Episode 66 | The #RecoveryFirst Podcast with Mike Todd | "Recovery Community Keep Speaking Up and Shining"Episode 66 | The #RecoveryFirst Podcast with Mike Todd | "Recovery Community Keep Speaking Up and Shining"
The Recovery First Addiction Recovery Podcast by Freedom Recovery Services of Greenville
Mike Todd speaks about why people in recovery and those living with mental illness have every right to be public advocates. He challenges stigma, urges the community to keep speaking out, and highlights the importance of sharing stories to address overdose and mental health crises.
9:19•11 Feb 2022
Keep Speaking Up: Why Recovery Voices Matter
Episode Overview
- People in long-term recovery and with mental illness have a right to speak publicly about their experiences.
- Labeling visible recovery advocates as egotistical is a form of stigma and discrimination.
- Other causes routinely put faces and personalities forward, and recovery should be treated the same way.
- Sharing experience and helping others is summed up in the phrase "We keep what we have by giving it away."
- Ongoing advocacy is vital in the face of high overdose deaths and widespread untreated mental illness.
“"We keep what we have by giving it away."”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation with host Mike Todd centres on one simple message: "Recovery community, keep speaking up and shining." The focus here is on people in long-term recovery and those living with mental illness who step forward with a "bullhorn, a podcast, a TV commercial" or any other platform to speak about their experiences.
Mike calls out the double standard where other causes celebrate visible advocates, yet recovery voices are often labelled "egotistical" or told to stay anonymous. He doesn’t mince words, calling this what it is: stigma and discrimination. You’ll hear Mike cheer on anyone who chooses to be a public face of recovery, stressing, "You have a right to do it" and encouraging them not to be shamed into silence.
He also gives a shout-out to producer Todd, another person in recovery, whose way of giving back is through producing the show. The phrase "We keep what we have by giving it away" becomes a core theme, as Mike invites others to learn to host or co-host and share the spotlight. The episode also zooms out to the bigger picture: overdose deaths, people living with untreated mental illness on the streets, and the urgent need for more honest public conversation.
Mike honours advocates such as Ryan Hampton and Garrett Haid, along with harm reduction workers, peer support specialists, recovery housing providers and many others working on the ground.
With a mix of frank talk, a bit of humour about egos, and strong moral clarity, this episode speaks directly to anyone in recovery who wonders if they’re "too loud" or "too visible." The message is simple: your story matters, your voice is needed, and the drum for recovery has to keep beating. So, what’s your bullhorn going to be?
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