We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. A single life can bend policy, culture, and the fate of families—and Harold E. Hughes is proof. We share how a farm kid from Depression-era Iowa lost his brother, survived war, and slid into alcohol-fueled chaos before a bathtub plea sparked a turnaround. That private shift led to public impact: decades of sobriety, a landslide governorship, and a U.S. Senate career that reframed alcoholism from moral failing to treatable illness. We ...
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We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. A single life can bend policy, culture, and the fate of families—and Harold E. Hughes is proof. We share how a farm kid from Depression-era Iowa lost his brother, survived war, and slid into alcohol-fueled chaos before a bathtub plea sparked a turnaround. That private shift led to public impact: decades of sobriety, a landslide governorship, and a U.S. Senate career that reframed alcoholism from moral failing to treatable illness. We ...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. A single life can bend policy, culture, and the fate of families—and Harold E. Hughes is proof. We share how a farm kid from Depression-era Iowa lost his brother, survived war, and slid into alcohol-fueled chaos before a bathtub plea sparked a turnaround. That private shift led to public impact: decades of sobriety, a landslide governorship, and a U.S. Senate career that reframed alcoholism from moral failing to treatable illness. We ...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. The call comes from jail and your heart drops. Do you race to post bond, or use the moment to steer your loved one toward real help? We walk through a practical, compassionate playbook for families facing addiction: how to turn crisis into leverage, set boundaries that actually protect your home, and keep your cool when those lines get tested. We start with the reality check most families need: jail isn’t prison, and a short stay can ...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. The hardest truth for families to hear often becomes the most freeing: you can’t fix your loved one’s addiction—and you don’t have to. We sat down with clinical leader Dr. Brian Samford and admissions director Zack Plyler from The Arbor, alongside interventionist Brian Schultz, to map out a path that replaces control with connection and panic with a plan. If you’ve been acting as the banker and the janitor—funding chaos and cleaning up...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. The addiction debate has divided families for decades: Is it a disease requiring treatment or simply a choice demanding willpower? In this compassionate, straight-talking episode, interventionist Matt Brown cuts through this argument to focus on what actually helps people recover. Drawing from personal experience and professional expertise, Matt explains why this distinction ultimately matters less than creating the conditions for hea...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. What happens when the soothing glow of screens becomes a dangerous escape hatch for our children's emotions? In this revealing episode, addiction interventionist Matt Brown tackles the increasingly alarming phenomenon of screen addiction sweeping through younger generations. Drawing from groundbreaking research published in the Journal of American Medicine, Matt explores how digital dependency correlates with rising rates of depressio...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. The guilt of setting boundaries. The manipulation tactics. The late-night jail calls begging for bail money. When you love someone struggling with addiction, these painful scenarios become all too familiar – and navigating them without a roadmap feels impossible. Matt Brown, seasoned interventionist and recovering addict, pulls back the curtain on the sophisticated manipulation techniques used by those resistant to treatment. "This is...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. When it seems like everyone on social media is criticizing 12-step programs, where can you find the truth about what really works for addiction recovery? Matt Brown dives into groundbreaking Stanford University research that examined 35 studies involving 10,080 participants to answer a simple question: Does Alcoholics Anonymous actually work? The science is startlingly clear. AA was found to be "nearly always more effective than psych...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. What happens when love becomes a shield that prevents necessary growth? In this powerful episode, Matt Brown examines the complex psychology behind enabling behaviors and offers practical strategies for breaking free from destructive patterns that keep both families and their addicted loved ones stuck. Drawing from over two decades of experience as an interventionist, Matt compassionately challenges the notion that addiction is simply...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. Ever wondered why addiction interventions sometimes fall apart, even when everyone wants the same outcome? In this powerful episode, addiction interventionist Matt Brown tackles the vital role of family unity when helping someone struggling with substance use. Drawing from both professional expertise and personal recovery experience, Matt reveals how people battling addiction become masterful at detecting family division. "We as addic...