Margaret Lloyd Seger shares her recovery story—getting sober at just 25 years old and transforming her life into one of purpose, research, and impact.

From early struggles with alcohol and Adderall to becoming a PhD researcher studying addiction and pregnancy, her journey highlights the reality of addiction, the difficulty of early recovery, and the hope that keeps people going.

This conversation dives into:

• What early addiction really looks like
• The hardest parts of early recovery
• How recovery can rebuild a life
• The truth about substance use during pregnancy
• Why people deserve recovery—no matter what

Recovery is possible. And it starts one day at a time.


0:00 – Margaret introduces herself (15 years in recovery)

1:05 – “I had a great childhood… still became an alcoholic”

1:40 – First exposure to drinking & drugs

2:27 – Early red flags: “I only wanted to drink to get drunk”

3:00 – Why addiction is hard to see when you’re in it

4:00 – Loss + addiction getting worse

5:00 – The moment it finally clicked

5:25 – First recovery meeting at 25

6:10 – “Drugs and alcohol stopped working”

7:30 – Early recovery was the hardest thing she’s ever done

8:00 – 10 days sober… nervous system completely shot

9:15 – Surviving early recovery (meetings + “hope shots”)

10:45 – Rebuilding life in recovery

13:30 – Working with kids affected by addiction

16:50 – Her focus now: pregnancy & addiction

20:40 – Research + TikTok education

22:10 – Cannabis use during pregnancy

24:45 – The risks most people don’t realize

28:50 – Advice for someone in their first 24 hours

----Across the Web----

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Christina didn’t just watch addiction from the outside—she lived it as a sister, trying to make sense of behaviors that didn’t add up, while the rest of her family struggled to even acknowledge what was happening.

In this episode, she shares the quiet warning signs she first noticed, the isolation of carrying that awareness alone, and the emotional rollercoaster of loving someone through years of opioid addiction, relapse, and loss.

But this isn’t just a story about grief—it’s about what came after. After losing her brother, Christina turned pain into purpose, building a new model inside schools that focuses on connection over punishment—giving students support instead of isolation.

This conversation is for anyone who has loved someone through addiction… and wondered what more could have been done.


00:00 – Intro & Christina’s story
01:00 – Early signs of addiction
03:30 – Denial, isolation, and confusion
07:30 – From pills to heroin
10:00 – Rehab, relapse, and reality
13:00 – Loving someone through addiction
16:45 – Loss and grief
17:30 – Turning pain into purpose
19:00 – Changing how schools handle addiction
23:00 – Supporting teens before it’s too late
27:00 – Why every school needs this model
30:00 – Advice for early recovery
31:30 – Closing thoughts

----Across the Web----

🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us

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🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

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🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok

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Gio doesn’t sugarcoat it.

“I honestly hate it.”

In this raw and honest conversation, Gio opens up about what it’s really like being a young person in early recovery — watching friends party in their late twenties while choosing to stay sober. From COVID day drinking to waking up shaking at 7am… from checking into detox alone to walking back into recovery after a relapse… this episode captures the uncomfortable, necessary truth about getting sober young.

Gio talks about:

Growing up with two alcoholic parents

Realizing AA wasn’t the right pathway — and feeling shame about it

The relapse that brought them back

Why connection at a Recovery Community Center became their “saving grace”

And how hope now looks like helping others

This is an honest look at early recovery — not polished, not perfect — just real.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to choose sobriety when everyone else is “having fun,” this episode is for you.

----Across the Web----

🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us

✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/

🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO...

🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok

https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast?

🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/

🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery

📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery

🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery