Last updated on November 12th, 2023
Americans have a problem with addiction. In 2020 alone Americans consumed nearly 86 million gallons of pure alcohol. And that’s just alcohol. Tack on drug addiction, clearly, there’s a problem.
That’s thrown a lot more people addiction and recovery circles. And addiction podcasts are becoming an increasingly effective tool aiding in recovery.
If you’ve ever struggled with addiction, you know how difficult it is to recover. It’s a long road that requires a lot of work, and the pandemic made it even harder—but it doesn’t have to be this way. Recovery is possible, and addiction podcasts are beginning to make more impact.
Source: NIH, & NIAAA. (April 1, 2022). Alcohol consumption from all beverages in the U.S. in 2020, by state (in thousand gallons of ethanol) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved January 27, 2023, from
https://www.statista.com/statistics/442859/alcohol-consumption-of-all-beverages-in-the-us-by-state/
The problem is that there’s still a lot of stigma associated with addiction recovery, and that can stop people suffering from seeking addiction treatment. The truth is, there’s no shame in needing help or asking for it—and addiction recovery podcasts are an excellent tool for this because nobody has to know what you’re listening to at any given time.
Podcasts aren’t just for entertainment anymore—they’re also an integrated tool in addiction recovery. And while none of this is to be considered medical advice, speaking from personal experience, podcasts have been an integral tool in my own process. Hopefully they can help you as well.
The following list of addiction podcasts are specifically aimed at addiction and recovery. We’re going to cover some other, related, podcasts a little further down the list that are helpful in recovery. But these are aimed directly at recovery itself. They’re not podcasts about addiction per se, but they have still been helpful in rebuilding life.
Lisa Smith and Tawny Lara host this kind of irreverent show focused on recovery. They are 12 step advocates, but I always get the impression they don’t take that too religiously. 12 step isn’t everyone’s jam, but these rock and roll lovers make it more palatable.
What I also like about this show is that we see how this disease can impact everyone from any walk of life. You have a writer and a lawyer from two generations afflicted by the same condition.
Definitely worth a listen.
This show actually ended in 2021, but I’m including it on the addiction podcasts list because of the catalogue of 137 inspiring stories about recovery. Life changes, people move on, but this is still a podcast worth listening to. Especially if you’re new to the scene.
Even if the band breaks up, you don’t give up on their albums right? Same idea with this podcast hosted by Tricia Lewis.
Shane Ramer is on a mission. To help guys quit drinking and better their lives all around.
This show is aimed at men, but I think the messages from his guests are fairly universal. It’s another show that is relatable because of how widespread this disease is.
I also love how open and passionate he is about how great recovery can be while not sugar coating the difficulties involved.
Over the 220 episodes (and counting) of this show, licensed marriage and family therapist Duane Osterlind looks at the latest research about the brain and just how we become addicted.
As well as the latest research about what we can do about it.
He’s interviewed doctors, nutritionists, spiritual leaders, film makers, and people from everyday life who are getting the recovery job done. There’s not one way to maintain sobriety and everyone has to eventually find their own path.
Duane’s helping listeners see by example.
If you want to hear truly inspiring stories about how life is better without alcohol then add this to your podcast app.
It’s also not just addiction podcasts either. They organise sober trips and events to put the inspiring words into action. Retreats, sober prom, and New Year’s Eve events are just some of the events they’ve hosted and organized.
I have to admit I’m eyeballing that ukulele course pretty hard.
Craig Beck is a coach and self described “Stop Drinking Expert.” Your mileage may vary on this approach, but rehab and AA aren’t the “sober life” answer for everyone. So that’s why I included this podcast on the list.
Take a listen with an open mind and you may find that this is the right energy for your recovery. Remember, it’s not one size fits all with a problem this big.
Refuge Recovery happens to be my recovery community of choice. It’s a non-theistic recovery program based (loosely) on Buddhist principles. But you don’t have to believe anything, or really know anything about Buddhism to get something positive out of the sessions.
