Recovery Rocks

Nobody tells you this when you get sober, but eventually a doctor is going to hand you a prescription for the very kind of drug you spent years trying to avoid.So...now what?Anna and Lisa compare notes on anesthesia, Valium and pain medication, and discover they couldn't have more different reactions. One wakes up from a procedure wondering why anyone would voluntarily do that again. The other is mostly annoyed that the drugs work while she's unconscious, which hardly seems fair.They also talk about why medically necessary medication can still stir up fear, how recovery has changed the conversation around antidepressants and pain meds and why honesty—not heroics—is what actually protects sobriety.And in Petty Resentments, they have a bone to pick with people who whisper, "Don't tell anyone..." before revealing information that absolutely nobody was planning to repeat.In this episode:·       The recovery question nobody warns you about·       Why Anna and Lisa have completely opposite reactions to anesthesia·       The surprising debate around medication in early recovery·       What to do when fear shows up in the doctor's office·       Why recovery isn't about proving how tough you are

Before Recovery Rocks, Anna’s Recover Girl podcast featured conversations about addiction and recovery that were messy, funny and deeply honest. In this Thursday Throwback, Girls star Jemima Kirke talks openly about getting sober young, bouncing between rehabs and feeling constantly pushed into the role of “the problem.”She shares what it was like navigating treatment centers that often felt more shaming than healing, why she resisted being treated like a patient instead of a person and how she ended up trauma-bonding with the man who became her husband.This conversation gets into the weirdness of getting sober young while still being messy, defensive, confused and very much not “fixed.”

Getting rejected is awful. But as Anna and Lisa discovered, rejecting someone isn't exactly a joy, either.Lisa talks about the first time she had to fire an employee, why she called her sponsor before and after the conversation and the Disney version of "you're fired." Anna shares the story of breaking up with a guy who responded by writing about her in Elle magazine—which, in hindsight, made it abundantly clear she'd made the right decision.What starts as a conversation about rejection turns into something much bigger: the realization that not everyone is your fit. Whether it's a relationship, a job, a sponsor or a sponsee, trying to force something that's wrong usually hurts a lot more than letting it go.And in Petty Resentments, Anna has a message for people who somehow manage to occupy three parking spaces with one car.In this episode:·       Why Lisa called her sponsor before firing someone·       The breakup that became an Elle magazine article·       What Disney employees hear instead of "you're fired"·       Why "rejection is God's protection" isn't just a cliché·       How recovery changes the way we think about saying goodbye

Before Recovery Rocks, Anna hosted Recover Girl, a podcast built around people sharing their darkest stories in the funniest and most human ways possible. This Thursday Throwback features comedian Ally Weinhold, whose story somehow manages to be hilarious, uncomfortable and heartbreaking all at once.Ally talks about addiction, identity crises, rehab, “Crazy Ally” lore and the chaos of her drinking days before telling the unforgettable story of the night she brought a homeless man home for dinner.It’s the kind of recovery storytelling that reminds you how thin the line can be between comedy and pain — and why telling the truth about both matters.

Lisa talks with Gene Bowen, co-founder of Road Recovery, the music industry-driven non-profit that helps young people as they battle addiction and other adversities. Come for Gene’s inspiring story and the life-saving work Road Recovery does, stay for the coffee collaboration with Fred Schneider of the B-52s. Pick up a bag of Outer Space Blend here. 

Long before Recovery Rocks, Anna’s Recover Girl podcast featured raw live storytelling from comedians and recovering addicts. This Thursday Throwback brings back Greg Behrendt — comedian, bestselling author of He’s Just Not That Into You and one of Anna’s favorite guests ever.Greg talks about the strange grief of getting sober: realizing music is too loud, dates are terrifying and reality is way more intense than expected. He also hilariously dismantles some of recovery’s most beloved clichés, including the idea that sober people somehow “have more fun.”It’s brutally honest, deeply funny and painfully relatable for anyone who’s ever realized that numbing out was, at least partially, an attempt to survive being so sensitive.

Most parents don't expect their kid to ask them that question.Gregg Champion is not most parents but someone who’s spent years helping people rebuild their lives through recovery—until the 2025 Pacific Palisades fires destroyed both his home and business and he found himself needing literal help rebuilding his own life.In this episode, Gregg talks about loss, grief, resilience and the uncomfortable reality that recovery doesn't make anyone exempt from life's hardest moments. We also get into why he believes vaping and gambling are quietly becoming two of the biggest addiction threats facing families today.It's a conversation about rebuilding when everything falls apart—and why recovery is about a lot more than not picking up a drink. (It's also about Gregg charming Anna's mom.)

Before Recovery Rocks existed, Anna hosted Recover Girl, where comedians, writers and addicts told stories that were dark, hilarious and weirdly healing. This throwback features legendary comedian Eddie Pepitone in peak form.Known as “The Bitter Buddha,” Eddie riffs on sobriety, panic disorder, apocalypse anxiety, addiction, coffee during panic attacks, adult coloring books and the sheer discomfort of being alive. Somewhere between stand-up set and existential breakdown, he delivers one of the funniest and most painfully honest recovery stories we’ve ever heard.If you’ve ever felt simultaneously grateful to be sober and absolutely horrified to be conscious, this one’s for you.

Long before celebrities were launching sobriety brands and influencers were posting mocktails on Instagram, Shane Ramer was talking publicly about recovery into a microphone with no guarantee anyone would listen.As the founder and host of That Sober Guy Podcast, Shane has spent more than a decade having honest conversations about addiction, recovery, fatherhood, masculinity and what it actually takes to change your life.We talk about what recovery looked like before it became culturally acceptable, how the conversation has changed and why some of the most important things about sobriety haven't changed at all.

