SPEAKER_00 0:00

What's going on recovery fans? Welcome to Recovery from All Sides. This is episode one. Guys, first off, I just want to take an opportunity to say thank you. I'm very excited about this. This has been a project that's been on my brain for the last four years. And I'm titling episode one, Do We Really Need Another Podcast? I don't know about you, but there's so much stuff out there. You can spend years probably at this point trying to look and search and find different stuff. And I'll tell you, uh, when I came up with this concept, that was actually probably the most intimidating thing for me was realizing just how much and how much good stuff that's out there. I was like, does anybody really even need to hear me? Um, what do I have to offer that they're not already doing? And then the question was posed to me, man. It was, you know, John, how many podcasts are there? And I was like, I don't know, thousands. It was how many do you listen to? And I was like, five or six. Why do you listen to them? Well, because I like them. I like the way they create content, I connect with them, I appreciate what they share. I mean, I really like their stories. And he goes, Exactly. You connect with them. Do you think there's anybody out in the world that might just connect with you? And it got me thinking. Now I'll tell you, because here we are four years later, that didn't happen right away. Yeah, that was good information. I could hear what the person was trying to get me to say, but it just didn't happen. I had a lot of fear, I still had a lot of doubt. And I'll kind of tell you what spurred the idea, though, of recovery from all sides. And it starts with a story. So gather around, kids. 2022 was one of the hardest years of my life. I had lost my job two days before my 40th birthday in January. I had faced eviction court in April of that year. And then by August, the truck I had gotten, my first brand new shiny truck, even though it was used, it was new to me, uh, got repossessed. And on my way to the inpound lot after they had repossessed my car, that very morning, I had just found out my sister passed away. And I had to go empty out the vehicle that was no longer mine and mentally prepare myself to bury my sister. Now, if I stop there, that sounds like a tragic year, and for the most part, that's not wrong. All those things hurt, all those things were scary, and I faced so many doubts and fears and emotions and anger. But none of that stuff was necessarily new to me. And my addiction, because I'm a person in long-term recovery, in my addiction, I'd experienced repossessions, evictions, death countless times. But see, this wasn't in my addiction, this was in my recovery. Because 2022, I was in my fifth year in recovery, and I'll tell you the other side of that coin, the other side of the story is that even though I went through all of those tragedies, in between those, we're filled with these beautiful moments that it could get real easy to focus on the things that bring me into recovery, the tragedies that I experience. But at the end of the day, I also experienced so much growth and so much beauty that year that it was amazing. Like, just like this, the other side. January, I lost my job, but I also started dating a woman that I today I call my wife. But we had just started dating. Imagine the fear that you feel the minute that you find this person where I'm gonna tell you from day one, I kind of had a feeling we were gonna get married one day. But I have no job, but it's cool. Don't worry. I I got a truck, I got an apartment, I'll get a job, no problem. A couple months into the year, I'm struggling. I can't even pay my phone bill. The jobs I get are not working out. I'm not drinking, I'm not using. Like, isn't that the reason why none of that stuff worked out before was because of drugs and alcohol? And I'm sitting here and I'm going, well, what am I doing wrong? But I continue to go to meetings, I continued to pray, I continued to do steps, I continued to do all the things that I've been practicing in my recovery. And when I went to eviction court, right, I I was sitting there about to lose this apart, and I was like, God, I have no idea how I'm gonna pay for any of this. He's like, I was like, you know, I I get there's lessons and everything, but even school gets gets spring break. Can we just take a day off from spiritual lessons? And I had to go to eviction court, and I'll tell you, man, I I don't go to eviction court, or at least up until that point. Because anytime before it's called a midnight move, you scrape together $100, rent a U-Haul, and get out of there before the date, right? But recovery had taught me different. So I went to that judge, and that judge looked at me, right? And he gave the judgment of all the back rent that I owed. And he said, Mr. Morsi, because I can't give you any legal advice, but I highly suggest you go talk to these people outside to the right, they might be able to help you out. Now, the cool thing is that for the last four and a half years up to that point, I had heard that quite a bit from people in my life that were sober. Sponsors usually love to tell you, I highly suggest. So anytime I hear that, man, my ears perk up. So I did exactly what he said, and I went and I talked to this guy, and guess what? They offered me a solution. I didn't lose my apartment. Give you the quick and fast and dirty of it. I actually wound up getting some rental assistance, and they didn't just pay all my back rent, they paid the rest of my lease, which was a few months even after that date. And I love to tell you, oh man, things are good now. You know, rainbows and sunshine, sherbet every day. More than Sherbert's my favorite, but it wasn't. Because a few months later, right, I started getting some steady employment. I'm still really behind on my car, my truck, and I winds up getting repossessed. Like, no matter what I thought I was doing, I just felt like I was still drowning. And the thing is, is that I kept going to meetings, I kept talking to what would become my wife. We were dating at the time, and I'm gonna tell you, man, there was a lot of days where I cried and I call them WTF prayers, and I just looked up and I said, God, WTF, what am I doing wrong? And I'll tell you, man, the answer kept coming back. Just keep doing what I put in front of you. So when my truck gets repossessed, when my sister passes away, I took those things in the chin. I kept showing up, I kept moving forward. I got to be there for my family to help grieve and to mourn. I got to tell the car company I'm really sorry that I wasn't able to live up to my obligations, but I really appreciate the opportunity. Never did that before either. The crazy thing was they were nice. They actually felt really bad about having to take it, but you know, they didn't give it to me for free. I guarantee you that. So then by November, I'm I'm working in a treatment facility and I get introduced to a profession I had never understood. I had heard about it. They call it recovery support peer specialists. And if you're a person like me that is uh not really familiar with that term when I was at the time, we're like, what is that a paid sponsor? I I can answer it today. No, no, it's not. But I wound up taking this position, and what it did is it opened up my eyes to my recovery, isn't the only brand of recovery that's out there? My addiction is not the only thing people are trying to recover from. And this idea came into my head. Can we look at that word recovery? Can we look at the industry? Can we look at the programs, the methods? Can we look at it from all sides and get a better understanding of what it is people are trying to recover from? And that day, recovery from all sides was born. Now, again, 2022, this episode's coming out in 2026. A lot of time in between, and I'll tell you, man, I have recorded episodes, deleted episodes, started channels. I have purchased domains, I have designed different logos, I've written episodes on whiteboards, notebooks, on a phone. And at one point, life got really good again. You know, I'll tell you, after 2022 and 2023, I started working for the company I currently work for now. And what I really love about that, and that's a whole different other podcast, is that the place I work today was actually the last full treatment center I went to. I didn't stay sober after I left here, but I did get time. And I'll tell you, man, the the idea of this sat in the back of my brain every single day. I had I had the logos I created were my wallpapers on my my computer, and there were the pictures uh in my email accounts and on my signature and and all this because I had the idea and I had this just notion back here that I couldn't shake. And back to the original question, I'm like, do we really need another podcast? So here recently, I had another man pose another question to me. John, what's stopping you? And the irony of that question is, man, is I had to stop and think about that. In all the hundreds of excuses that came into my brain, there's only one that resonated true, and that was I was afraid. I was afraid of what you would think. I was afraid that I wouldn't matter. Even though I love who I am today, even though I have friends and family that care about me, that I have this beautiful life, a very beautiful wife, kids that love me, dogs, cats, you name it, man. Even got another vehicle. It's another Ford. I had a Ford truck, now I got a Ford Explorer. Because if you love the Lord, you drive a Ford. But I still had fear. So when he asked me that question and we and we dove into the conversation, I remembered something that my pastor had a sermon on why not you. He even wrote a book on it. Shameless plug, Pastor Ed, why not you? Go buy it. It's on Amazon in bookstores. And that was the question that was being posed to me from God. I will say this, I still have a lot of fear. You probably see it on the screen right now. Episode one, I had to realize this is probably not going to be my greatest episode, but hey, it's a start. But I just want to help people, and that's my why. My why is God and it's you. Because I've learned through my path of recovery, man, there's two things. I have a purpose today, right? And that's to serve God and to serve others. And this is a way that I feel I can. This is a way that God hasn't blessed me with to be able to do. Because today I get to still be what we call a nickname a recovery coach, which is at RSPS, Recovery Support Peer Services. And through that profession, it has allowed me the opportunity to see these different paths that even though I've never experienced them hands-on, I watch people's lives change. Now I'm going to tell you, mine has always been and always will be 12 steps in Jesus Christ. Through the 12 steps of recovery, outlined in many different fellowships, but the same 12 steps been adopted many times over. It's created many fellowships that help people to identify specific problems, compulsive behaviors, both on mental health, substance use, and you name it. I have a relationship today with my creator that I wouldn't trade for anything. And I believe that path can work for anybody. I love talking about it. I love being about it. And I want to share that with you. But at the end of the day, I've come to realize that's still just one side of recovery. What are the other things people are recovering from? You know, another thing I've realized, especially with a lot of these podcasts and the content that's out there, and I'm not dissing them by any stretch of the imagination. But what I've realized is we get really caught up in our stories. I can tell you all day long because that's my life. That's what I've lived. But I really wish today, if I could, I'd want you to hear my sister's side of what it was like to have a brother lost in addiction. How many nights she stayed up worrying about me? I'll tell you, our mother, before my sister passed away, my mother passed away a long time ago, back in 2008. And my sister and my mother at that time, because that was really my first exposure and recovery of, I should say, not my first exposure. It was the first time I wanted to be sober. And if it wasn't for those two women, I wouldn't have found that last treatment center that I went to that I get to work for today. And they're not alcoholics, they're not addicts, they're not anybody that's necessarily suffering from the same thing I have, but they are family members of one. I was the son and a brother of two women that cared enough to try to help me get help. And even though neither one of them are here today, man, I would love for you to hear their stories. So what about you? What's your story? Are you a person who is directly affected, meaning that you have substance use disorder, maybe you have mental health issues and compulsive behavior that you're trying to recover from? What about your family? What's their story? What are the different paths as far as recovery? What are the different programs? What what are the modalities in clinical work? What does treatment really do? What are the things that help people like us get