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. What if everything you thought you knew about addiction recovery was wrong? In this eye-opening episode, addiction interventionist Matt Brown tackles five crucial questions that families repeatedly ask when trying to help a loved one struggling with substance use. The myth of "rock bottom" gets thoroughly debunked as Matt explains why waiting for someone to hit their lowest point before offering help is not only unnecessary but potent...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. Matt shares findings from a comprehensive National Institutes of Health study revealing why doctors struggle to treat addiction effectively and the alarming gap between those who need help and those who receive it. • 81% of doctors cite lack of institutional support as the main barrier to treating addiction • 74% of physicians acknowledge insufficient skill sets for addiction treatment • 66% of studies identified negative social stigma...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. Some of the information in this episode was taken from my good friend Ben Cort, author of "Weed, Inc." If you want to learn more from him, please reference his Ted Talks: https://www.ted.com/talks/ben_cort_what_commercialization_is_doing_to_cannabis The modern marijuana landscape has undergone a radical transformation that few people fully understand. What was once a relatively mild substance with THC concentrations of 0.5-1% has...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. The question Matt Brown hears most frequently in his work as an addiction interventionist is deceptively simple yet profoundly challenging: "How do I get my loved one to accept help?" In this powerful return episode of the Party Wreckers podcast, Brown draws from decades of experience to provide families with practical, compassionate strategies for breaking through resistance and creating pathways to recovery. Matt begins by dismantli...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. Layne LoMaglio's journey from addiction to recovery is as inspiring as it is cautionary, and his story begins with a box of wine at age 12. This episode promises to unravel the complexities of mental health struggles and the winding path to sobriety. Join us as Layne shares his personal battle with clinical depression and self-harm, alongside his early experiences with alcohol. Host Matt Brown adds a heartfelt dimension by recounting h...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. Can the holiday season be a catalyst for change? Discover a perspective that challenges the conventional wisdom of delaying recovery efforts for loved ones struggling with addiction. This episode sheds light on the misconception that suicide rates skyrocket during the holidays—while depression does increase, suicides do not. You'll learn why prioritizing recovery over traditional holiday gatherings could be the gift that keeps on givin...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. Denise Klein, co-owner and executive director of Milestones Ranch in Malibu, CA reveals her transformative career switch and her personal recovery from codependency. With over 35 years of social work experience, Denise passionately discusses the importance of addressing family systems and underlying dynamics to foster lasting recovery. Her unique approach involves a systemic, holistic focus on family-centered solutions, offering a refr...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. Tune into this episode of the Party Wreckers podcast, where we promise you'll gain invaluable insights into the multifaceted world of interventionist training. We're giving you an exclusive preview of our upcoming event in Birmingham, Alabama, and sharing practical tips on blending various intervention models to cater to unique family dynamics. Plus, we dive into the importance of social media and personal branding to help you expand y...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. Join Matt Brown and Sam Davis as they dive into an inspiring interview with Carrie Bates, a three-time gold medalist from the 1984 Summer Olympics. Carrie shares how her older brother's passion for swimming ignited her Olympic dreams and recounts the pivotal moments that shaped her journey toward international success. This intimate conversation offers a glimpse into the dedication and resilience required to compete on the world stage....
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. Do you wonder how to truly support a loved one battling addiction? This episode of the Party Wreckers podcast promises to equip you with some tools and insights you need to make a real difference. We kick things off as we dive into our newly launched virtual family support group, Intervention On Call, which offers a free, solution-focused space for families dealing with addiction. Unlike the unpredictable nature of some Al-Anon meeting...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. Catch our exciting announcement about the upcoming intervention and admissions training in Birmingham, Alabama this October! Curious about the key questions to ask when seeking addiction treatment for a loved one? We discuss the importance of effective training and how families can better understand recovery and clinical modalities. Discover why being well-prepared and educated is crucial for making informed decisions, and the value o...
We want to hear from you! Send us a question or comment. A single life can bend policy, culture, and the fate of families—and Harold E. Hughes is proof. We share how a farm kid from Depression-era Iowa lost his brother, survived war, and slid into alcohol-fueled chaos before a bathtub plea sparked a turnaround. That private shift led to public impact: decades of sobriety, a landslide governorship, and a U.S. Senate career that reframed alcoholism from moral failing to treatable illness. We ...
