Rise Above with Kevin Lanning

Chelsea Garber was diagnosed with Stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver — and kept drinking for nine more months. After losing her son, battling drug addiction, surviving 50+ hospital admissions, and being given just three months to live, Chelsea made the hardest decision of her life: she poured out her last drink on September 29th, 2024. Just 80 days after a life-saving liver transplant, she sat down with Kevin Lanning to share the full story — the suicide note she wrote to her daughter, the moment everything changed, and what keeps her fighting every single day...

Marine Corps veteran Spencer Jones opens up about surviving combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, battling trauma after leaving the military, and falling into a devastating crystal meth addiction that led to five felonies and complete chaos. After serving over 20 years in the Marines, Spencer struggled with the loss of structure, identity, and purpose once civilian life began. What started as partying quickly spiraled into addiction, arrests, and rock bottom. Today, Spencer is over 3 years sober and now helps others in recovery through his work at Compassion Behavioral Health. In this episode, Spencer shares: ...

Robert Cruz shares his unbelievable story of addiction, gang violence, prison, armed robbery, and ultimately redemption. After losing his brother at 13, Robert turned to drugs and alcohol to numb the pain. What started with marijuana eventually spiraled into heroin addiction, gang life, violent crime, prison sentences, and multiple arrests. Robert opens up about being charged with attempted murder, serving years in prison, robbing people to feed his addiction, and hitting rock bottom after realizing how far heroin had taken him. He also shares the powerful moment that changed everything and how he’s now approaching 16 years sober....

Alkhuzama Zaini shares her powerful story of alcoholism, blackouts, college addiction, mental health struggles, and finding sobriety at a young age. From moving to America from Saudi Arabia, to drinking a bottle of vodka a day at ASU, hiding her addiction from family, terrifying withdrawals, and ultimately rebuilding her life through recovery, this is a raw and honest conversation about Gen Z addiction, validation, isolation, and healing. This episode discusses alcoholism, mental health, blackouts, recovery, relapse, therapy, family dynamics, and the reality of getting sober young. Follow Alkhuzama: TikTok & Instagram: @alkhuzamazaini <...

Kyle Caughman grew up in a small town with a great family, played sports, and had no trauma… but one decision changed everything. What started with pain pills quickly spiraled into shooting heroin, driving hours to buy drugs, and selling it back in his hometown. As addiction took over, Kyle lost control of his life, faced multiple felonies, lost custody of his son, and found himself trapped in the cycle of fentanyl. “I did a lot of drugs by myself… I’d take a shot and just wake up hours later.” After years of addicti...

Rachel Hechtman opens up about her journey from binge drinking, cocaine use, and crippling anxiety to nearly 5 years of sobriety. Unlike many addiction stories, Rachel never had a dramatic rock bottom—but what she did experience was just as powerful: years of guilt, shame, and mental health struggles that slowly became unbearable. From waking up on bathroom floors to battling paranoia and depression, Rachel shares how her breaking point wasn’t one moment—it was the accumulation of pain. In this episode, we dive into: • Why not everyone needs a “rock bottom” to get sober • How alcohol ma...

In this episode, I sit down with Karina Miesner for a raw Q&A covering the most asked questions around addiction, relapse, and sobriety. We break down real experiences from both sides of recovery including rock bottom moments, near relapses, triggers, relationships, trauma, and what actually works when it comes to staying sober. Karina opens up about hitting rock bottom in the ICU with liver disease, while we both share the truth about relapse, shame, and how recovery really happens. If you’re struggling, early in sobriety, or trying to understand addiction, this ep...

Lauren Gaffney shares her raw, unfiltered story of addiction, trauma, and recovery. From a “normal” childhood in the suburbs to taking 5-hour bus rides into Kensington to score drugs, her life spiraled into heroin use, crack addiction, arrests, and years of chaos. After multiple run-ins with the law and waking up to sheriffs at her door, Lauren finally hit a breaking point. This is the story of how addiction took everything… and how she fought her way back to sobriety. If you or someone you love is struggling, this episode could change everything. </p...

Chris Stroud started using drugs at just 11 years old… and by 17, he was hooked on crack cocaine. What followed was decades of chaos — robbing drug dealers, running from gangs, getting arrested, and eventually facing federal prison. From living a double life to losing everything, Chris takes us inside the brutal reality of addiction and the moments that nearly cost him his life. After years of destruction, something finally changed… and today he’s over 4 years sober, working in recovery and helping others find a way out. If you’re struggling, this episode is...

Tyler Ramsey had it all… working on Baywatch, MTV, Survivor, and building a career in Hollywood. But behind the scenes, he was spiraling. What started with alcohol turned into Adderall, Xanax, and opiates… leading to blackouts, chaos, and near-death situations. The moment everything changed? His young daughter found his drugs. That was the line. In this episode, Tyler breaks down: Growing up with trauma and loss Hollywood success while secretly addicted The moment addiction took full control The terrifying wake-up call involving his daughter The ultimatum that...

