What if the right words could loosen shame’s grip and make change feel possible? That’s the question we chase with poet, educator, and “narrative disruptor” Joseph Green as we unpack how labels shape identity, how language can block help or build it, and why redefining recovery around health and contribution saves lives.

We dig into a more generous frame: recovery as the ongoing practice of seeking health, adding value, and designing supports that fit real bodies and real lives, including medication-assisted treatment and mental health meds. Joseph shares his own regimen without shame and talks about building a tripod of care - bio support, daily practices, and honest relationships - so anxiety no longer leads.

Art runs through the story. Joseph traces how performance anxiety fused with substances in college, how quitting meant stepping off stage, and how purpose brought him back. A friend’s death, a hotel room, and a poem became a literal turning point - choosing craft over the bar and using art to serve people instead of ego. We explore youth work, from coaching debate to leading a nonprofit that powered poetry slams and classroom programs across dozens of schools. He reflects on intergenerational community and how creative expression gives teens language to weather their storms.

At home, Joseph and his family practice openness. He talks with his kids about addiction in plain words, teaches breathing and chanting, and centers expression over suppression. The conversation builds to a live spoken word performance - raw, precise, and unforgettable - on telling the hard truths that can keep someone alive. Come for the poetry, stay for the practical tools, and leave with a new way to talk about recovery, stigma, and the everyday rituals that make healing stick.

If this moved you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review with your favorite line from the poem. Your words help more people find theirs.

More info on Joseph Green:

LMS Voice - Founded by award-winning storyteller Joseph Green, LMSvoice empowers organizations to transform harmful narratives into stories of connection and equity.

Joseph on LinkedIn

Other useful links from Brett:

• Sober Curious Consulting - Brett's Recovery Friendly Workplace consulting business.
• How Recovery Friendly is Your Workplace Quiz - 3-min quiz where you learn a lot.
• Brett's YouTube channel
• Washington Recovery Alliance - building the capacity of the recovery community to advance substance use recovery and mental health wellness by catalyzing public understanding and shaping public policy in Washington State.
• Recovery-Ready Workplace Toolkit - providing information, tools, and resources to help employers from all sectors—government, for-profit, non-profit, and not-for-profit—effectively prevent and respond to substance misuse in the workforce from the Department of Labor.
• Data on SUD in the US (2024) - from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). Link to my favorite PDF for statistics.
• Understand Substance Use Disorders and Stigma (1 hour video) - learn about the brain science behind substance use disorders and ...