Welcome to The Sober Truth Podcast with your host George Wood, the Tattooed Pastor! In this special episode, we sit down with Johnny Crowder, a mental health advocate, TEDx speaker, musician, and the founder of Cope Notes—a revolutionary text-based mental health support system that’s changing lives nationwide.This episode was recorded in Sept of 2024, then we had 2 hurricanes, Johny lost his house and the timing wasn't right to release, until now! Johnny’s story is one of resilience, transformation, and purpose. Growing up, he battled schizophrenia, OCD, PTSD, and bipolar disorder, struggling to find a path to healing. Despite these challenges, he channeled his pain into music, becoming the frontman of the metal band Prison, known for its raw, honest lyrics about mental health.🔍 In this episode, we dive deep into:✔️ Music & Mental Health – How Johnny uses his band Prison to advocate for mental health awareness and why heavy music is a powerful outlet for emotional expression.✔️ The Birth of Cope Notes – The incredible story behind Cope Notes, why he created a text-based mental health support platform instead of an app, and how it’s now reaching tens of thousands of people, including Medicaid users through a partnership with UnitedHealthcare.✔️ His Mental Health Journey – Johnny’s early struggles, his late diagnosis, and the breakthrough moment that changed his perspective on recovery and healing.✔️ Faith & Transformation – How his personal faith journey led him to reconsider everything he thought he knew about God, and the unexpected way he was introduced to Jesus in 2016.✔️ Overcoming Stigma – The challenges of being a tattooed, metal frontman in the mental health and faith spaces, and how people’s assumptions often don’t match the reality of his purpose-driven mission.✔️ Life Beyond the Band – Johnny’s reflections on balancing a music career, mental health advocacy, and faith, and his thoughts on whether the rockstar dream is still his ultimate calling.🎶 Want to hear Johnny’s music?➡️ Listen to Prison on Spotify📲 Sign up for Cope Notes – A simple, text-based tool to improve your mental health daily:➡️ https://copenotes.com📢 Watch Johnny’s TED Talks on Mental Health & Recovery:🔥 A MUST-WATCH for anyone struggling with mental health, recovery, or faith. Johnny’s journey proves that tomorrow might be better, and that no matter where you come from, healing and purpose are possible.🙏 If this conversation resonated with you, LIKE, COMMENT & SHARE with someone who needs to hear this message!#JohnnyCrowder #CopeNotes #MentalHealthAwareness #Recovery #AddictionRecovery #FaithJourney #RockMusic #PrisonBand #TattooedPastor #SchizophreniaRecovery #PTSD #BipolarDisorder #mentalhealthsupport Connect with me for Coaching, Consulting or to come and speak at George@sobertruthproject.orgBuy my book The Uncovery https://www.briteaton.com/The-Uncovery-BookMy personal website https://www.georgeawood.com/Sober Truth Project https://sobertruthproject.org/https://www.facebook.com/tattooedpastorgw/https://linktr.ee/tattooedpastor00:00 Introduction to Johnny Crowder01:54 The Journey of Cope Notes03:36 The Intersection of Music and Mental Health09:05 The Formation of the Band Prison11:52 Mental Health Themes in Music17:28 Navigating Multiple Passions23:38 Johnny's Personal Mental Health Journey29:51 The Creation of Cope Notes33:27 Partnership with UnitedHealthcare37:26 Recovery and Personal Growth43:29 Faith and Transformation48:19 Closing Thoughts and Encouragement

Christina Dent, founder of End It For Good, Author - Curious, shares her journey of understanding addiction and advocating for a new approach to drug policy. She recounts her experience as a foster parent and meeting a mother struggling with addiction, which challenged her preconceived notions. This led her to question the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in addressing drug use and to explore alternative solutions. She discusses the Rat Park experiment and the importance of addressing the underlying reasons for substance use. Christina emphasizes the need for personalized pathways to recovery and a shift away from a one-size-fits-all approach. The illegal drug economy, fueled by drug prohibition, incentivizes crime and violence by providing a financial incentive. Gangs, cartels, and terrorist organizations are primarily funded through the proceeds of the drug trade. Prohibition also leads to the production of unregulated and dangerous drugs, such as fentanyl, which has contributed to the overdose crisis. The current approach to drug policy is reactive and fear-based, and it is important to shift towards a health-centered approach that addresses the root causes of addiction. Regular people can lead the charge for change and create a movement towards policy reform. Connect with me for Coaching, Consulting or to come and speak at George@tattooedpastor.com Buy my book The Uncovery https://www.briteaton.com/The-Uncovery-Book My personal website https://www.georgeawood.com/ Sober Truth Project https://sobertruthproject.org/ https://www.facebook.com/tattooedpastorgw/ https://linktr.ee/tattooedpastor

George Wood shares his personal journey of recovery and how the gospel can be seen as a form of recovery. He emphasizes the importance of creating healthy community and breaking the shame cycle. He also highlights the need for leaders to be present for others and to see people beyond their labels. The conversation explores the concept of living in the inner city and the challenges faced by pastors and leaders. Overall, the discussion encourages a deeper understanding of the gospel and the role of leaders in facilitating healing and transformation. The conversation explores the power of love and choice, the importance of acceptance and openness, the need for authenticity and face-to-face connections, the impact of mentors and spiritual guidance, carrying the baton of faith, the legacy of leadership, asking the hard questions, and prayer and reflection.