The #RecoveryFirst Podcast with Mike Todd "Authenticity In Recovery"The #RecoveryFirst Podcast with Mike Todd "Authenticity In Recovery"
The Recovery First Addiction Recovery Podcast by Freedom Recovery Services of Greenville
Mike Todd reflects on what authenticity means in recovery, from confronting past abuse and dishonesty to embracing a simpler life. He also talks about recovery housing, naloxone access in South Carolina, and why treatment-focused approaches matter for people with substance use disorder.
14:06•5 Oct 2021
Keeping It Real: Mike Todd on Authenticity and Long-Term Recovery
Episode Overview
- Authenticity in recovery often starts with allowing trusted people to challenge dishonesty and surface long-held secrets.
- Facing past trauma, including childhood sexual abuse, can be a crucial part of becoming genuinely comfortable with oneself.
- Therapy, step work and long-term commitment to recovery practices help build a stable sense of self over time.
- Letting go of image, status and financial pressure in favour of living within one’s means can bring unexpected peace.
- Recovery housing providers are key allies in substance use recovery and benefit from support, naloxone access and training.
“I’m grateful that I allowed people into my life, and it started by talking about some things that I really thought I would carry to my grave.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This Recovery First episode zeroes in on one big theme: authenticity in recovery, and what it actually looks like day-to-day. Host Mike Todd shares straight from the heart about his own messy, honest path towards becoming “authentic” after years of hiding behind lies, image, and other people’s approval.
Early in recovery, he surrounded himself with “very, very strong men” who were willing to call him out, telling him bluntly he was “full of crap” when he lied – even about things that didn’t matter. That tough love becomes a key part of his story, helping him face painful experiences, including childhood sexual abuse, instead of burying them.
Mike explains how decades of step work, therapy, and PTSD-focused EMDR helped him move from shame and secrecy into being genuinely okay with who he is at 56. He laughs lightly at himself as he talks about chasing status symbols, going bankrupt, and eventually learning that he doesn’t need the “house in the nice neighbourhood” or the brand-new car to feel worthy.
Now he lives modestly in West Greenville, enjoying his diverse, friendly neighbours and the freedom of living within his means. The episode also widens out to bigger-picture recovery issues. Mike talks about recovery housing in South Carolina, the vulnerability of that community, and how the South Carolina Recovery Housing Association works to get naloxone into every recovery house and train residents to use it.
He also hints at upcoming conversations about treatment instead of incarceration, saying plainly, “The war on drugs is just not working.” If you’re looking for honest talk about what it means to be real in recovery – warts, past trauma, and all – this one might leave you asking: where could you be a bit more authentic in your own journey?
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