It’s the F*ck Around Show — and this one is the full buffet: trauma, texting, family dysfunction, emo heart emojis, and coffee that’ll punch you in the soul.

Chris, Jeff, and Zoë go deep and unhinged in this raw ride through recovery, relationships, and roasting the sh*t out of each other (and themselves). From whether ghosts can be good friends to why Zoë refuses to text anyone back unless you’re sending emojis with flair, this episode hits all the avoidant-attached neurotic highs and lows.

We get into how ACA (Adult Children of Alcoholics) meetings saved people’s a**es, why support groups are for more than addicts, and what it means to be haunted by unhealed sh*t. Pondoff opens up about surviving real violence (yes, whiskey bottles and all), and Zoë shares the exact story of her conception — yes, weed, cheesecake, and genitals are involved.

There’s also:

• Emotional support punch cards
• Coffee that funds the pod (https://www.pondoffsanonymous.com)
• A musical interlude about inclusive worship songs that’ll have you crying in your recovery mug
• A debate about Siri voices and Amish communication standards
• A collective obsession with The Sopranos
• A quick pitch for executive assistants who also respond to texts (aka unicorns)

This ep also features one of the wildest detours into strip clubs, pit bulls, bouncers, and the logistics of Zoe and Kathy house-sitting without burning down Chris’s life.

Also, Pondoff says something outrageous in a sermon. So there’s that.

Time stamps (DO NOT MISS):

• 00:00 Introduction to Recovery and Coffee
• 02:03 Navigating Communication in Friendships
• 05:56 Understanding Attachment Styles
• 11:59 Exploring Personal Relationships and Boundaries
• 17:59 Humorous Anecdotes and Family Dynamics
• 23:56 Navigating Family Dynamics and Healing
• 26:20 The Importance of Support Groups
• 28:00 Avoidance and Communication Challenges
• 29:49 The Necessity of Change in Recovery
• 32:00 Facing the Fear of Change
• 33:58 Reflections on Personal Experiences
• 35:59 The Role of Music in Healing
• 39:00 Introducing New Show Concepts
• 41:55 Promoting Community and Connection
• 45:02 Coffee and Community Engagement
• 48:04 Struggles with Weight and Substance Use
• 51:30 Reflections on The Sopranos
• 56:03 Personal Dynamics and Relationships
• 01:01:05 Plans for Future Shows and Guests
• 01:10:37 Building a Supportive Community
• 01:13:46 The Power of Shared Stories
• 01:17:33 Creating a Safe Space for Healing
• 01:19:55 Redefining Church and Community
• 01:24:56 The Importance of Connection and Outreach
• 01:29:50 Transformative Stories of Recovery
• 01:34:58 Encouragement and Affirmation in Community
• 01:39:01 Looking Ahead: Future Initiatives

Find the good sh*t:

• Light in the Dark roast – a bold Colombian collab with Long Story Coffee. Available now at pondoffsanonymous.com
• Song: Plowshare Prayer by Spencer LaJoye
• longstorycoffee.com – use code PONDOFF15 for 15% off anything except the show’s roast

Sponsored by:

• McKelvey Insurance
• LightSource Psychotherapy

Get our coffee, Light in the Dark, now at http://pondoffsanonymous.com

Sponsored by McKelvey Insurance and LightSource Psychotherapy

Who this episode is for:

• People who drink to take the edge off but can’t figure out why it’s not working
• Moms barely holding it together while doing all the things
• Anyone juggling success and secret self-destruction
• Former athletes still chasing performance highs
• Folks in the gray zone between “I’m fine” and “I’m falling apart”
• And the ones who think it’s “just wine”

This week, Chris, Jeff, and Zoe sit down with Allison Barber, a former collegiate gymnast turned alcohol freedom coach. Her story isn’t about a dramatic crash. It’s a slow slide—wine every night, quiet disconnection, pretending things are fine when they’re anything but.

She got out not through rehab or AA, but by finding This Naked Mind and realizing she didn’t need to hit bottom to change. No rock bottom. No labels. Just truth and science and a better way forward.

Now she helps others who feel stuck in the same loop—drinking more than they want to, quietly wondering if it’s a problem, and not sure where to turn. If you're sick of the guilt spiral and tired of trying to out-discipline your drinking, Allison’s approach will hit home.

She’s real, honest, and living proof that freedom doesn’t require everything falling apart. You can change your story before it wrecks you.

