Heroin Addict Hits Rock Bottom and Finds God

In episode 25 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Matt Bell, CEO of Team Recovery and founder of the Team Recovery Foundation, to share his journey through addiction, loss, and redemption. Matt opens up about losing his father to cancer—a tragedy that became the catalyst for more than a decade of active addiction. From getting a DUI on the very first day he received his driver’s license to progressing from marijuana and alcohol to daily heroin use, his story is one of relentless struggle. With three overdoses, 28 treatment centers, and 13 arrests behind him, Matt’s road to recovery was anything but easy. In this candid conversation, he reveals the turning point that helped him finally achieve sobriety, the “missing piece” he discovered along the way, and how he now uses his story to inspire change and bring hope to others.

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that challenge stigma and bring awareness to mental health and addiction.

Chapters |

00:00 Intro & Guest Welcome

00:17 Meet Matt: Team Recovery Origins

02:59 Making Recovery Cool & Community Focus

07:01 Early Life, Family, and Beginnings of Addiction

13:14 College, Prescription Pills, and Denial

20:20 Escalation: Injecting and Daily Struggles

24:42 Legal Consequences and Breaking the Law

29:44 28 Treatment Centers and Family Dynamics

33:39 The Turning Point: Faith, Surrender, and Recovery

37:39 What Treatment Really Means & Mental Health

42:43 Pain, Triggers, and Getting to the Root

47:02 Rock Bottom: Family, Boundaries & Suicidal Thoughts

50:57 The Final Surrender & Intervention

53:04 Biggest Lessons from Recovery

56:56 Making Amends & Facing the Past

58:46 Overcoming Stigma as a Leader in Recovery

01:01:36 Is Addiction a Disease? Medical Model & Stigma

01:05:52 Changing Perspectives on Addiction

01:09:12 Closing Thoughts and Gratitude

Matt Bell & Team Recovery Links |

Website | https://theteamrecovery.org/

Matt's Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thatmattbell/

Team Recovery Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/teamrecovery419/

FTS Medication Assistance Program |

Apply today : https://www.fthestigma.com/pages/rx-assistance

Donate to support! : https://www.fthestigma.com/pages/donate

Fuck the Stigma is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that believes people shouldn’t be judged or labeled based on their mental health status. Whether you are struggling with an addiction or have been taking meds for a diagnosis, our community doesn’t judge and seeks to collectively end the stigma around mental health.

Our mission is to normalize mental health and mental illness as widespread, treatable, and acceptable. We do this by providing useful resources, improving access to services for those who need help, sharing stories, and building a community of young people who all agree…

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