Rock Bottom With Ryan

Ashley Amundson: From Bartending & Alcohol Withdrawal to 10 Years Sober, COO & Therapist | Rock Bottom with Ryan
On Rock Bottom with Ryan, Ashley Amundson shares growing up in San Diego in a complex military family with six siblings and a live-in nanny, feeling like she didn’t belong in school, and using alcohol as a tool for confidence that became a crutch. After entering the bar industry at 21, drinking escalated from after-work shots to on-the-job use, leading to physical dependence, repeated hospitalizations, DT hallucinations, and a doctor warning she might not live to 35 due to organ failure and alcoholic hepatitis. Ashley chose rehab, built early sobriety through structured sober living and testing, and transitioned from bartending to working in a women’s-only holistic rehab. She earned a master’s, became a therapist in 2020, completed a doctorate in behavioral health, rose to COO, and discusses trauma-informed modalities like somatic work, breathwork, Reiki, EMDR, and brain spotting.
 
00:00 High School Awkwardness 01:10 Rock Bottom Intro 01:34 Sponsor Message 02:58 Meet Ashley 03:16 Recovery Basics 04:54 Military Family Roots 08:16 Nanny and Attachment 10:50 Teen Identity Struggles 14:37 First Drinks and Confidence 18:37 Skipping School and College 22:35 Bar Industry Begins 25:14 Dating and Boundaries 28:41 Drinking Culture Escalates 31:55 Naivety and Masking 35:10 Alcohol Takes Over 39:02 Hallucinations and Fallout 39:36 ER Withdrawal Stigma 42:00 Doctor Wake Up Call 47:47 Underdog Motivation 49:14 Early Sobriety Blueprint 52:40 From Tech to COO 58:15 Holistic Trauma Modalities 01:02:35 Therapist Mindset and Burnout 01:08:37 Advice and Compassion 01:14:00 Closing Quote and Wrap

On Rock Bottom with Ryan, guest Ashley Baker shares how childhood trauma—his mother’s two suicide attempts and his father leaving—fed rebellion and led him to start drinking at 12 while growing up in Dubai. Alcohol quickly became daily, escalating after moving to Germany where access was easier and drinking was normalized in the restaurant industry as he trained and worked as a chef. At his worst he needed two bottles of wine in the morning to stop shaking, blacked out for years, and once woke in jail after passing out on rail tracks shortly before a train. After a two-week rehab stay and a brief relapse, he returned to treatment and stayed sober, building a new life through routines, travel, spirituality, and self-directed learning. Now 17 years sober, he’s an addiction coach with a holistic approach focused on trauma, nervous system regulation, breathwork, and long-term healing.
00:00 Trauma And Drinking 00:53 Podcast Intro And Sponsor 02:33 Meet Ashley Baker 04:10 Roots Of Addiction 06:38 First Drinks At 12 08:48 Daily Drinking Escalation 10:24 Wake Up Calls And Withdrawals 13:32 Blackouts And Jail Scare 15:17 Hiding It From Loved Ones 17:41 Rehab Decision Point 20:59 Relapse And Second Rehab 26:19 Life After Treatment 29:14 Chef Life Sober 30:26 Cravings and Confidence 31:44 Purpose Through Coaching 33:12 Holistic Counselor Training 35:06 Healing Beyond Detox 37:04 ADHD Depression Patterns 38:17 Regulation Tools Breathwork 41:21 Neuroplasticity and Identity 43:42 Chef Work and Youth 46:19 Legacy and Lifelong Healing 53:36 Getting Help and Contact 59:18 Grounded Practices Farewell

From Social Anxiety to Two Bottles a Night: Meghan Haynes on Alcohol Recovery, Treatment, and Sober-Curious Support
 
On Rock Bottom with Ryan, guest Meghan Haynes (sober date February 19, 2023; alcohol; raised in Washington, now in Central Oregon) shares how perfectionism, social anxiety, and not fitting in led her to love alcohol after her first drink in high school. In college at the University of Washington, loss of control contributed to severe anorexia and hospitalization; therapy helped, but later her drinking escalated through Greek-life culture, grad school isolation in Denver, and solo nightly wine—often up to two bottles—while working in mental health crisis roles. After pancreatitis, a DUI, repeated IOP failures, and probation, she entered 30-day treatment, where she found relief, began addressing codependency, self-worth, and coping, and met her future husband. Now an Oregon LCSW, she offers trauma-focused therapy (including EMDR) and sobriety coaching for sober-curious women to reduce stigma, build community, and support change without needing “rock bottom.”
 