Find her at https://theinsideoutfreedom.com or email allisonbarbercoach@gmail.com

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Sponsors
• 03:45 – Meet Allison Barber: gymnast, mom, nightly wine drinker
• 08:00 – Early perfectionism and pressure
• 13:15 – Bartles & James and beginning to self-medicate
• 22:00 – Marriage disconnect and drinking in secret
• 26:15 – The high-functioning lie
• 38:10 – Neck injury and the wake-up call
• 42:00 – Five bottles of wine in Florida
• 44:30 – Discovering This Naked Mind
• 53:30 – Becoming a certified coach
• 58:00 – Coaching without shame
• 1:06:00 – Parenting and healing
• 1:14:00 – Her last drink: June 21, 2020
• 1:18:32 – Confidence returns and major milestones
• 1:19:28 – theinsideoutfreedom.com and how to reach her
• 1:20:07 – Athletes and performance identity
• 1:21:10 – You don’t need to hit rock bottom
• 1:22:43 – The “sober curious” movement
• 1:25:43 – Ruth Langmore wisdom and humility
• 1:26:26 – Wine moms, COVID drinking, and purple teeth
• 1:29:00 – Heading to Hawaii without packing five bottles
• 1:31:36 – Recovery church and pizza
• 1:33:14 – Gratitude and staying connected

Work with Allison Barber

Visit https://theinsideoutfreedom.com or email allisonbarbercoach@gmail.com to schedule a free discovery call. You don’t need to hit bottom. You just need to want something better.

Sponsored by

• McKelvey Insurance
• LightSource Psychotherapy

Sponsored by:
🛡️ McKelvey Insurance – https://www.mckelveyins.com
🧠 LightSource Psychotherapy – https://findyourlightsource.com

S2 E39 – Losing Everything to Find Recovery with Jake Dunavant

Jake Dunavant shows up looking like a suburban dad with a Costco card. But don’t get it twisted. This man has walked through hell with a needle in his arm, kids in the next room, and nothing but chaos between him and redemption. A former union carpenter turned Senior Outreach Coordinator at Illinois Recovery Center, Jake is here to spill all the gut-punching, jaw-dropping, totally human details of his road from varsity wrestling to full-blown heroin addiction to reclaiming his family and purpose.

In this wild ride of an episode, the crew dives deep into Jake’s early intro to weed and booze, the rapid-fire escalation to cocaine and opioids, and the business-decision logic of IV heroin use. You’ll hear about the overdoses (plural), the Narcan resurrections, and the terrifying moment DFS swooped in and took his babies while he and his wife were literally overdosing in the same house. And yeah, he came this close to letting it all go to shit.

But against all odds, Jake and his wife Tabitha clawed their way back. Custody. Careers. Clean time. Faith. Family. All of it. He opens up about overcompensating as a parent, watching his son fumble a chance to compliment a girl (it’s hilarious), and how guilt-fueled parenting almost screwed them up all over again.

You’ll also get the full backstory on how he “courted” his now-wife with a dresser full of pink oxys. Take as many as you want, babe. And the deeply emotional, unshakeable power of hearing your newborn cry, only to stop the second he hears your voice. Yeah, even while you’re high as hell.

This one’s messy. It’s raw. It’s fucking real. If you’ve ever been there, or know someone who has, this episode will hit home in the deepest, ugliest, and most healing way.

Time Stamps (Do Not Skip These):

• 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Sponsors
• 06:00 Introducing Jake Dunavant: A Personal Story
• 14:03 The Role of Alcohol and Drugs in Youth
• 19:56 The Escalation of Substance Use
• 21:03 The Dangers of Modern Substance Use
• 23:03 Parenting Through Addiction
• 29:15 Overcoming Addiction and Regaining Custody
• 32:11 The Narcan Experience
• 36:16 The Role of Family and Faith in Recovery
• 39:31 Empathy and Understanding in Addiction
• 42:38 The Complexity of Love and Addiction
• 45:11 The Journey from Pills to Heroin
• 50:00 Reflections on Early Relationships and Substance Use
• 50:40 The Power of Connection and Humor
• 53:01 Navigating Relationships and Substance Use
• 55:02 The Impact of Parenthood on Addiction
• 59:00 The Struggles of Addiction and Family Dynamics
• 01:02:02 Detox and the Journey to Recovery
• 01:06:55 Life After Jail: A New Beginning
• 01:13:36 The Cycle of Addiction and Recovery
• 01:17:39 Finding Support and Connection
• 01:18:16 The Struggles of Addiction
• 01:19:32 Family Dynamics and Foster Care
• 01:20:31 Resentment and Recovery
• 01:21:10 Hitting Rock Bottom
• 01:25:11 The Role of Compassionate Intervention
• 01:27:15 Peer Support and Recovery
• 01:29:13 The Impact of Medication in Recovery
• 01:33:19 Building a New Life After Addiction
• 01:40:12 The Journey to Recovery Begins
• 01:43:07 Navigating Sober Living Challenges
• 01:46:25 Building Accountability and Humility
• 01:49:05 Rebuilding Relationships and Family Dynamics
• 01:51:57 Full Circle: From Recovery to Helping Others
• 02:00:04 Lived Experience: A Valuable Perspective
• 02:10:06 Gratitude and Hope in Recovery

Guest: Jake Dunavant – Senior Outreach Coordinator at Illinois Recovery Center, former heroin addict, father, husband, and all-around beast of recovery.

Check out Illinois Recovery Center: https://www.illinoisrecoverycenter.com