SHAIR 171: Give Yourself a Chance with Ken RivordSHAIR 171: Give Yourself a Chance with Ken Rivord
The SHAIR Recovery Podcast
Ken Rivord shares a brutally honest story of childhood abuse, IV drug use, prison, relapse and mental illness, and how a mix of 12-step recovery, professional help and daily routines supports his sobriety. The conversation highlights forgiveness, spiritual growth and the simple actions that help someone finally give themselves a chance.
1:44:35•22 May 2018
Give Yourself a Chance: Ken Rivord’s Wild Road to Recovery
Episode Overview
- Recovery can mean stripping away old armour and patterns rather than adding new layers, becoming closer to who you really are.
- Small daily disciplines – like making your bed, going to the gym and setting up your day – build the foundation for long-term sobriety.
- Spiritual practice is both talking (prayer) and listening (paying attention to how the world responds to you) rather than just formal meditation.
- Professional help for mental health and eating disorders can be essential alongside 12-step work; medication and therapy may literally save lives.
- Service and connection – from setting up chairs to helping others – keep you out of isolation and give sobriety meaning beyond just not using.
“I believe that the process of recovery is a process of removal… the process of coming home… I’m more me today than I have ever been in my whole life.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation between host Omar Pinto and guest Ken Rivord offers a raw, honest look at what it can take to give yourself that chance. Recorded in person in Costa Rica to celebrate Ken’s six-year sobriety anniversary, the episode mixes dark humour with some seriously heavy history.
Before they even get to his story, you’ll hear about Ken’s chaotic travel saga: double-booked hotels on opposite sides of the country, insane mountain roads, missing recordings, and constant offers of drugs. As Omar points out, it all becomes a living metaphor for Ken’s recovery: “Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong,” yet he keeps going.
Ken then takes the floor and walks through his life story in unflinching detail: childhood hunger and abuse, early drinking at ten, IV meth addiction, prison time, relapse, severe mental health struggles, and an eventual “process of coming home”. He explains, “I believe that the process of recovery is a process of removal… this process of coming home has been painful at times… but you want to know what?
I’m more me today than I have ever been in my whole life.” The style is conversational, fast-paced and very candid. Omar gives Ken room to speak, then drops in with reflections about fear, spiritual connection, daily routines and the grind of doing ‘boring’ recovery actions like making your bed, setting up chairs and showing up for work.
This episode will especially resonate with people in 12-step recovery, those dealing with trauma or mental health alongside addiction, and anyone who thinks they’re “too far gone” to change. It’s tough, sometimes graphic, but full of hope, action and practical honesty. If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s worth putting one more foot in front of the other, Ken’s story might be the nudge you need to give yourself a chance.
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.
Related Episodes
Similar episodes from other shows in the catalogue.