00:00 Small Town Roots 01:09 Podcast Intro 01:38 Sponsor Message 02:39 Meet Megan Haynes 03:50 Gymnast Identity 05:14 Social Anxiety Emerges 08:20 First Drink Relief 11:38 College Expectations Crash 13:20 Anorexia Takes Over 16:04 Therapy and Alcohol Return 17:11 Greek Life Drinking Culture 24:49 Grad School Isolation 28:23 Living Alone Spiral 30:02 Functional Drinking Rewards 31:16 Solo Drinking Spiral 31:41 A Day in Addiction 34:04 Isolation and Family Signs 35:38 Health Scare and DUI 40:25 Treatment Turning Point 42:28 Recovery Insights and Self Worth 45:27 Love and Life After Rehab 47:01 Therapist in Recovery 48:37 Sober Curious Explained 51:09 Women and Recovery Challenges 55:04 Advice and Closing Resources

On Rock Bottom with Ryan, Jonny from a Chicago suburb shares how weekend partying in high school escalated through college and into his 30s, including repeated underage drinking tickets, fights, dangerous late-night situations, and mixing alcohol with cocaine to keep going. Despite maintaining work and a “good mask,” his benders stretched for days, spending heavily on bar tabs and drugs, drinking 20–30 shots in a night, and chasing validation while fearing being alone. After a Thursday-to-Sunday binge, seeing older bar regulars at 33 and risking his relationship, he admitted he had a problem, told his girlfriend and parents, and went to 30-day rehab in California. In recovery he used structured fitness and running to build confidence, lost over 50 pounds, ran the LA Marathon, became a personal trainer, and created Dry Culture, a 30-day workbook/community built on identity, movement, discipline, and environment.
 
00:00 Weekend Party Mask 00:20 Shots And Blow Cycle 00:49 Marathons And Recovery 01:03 Show Intro And Sponsor 02:43 Meet Johnny Sober Basics 04:01 High School Drinking Starts 05:46 First Drunk Transformation 07:24 Blackouts And Tickets 08:51 College Party School Escalation 11:07 Legal Trouble And Jail 12:36 Post College Never Slows 13:28 Cocaine And After Hours 15:40 Withdrawal Talk And Denial 17:26 Arizona And Rock Bottom 19:00 Dangerous Close Calls 22:24 Teeth Knocked In 23:33 Counting Drinks And Money 24:52 Girlfriend Changes Everything 26:21 Drinking Alone Pregaming 26:45 Chasing Validation 27:18 Hiding It While Working 28:31 Barstool Wake Up Call 31:24 Admitting It to Family 33:46 Rehab Reality Check 36:06 Fitness Becomes Lifeline 37:49 Building Dry Culture 40:08 Four Pillars Program 44:06 Discipline and Balance 48:08 Staying Sober Long Term 50:53 Routine Over Chaos 53:29 Advice and Final Quote

On Rock Bottom with Ryan, author and Army soldier Devin Fish from Rockford, Illinois discusses growing up in poverty and instability, moving more than 16 times, bullying and extreme shyness, and witnessing addiction in his family, including his father’s cocaine-and-alcohol-fueled breakdown and his mother’s pain medication dependence. Devin shares how self-hatred and loneliness led him into a yearlong cycle of paid dating apps, catfishing, escalating blackmail scams—including an “age scam”—financial loss, and contracting chlamydia after paying for sex, culminating in suicidal ideation and later admitting himself to the hospital in 2022. He explains his book, “Answering the Hard Questions: Let It Be the End of the Chapter, Not the End of the Book,” its memoir/toolbox/journaling structure, his return to faith while writing, and his mission to spread honesty, truth, and hope to help others survive.
00:00 Early Chaos at Home 00:41 Show Intro and Guest 01:44 Growing Up in Rockford 02:42 Unstable Childhood and Poverty 04:24 Shy Kid and Bullying 05:37 Dad Arrest and Apartment Scene 09:48 Mom Opioids and Dysfunction 11:53 Joining the Army to Escape 13:43 Depression and Suicidal Thoughts 16:03 Avoiding Substances and Facing Trauma 18:02 Hard Truths and Blackmail 19:48 Dating Sites Spiral and Scams 22:17 STD Scare and Breaking Point 24:13 Age Scam Explained and Second Attempt 26:13 Hope for Real Connection 27:23 Choosing Self Love 27:44 Year of Online Scams 28:27 Book Title Origins 30:47 Writing and Publishing Sprint 31:33 Healing Through Structure 32:54 Hardest Chapters to Write 34:20 Forgiveness and Family 35:20 Meaning of the Subtitle 36:35 Handling Setbacks Publicly 37:46 Next Book and Faith 39:24 Mental Health Misconceptions 40:38 Message to Suicidal Viewers 41:49 Mission After Publishing 43:12 Dating Apps Are Predatory 45:41 Breaking Silence in Recovery 47:38 Support Without Enabling 48:25 Avoiding Old Patterns 50:46 Guilt Versus Accountability 51:53 Leaving Readers With Hope 54:57 Where to Find Devin 56:30 Final Advice and Quotes 57:23 Closing Reflections

In this insightful interview, Jay Sapovits shares his journey of overcoming gambling addiction, the importance of recovery, and how his experiences shaped his entrepreneurial success. Discover practical advice on taking action, facing ego, and building resilience from someone who has navigated the depths of addiction and emerged stronger.

