I Thought I Was Only Hurting Me with Matt Bauersachs

I Thought I Was Only Hurting Me with Matt Bauersachs

June 8, 2026 · 2h 6m · Season 3 · Episode 19

About this episode

Matt Bauersachs shares his inspiring recovery story from addiction and the pivotal moments that led to his transformation.

On this episode of Pondoff’s Anonymous, Chris and Zoe sit down with Matt Bauersachs for an honest and inspiring recovery story. Matt opens up about growing up feeling different, struggling with ADHD, lupus, self-esteem, and eventually finding himself caught in a spiral of alcohol, drugs, selling substances, and increasingly destructive behavior. What started as teenage experimentation quickly turned into blackouts, crashes, failed college attempts, and a life headed in a dangerous direction.Matt shares the pivotal moments that changed everything—from flipping a car while trying to impress a girl, to being kicked out of treatment, to the difficult boundaries his parents were forced to set when nothing else seemed to work. He reflects on the intervention efforts that helped, the ones that didn’t, and how his family's willingness to get help for themselves ultimately became a major part of his recovery journey.The conversation dives deep into long-term recovery, sober living, learning how to have fun without substances, and the surprising joy that comes from building a meaningful life one day at a time. Along the way, there are plenty of laughs about Four Lokos, tennis tournaments…

People in this episode

Hosts: Chris Pondoff, Zoë Mendenall

Guest: Matt Bauersachs

Topics covered

Keywords

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Pondoff's Anonymous podcast page.