How Addiction Nearly Killed Three Sisters w/ Amanda Crossley | The Hopeaholics Podcast

In this powerful episode of The Hopeaholics Podcast, Amanda Crossley shares her raw and unforgettable story of addiction, survival, and recovery—from growing up in New Jersey, stealing pills while working in a pharmacy, and descending into heroin use alongside her two sisters, to writing a desperate letter to Doctor Phil that ultimately changed all of their lives. Amanda opens up about the chaos of addiction, the pain her family endured, being exposed on national television, and how that moment became the turning point that led her to long-term sobriety, rebuilding relationships, and finding purpose by recovering out loud. This episode is an honest, emotional look at addiction as a family disease and a testament to what’s possible when secrets end and recovery begins. Amanda also reflects on early sobriety, facing legal consequences, and learning how to build a new life from the ground up. Her story highlights the power of community, accountability, and saying yes to help even when it’s uncomfortable. If you or someone you love is struggling, this episode is a reminder that recovery is possible and hope is never out of reach.

#thehopeaholics #redemption #recovery #AlcoholAddiction #addictionrecovery #wedorecover #SobrietyJourney #MyStory #Hope #wedorecover #treatmentcenter #natalieevamarie

Join our patreon to get access to an EXTRA EPISODE every week of ‘Off the Record’, exclusive content, a thriving recovery community, and opportunities to be featured on the podcast. https://patreon.com/TheHopeaholics

Go to www.Wolfpak.com today and support our sponsors. Don't forget to use code: HOPEAHOLICSPODCAST for 10% off!

Follow the Hopeaholics on our Socials:
https://www.instagram.com/thehopeaholics
https://linktr.ee/thehopeaholics

Buy Merch:
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Visit our Treatment Centers: https://www.hopebythesea.com
If you or a loved one needs help, please call or text 949-615-8588. We have the resources to treat mental health and addiction.

Sponsored by the Infiniti Group LLC:
https://www.infinitigroupllc.com

Timestamps:
00:03:20 - Growing Up in New Jersey and East Coast Mentality
00:05:00 - Family Background and Sisters’ Addiction
00:06:54 - First Experience With OxyContin
00:07:35 - Stealing and Selling Pills While Working in a Pharmacy
00:11:54 - First Time Using Heroin After Being Caught
00:14:43 - First Treatment Experience at Age 22
00:16:12 - Moving to Florida With Her Sister and Rapid Decline
00:18:21 - All Three Sisters Using Under Parents’ Roof
00:21:31 - Writing the Letter to Doctor Phil
00:22:32 - Doctor Phil Producers Call Two Years Later
00:24:27 - Filming Doctor Phil and Parents Seeing Everything
00:25:56 - Sent to Treatment and Sobriety Begins
00:28:01 - Sisters’ Sobriety and Family Today
00:34:31 - Life After Treatment and Commitment to Recovery

Facing a Life Sentence After Getting Sober w/ Vinsent Franke | The Hopeaholics Podcast

In this intense and deeply emotional episode of the Hopeaholics Podcast, Vinsent Franke shares a raw, unfiltered account of trauma, addiction, crime, faith, and recovery that spans decades. He opens up about early childhood exposure to drugs and alcohol, severe abuse that shattered trust, and a life split between discipline and chaos that fueled addiction from a young age. Vinsent details his descent into drug dealing, violence, incarceration, and psychosis, alongside moments of extreme loss, including the addiction and struggles of his son and the unbearable weight of parental guilt. The conversation takes a powerful turn as he recounts a profound spiritual experience that ended his addiction overnight while facing a potential life sentence just days into sobriety. From navigating insanity defenses and jail time to becoming a therapist, pastor, and recovery leader, this episode explores the intersection of trauma, spirituality, accountability, and grace. It’s a gripping story about surviving the darkest corners of addiction, confronting generational pain, and finding purpose through recovery, service, and faith.
#thehopeaholics #redemption #recovery #AlcoholAddiction #AddictionRecovery #wedorecover #SobrietyJourney #MyStory #Hope #wedorecover #treatmentcenter #natalieevamarie

Join our patreon to get access to an EXTRA EPISODE every week of ‘Off the Record’, exclusive content, a thriving recovery community, and opportunities to be featured on the podcast. https://patreon.com/TheHopeaholics

Go to www.Wolfpak.com today and support our sponsors. Don't forget to use code: HOPEAHOLICSPODCAST for 10% off!

