Episode 1117: Commonly Debated Topics In Recovery (Part Two)Episode 1117: Commonly Debated Topics In Recovery (Part Two)
Take 12 Recovery Radio
COMMONLY DEBATED TOPICS IN RECOVERY (Part Two) Join Roger and the Montyman as they discuss some c...
1:07:54•27 Jul 2026
Commonly Debated Recovery Topics, Gnomes and Straight Talk
Episode Overview
- Recovery aims to move beyond being controlled by triggers, with a focus on "recovery assurance" rather than living in fear of relapse.
- Mental health issues like PTSD, depression and codependency are real and often tied into addiction, but recovery work can help people move through them.
- Identity change grounded in spiritual growth and becoming who you were created to be is prioritised over trendy rebranding of self.
- Some treatment programmes can exploit vulnerable people or keep them chemically dependent, making ethical, spiritually grounded care crucial.
- Long-term recovery is strengthened by simple, consistent practice of the Twelve Steps, prayer, and active involvement in a supportive fellowship.
“We can disagree without being disagreeable, stand firm in our convictions without condemning others, and remember that unity does not require uniformity.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? This episode of Take 12 Recovery Radio leans into that question with equal parts humour, hard truth, and genuine care. You’ll hear Monty Dale Meyer (the Monty’man) and co-host Roger McDiarmid kick things off with movie trivia, dark glasses, and Monty’s “Share a Gnome” segment, showing that recovery chat doesn’t have to be grim to be serious.
There’s even a film review of *The Odyssey* squeezed in, simply because, as Monty says, “we believe in having fun. Doggone it.” Once they get into the meat of the show, the pair talk through hot-button issues in recovery: triggers, trauma, mental health diagnoses and whether you really have to stay “always sick”.
They prefer the term “recovery assurance” over “relapse prevention” and stress that the whole point of recovery is to move to a place where triggers don’t run your life. Mental health and trauma get honest airtime.
Monty shares being misdiagnosed as bipolar and later recognising untreated PTSD from childhood abuse, alongside how emotional sobriety work helped him move forward: “So we do recover, folks.” They also touch on codependency, depression, and the growing use of labels, without dismissing the reality of those struggles. The conversation then shifts to lifestyle and identity, questioning modern “rebranding” trends and pointing back to becoming the person you were created to be.
Systemic issues are tackled head-on: exploitative rehabs, keeping people chemically dependent on medications like suboxone, and burnout among treatment staff who are underpaid but expected to give endlessly. Roger repeatedly brings the focus back to simplicity: do the 12 steps as written, live in 10, 11 and 12, pray about everything, be part of a recovery community, and let God define your life.
They finish by challenging the idea of “outside issues”, arguing that real-life pain in meetings is exactly what needs to be spoken. If you’re tired of sugar-coated recovery talk and want straight, sometimes snarky conversation about what actually helps, this one might be worth your time. How are you shaping your own recovery beyond just staying dry?
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