From The Big House to The Penthouse: Stories of Addiction and Recovery

From The Big House to The Penthouse: Stories of Addiction and Recovery A podcast series by Ricky Cruz, a recovering addict sharing his experiences, strength and hope

10/28/2025

Patterns in our lives will continue until we learn the lesson. Once that lesson is applied, that loop will end we'll see growth

“I tell you one thing, man, when that fire hits your ass, that will sober your ass up quick! I mean, I was standing ther...
10/07/2025

“I tell you one thing, man, when that fire hits your ass, that will sober your ass up quick! I mean, I was standing there on fire and then something said, "Well, that's a pretty blue. You know what? That looks like fire!" I'm talkin' about fire is inspirational. They should use it in the Olympics, because I did the 100 dash in 4-3. And you know somethin' I found out? When you on fire and runnin' down the street, people will get out of your way.”

— Richard Pryor

Sometimes as "recovering addict" I can't help having an eerie feeling when up really early and out in the Town. It remi...
09/28/2025

Sometimes as "recovering addict" I can't help having an eerie feeling when up really early and out in the Town. It reminds me of those days in full blown addiction out looking for money to fund that that lived in my mind and body! After a few minutes, I get grateful about my life and all the little Bull$ my mind tells me is going wrong in my life. Today I'm grateful for my life in recovery. Today I'm a benefit to my family and friends.
"THE LIE IS DEAD, WE DO RECOVER ""
From The Big House to The Penthouse: Stories of Addiction and Recovery

If remember correctly, I was sitting in County jail back in 2010/2011 waiting for the judge to sentence me to my full te...
09/28/2025

If remember correctly, I was sitting in County jail back in 2010/2011 waiting for the judge to sentence me to my full term because I couldn't kick that "white dragon". And at the last minute and after not seeing or hearing from my friend in about 10 years she walks in to the detention center with her law degree from Texas Southern and at the last minute striks a deal for me to get ONE MORE CHANCE and go to a court mandatory rehab. I told her I was completely broke. I had gone through several HUNDRED THOUSAND dollars and wouldn't be able to pay the bond or her fee. She said, "don't worry about that now, we can worry about that after you come back and start working again." When I was at the hight of my young career I used to take care of her car while she was preparing to go to college. I didn't ask for much being student don't make much. I was left thinking she maybe felt the need to assist me because of that, I'm not totally sure , all I know is that she saved me financially and helped me get back on my feet again. It's tragic that she passed suddenly a few weeks ago. What's worse is that she called me two weeks before and i was too busy to see her. I din't know what was ahead. I will miss you, Abogada Angelica Chavez

Charlie Sheen Consumed So Much Co***ne the Mexican Cartel Cut Him Off – A Wild Addiction That Shocked Even the Dealers"C...
09/22/2025

Charlie Sheen Consumed So Much Co***ne the Mexican Cartel Cut Him Off – A Wild Addiction That Shocked Even the Dealers

"Charlie Sheen’s past spiraled into such excess that even the Mexican cartel refused to supply him. In a jaw-dropping revelation, the ‘Two and a Half Men’ star admitted he was ordering so much co***ne that dealers assumed he must be reselling on the side. ‘They had never seen someone acquiring that kind of weight,’ Sheen confessed, describing how the cartel eventually cut him off.

At the height of his chaos, Sheen says he was smoking seven-gram crack rocks — massive doses more commonly reserved for distribution than personal use. With dark humor, he remembered joking, ‘I’m going to need a bigger pipe.’ The actor now calls himself lucky to be alive after years of reckless consumption that blurred the line between celebrity indulgence and outright destruction.

The madness is laid bare in his memoir The Book of Sheen, where he also reveals the turning point that pulled him back: his daughter Sami. One painful day, he was supposed to pick her up, but couldn’t sober up enough to drive. A friend had to step in, leaving Sami silently questioning, Where is Dad? When will Dad ever return? Those words, unspoken yet deafening, shattered him more than any addiction could.

Sheen describes how that moment became his breaking point. The next day, after numbing himself with two Valiums and three beers, he walked away from substances forever. Since 2017, he’s lived sober, driven not by Hollywood fame or survival instincts, but by the need to finally show up for his children.

‘There was only one thing that felt worse than betraying myself,’ he admits, ‘and that was failing my kids.’ Today, Sheen wears his scars like badges of survival — the cartel may have cut him off, but his daughter saved him for good. sheen

I watched the Charlie Sheen documentary, and it sat heavy with me. What struck me most is how much our society loves a “...
09/16/2025

I watched the Charlie Sheen documentary, and it sat heavy with me.

What struck me most is how much our society loves a “train wreck.”
When Charlie was spiraling in addiction, instead of help, he was handed a tour.
“Winning.”
“Tiger blood.”
We repeated the catchphrases, turned them into memes—
but we didn’t step in.

At one point he says, “It would have been nice if someone had stepped in, like—this is not a spectacle for everyone’s folly. This is a man that’s in trouble.”

And he was right.
It wasn’t entertainment.
It was a man’s cry for help.

We watched someone drowning in the disease of addiction,
and we laughed and enabled it.

Thankfully, he is now sober—showing up for his children and himself.
But wow… we must do better.
Because behind every public “train wreck” is a human being in pain,
who deserves compassion.

That’s what his story should remind us.

Living FULL, by Danielle Sherman-Lazar

This September 1st. God willing, I'll complete 14 years clean from all mind altering substances. It's been a journey to ...
08/10/2025

This September 1st. God willing, I'll complete 14 years clean from all mind altering substances. It's been a journey to say the least. I've conquered some fears and accomplished a few things that I never thought possible ! From hitting "rock bottom" to getting back on top of my game, I'm humbled by the acceptance of my Pierce and my community
THE LIE IS DEAD, WE DO RECOVER

"Iron Man"
08/01/2025

"Iron Man"

Nikki Sixx - Motley CrüeSome people, sadly, can’t be honest with themselves—and more often than not, they fail and end u...
07/02/2025

Nikki Sixx - Motley Crüe

Some people, sadly, can’t be honest with themselves—and more often than not, they fail and end up hurting those around them. Honesty can be frightening, but it’s also liberating.

I’ll never forget something a sponsor told me after a fellow addict passed away. He said, “Some people have to die to teach the rest of us how to live.” That broke my heart—and reminded me just how important this journey really is.

06/03/2025

Become a man
who is obsessed with fitness, finance, and family.
Everything else is distraction.

05/29/2025

Remember:
you can start late,
start over, lose it all, fail,
Fail again & again, yet still succeed.

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