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We're Out of Time

Relapse After 19 Years: Mike Bayer on What Recovery Taught Him

1/27/202637 min

On this episode of We’re Out Of Time, host Richard Taite sits down with Mike Bayer for an unfiltered conversation about addiction, long-term sobriety, relapse, and redemption. Mike opens up about growing up in Orange County, excelling in high school basketball, and how early struggles with mental health led to substance use. After heading to New York to play basketball at Fordham University, his partying escalated and ultimately landed him in treatment at just 22 years old.

Richard shares how his own sobriety journey led him to open a treatment center, setting the stage for Mike to...

Clips

Hardest truth: I relapsed
Dr. Phil rocket-ship moment
Sober isn’t enough
Questioning the disease model
Industry cold shoulder
Facing mom after years apart
Dr. Phil’s brutal coaching
Clean-time culture critique
Why he came back
Assistant doing time

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Mike Bayer· Guest0:00

    I have a, a bit of a dysfunctional relationship with my family and my parents and such, and I'm f- after, I, Friday I fly to Portland to see my mom. I need wisdom of how to navigate this relationship. I wanna show up as the best version of myself. All these things, my head just starts going on, and so having a sponsor that I can be like, "Tell me how to be..." Like, I meet with him Thursday.

  2. Speaker 20:20

    [laughs] [laughs] [upbeat music] If someone has a problem with substance use disorder, please call One Call Placement. That's 888-831-1581. And if we can't help you, we'll make a referral to someone who can. One Call Placement is affiliated with Carrera Treatment Wellness and Spa and One Method Treatment Centers.

  3. Richard Taite· Host0:58

    So you own CAST Treatment Centers, but tell me, tell the viewers about yourself.

  4. Mike Bayer· Guest1:02

    [smacks lips] Well, I mean, I grew up in Laguna Hills, California. I'm tall, as you know.

  5. Richard Taite· Host1:09

    You are.

  6. Mike Bayer· Guest1:10

    Uh, but I'm the shortest male in the family. So I grew up playing basketball. Went to this high school called Mater Dei.

  7. Richard Taite· Host1:17

    Wow, you went to Mater Dei.

  8. Mike Bayer· Guest1:19

    I did, yeah.

  9. Richard Taite· Host1:19

    That's a football school.

  10. Mike Bayer· Guest1:20

    Football, basketball, captained the basketball team.

  11. Richard Taite· Host1:23

    Uh-huh.

  12. Mike Bayer· Guest1:24

    Drove 30 minutes just to get to high school.

  13. Richard Taite· Host1:26

    Right.

  14. Mike Bayer· Guest1:26

    Um, but was, um- If you're an athlete,

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