Before she became a successful TV writer and meditation teacher, Laura House was getting drunk on a barely floating houseboat filled with naked Texans, animal-print speedos and enough beer to sink the thing entirely.In this Thursday Throwback from Anna’s original Recover Girl podcast, Laura tells the unbelievable true story of a Fourth of July weekend spent partying on “Naked Island,” a floating hillbilly paradise created by one of her most gloriously chaotic friends. The story involves houseboat debauchery, accidental nudity, Texas-sized drinking and eventually…court.Laura is one of the funniest people alive and this episode is a perfect reminder of why these old Recover Girl stories deserved a second life.

We'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming next week, but here's a rebroadcast of one of the first episodes since Anna joined the show.Let’s get straight to it. Sober sex for the first time is a big deal! Some of us had never even done it before. We talk about our experiences – from what we were told to what we expected, and what it was actually like. Lisa had an eventful trip to Utah and Anna, well, let’s just say she ignored all that advice about not dating for the first year. 

Before Recovery Rocks, Anna hosted Recover Girl, where conversations about addiction often turned into surprisingly deep discussions about ego, identity, fear and why nobody actually feels like a real adult. This Thursday Throwback features John Taylor of Duran Duran—yes, that John Taylor in the flesh.John talks about becoming a global pop star almost overnight, still living in his childhood bedroom after Rio became a massive hit and slowly realizing that alcohol and cocaine had become stronger than he was. He opens up about addiction, shame, resentment, celebrity, Catholicism, recovery and the strange reality that even successful adults are often still wrestling with younger versions of themselves.The conversation covers everything from partying through Duran Duran’s peak fame to why 12-step programs helped him stop blaming everyone else for his problems — and why most people have no idea how much work sobriety actually requires.If you’ve ever been hungry like the wolf to know John Taylor better, this is a can’t miss.

Lisa chats with Kristin Horstman, whose new podcast, Sunsets Are the New Happy Hour, is a neuroscience-informed discussion of sobriety and behavioral changes that can make a positive impact. Come for the chat on rewiring your nervous system. Stay for the sunsets and glimmers.

Before Recovery Rocks, Anna hosted Recover Girl, where conversations about addiction and recovery were less “before-and-after success story” and more “let’s unpack the human condition for 45 minutes.” This Thursday Throwback features musician Moby in one of the most thoughtful recovery conversations we’ve ever aired. Moby talks about getting sober at 22 after years of chaotic drinking and drug use, throwing legendary degenerate parties in New York, relapsing after eight years of “insufferably sober” Christianity and eventually realizing AA wasn’t just a clubhouse for drunks — it was a spiritual program. The conversation goes everywhere: anonymity, ego, relapse, judgment, fear, God, hangovers in your 40s, why intelligent people resist AA and why two glasses of wine with dinner sounds completely pointless to a real alcoholic. Basically: if you’ve ever rolled your eyes at recovery clichés while secretly needing them anyway, this episode is for you. 

Fear of public speaking commonly ranks among the world’s top phobias.  And why shouldn’t it? Standing in front of room full of eager eyes waiting to hear something brilliant can be terrifying.  We both learned how to speak in front of others in 12-step meetings. Today, Lisa worries about being hit with a panic attack on stage (it’s happened before), while Anna panics about the memorization. We also get into this week’s Petty Resentment. How do you feel about a stranger tapping you?

Despite being so grateful for our sober lives, we still experience jealousy over big things (friendswith great adult kids) and little ones (another author going viral). The difference is that we nowhave the tools to handle it gracefully…most of the time.Also, welcome to our new segment, Petty Resentments! First up: Why are we pressured to tip onwhat are essentially medical procedures?

Before Brad McLeod became one of recovery’s most inspiring voices, he survived an almost unbelievable series of hardships—including childhood instability, extreme isolation as a teen, addiction, incarceration and briefly sharing a jail cell with a murderer.Now he’s the founder of Sober Motivation and helps people around the world stay sober through honesty, storytelling and connection. This conversation answers the question: how does someone survive the unsurvivable?

The Sober Curator (thesobercurator.com) is the place to find all things sober pop culture and more. It has you covered on book, movie, music, and TV reviews, sober travel and events, gift guides, and other tips for living your best sober life.  We talked all about it with our friend Alysse Bryson, the Sober Curator herself, who created the site for fellow pop culture, fashion, and entertain junkies, who happen not to drink.  Subscribe to the newsletter and watch for the upcoming membership club, “Backstage with the Sober Curator.” It will have special live sessions and content. We’ll be there!

You know the birthdays, the ones with a zero at the end? Hitting our first ones in sobriety added a new dimension to the milestones. Lisa couldn’t believe she made it her 40th birthday and wishes she’d kept contributing to her 401(K) before that. Anna turned 30 a month after going to rehab and 50 in the midst of the pandemic. Despite the challenges, in the end we realized there’s always a reason to celebrate.

It’s the dreaded 8th Step in 12-Step recovery - making amends to those we have harmed. Anna and Lisa talk about their first experiences with it, as well as what “living amends” look like. And when an amends turns into a bitch session for the other person, we take it in stride, and maybe even have a laugh years later. Plus: how do you make amends to a no-longer-living grandmother you tricked into shoplifting against her knowledge?