EPISODE 103026EPISODE 103026
Clean and Sober Radio
Clean and Sober Radio features guest Linda Elkins sharing how long-term recovery helped her face sudden vision loss, a rare autoimmune illness, and past addiction without picking up. The hosts also touch on opioid news, legal action against the Sackler family, and key support resources for those struggling.
55:58•31 Oct 2026
Holding On to Sobriety When Life Knocks You Sideways
Episode Overview
- Use recovery tools and coping skills to face major health crises without returning to substances.
- Advocate strongly for yourself in medical settings and seek multiple opinions when needed.
- Hold on to gratitude, hope, and a positive attitude as practical tools, not clichés.
- Recognise that feelings are not facts, especially during high stress or fear.
- Make use of support systems such as family, peer recovery, and crisis hotlines for addiction and mental health.
“If you have a good attitude and hope and you're grateful, you can't lose. You can't.”
What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction? This episode of Clean and Sober Radio brings together hard-hitting news, dark humour, and a seriously powerful story of resilience. Host Gary Hendler and cohost Mark Sigmund kick off with current events in addiction: a significant drop in opioid overdose deaths since 2022 and the legal pressure on former Purdue Pharma executive Richard Sackler, including the forced sale of his sprawling mansion to help fund a massive opioid settlement.
It’s a blunt reminder of how corporate decisions can fuel very real human suffering. Then longtime friend of the show, Linda Elkins, shares how long-term recovery held firm through terrifying health crises. While out shopping, her vision suddenly went completely black in one eye, leading to an emergency trip to Wills Eye, a stroke unit stay, heavy steroids, and months of not being able to think clearly, read, or even do simple maths.
Through it all, she says, she never thought, "I just got to get high, man"—even when her brain felt scrambled. Linda talks frankly about advocating for yourself medically, living with a rare autoimmune disorder, and leaning on recovery tools like DBT, AA, and a very supportive family. She also revisits her history: finding out she was adopted at 13, spiralling into drugs and alcohol, wild nights in New York, and later facing prescription opioid addiction after brain surgery.
Her message is simple and hard-earned: "If you have a good attitude and hope and you're grateful, you can't lose." The hosts reinforce the importance of hotlines, checking on loved ones, and remembering that feelings are not facts. If you’re wondering how to stay sober when life blindsides you, this episode might be exactly what you need to hear today.
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