Episode 33 of the Bare Knuckle Recovery Podcast is one of our most powerful and practical yet. Hosts Tommy Streeter and Nate Moellering are joined again by Mike Sedjo for a raw, unfiltered conversation about relapse, recovery, and what it really takes to build a sustainable sober life.

Too often, relapse is seen as the end of the road—but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode, we dive into:

→ Why relapse is not the end of recovery
→ How to get back up after setbacks without losing progress
→ The guilt and shame of relapse—and how to break free from it
→ The role of self-care in avoiding burnout and staying balanced
→ Learning to replace “all-or-nothing” thinking with healthy temperance
→ The importance of new hobbies, joy, and community in sobriety
→ How families can support loved ones in recovery without destroying themselves in the process

This episode is packed with hard truths, lived experience, and encouragement for anyone walking the recovery road—whether it’s your own journey or someone you love.

👉 Relapse doesn’t define you. Self-care isn’t selfish. And recovery is about more than just putting down the substance—it’s about rebuilding a life worth living.

🔔 Subscribe for more real conversations on recovery, hope, and second chances.

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In this powerful two-part episode of the Bare Knuckle Recovery podcast, co-founders Tommy Streeter and Nate Moellering sit down with Scott Valentic and Bob Springer to share their incredible journeys.

Scott, with a background in the military and as a narcotics detective, and Bob, who experienced life through incarceration and addiction, highlight their vastly different pasts that have surprisingly led them to work together towards the same mission: recovery.

Join them as they discuss:

• Their individual experiences and how their unique paths shaped who they are today.
• The initial apprehension and eventual mutual respect and understanding that developed between a former cop and a former convict.
• The importance of confronting personal struggles, embracing vulnerability, and the power of human connection in the recovery process.
• How their past challenges now serve as a foundation to help others find their path and live their best lives, emphasizing that "change is possible."

This episode is a testament to finding common ground in humanity, overcoming adversity, and the transformative power of choosing a path of recovery and service.

Watch this episode here: https://www.bareknucklerecovery.com/

Is addiction tearing your family apart? In Episode 31 of Bare Knuckle Recovery, Tommy Streeter, Nate Moellering, and guests Bob Springer and Emma Rosebrock confront the agonizing challenges of loving someone through active addiction. This powerful two-part discussion unpacks the painful realities of lying and manipulation, revealing the science behind how addiction hijacks the brain and can change the person you love.

Join the BKR team as they share raw personal experiences and offer crucial insights on:

• Setting Life-Saving Boundaries: Why they're essential, how to establish them with loved ones in active addiction, and understanding the manipulation tactics often faced.
• The Hijacked Brain: A clear explanation of the dopamine effect, the brain's pain-pleasure balance, tolerance, and how addiction rewires survival instincts, leading to behaviors that are not the "real" person.
• The "Should They Come Home?" Dilemma: A frank discussion about the complexities and potential pitfalls of allowing a loved one back into the family home after treatment or incarceration.
• Accountability Over Enabling: The critical importance of natural consequences, the family's role (and what it isn't), and why outsourcing support to professionals and recovery communities is vital.
• Debunking "Rock Bottom" & "Readiness": Challenging common myths and emphasizing that recovery is about action, even when it's uncomfortable or initially forced.
• Hope Through Shared Experience: Honest stories of past struggles, the pain caused and experienced, and the transformative journey of recovery for both individuals and their families.

If you're grappling with a loved one's addiction, feeling lost in a cycle of deceit, or struggling to maintain healthy boundaries, this episode offers profound understanding, practical advice, and a strong message of hope.

Tune in for a brutally honest conversation that could change how you navigate addiction in your family.

https://www.bareknucklerecovery.com/

Watch this episode here: https://www.bareknucklerecovery.com/

Scott Valentic joined the Army in 2002 and served time in Iraq. Following active duty, Scott became a police officer, and then ultimately a detective within the drug taskforce.

On this episode of the Bare Knuckle Recovery Podcast, Scott shares his perspective on the trauma of working in those environments, how he turned to alcohol to numb that emotional pain, his denial about having a problem with alcohol, and then ultimately how he came to be sitting here today as an employee of Allendale Treatment and member of Bare Knuckle Recovery with 3.5 years of sobriety.

Watch this episode here: https://www.bareknucklerecovery.com/

Anton Talamantes, MMA Coach & Personal Trainer in the Fort Wayne area, sits down with Nate & Tommy to talk about the parallels between exercise and sobriety.

Specifically, as a black belt in wrestling / MMA / grappling, Anton talks about the powers of mixed martial arts, especially in sobriety, and the wide range of spiritual, mental and physical benefits.

https://www.bareknucklerecovery.com/

Watch this episode here: https://www.bareknucklerecovery.com/

Jarred White, Marine Combat Veteran and Founder of FW22, is back on the show and he's talking in circles.

- Jarred talks about being shaped like a circle and making positive life changes

- He talks about the importance of the people you surround yourself with and keep in your circle

- He shares how these relationships have come full-circle with Nate's involvement in FW22 and the partnerships between Bare Knuckle, FW22 and Allendale Treatment.

- And Jarred talks about why we can't just circle November 11 on the calendar to celebrate and support our Veterans. It's estimated that 22 Veterans take their own lives every day due to unresolved mental health ailments.

Jarred's non-profit organization, FW22, is organized to facilitate community involvement in the support and assistance of Veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) while simultaneously educating on suicide prevention and mental illness.

Learn more about FW22 here: https://www.fw22.org/

And learn more about Bare Knuckle Recovery here: https://www.bareknucklerecovery.com/

#mentalhealthawareness #veteransmatter #substanceabuseawareness

Watch this episode here: https://www.bareknucklerecovery.com/

You know how we often talk about the impacts that addiction can have on family members?

Tommy's Aunt Michelle is here to talk about his time in active addiction, and she brought receipts.

Watch here or on YouTube, or search your favorite Podcast platform for Bare Knuckle Recovery

https://www.bareknucklerecovery.com/

Watch this episode here: https://www.bareknucklerecovery.com/

Nate & Tommy sit down with Ciara and Emma to talk about the greatest lie ever told in recovery:

🤥 "For someone to get help with their addiction, they have to want it."

🤥 "It needs to be their idea, or else it won't work"

The truth is - recovery is not for those who want it or those that need it.

It's just for those who do it.

These 4 people, all now living productive lives in recovery, share some pieces of their story to explain why you can't just sit around and wait on your loved one to be ready to get help.

https://www.bareknucklerecovery.com

Watch this episode here: https://www.bareknucklerecovery.com/