Episode 1147: RECOVERY and the POTTY MOUTH

Episode 1147: RECOVERY and the POTTY MOUTH

What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? On Take 12 Recovery Radio, Monty Dale Meyer (the Monty’man) sits down with Roger McDermid and Pastor Rob Garig to tackle a surprisingly touchy subject: swearing in recovery. The chat kicks off with honest admissions. Roger calls profanity “a bad habit that most of us attain,” especially in active addiction and even in some recovery meetings.

Rob shares how his own speech changed after faith took hold, saying he now uses what comes out of his mouth in private as a gauge of his spiritual condition.

They keep circling back to this big idea: “Out of the abundance of the heart…the mouth speaks.” Together, they walk through common excuses for harsh language: “It’s just a word,” “Everybody does it,” “It helps me express my emotions,” and “It doesn’t make me a bad person.” Each one gets gently but firmly challenged.

If someone wouldn’t say those words at church, in a business meeting, or to a customer, then, as Roger puts it, “you must think it’s inappropriate to some degree.” The conversation widens to emotional sobriety, stress, and health.

Constant cursing is linked to unresolved anger, bitterness, and that restless, irritable, discontent state that Dr Silkworth described as a “spiritual malady.” They argue that real recovery means more than putting the drink or drugs down; it means letting heart-level change show up in everyday talk. Euphemisms and text-era shortcuts get a look too. Is saying “frickin’” or dropping initials really any different if everyone knows what they stand for?

The trio doesn’t get legalistic, but they keep pushing the same question: what’s the motive behind the words? By the end, the focus is clear: if someone wants their recovery and faith to carry weight, their language needs to line up with the message they’re carrying. So, what story are your words telling about your recovery today?