Sobriety isn't enough

What does recovery really look like when it’s rooted in connection, service, and meeting people exactly where they are?

In this episode of Broken-ish, we sit down with Angie, Executive Director of Peer 180, the largest recovery community organization on Colorado’s Western Slope, to talk about the long road from survival to service.

Angie’s story starts far from where she is today. At 19 years old, newly sober and running from guns, gangs, and chaos in Detroit, she believed staying clean was enough. What she learned instead was that recovery is about far more than abstinence. It’s about relationships, purpose, and belonging.

Through gang involvement, cross-country moves, near-misses, and relentless internal battles, Angie never picked up a drink or a drug. What carried her through was service. Showing up for others when her own life felt unsteady became the foundation of her recovery and eventually her life’s work.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why sobriety alone isn’t always enough
• The power and limits of traditional 12-step recovery
• What “meeting people where they’re at” actually looks like in real life
• Peer-led recovery and why hierarchy can get in the way of healing
• How Peer 180 grew from a volunteer effort into a thriving community hub
• Why dignity, choice, and inclusion save lives
• And how connection, not correction, creates lasting change

This episode is honest, nuanced, and deeply human. It challenges rigid ideas about recovery while honoring what works. It’s about walking with people instead of telling them where they should be.

Whether you’re in recovery, love someone who is, or work in mental health or addiction treatment, this conversation will change the way you think about healing, community, and hope