A single song can change the way you see yourself. Matt joins us to trace how a 90s anthem cracked open years of numbing, pushed him into detox, and ultimately set him on a path toward sober structure, honest self-talk, and a new kind of purpose. This isn’t a glossy redemption arc; it’s a grounded look at relapse, the shock of bloodwork, and the quiet rituals—movement, meditation, reading, nature—that rebuild a life one day at a time.
We dig into what it means to drink to not feel, and how divorce, shame, and old wounds can turn into fuel for avoidance. Matt walks us through the moment he realized he had to take it seriously, plus the role music and silence both play as medicine. Service becomes a turning point: working at a treatment center, learning to accept help as well as give it, and building boundaries that let him care for others without abandoning himself. He shares the mirror ritual that reshaped his inner voice and the “three good things” practice he uses with clients to interrupt self-criticism.
We also go straight at life and death. Matt talks about two suicide attempts, the isolating logic that convinced him others would be better off, and the unexpected phone call that kept him here. We unpack the statistics that changed his mind as a father, the myth of perfection, and the strength that comes from being simply good and human. A phoenix tattoo—born from a drawing by someone he supported in treatment—becomes a living symbol: let the old skull burn, rise again, and keep going. If you’re curious about sobriety tools that work, how therapy actually helps, or how music can hold you when words fail, this conversation is a steady hand.
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0:00 Setting The Table: Music And Meaning
2:30 Why “Nutshell” Became A Lifeline
5:10 Sobriety Timeline And Relapse Honesty
8:30 Hitting Bottom: Detox And Shock
12:00 Drinking To Numb Divorce And Loss
16:00 Tools, Therapy, And Cravings Reframed
19:20 Service Work And Finding Purpose
23:00 Rebuilding With Structure And Routine
26:00 Non‑Attachment And Identity Beyond Music
29:00 Training To Counsel And Give Back
31:00 Mental Health And Better Self-Talk
34:00 Parenting Through Divorce With Care
36:00 Life, Death, And Suicidal Ideation
40:00 Being Heard, Supported, And Safe
43:00 Divine Interruption And Staying
46:00 Regret, Growth, And Imperfection
49:00 Religion, Control, And Compassion
51:30 Phoenix Signs And A Tattoo Story
55:00 Pain, Choice, And Generational Weight
58:00 Therapy Fit, Insight, And Agency
1:02:00 Reflections, Compliments, And Identity
1:05:30 Hopes For Kids And Habits To Quit
1:08:00 Closing And Future Topics
