of Crystal Meth with a spiritual approach. You can read more about Dallas and his services here:

drdallasbragg.com

All of his social media handles are listed there as well. Enjoy the show!

A good friend of David, Rebecca Boney joins the show to share her experience strength and hope. Great story my friend!

Gigi Langer is a 2 time guest on the show. She jumps on the podcast to discuss her new book LOVE MORE NOW.

We have a delightful chat about Opening our Hearts more to life in front of us. Thank you Gigi!

gigilanger.com

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999122053?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_7MXWBVWJHM6EB34WDV7W

Mary Beth O'Connor joins David Clemen to discuss her journey from Junkie to Judge and all things along the way. Thank you for listening!

https://www.amazon.com/Junkie-Judge-Womans-Triumph-Addiction/dp/0757324568/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1XI3KL9

She is on Twitter as well:

https://twitter.com/MaryBethO_

From a junkie addicted to methamphetamines to a federal judge, Mary Beth O’Connor’s memoir shares her inspiring journey from rock bottom to resilience as she forged a personal path to recovery from trauma and addiction.
Silver Award, 2023 Nonfiction Book Awards
Searing, unsettling, and ultimately triumphant, Judge O'Connor's debut memoir takes readers on a wild ride through the rock-bottom underbelly of intravenous drug addiction to the hallowed halls of justice where she rose to the pinnacle of success as a federal judge.
With wit and unabashed honesty, O’Connor shares her remarkable three-phase journey: the abuse and trauma that drove her to teenage drug use, the chaos that ensued from her addiction; and how she developed a personalized secular recovery plan that led to twenty-nine years of sobriety. Her story proves any addict can recover and anyone can build a productive and happy life, no matter how low the bottom or how deep the pain.
Within a week of being born, O’Connor was dropped off at a convent. When she was brought into her home, her mother focused on her own needs and desires, ignoring her young child. When she was nine, her stepfather kicked her in the stomach for spilling milk, beat her when she didn’t clean a plate to his satisfaction, and molested her when she was twelve. A few months later, with her first sip of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill wine, her life changed. She felt euphoric and relaxed. So she got drunk as often as possible, adding pot, then pills, then acid. At sixteen, she found her drug of choice--methamphetamine. With her first snort, she experienced true joy for the first time. When this high was no longer sufficient, she turned to the needle and shot up.
During the next sixteen years, she descended into a severe meth addiction, working her way down the corporate ladder, destroying relationships, and shattering her physical and emotional well-being.
At thirty-two, she entered rehab, where she was ordered to submit to the 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. As an atheist, turning her will and her life over to a higher power was not an option, and she refused to agree she was powerless. Told to comply or fail, she bravely created a new path that combined ideas from multiple programs and even incorporated some AA concepts.
Clean and sober now for more nearly three decades, she is proof that anyone can find their sober self, their best self, no matter how far they have fallen. Along with her inspiring story, she offers a comprehensive checklist of questions for readers to ask themselves as they take the brave steps toward recovery, offering a powerful blueprint for personal change.