sober and get free? When I tell you that I'm a Christian and in 12 steps, what does that look like? Do these programs contradict our religious beliefs or do they complement them? Are there things out there that are more harmful than good? I honestly believe anybody that has ever tried to start something to help another person was always done in probably the best intentions. I don't think anybody ever set out to hurt somebody, but there are things that hurt people. Some of these conversations aren't gonna be pretty. Because what would it look like if we had an honest conversation, right? What would it look like if I had somebody who challenged my beliefs? Am I willing to sit down with somebody that's across from me that we don't necessarily agree? But at the end of the day, we have found a path that has allowed us to free ourselves from these crippling behaviors. And I'll tell you, the question I've had to ask myself is do I feel secure enough not only in my recovery, but in my convictions to have that conversation with somebody who doesn't hold the same? Can we create a safe space for us to talk? Because that's another reason why I think we need another podcast. There is so much hate out in the world politically, culturally. And if you think I'm talking about the other side, I'm not. I'm talking about both. I realize in this world, man, that we are fallen and broken people. And there are a lot of things out there that are just evil. But like the saying goes, that I've heard not too long ago. Hurt the people, hurt the people. And then they also told me, healed the people, heal the people. So what am I? Am I a hurt person? Or am I a healed one? Today I'm I'm a little of both. I'm still healing in some areas and others, I've been healed. I've been freed. I'll tell you right now, just because I'm gonna celebrate it and I I love it and I give all the glory to God. But today is November 5th, 2026, which is my sobriety date. I celebrate nine years today as I'm recording this. Nine years of freedom. And I'll tell you, nine years ago, I couldn't have fathomed sitting in this chair talking to you, saying that. Hell, I can't even see that four years ago. But here we are. So I know it's possible. In this world, man, I think we've lost the art of conversation. We've lost the ability to just hear each other. And I say that to everyone, and I'm going to say to us too, my fellow Christians out there, can we just allow somebody to talk? And to the other person, would you be willing to hear us do the same? I've realized that in recovery there's these gaps. And this is another reason why this inspired doing this. Because we can talk about religion, but we ice out anything medical and anything traditional recovery. We can go in traditional meetings and 12 steps and we ice out anything religious and anything medical. We can go in and talk with our doctor, not all of them, but some of them, a lot of them actually, will sit down and they'll be like, no, you just need therapy and medication. And there's people that talk and conversate, but there's these huge gaps and these huge stigmas in each section. When really, in all honesty, just imagine if you could get all three of those on your side. Just imagine if you could get the most advanced medical treatment, you could go and have a spiritual experience and connect with your father and connect with Jesus and then also go through these traditional 12-step meetings and find this fellowship of other people just like you. Not saying you can't find them anywhere else, but I will tell you, man, that is a community that has helped save my life. And what if we could just have that conversation together? Because at the end of the day, we all want to just help people. And what if we could hear their story? And look at it from all sides. Does this work? Does this help? Does this fit? Maybe it doesn't help this person. Maybe somebody doesn't need. Fill in the blank, but they could use something else. That's my heart. That's what I want recovery from all sides to be. A conversation about information that just might possibly save somebody's life. And if nothing else, we're gonna put out more content for people to find. Because God knows there's enough content of people fighting in the street, people ranning and raving about politics. There's enough of that that pops up on my feed every single day. But can we get some more that uh shows us a better way? Now I'm gonna tell you this. I'll stand on it. Like my pastor says, ten toes down, I believe in 12 steps and Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is my higher power, and that's what the 12 steps essentially do is plug you into a power greater than yourself to help you. But I'm willing to conversate with anybody. I'm willing to create a safe space for us to be able to talk and to discover together to answer some hard conversations, hard questions, and hopefully inspire somebody to start their journey, and hopefully help somebody to continue their journey. We spend a lot of time trying to get people in, and I feel like sometimes, and this is not only in recovery, this is also in church, and I'm sure in every other many other things, we are so focused on bringing the person in, the new person, the newcomer, the person who is still suffering, that I think at times we forget to continue to grow and edify and pour in to the people that are here. I want us to do that. I don't know about you, but I know what 10 or 15 drink years of drinking and doing drugs looks like. I don't know what everybody's been through in 10 or 15 years in recovery or their walk or fill in the blank. Because I know it's not always filled with what we would call success stories. But I do know people that are successful, that have been through tragedies, they have faced obstacles, they're living life, and they stay consistent. How are they doing that? What does nine years of recovery look like? Was those nine years easy? I can tell you for me, no. Were they worth it? Yeah. Every day, even the bad ones. Recovery has taught me how to not only have a good day, but it's taught me how to have a bad one and still stay free. Not just sober, but free. Today it's not just about not drinking, not doing dope. Today it's about living and experiencing life and all that it has. The good moments and the broken ones. So my hope is as more content comes out, you'll go with me on this journey. Thank you guys. I look forward to talking to you more. And if anybody hasn't told you today, God loves you. I love you too.

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Peace.