The Recovery Cult

Addiction causes real harm. That part isn’t up for debate. But what happens when the damage doesn’t stop with the substance?

In this episode of Call Me Tony, I talk about how getting sober without a program didn’t make me a danger to myself or anyone else—but it sure made me a problem in the eyes of recovery culture. I unpack how many popular treatment models quietly discourage real healing, push fear over freedom, and end up poisoning the very relationships they’re supposed to protect.

We’ve built a culture where constant struggle is celebrated, while actual wellness is treated with suspicion. I’m not interested in protecting dogma. I’m interested in telling the truth.