Addiction & Recovery Conversations with Brett Lovins
Real stories. Honest conversations. No judgment. This podcast dives into the raw, personal journeys of people navigating substance use, recovery, and everything in between. Whether you’re sober, sober-curious, or just looking to understand the human side of addiction and healing, these stories offer insight, hope, and a reminder that no one is alone in this. Guests include advocates, Recovery Friendly Workplace experts, HR professionals, healthcare providers, musicians, family members, and friends—each bringing their unique perspective. We also explore how businesses can create Recovery Friendly Workplaces (RFW), breaking stigma and building real support for employees and their families. Since most people spend two-thirds of their waking lives at work, we talk about the critical role workplaces play in recovery, well-being, and changing the conversation around substance use.
Addiction & Recovery Conversations with Brett Lovins
Michael Palmisano - Guitar Teacher, Musician and YouTube Creator - Discussion on Alcohol After Stopping Drinking
I've been a fan and student of Michael Palmisano for about a year. He's a wonderful guitar teacher for all levels and has an amazing online portal for guitar education called Guitargate.com of which I am a member. Additionally, he's got a wonderful YouTube channel to check out whether you are a guitar player or not. Links below.
A few months ago, Michael shared a heartfelt video about some challenges in his life. Near the end of the video, he talked about the need to stop drinking. The video (link below) garnered 133k views and over 1k comments. Of course, I queued right into this and sent him an email to offer some helpful links and an invite to interview on my podcast. He took me up on it.
Here's the YouTube video where Michael shares that he stopped drinking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNkxxPv93f4
Here's his full YouTube channel, full of music and music appreciation:
https://www.youtube.com/@Guitargate
And a link to Guitargate, his online guitar education portal:
https://www.guitargate.com/
If you or a loved one want more information about Substance Use Disorder, including Alcohol Use Disorder and Opioid Use Disorder (up to and including addiction), visit Shatterproof.org or SAMHSA.
And for professional musicians, consider checking out MusiCares.
Other useful links from Brett:
- Sober Curious Consulting - Brett's Recovery Friendly Workplace consulting business.
- Brett's YouTube channel
- Washington Recovery Alliance - building the capacity of the recovery community to advance substance use recovery and mental health wellness by catalyzing public understanding and shaping public policy in Washington State.
- Recovery-Ready Workplace Toolkit - providing information, tools, and resources to help employers from all sectors—government, for-profit, non-profit, and not-for-profit—effectively prevent and respond to substance misuse in the workforce from the Department of Labor.
- Data on SUD in the US (2022) - from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). Link to my favorite PDF for statistics.
- Addiction 101 - it’s not a moral failing—it’s a treatable illness. Get the facts about this misunderstood medical condition from my friends at Shatterproof.