Recovery Is Best Not Done Alone
Recovery Is Best Not Done Alone

SMART Recovery® Podcast

Luke Frazier talks with John Hayes from Never Alone Recovery about multiple pathways to sobriety, trauma, and the power of community support. Their conversation highlights personalised help, online recovery spaces, and the deep reward of walking alongside others in change.

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36:55•16 Apr 2026

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Recovery Is Best Not Done Alone: John Hayes on Many Paths to Healing

Episode Overview

Recovery is highly individual, and offering multiple pathways gives people a better chance to connect with what works for them.
Trauma and generational patterns often sit underneath addictive behaviours, so addressing learned behaviour is key to change.
Science-based tools like those in SMART Recovery can help people understand their thinking and build healthier coping strategies.
Online communities, including daily TikTok live sessions, can provide genuine connection and support for people who may not attend traditional meetings.
Walking alongside others in their milestones, big and small, is described as one of the most rewarding parts of working in recovery.

“"There's a thousand different pathways that lead to the same destination, the destination being recovery."”

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation between host Luke Frazier and guest John Hayes shows just how powerful it can be when recovery is shared rather than faced alone. John, Chief Executive Officer of Never Alone Recovery and a person in long-term recovery, talks honestly about waking up in a jail cell for the ninth time and realising, "I don't want to be this guy anymore.

I want to be a father." From that moment, his life moved in "wild directions", eventually leading him to help others find their own path out of addiction. Never Alone Recovery is described as "recovery agnostic". John explains that there are "a thousand different pathways that lead to the same destination, the destination being recovery." He and Luke talk about 12-step traditions, SMART Recovery, Dharma Recovery, faith-based groups, and more, stressing that no single method fits everyone.

The focus is on listening to each person, understanding their beliefs and needs, and then helping them connect with the most suitable treatment or support. The episode also spends time on trauma and generational patterns, with John calling addiction a "generational curse" in many families. They highlight how tools like cognitive approaches in SMART Recovery can help people examine learned behaviours and build new ways of coping.

One of the most engaging sections is John’s description of Never Alone’s daily TikTok live sessions, where hundreds of people drop in, sometimes using that online community as their only support. Watching people go from "one day to six months" sober, purely through online connection, is something he finds "so rewarding". Anyone curious about multiple pathways, community support, and why "recovery is best not done alone" will find this episode both practical and heartening.

Who could you walk alongside on their recovery journey today?

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