Hard Knox Talks: Your Addiction Podcast

• After years of addiction, violence, and survival, Arend Pechawis found healing through honesty and self-reflection. From gunpoint to gratitude — this is his story of transformation.

  Send us a textWhen Arend was pistol-whipped during a drug deal gone wrong, it wasn’t the first time he’d stared down a gun. But it was one of the moments that forced him to look at what his life had become.Raised by a single mother in a home marked by violence and survival, Arend grew up watching abuse, bouncing between cities, and learning early how to hide pain. By grade seven, he was drinking at school — chasing the same numbness that had destroyed generations before him.As addiction took hold, Arend hustled, dealt cocaine, and was nearly killed more than once. But it wasn’t until his father died — and he watched someone overdose beside the hospital bed — that the reality of addiction hit home.Now more than a decade sober, Arend speaks openly about trauma, accountability, forgiveness, and the hard truth that healing doesn’t happen when we blame others. It begins when we finally look inward.This is the story of a man who turned pain into purpose — and learned that real strength means allowing yourself to feel.✅ Check SEIU West✅ Wellness News✅ Bunny Hugs and Mental HealthParenting in the StormFind Arend on Facebook HERESupport the showCheck out the speakeasy podcast Follow Daniel Unmanageable on Facebook Follow Project Sparky We've got fresh merch and it's amazing! Pick yours up HERE For business or speaking inquiries: [email protected] Follow Hard Knox TalksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/hardknoxtalkspodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardknoxtalks/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardknoxtalks?lang=en Are you getting something from our content? Tap here and buy us a coffee to say thanks and help us keep this train on the tracks! Check us out on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@hardknoxtalksWant to watch our episodes uncensored? Become a channel member here!

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• "It Was Fire That Saved Me": The Recovery Story of Derek Racette.

  Send us a textAt three years old, Derek Racette burned a trailer to the ground — the same trailer where he had been sexually assaulted by a family member. Decades later, after years of addiction, violence, and loss, he finally understood why.Derek’s story traces a lifetime of pain, power, and redemption — from growing up in a home filled with addiction and violence, to becoming a teacher, drug dealer, and eventually a man on the edge of suicide. His daughter’s fentanyl overdose nearly ended his life, but instead became the beginning of his recovery.Through detox, ceremony, and the rediscovery of his Métis spirituality, Derek found healing in the teachings of the tipi, the drum, and his culture. What began as an act of destruction became a path toward light, service, and rebirth.This conversation is raw and unfiltered — a look at trauma, resilience, and what it takes to survive when the fire inside has burned everything else away.✅ Check SEIU West✅ Wellness News✅ Bunny Hugs and Mental HealthParenting in the StormSupport the showCheck out the speakeasy podcast Follow Daniel Unmanageable on Facebook Follow Project Sparky We've got fresh merch and it's amazing! Pick yours up HERE For business or speaking inquiries: [email protected] Follow Hard Knox TalksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/hardknoxtalkspodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardknoxtalks/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardknoxtalks?lang=en Are you getting something from our content? Tap here and buy us a coffee to say thanks and help us keep this train on the tracks! Check us out on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@hardknoxtalksWant to watch our episodes uncensored? Become a channel member here!

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• They Drove me to a Field, and Started Shooting | The Recovery story of Retired Gangster, Lexi Gibson

  Send us a textLexi Gibson’s story begins in foster care, shaped by violence, addiction, and the ache of never feeling wanted. By her teens, she was homeless, gang-involved, and surviving through chaos. Years later, in a dark field, stripped and left for dead, she thought her life was over — but that moment became her turning point.From addiction and violence to recovery and motherhood, Lexi’s journey is one of survival, surrender, and rebuilding. She speaks openly about generational trauma, loss, and the fight to break free from patterns that destroy families. Her story reminds us that even in our darkest moments, recovery is possible — and motherhood can become the bridge to healing.✅ Check SEIU West✅ Pine Lodge✅ Wellness News✅ Warrior Mentality✅ Bunny Hugs and Mental HealthSupport the showCheck out the speakeasy podcast Follow Daniel Unmanageable on Facebook Follow Project Sparky We've got fresh merch and it's amazing! Pick yours up HERE For business or speaking inquiries: [email protected] Follow Hard Knox TalksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/hardknoxtalkspodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardknoxtalks/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardknoxtalks?lang=en Are you getting something from our content? Tap here and buy us a coffee to say thanks and help us keep this train on the tracks! Check us out on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@hardknoxtalksWant to watch our episodes uncensored? Become a channel member here!

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• Meth and the Mystic. Tanya Ironchild from Regina, SK shares her story.

  Send us a textWhen Tanya Ironchild hit her knees on the bathroom floor, she didn’t just drop to pray — she surrendered to something greater. After years of addiction, violence, and spiritual warfare, Tanya’s breaking point became her turning point.Born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, Tanya’s early years were marked by chaos — witnessing violence in her home, enduring sexual assault, and growing up under the weight of generational pain. Addiction crept in early, consuming her as she tried to escape the trauma she didn’t yet have words for.From surviving an abusive relationship and losing her sister and mother to standing face-to-face with her own darkness, Tanya’s story reveals the raw truth of healing. She describes the night she heard a voice say, “That’s enough. I’ll take it away,” — a moment that ended her addiction and began her spiritual awakening.Now clean, Tanya runs her own business, Tanya’s Tarot and Reiki, reading for people across the world and helping others find light in the places they once feared to look. This episode is about surrender, spiritual awakening, forgiveness, and the long road from trauma to transformation.✅ Check SEIU West✅ Wellness News✅ Warrior Mentality✅ Bunny Hugs and Mental HealthFind Tanya HERESupport the showCheck out the speakeasy podcast Follow Daniel Unmanageable on Facebook Follow Project Sparky We've got fresh merch and it's amazing! Pick yours up HERE For business or speaking inquiries: [email protected] Follow Hard Knox TalksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/hardknoxtalkspodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardknoxtalks/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardknoxtalks?lang=en Are you getting something from our content? Tap here and buy us a coffee to say thanks and help us keep this train on the tracks! Check us out on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@hardknoxtalksWant to watch our episodes uncensored? Become a channel member here!

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• From gang fights and gun running to Buddhist mindfulness and teaching self-awareness — Cesar Cardona’s story is a masterclass in transformation.

  Send us a textCesar Cardona grew up torn between two worlds — New York and Jacksonville, Black and Spanish, intellect and street life. Rejected by both sides of his family, he found belonging in violence, drugs, and gangs. By 15 he was running guns and robbing people; by 20 he owned a house and was selling sex to survive.But after nearly losing his life in a brutal assault, Cesar’s path took a radical turn. From his hospital bed to a Buddhist meditation hall in Los Angeles, he learned that real power wasn’t in control or aggression — it was in awareness.Today, he’s a mindfulness teacher and public speaker helping others face their inner monsters, turn trauma into transformation, and discover peace that lasts.✅ Check SEIU West✅ Wellness News✅ Warrior Mentality✅ Bunny Hugs and Mental HealthSupport the showCheck out the speakeasy podcast Follow Daniel Unmanageable on Facebook Follow Project Sparky We've got fresh merch and it's amazing! Pick yours up HERE For business or speaking inquiries: [email protected] Follow Hard Knox TalksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/hardknoxtalkspodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardknoxtalks/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardknoxtalks?lang=en Are you getting something from our content? Tap here and buy us a coffee to say thanks and help us keep this train on the tracks! Check us out on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@hardknoxtalksWant to watch our episodes uncensored? Become a channel member here!

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