Drama, gossip, rumors, and people who apparently have way too much time to worry about everybody else's recovery. Yep, we're going there.

In this episode of Recovery Unfiltered with Nick and Will, Nick Fantozzi and Will Cashman tackle something that can do real damage in recovery communities: drama in the rooms. What happens when the very places we turn to for support become environments filled with gossip, judgment, and broken trust? How do we protect our recovery, establish boundaries, and continue showing up for ourselves when other people can't seem to mind their own damn business?

We explore anonymity, confidentiality, principles before personalities, and the emotional consequences of rumors and unnecessary conflict. Because when someone stops attending meetings because they no longer feel safe or supported, that's a conversation worth having.

Then we shift gears into the art of actually having a meaningful conversation. And yes, there's a difference between asking someone how they're doing and genuinely wanting to understand their answer.

Will brings his clinical counseling experience into the discussion, breaking down motivational interviewing, active listening, open-ended questions, emotional validation, and practical de-escalation techniques. We explore how simple questions like "Can you help me understand?" and "What does that look like for you?" can change the direction of a conversation, especially when emotions are running high.

Of course, this wouldn't be Recovery Unfiltered with Nick and Will without some completely unhinged detours. We've got road rage, gummy bears, Grindr conversations, questionable Disney references, angry eyebrows, and Nick discovering that telling an angry person to calm down might be the worst possible idea.

We also get personal during our recovery check-in, discussing how our relationships with meetings, sponsorship, step work, service, and personal growth continue to evolve. Recovery changes as we change, and we're both learning what sustainable recovery looks like in our own lives.

In this episode, we're talking about:

• Gossip, drama, and protecting anonymity in recovery fellowships
• Setting boundaries without feeding unnecessary conflict
• Why meaningful conversations require more than surface-level questions
• Active listening, emotional validation, and motivational interviewing
• De-escalating difficult conversations through tone, body language, and curiosity
• Taking ownership of our personal growth and recovery
• Finding balance between recovery commitments and everyday life

COMING UP!

Join us October 29 at 7 PM Eastern for our LIVE Halloween Spooktacular featuring special guest Dr. Nicole Labor! Expect costumes, recovery conversations, and whatever chaos Nick and Will manage to create.

We also preview upcoming guests, our chemsex recovery workshop at the Beyond Gender Conference in Florida, and what's ahead as we work toward Season Two.

Support the Show

Team Nick and Will merchandise:
https://colorsacrossthesky.printful.me/

Vote for Nick and Will in the 2026 iHeartRadio Top Host competition:
https://tophost.org/2026/will-cashman

Listener discretion is advised. This podcast is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. The discussions and opinions expressed are not a substitute for professional medical, mental health, or addiction treatment advice.

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: NHSGSLZCPHYXCMRL

What happens when the person you love is struggling with addiction, and somewhere along the way, you begin losing yourself trying to save them?

In Episode 27 of Recovery Unfiltered with Nick and Will, we welcome Ryan Allen Carrillo, a professional athlete, television personality, LGBTQ+ advocate, and author, for an unfiltered conversation about love, addiction, codependency, trauma, and finding the courage to choose yourself.

Ryan has lived an extraordinary life. From performing alongside Madonna, Beyoncé, and P!nk to competing as a professional roller skater and appearing on national television, his career has taken him around the world. But behind the accomplishments and success was a personal battle that no amount of fame, determination, or professional achievement could prepare him for.

After building a life, family, and successful business with his partner of 14 years, Ryan discovered that crystal methamphetamine addiction had become a devastating presence in their relationship. What followed was years of emotional turmoil, manipulation, broken trust, attempts to intervene, and the painful realization that loving someone cannot make them choose recovery.

Ryan opens up about the devastating impact addiction can have on partners and families, including the trauma of watching someone you love become increasingly unrecognizable. He shares how a five-day incarceration became an unexpected turning point, why Al-Anon helped him begin reclaiming his life, and what he means when he describes himself as having become "addicted to hope."

Nick and Will bring their own lived experiences with substance use disorder into the conversation, exploring codependency, accountability, enabling, boundaries, and the grief of mourning someone who is still alive.

Ryan also introduces his forthcoming book, I Loved You Sober: Loving an Addict, Losing Myself and Finding My Way Back, which chronicles his relationship, the impact of addiction, and his ongoing journey toward healing.

Through honest reflection, unexpected humor, and moments of profound vulnerability, this episode addresses an often-overlooked part of addiction: the people who love someone struggling with it.

"Saving him is killing me." — Ryan Allen Carrillo

For anyone who has ever loved someone with addiction, questioned their own reality, struggled to establish boundaries, or wondered when it was finally time to take care of themselves, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Ryan Allen Carrillo:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanacarrillo

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1304402/?_ssoLoop=1

Substack: https://ryanacarrillo.substack.com/

Listen to Recovery Unfiltered with Nick and Will

New episodes every Monday and Friday on Spotify and YouTube.

Listener Discretion Advised: This episode contains discussions of substance use disorder, emotional abuse, domestic conflict, trauma, and incarceration.

Recovery Unfiltered with Nick and Will is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. The perspectives shared are personal experiences and should not be considered clinical or medical advice.

Recovery is possible. Healing is possible. And nobody has to face it alone.

Recorded on location at Stella Maris in Cleveland, this episode of Recovery Unfiltered with Nick and Will welcomes Chelsea Puda, a specialty services counselor celebrating eleven years in recovery.

With humor and remarkable openness, Chelsea shares her experience with heroin addiction, childhood trauma, mental health struggles, and returning to recovery after a relapse. She talks about the moments when getting honest allowed her to accept help, the support of her parents and partner, and the daily practices that continue to sustain her recovery.

Chelsea also takes us inside her work at Stella Maris, where she helps clients understand trauma and develop skills for managing difficult emotions. We discuss the power of connection in group counseling, the emotional weight of losing clients, and the importance of a workplace where staff can ask for support and be themselves.

The conversation extends to families, rebuilding trust through consistent actions, and how Nar-Anon helped Chelsea’s parents find support of their own. Through it all, Chelsea offers a message grounded in experience: honesty can open the door to help, and healing takes continued care, connection, and effort.

Listener discretion is advised. This episode includes explicit language and discussions of childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, heroin use, overdose, suicide attempts, and suicidal thoughts.

STELLA MARIS & FAMILY SUPPORT

Learn about Stella Maris:

https://www.stellamariscleveland.com/

COMING UP: HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR

Join Nick and Will live on Facebook with special guest Dr. Nicole Labor on October 29 at 7 PM Eastern!

https://www.facebook.com/therecoveryunfilteredpodcast

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Shop Team Nick and Team Will T-shirts and podcast merchandise:

https://colorsacrossthesky.printful.me/

Support Nick and Will with your Top Host vote:

https://tophost.org/2026/will-cashman

SEASON ONE NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHTS

Dignity Suds & Duds provides free laundry access for people experiencing homelessness. Donate or share:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-complete-our-road-map-to-clean-clothes-for-the-unhoused

Rescuing Families, featured in Family to the Rescue, helps families facing disabilities and financial hardship with home repairs and modifications. Learn more or donate:

https://www.rescuingfamilies.org/

Thank you to our listeners and viewers for your continued support. Follow, subscribe, and share this episode to help these conversations reach more people.

Recovery Unfiltered with Nick and Will is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered clinical advice and does not replace professional counseling, diagnosis, or treatment.