"Don't Worry, Mom. I'm OK" with Chrissy Shields"Don't Worry, Mom. I'm OK" with Chrissy Shields
Pondoff's Anonymous
Chrissy Shields and her sons Arty and Jake share the story of AJ’s life, addiction and bipolar struggles, alongside Chrissy’s own mental health battles. They explain how AJ’s memory lives on through the Juice Cup golf tournament and a foundation that helps fund sustained recovery support for others.
2:01:46•22 Jun 2026
Grief, Hockey and the Juice Cup: Remembering AJ and Supporting Recovery
Episode Overview
- Painkillers prescribed after a sports injury and freely available medications at home were described as the starting point of AJ’s addiction.
- AJ lived with bipolar disorder, and his family noticed how mood swings and self-medication with substances fed into each other.
- Chrissy shared her own depression and suicide attempts, including hospitalisation and shock therapy, and said group therapy and faith were crucial in her staying alive.
- The family created the annual Juice Cup golf tournament in AJ’s name, which now funds recovery support through the Tom Pondoff 11 Foundation for people between 31 and 365 days sober.
- Jake uses his role as a teacher and veteran to talk openly with pupils about the opioid crisis, normalising conversations about overdose, Narcan and loss.
“"Mom, don’t worry, I’m okay."”
Experience the emotional and inspiring tales of recovery as the Pondoff’s Anonymous team sits down with mum Chrissy Shields and her sons, Arty Berreman and Jake Shields, to talk about the life and loss of Chrissy’s son, AJ. You’ll hear about AJ as a hockey-mad goalkeeper, a sharp, sarcastic kid who could light up a room, and a son and brother deeply loved by his family.
Chrissy walks through his knee injury, early pain pill use, bipolar diagnosis, and how opioids, then meth and heroin, slowly took over his life. She also shares her own battles with depression, a suicide attempt, shock therapy, and how faith and group support helped her keep going. The conversation doesn’t shy away from the hard bits.
Chrissy recalls reading a text saying, “hey, grab some of your mom’s pills,” the constant dread of waiting for *that* phone call, and the moment Aj’s girlfriend Jessie found him after an overdose. At the same time, there’s warmth and humour as the family laughs about chaotic dinners, hockey memories, and sibling scraps. A powerful thread runs through their discussion of stigma.
Chrissy describes someone saying AJ “probably asked for” fentanyl in his heroin and how cruel and inaccurate that view is. Jake, now a teacher and veteran, talks about using opioid statistics and classroom hand-raising to show his students just how many lives are touched by addiction and overdose. The episode also highlights the Juice Cup golf tournament, set up in AJ’s honour, which has grown into a packed annual event.
Funds now support the Tom Pondoff 11 Foundation, aimed at helping people in recovery between days 31 and 365 with things like sober living, outpatient care, and social work support. If you’ve loved someone with addiction, wrestled with your own mental health, or just want to understand what families go through, this raw, honest chat might feel uncomfortably familiar – and strangely hopeful. Who in your life needs to know they’re “okay” is still possible after everything?
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