Follow the Hopeaholics on our Socials:
https://www.instagram.com/thehopeaholics
https://linktr.ee/thehopeaholics

Buy Merch:
https://thehopeaholics.myshopify.com

Visit our Treatment Centers: https://www.hopebythesea.com
If you or a loved one needs help, please call or text 949-615-8588. We have the resources to treat mental health and addiction.

Sponsored by the Infiniti Group LLC:
https://www.infinitigroupllc.com

Timestamps:
00:03:31 - Clean and sober since 2004
00:04:55 - First drink at nine years old
00:05:52 - First time getting high as a child
00:09:56 - Childhood abuse and betrayal by a stepfather
00:11:20 - Discovering his mother married another abuser
00:14:45 - Finding Charles Manson letters in his mother’s possession
00:18:09 - Starting drug distribution to survive
00:19:20 - Being told to grow his own weed at thirteen
00:20:30 - Paying for an abortion and emotional collapse
00:23:12 - First time smoking cocaine
00:26:48 - Meeting his son for the first time in prison
00:28:42 - Abandoning his son while deep in addiction
00:31:31 - Prescription pills leading to heroin
00:33:21 - Refusing to force his son into treatment
00:34:53 - Son in psychosis calling from the hospital
00:35:46 - Spiritual experience that ended his addiction
00:39:08 - Facing a life sentence days into sobriety
00:39:57 - Acquitted after insanity and diminished capacity defense
00:41:23 - Realizing recovery is spiritual warfare
00:44:18 - Becoming a pastor after addiction and prison
00:48:26 - Discovering sober living operators using drugs
00:49:05 - Starting and running sober living homes

Why Money, Power, and Women Didn’t Fix the Pain with Michael Lynch | The Hopeaholics Podcast

In this raw and powerful episode of the Hopeaholics Podcast, Michael Lynch sits down to share an unfiltered story of survival, addiction, crime, success, and redemption. From growing up in foster care and running the streets, to building a viral underground fight empire funded by prison hustles, Michael opens up about the rise that came with money, fame, and excess—and the quiet collapse that followed through alcoholism, isolation, and the brink of suicide. He speaks candidly about manipulation, power, broken relationships, and how alcohol nearly destroyed everything drugs never could. The conversation takes a dramatic turn as Michael recounts being raided just days after deciding to end his life, leading to jail, a fight for freedom, and an unexpected introduction to recovery that ultimately saved him. This episode dives deep into the psychology of addiction, the illusion of success, prison life, spiritual awakening, and what real transformation looks like after hitting bottom. It’s an intense, honest, and inspiring story about losing everything, surrendering control, and finding purpose in helping others find their way out.

#thehopeaholics #redemption #recovery #AlcoholAddiction #AddictionRecovery #wedorecover #SobrietyJourney #MyStory #Hope #wedorecover #treatmentcenter #natalieevamarie

Join our patreon to get access to an EXTRA EPISODE every week of ‘Off the Record’, exclusive content, a thriving recovery community, and opportunities to be featured on the podcast. https://patreon.com/TheHopeaholics

Go to www.Wolfpak.com today and support our sponsors. Don't forget to use code: HOPEAHOLICSPODCAST for 10% off!

Follow the Hopeaholics on our Socials:
https://www.instagram.com/thehopeaholics
https://linktr.ee/thehopeaholics

Buy Merch:
https://thehopeaholics.myshopify.com

Visit our Treatment Centers: https://www.hopebythesea.com
If you or a loved one needs help, please call or text 949-615-8588. We have the resources to treat mental health and addiction.

Sponsored by the Infiniti Group LLC:
https://www.infinitigroupllc.com

Timestamps:
00:01:30 - Foster care and growing up in the system
00:02:41 - First hustle at ten years old
00:03:24 - Felony Fights origins
00:04:13 - Felony Fights explodes worldwide
00:08:23 - Addiction taking over during success
00:09:27 - Drug money funding Felony Fights
00:10:28 - Discovering he was about to be a father in prison
00:12:44 - Going from prison to best-selling DVDs
00:14:04 - Alcohol becoming the real downfall
00:19:20 - Realizing money and power were fools gold
00:22:03 - Why recovery was harder than prison
00:23:49 - Choosing to help addicts instead of hustling
00:24:37 - Facing a life sentence as the three-strikes poster boy
00:25:13 - Planning to commit suicide at the height of success
00:26:17 - Being raided instead of killing himself
00:28:16 - Clean date and sobriety begins
00:30:28 - Denial and watching life collapse
00:31:49 - Sabotaging love and pushing everyone away
00:34:20 - Finding recovery while fighting a life sentence
00:38:24 - Impact jail program saves his life
00:41:58 - Learning the steps and surrendering control
00:42:52 - Belief that the darkest stories do the most good