It was started by Noah Levine, a very lay Buddhist, and he hosts most of the episodes. There’s a lot of Q&A, so if you’re curious, and looking for something different, give it a listen.
Jessica Jeboult hosts this lighthearted take on the life of a sober girl. Like the show aimed at men above, this show definitely has the perspective of a girl, but the show is witty and the messages of addiction podcasts are often universal.
Her guests have a similar lighthearted take on a very serious subject. The episodes aren’t so much instructive, as they are anecdotal takes on how individuals succeeded in changing their relationship with alcohol.
Bizzy, the titular (is it titular if it’s phonetic?) host of this uniquely formatted podcast is sharing her life in sobriety.
Unlike some of the more scripted podcasts on this list, each episode of this one feels more freewheeling. It has a self-described “call in show” format, and that works for a lot of these episodes.
If you’re feeling the need for a laugh and a different kind of show, then check this one out at least a few times.
This show actually wrapped at the end of 2022, but it still deserves a place on this list. Over the 273 episodes produced, the format of the show was in a near constant state of flux.
The number of hosts went from 5 eventually down to just Jean McCarthy hosting the final, retrospective season.
Sobriety is hard. So is producing a podcast. Tough decisions have to be made and relationships change. It’s honestly one of the hardest, most rewarding endeavours a lot of people make, so the honesty in seeing how the sausage is made was refreshing.
Thanks for the memories and listens.
I decided to include This Naked Mind as a bonus mention because Annie Grace is a legend in recovery circles. The Alcohol Experiment was one of the first things I did in recovery that made a dent in my disease. It’s a free 30 day challenge to get your life in order and put down the bottle.
If nothing else, it helped. The stories presented on the podcast at this point are extremely well produced, interesting, and heart wrenching. She has mastered the method of turning people’s rock bottom into motivational energy. As addiction podcasts go, this one should be in standard rotation in your podcast app.
Podcasts that aren’t necessarily specifically addiction podcasts, or about recovery, but podcasts that will help build up your mental health, which is often an underlying cause of addiction in the first place.
And we know that mental health suffered greatly in the past few years. So these podcasts are aimed at helping to improve habits and make recovery more sustainable.
We’ve talked about Dan Harris before and how important this show is for mental health. It’s well produced and explores the totality of the subject. If you haven’t yet listened, now is the time.
Using alcohol to mask insecurity, lack of self-confidence, or impostor syndrome? Yeah, me too. Master confidence coach Kara Lowentheil will help you get over that, and in doing so, put down the bottle.
Cognitive neuroscientist, Dr. Caroline Leaf will give you practical advice on quieting the neurosis that you may have been masking with substances. Get the mind right, and recovery gets a lot easier.
Host Paul Gilmartin creates a safe space to discuss some really difficult subjects. Some of these shows may be triggering, but it covers a wide spectrum of mental illness that some have used to self medicate. The episodes that focus on the science of a better way to live are my favorites.
If you haven’t experienced some sense of overwhelm in the past several years, then you’re extremely well adjusted, or completely detached. That overwhelm is what drives the craving to drink in far too many people. Host Paul Colaianni is driven to make us emotionally stronger so we may weather these storms a bit better over time.
Recovery is a long road to walk. No doubt about it. And because of the stigma still associated with addiction to substances, it can be challenging to put yourself out there as a recovering addict.
That one I know from personal experience.
Podcasts have proven themselves to be an effective tool in the recovery arsenal. Hopefully these ones here will start you off on the right foot in recovery.
—
If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental-health crisis or contemplating suicide, call or text 988. In emergencies, call 911, or seek care from a local hospital or mental-health provider.
The Dissect Podcast had been floating around in the back of my head for a…
NASCAR podcasts really have the possibility to bridge what we may ignorantly think is a…
Welcome to our guide on the best mystery podcasts! If you're a fan of spine-tingling…
The trial is over, the sentence meted out, but the impacts linger. We'd all do…
The best podcast about history will not only teach us about the past, but will…
The true crime genre is alive and well in the podcast community. Here are our…