Back by popular demand (and because we promised), we’re throwing it back to an episode that still slaps five years later. Megan Gehrs sat down with Chris and poured out a jaw-dropping story of addiction, destruction, and one hell of a comeback. From sneaking booze in Catholic school basements to being wheelchair-bound with alcoholic neuropathy, Megan takes us on a brutal, hilarious, and brutally honest ride.

But don’t get it twisted—this isn’t a sob story. It’s a story of survival, faith, and the kind of redemption arc that makes Hollywood scripts look soft.

In this one, we cover:

• 🍻 How Belleville turned weekend benders into lifestyle choices
• 🚫 Why DUIs and losing her license didn’t slow her down—but losing the feeling in her legs did
• 🛏️ Drinking vodka out of water bottles in a hospital bed (yeah… it gets there)
• 🔥 Hitting her spiritual bottom and finally getting her life back
• 🙌 Finding purpose in service and saving lives through lived experience
• 💪 What real recovery looks like—and why Megan’s still out here doing the damn thing

Megan didn’t just get sober. She got loud. And now she’s helping others do the same, one raw truth at a time.

This episode is loaded with laughter, tears, and more Belle-Vegas debauchery than we care to admit. If you missed it the first time (shame on you), don’t miss it now.

📅 Originally recorded FIVE YEARS AGO. And it still bangs.

📺 YouTube version (with the most views in show history): Watch here

Let us pray.

Who It’s For

• The introvert who thinks they can't recover in a loud-ass world
• Anyone clinging to the idea of "high-functioning" addiction
• Parents who think “we raised them right” means addiction-proof
• The one white-knuckling sobriety and thinking it’ll magically stay that way
• Folks who think jail and liver failure are just someone else’s problem—until they’re not

Megan Gehrs is back to defend her YouTube crown, and she brought backup: the fierce, funny, and fearless Bree Badgley. What starts as a roast-fest quickly turns into a raw, riveting convo about what it really takes to crawl out of addiction — and why surviving doesn’t mean staying silent.

We talk childhood trauma, drinking vodka from Sprite bottles, Zoom recovery, liver failure, “terminal uniqueness,” prison visits, and the miracle of showing up for life — even when it’s hard as hell.

Bree gets real about trying to white-knuckle her way to sobriety, the self-loathing of secret drinking, and finally surrendering to something bigger. Megan opens up about hitting literal liver failure and still thinking, “I’ve got this.” Spoiler: she didn’t — but she does now.

🔪 Brutally honest. 🤣 Surprisingly funny.
🙏 Spiritually grounding.
This one’s a damn heater.

🕰 TIMESTAMPS

• 00:00 – Welcome back, Megan & meet Bree Badgley
• 05:50 – Bree’s story: “perfect” family, still an alcoholic
• 08:30 – Catholic guilt, introvert hell, and the terminal uniqueness trap
• 16:00 – Megan’s sobriety inspired Bree (even if Bree ghosted her at first)
• 20:30 – Getting sober during COVID (yes, really)
• 27:00 – IOP, living at home, isolation, & the Zoom detox
• 34:00 – Making amends to her sister: “I was a jerk”
• 36:00 – Megan’s liver says “nope,” and the wake-up call
• 41:00 – Bree joins Megan’s homegroup and hates it (at first)
• 43:00 – Finding God in pancakes & basement meetings
• 47:00 – Spirituality, introverts, and group therapy for the win
• 51:00 – Fireball, yet lists, & prison visits that haunt you
• 58:00 – The power of being seen & surrendering the fight
• 1:03:00 – Cliff at Friday’s & the people who never make it out
• 1:05:00 – “I didn’t get in trouble… but I should’ve.”
• 1:07:00 – Recovery, honesty, and learning to live with yourself

This episode’s for the quiet ones, the ones who “don’t look like” addicts, and anyone who ever told themselves I’m fine. You’re not alone. You never were.

🔥 Powered by our day-ones:
🛏️ Illinois Recovery Center – https://illinoisrecoverycenter.com/
🔪 Bertarelli Cutlery – https://bertarellico.com/

Let’s f’ing go.

This week, Chris, Jeff, and Jakob throw down on some heavy hitters: grief, addiction, childhood trauma, and what it really takes to get your shit together in recovery. No fluff, no fake inspiration—just real talk from guys who’ve lived it.

Chris opens up about a brutal personal loss and how it shook his sobriety to the core. The crew doesn’t sugarcoat it—grief will mess with your head, especially when you’re trying to stay clean. They break down why grieving your old life is part of the process and how pretending you’re “fine” only makes things worse.

They hit hard on childhood trauma, accountability, and the difference between just not drinking and actually recovering. Spoiler: one is survival, the other is transformation.

Relationships? Still complicated as hell in sobriety. But with humility, self-reflection, and a crew that calls you on your bullshit, it gets manageable. The guys remind us that asking for help isn’t weakness—it’s the strongest move you can make. And when you start showing up for others? That’s where the real magic happens.

This one’s about sitting in the suck, owning your story, and crawling toward growth—one honest step at a time.

Takeaways

• Chris shares a gut-punch story of loss and how it shook up his recovery.
• Grief isn’t just about people—it’s also about losing the chaos you once called “normal.”
• Childhood trauma has receipts. Time to face it.
• There’s no healing without humility. Own your shit.
• Sobriety and recovery? Not the same thing.
• Accountability means letting people into the mess.
• Self-pity is a trap. Grieve, then move.
• Gratitude isn’t corny—it’s fuel.
• The scariest things to do are usually the most important.
• Asking for help is gangster.
• Service keeps you out of your own head.
• You don’t do this alone. Ever.

Sponsors

Illinois Recovery Center – Where real healing starts.

Bertarelli Cutlery – Sharpen your damn knives. And your life.