Ryan Moyer had a key to a pharmacy… and one night, he used it to steal the entire narcotics closet. What started with prescription pills turned into a full-blown heroin addiction, multiple arrests, federal charges, and living in trap houses just to survive. He was running scams, stealing cars, and doing whatever it took to get his next fix. But that wasn’t the end of his story. After hitting rock bottom, Ryan made a decision that changed everything. Today, he’s over 5 years sober and has built a successful business as “The Tesla Do...

Jason Brewer’s story is one of the darkest we’ve ever shared. After experiencing severe trauma as a child, Jason spiraled into addiction, violence, and eventually a life of crime. What started as drinking and drugs quickly escalated into armed robberies, crack addiction, and a path that led him to serve over a decade in prison. In this interview, Jason opens up about: The childhood trauma that changed everything His descent into drugs, violence, and crime Robbing gas stations to fuel his addiction The moment he knew his life was over What prison was...

Taylor Cavanough was living the dream. A Navy SEAL. Deployed overseas. High performer. But behind the discipline… was chaos. After a violent arrest where he was tased and attacked by a police K9, everything collapsed. His career. His identity. His future. What started as alcohol and Adderall turned into Percocet… then fentanyl. He lost control of his life. In this episode, Taylor shares: The moment everything fell apart after his arrest Getting kicked out of the SEAL Teams How one decision led him down the path...

Graham Reid was living a double life. What started with pills and partying quickly turned into a full-blown opiate addiction — smoking 30s, chasing dealers, and doing whatever it took to not get sick. At his lowest point, he burned his dealer with fake money and lost everything. From fentanyl and heroin to brutal detox and multiple failed attempts at getting clean, Graham shares what addiction really looks like behind closed doors. In this episode, he opens up about: Getting hooked on opiates The moment everything spiraled Living as a “functional” addict...

Matt Robinson lived a double life for over a decade. Behind the scenes, he was battling a severe drug addiction… while his wife had no idea. It started with a prescription after an injury at just 11 years old. What followed was years of lies, hiding money, and chasing pills—until everything came crashing down during a blackout in Las Vegas, where he emptied his bank account overnight. That moment led to a phone call that changed everything. In this episode, Matt opens up about: Living a secret addiction for 10 years The...

Megan’s addiction didn’t look obvious at first. She had a job, a family, and a life that seemed “normal” on the outside… but behind the scenes, she was drinking vodka all day, hiding bottles, and slowly losing control. After a near-fatal car crash, showing up drunk to work, and hitting a breaking point as a mother, everything came crashing down. In this episode, Megan shares: The moment her addiction spiraled out of control Drinking in secret while trying to hold life together The crash that should’ve been her wake-up call How...

Brenda Zane was a successful advertising executive living what looked like a normal life—until her son’s addiction turned everything upside down. From early warning signs to marijuana at 13… to running away, arrests, and eventually fentanyl use—this is the raw, unfiltered reality of what families go through when addiction takes over. In this episode, Brenda shares: The moment she realized her son was in real danger Sending him to wilderness therapy at 16 The chaos of addiction—jail, running away, and near-death experiences The heartbreak of setting boundaries and “letting go” How she turned her pai...

John Rokee’s story is a terrifying look at the lengths an addict will go to maintain a "perfect" life. By day, he was a high-earning union steamfitter. By night, he was a "chameleon" trapped in a $1.2 million downward spiral, snorting up to 200 bags of heroin a week. In this raw and "brutal" interview on Rise Above with Kevin Lanning, John details the physical and financial devastation of his addiction: The $1.2M Habit: The math behind a decade of OxyContin and heroin use that drained every union fund, savings account, and personal loan. The "W...

Kim House’s life story sounds like a movie script, but the trauma was all too real. After fleeing an abusive home at just 14 years old, Kim found herself winning bikini contests and dancing in clubs just to survive. By her early 20s, she was diagnosed with a rare, "terminal" bone marrow cancer—but instead of getting sober, she ramped up her drug use, even attempting to balance chemotherapy with meth and alcohol. In this episode of Rise Above with Kevin Lanning, Kim details the harrowing "redline" abuse of her childhood, the insanity of flying drugs...

Molly Haneke opens up about her journey from early self-harm and blackout drinking at just 16, to hitting a breaking point that landed her in a mental hospital at 22. What started as insecurity and isolation quickly spiraled into daily drinking, drugs, and destructive coping mechanisms. After a life-threatening moment forced everything to stop, Molly entered treatment and completely rebuilt her life. Now over two years sober, she shares how recovery, discipline, and community helped her turn pain into purpose—and how young people can get sober too. If you or someone you love is...