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Real Recovery Talk

Tom Conrad, Ben Bueno, Dr. Pamela Tambini

We are a podcast dedicated to sobriety and recovery from alcohol and drugs. (And whatever other addiction that is out there) It doesn't matter what you have been through in the past. We have all done very bad things in our addiction. This does not define who we are. We know there is a way out of addiction. Family and loved ones, you play a part in this as well. There are plenty of stories out there of families and loved ones not knowing what to do with their addicted loved one. Let us guide you on the right things to do and the right decisions to make to ensure that you and your loved one gets the help that you need.

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  • 23 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 42 min
  • English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • Wednesday · 41 min

    622: Is Your Loved Ones Alcoholism Getting Worse? (DO THIS)

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Schedule a FREE consultation call! https://calendly.com/realrecoverytalk/free-consultation-with-real-recovery-talk-team Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page Want continued support/guidence for you and your loved one? Consider joining our FAMILY RECONNECT FAMILY! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect. 👇 **Join Family Reconnect:** https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect 🗓️ **Free Monday Night Training** — 6:30 PM ET: https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page

  • October 7 · 1 hr 1 min

    621: Is Your Loved One Struggling with Alcoholism? The Truth About Recovery

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Schedule a FREE consultation call! https://calendly.com/realrecoverytalk/free-consultation-with-real-recovery-talk-team Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page Want continued support/guidence for you and your loved one? Consider joining our FAMILY RECONNECT FAMILY! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect. 👇 **Join Family Reconnect:** https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect 🗓️ **Free Monday Night Training** — 6:30 PM ET: https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page

  • September 30 · 39 min

    620: Husband Still Drinking? Stop Trying to Fix Him and Do This Instead

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Schedule a FREE consultation call! https://calendly.com/realrecoverytalk/free-consultation-with-real-recovery-talk-team Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page Want continued support/guidence for you and your loved one? Consider joining our FAMILY RECONNECT FAMILY! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect Your loved one isn't just saying these things. They're using them strategically — and most of the time they don't even realize it. Addicts and alcoholics figure out very early which emotional levers to pull to get the people who love them most to back off, bail them out, and keep enabling. And because it's your child, your spouse, or your closest person, it works every single time. In this episode Tom breaks down the five most common manipulation phrases used by addicts and alcoholics — where they come from, why they work, and exactly what to do when you hear them. 👇 **Join Family Reconnect:** https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect 🗓️ **Free Monday Night Training** — 6:30 PM ET: https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page

  • September 18 · 30 min

    618: THE 5 BIGGEST LIES YOU ARE BEING TOLD! (AND WHAT TO DO)

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Schedule a FREE consultation call! https://calendly.com/realrecoverytalk/free-consultation-with-real-recovery-talk-team Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page Want continued support/guidence for you and your loved one? Consider joining our FAMILY RECONNECT FAMILY! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect Your loved one isn't just saying these things. They're using them strategically — and most of the time they don't even realize it. Addicts and alcoholics figure out very early which emotional levers to pull to get the people who love them most to back off, bail them out, and keep enabling. And because it's your child, your spouse, or your closest person, it works every single time. In this episode Tom breaks down the five most common manipulation phrases used by addicts and alcoholics — where they come from, why they work, and exactly what to do when you hear them. 👇 **Join Family Reconnect:** https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect 🗓️ **Free Monday Night Training** — 6:30 PM ET: https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page

  • September 10 · 32 min

    617: Can Your Marriage Survive Alcoholism? (Maybe Not?)

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Schedule a FREE consultation call! https://calendly.com/realrecoverytalk/free-consultation-with-real-recovery-talk-team Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page Want continued support/guidence for you and your loved one? Consider joining our FAMILY RECONNECT FAMILY! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect Tom IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalktom/ Ben IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkben/ RRT IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkpodcast/

  • September 3 · 39 min

    616: Young People Are Becoming Alcoholics (Here is PROOF)

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Schedule a FREE consultation call! https://calendly.com/realrecoverytalk/free-consultation-with-real-recovery-talk-team Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page Want continued support/guidence for you and your loved one? Consider joining our FAMILY RECONNECT FAMILY! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect Tom IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalktom/ Ben IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkben/ RRT IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkpodcast/

  • August 19 · 19 min

    615: How Alcohol Destroyed My Life and Gave Me Purpose

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Schedule a FREE consultation call! https://calendly.com/realrecoverytalk/free-consultation-with-real-recovery-talk-team Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page Want continued support/guidence for you and your loved one? Consider joining our FAMILY RECONNECT FAMILY! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect Tom IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalktom/ Ben IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkben/ RRT IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkpodcast/

  • August 12 · 51 min

    614: What You Must Do When a Loved One Is Struggling with Addiction (ESP MARIJUANA)

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Schedule a FREE consultation call! https://calendly.com/realrecoverytalk/free-consultation-with-real-recovery-talk-team Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page Want continued support/guidence for you and your loved one? Consider joining our FAMILY RECONNECT FAMILY! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect Tom IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalktom/ Ben IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkben/ RRT IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkpodcast/

  • August 7 · 57 min

    613: Quitting Alcohol For Good! (TAKES TIME AND....)

