What do you do when your own mind tries to convince you that your life doesn’t matter?

Ryan Penley sits down with Joseph M. Lenard, a suicide attempt survivor who overcame addiction to Xanax and battled leukemia — and came back with a message about the value of life.

Joseph opens up about mental health, suicidal ideation, and the moment he realized every life carries meaning. He shares how creativity and writing became part of his healing journey, and how storytelling can become a lifeline for others.

We discuss:

• Addiction recovery and resilience
• Leukemia and facing mortality
• Suicide prevention and choosing life
• The butterfly effect of small positive actions
• Creativity as therapy
• Faith, personal responsibility, and the Christitutionalist philosophy

Joseph says it plainly:

“I am a suicide attempt survivor.”

This episode is a reminder that your life matters — even when your mind tries to convince you otherwise.

If you’ve ever questioned your value, this conversation is for you.

🌐 https://JosephMLenard.us
🔗 https://linktr.ee/jlenarddetroit
𝕏 https://x.com/JLenardMichigan

🌊 https://www.ryanpenley.org

What happens when the addicted brain finally runs out of excuses—and the will to live kicks in?

In this powerful conversation on The Next Fix, Ryan Penley sits down with Laura Straniak, who shares her raw journey from early exposure to addiction, through heroin and fentanyl, to the moment jail became the wake-up call that saved her life. Laura doesn’t sugarcoat the chaos—but she also doesn’t stay there.

She opens up about medication-assisted treatment with Suboxone, the role of community in a small town, and why progress over perfection became the mindset that changed everything. At 20 months sober, Laura reflects on rebuilding trust, finding purpose, and using her story to help others believe they’re stronger than they think.

This is a grounded, honest look at recovery—focused on resilience, momentum, and what happens when someone finally decides: I’m done.

Key themes: recovery, addiction, sobriety, Suboxone, mental health, community support, resilience, transformation

Memorable moments: “I was tired. I was just done.” • “Progress, not perfection.” • “I feel like I’m doing it.”

🔗 Find Ryan & the podcast: https://www.ryanpenley.org

🔗 Connect with Laura on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lstraniak

If you’re navigating recovery—or walking alongside someone who is—this episode is proof that change is possible, even after rock bottom.

Kevin Moran doesn’t soften his story. He names the chaos, the damage, and the near-death moment that forced him to confront who he’d become—and the long, imperfect road back.

Addiction started early, escalated fast, and became tangled with identity, money, and survival. No glamor. No shortcuts. Just truth.

This isn’t a clean redemption arc. It’s a real one.

In conversation with Ryan Penley, Kevin talks candidly about addiction, recovery, mental health, and sobriety—and why isolation is often more dangerous than relapse. He explains how community became essential, not as a fix, but as a lifeline for staying present and accountable.

Kevin also shares how creativity became a way forward. Through projects that honor his late fiancée, he’s transformed grief into connection—using story and expression to support others navigating loss, recovery, and personal growth. His work isn’t about attention. It’s about contribution.

What emerges is a grounded conversation on resilience, compassion over perfection, and choosing engagement—one honest day at a time.

Guest: Kevin Moran
Connect with Kevin on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003464248283

Host: Ryan Penley
Find Ryan at:
https://www.ryanpenley.org

A raw conversation on addiction, recovery, mental health, sobriety, community, resilience, and how shared stories help others heal.