🎙️Beyond the Noise: Episode 3
Early Recovery: The First 8 Months
Guests:
- Rebecca Wardan – Director of Nursing and Operations
- Josh Diluca – Program Manager
- Cathryn O’Brine – Past program participant sharing lived experience
Early recovery can feel confronting, emotional, and unpredictable, especially in the first eight months. In this episode of Beyond the Noise, Cathryn O’Brine shares her lived experience of meth addiction and recovery, offering an honest look at what early recovery really involves, from emotional rawness and vulnerability to the importance of longer treatment and ongoing support.
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Key Takeaways
- Early recovery is often emotionally intense and non-linear This doesn’t mean recovery is failing, it means the nervous system and brain are adjusting
- For people recovering from meth addiction, longer treatment and ongoing support can provide the time needed for neurological healing, emotional regulation, and more stable foundations for recovery
- Learning to sit with emotional discomfort is a core skill of early recovery, especially for those who previously relied on substances to cope with pain, stress, or overwhelm
- Avoidance and emotional withdrawal can feel protective during addiction, but early recovery often brings awareness of how disconnection impacts relationships and family systems
- Families may notice ongoing emotional fluctuation even after substance use stops; understanding early recovery helps reduce frustration and supports more compassionate, realistic expectations
- Recovery is built through commitment, honesty, and support over time, not through perfection. Meaningful change often begins quietly before it becomes visible