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Schedule a FREE consultation call! https://calendly.com/realrecoverytalk/free-consultation-with-real-recovery-talk-team Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page Want continued support/guidence for you and your loved one? Consider joining our FAMILY RECONNECT FAMILY! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect Tom IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalktom/ Ben IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkben/ RRT IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkpodcast/

  • August 2 · 53 min

    612: Why Addiction Doesn't Just Hurt The Addict (Kills Families)

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Schedule a FREE consultation call! https://calendly.com/realrecoverytalk/free-consultation-with-real-recovery-talk-team Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page Want continued support/guidence for you and your loved one? Consider joining our FAMILY RECONNECT FAMILY! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect Tom IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalktom/ Ben IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkben/ RRT IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkpodcast/

  • July 15 · 20 min

    611: The Method That Gets Addicted Loved Ones To Say Yes

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Schedule a FREE consultation call! https://calendly.com/realrecoverytalk/free-consultation-with-real-recovery-talk-team Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page Want continued support/guidence for you and your loved one? Consider joining our FAMILY RECONNECT FAMILY! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect Tom IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalktom/ Ben IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkben/ RRT IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkpodcast/

  • July 9 · 45 min

    610: Why Families Struggle When Addiction Hits Home (FACTS)

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Schedule a FREE consultation call! https://calendly.com/realrecoverytalk/free-consultation-with-real-recovery-talk-team Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addicDo you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Schedule a FREE consultation call! https://calendly.com/realrecoverytalk... She overdosed at the airport before she ever made it to treatment. Her face turned blue. The plane had to pull away from the gate so the ambulance could reach her. Her sister stood there thinking she was dead. That's how close it got — and she still wasn't ready to get sober. Katie has 14 years of sobriety, works in addiction treatment overseeing family services, and knows this world from every angle — as the addict who nearly died, as the professional who works with families daily, and as a wife who watched her own husband relapse and felt the exact same terror she once caused. Her message to families is direct: the most loving thing you can do is stop rescuing them. Letting things get messy isn't giving up — it's the only real path forward Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page Want continued support/guidence for you and your loved one? Consider joining our FAMILY RECONNECT FAMILY! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect Tom IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalktom/ Ben IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkben/ RRT IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkpodcast/

  • July 2 · 45 min

    609: How ALCOHOLISM Destroyed My Life (Until Now)

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Schedule a FREE consultation call! https://calendly.com/realrecoverytalk/free-consultation-with-real-recovery-talk-team Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page Want continued support/guidence for you and your loved one? Consider joining our FAMILY RECONNECT FAMILY! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect Tom IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalktom/ Ben IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkben/ RRT IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkpodcast/

  • June 18 · 36 min

    608: The Framework Every Family With an Addict Needs to Hear

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Schedule a FREE consultation call! https://calendly.com/realrecoverytalk/free-consultation-with-real-recovery-talk-team If you have a loved one struggling with addiction, you've probably tried everything. You've pleaded. You've set ultimatums. You've researched treatment centers at 2am. And nothing seems to actually move the needle. In this episode, Tom and Ben break down a simple, 5-part framework — one originally used in the business world — that gives family members a clear, practical way to evaluate every decision, request, and boundary that comes up when a loved one is struggling with addiction. What you'll learn in this episode: How to tell the difference between a reasonable request and one that's setting you up for failure Why "I need you to go to treatment" isn't enough — and what to say instead How to set goals for your loved one's recovery that are actually measurable Why belief matters more than you think — and how to find it again after years of disappointment How to know if what you're asking for is actually achievable right now Why bypassing levels of care almost never works, and what that means for your loved one's recovery This framework won't fix everything overnight. But it will give you clarity in a situation that's felt impossible to navigate. Want continued support/guidence for you and your loved one? Consider joining our FAMILY RECONNECT FAMILY! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect Tom IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalktom/ Ben IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkben/ RRT IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkpodcast/

