What does recovery actually look like after more than 24 years of sobriety? Kathryn Burgum tells Aaron Prager why getting sober didn't eliminate her struggles with perfectionism, impatience, self-centeredness, and fear—and why recovery still requires a daily practice of gratitude, surrender, faith, and service. In this excerpt from American Recovery, Kathryn opens up about starting her mornings in prayer, learning to see difficult responsibilities as opportunities, and recognizing that she doesn't have to solve everything herself. She explains why spirituality became increasingly important in her recovery and how learning to say, “I can't fix this—show me the way,” helped free her from the need to control everything. Sobriety may…
Aaron Prager and PragerU CEO Marissa Streit discuss the crisis facing young men, the rise of figures like Andrew and Tristan Tate, and why fake masculinity often disguises victimhood as personal responsibility. Drawing from his own journey through addiction and recovery, Aaron explains why real growth requires accountability, struggle, faith, ambition, and the refusal to blame others for your problems. They also discuss why young men are drawn to online communities that offer shortcuts and what parents can do to raise sons who are strong, responsible, and hopeful. 00:00 Aaron Prager on Recovery and Responsibility 04:12 Responsibility vs. Accountability 07:10 Growing Up with Dennis Prager’s Values 11:00 How Parents Can Reach Struggling…
She was 15 years sober. She was about to become First Lady of North Dakota. And not one person in her life knew. In this excerpt from American Recovery, Kathryn Burgum explains to host, Aaron Prager how for 15 years, she stayed silent about her recovery — even as she became First Lady of North Dakota in the middle of the opioid crisis. This clip covers how one interview question forced her to go public, what happened when a thousand doors opened, and how she built a grassroots movement that measurably reduced addiction stigma across an entire state. Watch the full episode https://l.prageru.com/4cZm0X4
She had a DUI published in the local newspaper. She was suicidal at the end of her drinking. She's been sober for 24 years — and now she's a Senior White House Adviser for Addiction and Recovery. Kathryn Burgum — former First Lady of North Dakota, founder of Recovery Reinvented, and Co-Chair of the White House Great American Recovery Initiative alongside RFK Jr. — joins Aaron Prager for one of the most policy-meets-personal conversations American Recovery has ever aired. Kathryn and Aaron also discuss: • Alcohol addiction and blackouts • Toxic shame and childhood trauma • Asking for help • 24 years of sobriety • Faith and spiritual awakening • Finding God after rejecting religion • Gratitude versus victimhood •…
He grew up in foster care with a schizoaffective mother, and a father in prison. He was selling heroin out of his grandmother's house. Today he's 17 years sober and runs a recovery program in LA. Chris Howard is a substance abuse counselor, interventionist, and certified case manager who has spent over a decade helping people get sober at Ethos Recovery — the same program that helped save his life. But in this episode, he's not here to sugarcoat anything. Chris and Aaron Prager have a no-holds-barred conversation about prayer, meditation, personal accountability, and why Chris thinks the modern treatment industry is doing more harm than good. In this episode: Growing up in poverty, foster care, and chaos — and refusing to call it a…
Most apologies are “pseudo-sorry.” In this excerpt from the podcast, American Recovery, Dr. Stephen Marmer explains what making amends actually requires: truth, empathy, and repair. If you want real relationship healing (not just relief), this is the apology vs amends difference that changes everything. Watch the full episode https://l.prageru.com/4o9ol6n Watch our content ad-free on our app: https://prageru.onelink.me/3bas/vgyxvm79 Donate to PragerU: https://l.prageru.com/4jiAT85 Follow Aaron Prager: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/theaaronprager/) X (https://x.com/theaaronprager/) Follow PragerU: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/prageru/) X (https://twitter.com/prageru) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/prageru/)…
Can honesty actually improve anxiety, health, and recovery? Clinical psychologist Dr. Suzette Glasner (UCLA Psychiatry) joins Aaron Prager to break down the science behind honesty, shame, cortisol, relapse, and why secrets keep people stuck. In this conversation, you’ll learn: Why stress can be the “relapse before the relapse” The difference between guilt vs. shame (and why shame sabotages recovery) How cortisol and the stress system affect decision-making Why mindfulness + self-compassion can improve outcomes for anxiety + addiction What actually helps the brain recover in early sobriety (including exercise + dopamine recovery) If you’re navigating addiction recovery, anxiety, toxic relationships, or behavioral addictions like…