Patrick, born and raised in Chicago, shares how childhood abuse and emotional neglect contributed to early marijuana use, dealing in high school, and multiple treatment stays that initially led to more connections to get high. At 18 he unknowingly tried heroin at a party, quickly progressed from snorting to injecting daily, cycled in and out of court-ordered treatment, and eventually became homeless with a $100-a-day habit, surviving through hustling and illegal activity. After a suicidal overdose attempt and a moment of clarity, he entered detox, received Suboxone, and transitioned to a suburban treatment center where he connected with a sponsor and began AA step work, including a transformative fourth and fifth step. Now sober since 5/3/18, he focuses on fatherhood, fitness, boundaries, and sharing recovery through speaking and social media.
 
00:00 From Pills to Heroin 00:59 Recovery Mindset Shift 01:19 Show Intro and Sponsor 03:42 Meet Patrick Sober Story 05:13 Childhood Trauma in Chicago 09:10 Weed and Early Warning Signs 10:36 Treatment and Escalation 11:43 First Heroin High 13:15 Needles and Losing Control 15:52 Homeless Rock Bottom 19:44 Suicidal Moment and Detox 22:59 Detox to Treatment Breakthrough 25:00 AA Meeting Full Circle 26:49 Step Work and Healing Trauma 29:18 Fast Track Steps One to Three 31:10 Fourth Step Deep Dive 32:12 Promises and Spiritual Shift 35:04 Amends and Family Fallout 40:21 Boundaries Protect Sobriety 42:30 Quiet Life After Chaos 44:27 Social Media Recovery Reach 46:31 Any Path That Saves Lives 48:03 Sober Strong Partnership 52:17 Advice and Closing Thanks

In this Quick Sip episode of Rock Bottom with Ryan and Rachel, they discuss how traumatic childhood experiences shaped their adult lives and addictions. Rachel reflects on the anniversary of her mother’s overdose when she was 16, the guilt of pushing her mother out of the apartment the last day she saw her, and how grief contributed to her drinking, compounded this year by the recent death of her mother-in-law. Ryan shares how frequent moves after his parents’ divorce, changing schools, unstable relationships, and childhood sexual trauma affected his ability to settle and influenced his later relationships and substance use. Both talk about neglect, abandonment issues, repeating learned behaviors, making amends with parents, and continuing recovery, while also shouting out Sober Strong Apparel’s support and mission.
 
00:00 Childhood Innocence Lost 00:32 Addiction and Family Amends 01:23 Rock Bottom Intro 01:53 Sponsor Message 02:53 Trauma and Grief Setup 03:34 Mom Overdose Anniversary 04:25 Guilt and Healing 06:54 Mother In Law Loss 08:22 Moving and Instability 11:25 Sexual Trauma Impact 12:24 Neglect and Loneliness 15:15 Repeating the Pattern 17:05 Relationship Blueprints 20:43 Abandonment and Early Attention 22:25 Seeking Love Wrong Places 23:52 Ratchet Rachel Origins 24:38 The One Childhood Change 25:10 Missing Mother Figure 25:38 Shoutout Two Girls 26:55 Ryan's Nana and Moving 29:51 Private School and Poverty 31:53 Gratitude for Support 32:47 Amazing Grace and Grief 34:19 Pushing Through Sober 37:08 Sober Strong Community 39:46 Why Sober Strong Hits 43:20 Wrap Up and DM Us

In this episode of Rock Bottom with Ryan, Ryan and co-host Rachel Sereni welcome back guest Amber, who shares her sobriety dates (11 years alcohol-free and clean from all substances since July 30, 2018) and recounts early addiction shaped by childhood chaos, including a rock-bottom moment waking up near a meth lab. Amber describes getting fully clean through NA/12-step support, taking suggestions, and rebuilding life through meetings, sober living, and stable housing. The conversation focuses on recovery as lifelong work, addressing people-pleasing, inner-child healing, anxious attachment, and codependency, including her long relationship with an incarcerated partner and how therapy helped her set boundaries after emotional infidelity and control. Amber discusses learning to spot red flags faster, avoiding “chaos as chemistry,” dating with standards, and her upcoming online self-worth/boundaries program, plus a brief Sober Strong Apparel sponsor segment.

On Rock Bottom with Ryan, guest Jude Hunkar—originally from Hungary and now in the UK—shares how early drinking at boarding school became tied to belonging, escalated into drugs, and progressed into years of increasingly frequent partying and functional but hidden alcohol use, worsened during COVID, while raising two children. She describes wake-up calls, including her child writing that her mom “drinks wine,” and the inability to keep promises not to drink. Jude celebrates stopping drinking on July 11 after a long process, crediting Rapid Transformational Therapy training, an RTT session, and Allen Carr’s book, and explains coping tools, honesty about cravings, and “riding the wave.” She outlines her RTT-based program combining hypnosis, CBT, NLP, neuroscience, coaching, and aftercare to address root causes, and emphasizes relapse as learning, not failure.