  • June 10 · 47 min

    607: Kratom Is Putting People in Comas — And It's Sold at Every Gas Station

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page Kratom is being sold at every gas station and vape shop in America. People are ending up in comas. People are dying. And nobody is officially tracking it. In this episode, Tom, Ben, and Destiny break down three of the biggest issues hitting the addiction and recovery world right now — and what families and loved ones need to know. What's covered in this episode: Why Kratom 70x extract is sending people to the hospital and killing them Why law enforcement knows it's illegal and isn't doing anything about it Why Kratom withdrawal is being described as worse than heroin and fentanyl Why overdose deaths from opiates are declining — and what's really behind it The dangerous rise of performance-enhancing drugs among young people Why so many addicts are being misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder and ADHD What happens when you put someone on psych meds without testing for drug use first Why 24/7 eyes on a client beats a 30-minute psychiatrist appointment every time If your loved one is struggling with addiction and you don't know where to turn, this episode is for you. Want continued support/guidence for you and your loved one? Consider joining our FAMILY RECONNECT FAMILY! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect Tom IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalktom/ Ben IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkben/ RRT IG: https://www.instagram.com/realrecoverytalkpodcast/

  • June 3 · 54 min

    606: She Hid Her Addiction for Years Until Everything Collapsed

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Get a FREE Conultation Call! Schedule Your Call Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page 🔗 Join our Family Reconnect Program: https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect 📅 Free Family Webinar — Every Monday at 6:30PM Eastern: https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page

  • May 27 · 1 hr 12 min

    605: How long can someone live as an alcoholic?

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page Cliff is 49 years old. Nine months ago he was living in a friend's garage in California, knocking on death's door from end-stage alcoholism. He had cirrhosis, esophageal varices, acute pancreatitis, and a doctor who told him he had a year, maybe two. He had lost everything — his home, his health, his hope. He was having seizures so severe he punched through a window just to get outside. He was done. Then something shifted. He heard a Mind Pump podcast, called a number he didn't think would lead anywhere, and ended up on a plane to South Florida — alone, sick, and with almost nothing to his name. Today Cliff is sober, working, painting, surfing, and helping other people in recovery find their footing. This episode covers his full story — growing up as a military kid moving from country to country, how drinking took hold early and never let go, the years of relapses and hospitalizations, a parasitic infection that left him paralyzed for three months, smoking meth in the final stretch, and what finally brought him to the point of real surrender. This is what recovery actually looks like. Not a clean story. Not a straight line. But proof that no matter how far down the scale you've gone, there is a way back. 🔗 Join our Family Reconnect Program: https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect 📅 Free Family Webinar — Every Monday at 6:30PM Eastern: https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page

  • May 6 · 28 min

    604: Get and Stay Sober: Focus on These 5 Areas!

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page If you want to get sober and STAY sober there are certain areas that we needs to focus on! In this episode I break these down into very achievable steps and hope that you can start to empliment these today! 🔗 Join our Family Reconnect Program: https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect 📅 Free Family Webinar — Every Monday at 6:30PM Eastern: https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page

  • April 29 · 44 min

    603: You Know You Are Being Lied To: Now What?

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page If you're living with an addict or alcoholic, you already know the lying, the cheating, the stealing, and the manipulation. But what nobody talks about is what all of that is actually doing to you. In this episode, Tom sits down with Steve — who runs the family program at Rock Recovery Center — to break down the real symptoms families experience when a loved one is deep in addiction. Not the addict's behavior. Yours. What you'll learn in this episode: Why your trust doesn't just break — it erodes slowly over time How addiction makes you question your identity as a parent, spouse, or loved one Why families isolate themselves just as much as the addict does The dangerous cycle of internalized shame that keeps families stuck How the victim mentality sneaks in — and why it's keeping you from the solution Why stop absorbing the chaos may be the most powerful thing you can do You don't have to keep living this way. There are answers, and there is freedom on the other side of this. 🔗 Join our Family Reconnect Program: https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect 📅 Free Family Webinar — Every Monday at 6:30PM Eastern: https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page

  • April 22 · 1 hr 2 min

    602: He Was Sleeping on His Dad's Couch, Drunk Every Day (DAD DID THIS)

    Do you have a family member/loved one struggling with addiction? Join Our FREE WEBCLASS! https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page After meeting each other at a liquor store three Sundays in a row waiting for it to open, Don and Nan spent years drowning in addiction together — and somehow got sober at the exact same moment. In this episode, Tom sits down with Don and Nan to talk about what actually worked, why tough love isn't always the answer, and how one father's compassion (instead of consequences) may have been the thing that saved his son's life. If you have a loved one struggling with addiction, this episode will challenge everything you've been told about what it takes to get someone sober. 🔗 Join our Family Reconnect Program: https://familyreconnectprogram.com/family-reconnect 📅 Free Family Webinar — Every Monday at 6:30PM Eastern: https://familyreconnectprogram.com/optin-page

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