S2 E29 Mike Morrison

Chris, Jeff, and Jakob sit down with Mike Morrison—a Kirkwood kid turned full-blown heroin hustler who somehow lived to tell about it. This one is heavy and hilarious in equal measure: psychedelic trips, fake draft dodges, junkie schemes, spiritual awakenings, and the hard grind of clawing out of the pit.We’re talking about a guy who went from listening to Hendrix on hash in the ’60s to shooting MDA in a shitty Missouri apartment, rolling Jeeps on barbiturates, scheming with check fraud, and nearly knocking over pharmacies for Dilaudid. And somehow, by the grace of God (or maybe just sheer stubbornness), Mike made it out alive to share decades of recovery wisdom.Expect stories about Vegas bachelor parties in recovery, psychedelic cave trips with Rastafarians, hustling through shame, and the miracle of finally surrendering.And of course, the hosts bring the usual mix of gallows humor, chaos, and truth bombs that only Pondoff’s Anonymous can deliver.00:00 – Chris kicks it off with sponsors: McKelvey Insurance (https://mckelveyins.com) and LightSource Psychotherapy (https://findyourlightsource.com). Brutally honest insurance talk and a heartfelt plug for therapy.02:18 – Jeff Allen joins the pod, and the guys riff on late wives, hats that say “Make Boofing Great Again,” and recovery swag.06:05 – Vegas bachelor party recap: blackjack tables, sand dunes, and the absurdity of 10 guys in long-term recovery tearing up Sin City.11:39 – Music talk: Dead shows, LSD in vials, and why half the kids in Kirkwood in the ’60s ended up junkies.15:01 – Growing up in picture-perfect Kirkwood… with a heroin problem waiting right around the corner.20:05 – College life derailed by weed, speed, psychedelics, and the draft. Mizzou couldn’t handle him—Merrimack, SMS, Jamaica trips, and a lot of wasted potential.24:43 – The allure of psychedelics: peyote, mushrooms, acid, and the lies of anti-drug scare films.28:31 – How “everyone was doing it” normalized drug use.30:51 – Consequences piling up: busts, probation, and shady probation officers.35:30 – The slide into heroin, needles, and a whole new level of shame.42:30 – Identity crisis, small social circles, hustling, and burning bridges.49:01 – Hustling to survive: check-kiting, pawning, scams, and scraping by any way possible.50:59 – The depths of desperation: overdoses, shame, and hustling Dilaudid with his own dad unknowingly in on the scheme.53:54 – First detox attempts, methadone maintenance, and being 12-stepped for the first time by a doctor.01:01:02 – A true turning point: when death or prison became the only options.01:05:00 – Finding treatment programs and community.01:09:56 – Spiritual awakening moments that flipped the script.01:18:25 – Sobriety stories and the blessings of long-term recovery.01:21:53 – How treatment programs evolved, fentanyl challenges, and modern addiction hellscapes.01:30:08 – The gratitude of doing recovery work and helping others.01:32:55 – Family’s role in recovery—how loved ones both hurt and heal.01:39:03 – Community, fellowship, and the strength found in shared struggle.01:48:17 – Lessons in surrender and letting go.01:50:05 – The Fourth Step: confronting guilt, shame, and the wreckage of the past.01:51:56 – Life after recovery: new hobbies, family, and building something real.02:00:02 – Staying active in recovery vs. getting complacent.02:02:20 – The many different paths people take to sobriety.02:08:45 – The ripple effect: how recovery changes not just your life, but everyone around you.This one is raw, deep, and full of wisdom wrapped in street-level war stories. Buckle the fuck up.