What if recovery wasn’t about giving up your friends, your fun, or the life you want—but about getting your life back?
In this episode of The Drug Prevention Power Hour, Jake White sits down with Marci Hopkins, a recovery advocate, author, TV show host, and speaker, to talk about her journey through recovery, the importance of community, healthy coping skills, mindset, and learning to ask for help.
Marci Hopkins shares her experience reaching 11 years of sobriety and explains how changing her mindset helped her move from simply surviving to building a life rooted in self-love, resilience, and hope.
Key Takeaways
- Recovery is about getting your life back, not giving something up.
- Healing begins when we replace shame with hope and self-compassion.
- The CARE Framework Communicate, Ask for Help, Reinforce Boundaries, and Embrace Your Worth provides practical tools for personal growth.
- Small daily habits and healthy coping skills can create lasting change through neuroplasticity.
- Strong relationships, community, and asking for help are essential for long-term recovery.
- Prevention and recovery both benefit from teaching resilience, emotional wellness, and healthy life skills.
Introduction and Background
Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Drug Prevention Power Hour. I’m your host, Jake White, and today we are hanging out with a new friend, Marcy Hopkins. She’s a recovery advocate, she’s an author, a TV show host, and a speaker. So Marcy, thanks for hanging out with us today. Thank you so much for having me, Jake.
Of course, my pleasure if you could tell us how you became like passionate about recovery or things like that, that would be awesome. Yeah. well, I live in New Jersey and actually live in between New Jersey and Florida now. I’m a snowbird. Never thought I’d say that before.
And I have two children. I have a daughter that’s 20 and a son that’s 23. I’ve been married almost 25 years. And I know it’s incredible. And I’m just so passionate about this work because October fourth will be 11 years sober.
The Journey to Recovery
And I never thought I’d say those words. And it’s just been a truly remarkable journey. And I have learned so much, I’ve healed so much, and I’m just passionate now about helping others that are suffering with past trauma and shame and and low self-esteem and just, you know, feeling negative overall about life and living in a victimhood, which is what I did. And so once I surrendered and made this choice and things started evolving in my life, and I started living this very joyous life.
I knew that I wanted to give back. And that’s when I harnessed all of my education and experience. And I started my TV show. And I’ve written two books and I’m speaking on stages now. And it’s just really so important for me to help people understand that kind of shift the mindset that you’re not giving up something, you’re getting your life back.
You’re not giving up something. You’re getting your life back. I love that. Our our co-founder, Tomas, within our organization, he’s he’s the one with lived experience or a recovery story. The rest of us work with teenagers because we’ve spent our life without using substances, promoting that lifestyle, right? Which I know you’re all about, right? If we could help more students realize they don’t need to go down that path.
We can help more, but today there’s access to so many things. And unfortunately, if we’re not talking about our mental health and finding healthy coping skills, we can turn to some unhealthy ones. So I love the way that you put it, is that you’re not giving up fun or friends or anything. You’re you’re actually protecting those things and you’re building a better future. You’re you’re getting your life back and it’s never too late.
It’s never too late. And I get it, especially for young people. It’s that social lubricant, it helps you with self confidence. And if there’s things that aren’t going so well in the home, it’s a way to escape. I did those things. So I I completely get it.
But that that’s the thing is it feels like an escape, but we get our problems right back. Like we don’t get we don’t actually get to escape. It’s that it’s that moment. We we escape mentally, but then we end up causing more problems in our lives. And
And so there’s it’s just not facing facing the things that we can face. And that’s what I’ve had to learn now is to face my emotions instead of pushing them down and running from them and to calm my nervous system and
Really get in touch with who I am. And that’s where we build that self-love and self-confidence. Because for so long I looked externally, right? We’re looking for our parents’ approval, our teachers, our coaches, whoever it may be, and our friends, our social circle. So it’s when we stop, pause, and we change some of the things that we’re doing and we go internally. That’s where we really find the blessings of who we are, the gifts that we have, our passions, and really that self-love and self-confidence that we’re seeking.
The Importance of Community
Yeah. Well, Marcy, I mean, you’re you’re doing incredible things in this space and you’re you’re this personality. that it what it’s so cool to hear how your life dramatically got better without substances and that you’re just a living walking proof of that, a testimony. And so I’m curious, like now that you’re on this side and you’re helping others, what’s your favorite thing to like teach and share and help people in recovery with like what lights you up in that? In because there’s a a lot probably, right? But is there something that lights you up?
Well, what lights me up is when they they have hope and they know that they can live a different life. And it’s just really learning how to do that. And a lot of times we are so afraid to share our stories because of shame or guilt. We’re afraid of what others will think of us, the judgment. But it’s when we get really real with ourselves that we start
Tearing down those walls and stop just surviving and start thriving when we share our stories and start breaking down those internal walls that we have built up for ourselves. So it’s when I start to see them, you know, break that down. And I like to say also is that we built a life, I did, and and so many of us do when there’s trauma and so on.
We build a life on this un uns this unstable foundation. And I like to think of it so we built this beautiful landscape, you know, beautiful building. And all of a sudden it comes, starts wobbling and then comes crumbling down. And so when we start over, when we start to live a new life, we build on that sturdy foundation brick by brick, and we’re just building a new life. And that’s, you know, all the the positive things that we start adding into our lives. And I’m not saying that bad things aren’t going to happen. It’s just we learn a new way to cope and become resilient. And when we get through those difficult times, we can do it in a faster way and also transform how we look at it and look at it as a teaching lesson.
Instead of something that’s there to break us down. Yeah. Ooh, that is well put. And and it doesn’t break you down anymore because you’re able to break through. Like you’ve become someone who says, Yeah, I used to face that challenge. I’ve learned from it. I become stronger. And I can break through that challenge because I’m better. And that’s a good feeling of growth. And it’s so fun. Marcy, we’re getting ready for our one of our youth camps in a couple weeks and we’ve got teenagers from across the state of Arizona meeting us and we’ll be teaching them skills. Cause I think what’s cool is that when you have communication skills, resilience skills, social emotional skills, mental health strategies, then when you do meet those challenges, you’re like, cool, I’m built up. I’ve got the armor, I’ve got tools, I’ve got friends, I’ve got community. and I think that’s a big one for us to in either prevention or recovery, like community is big. Where do you find your community?
Well, at one time it was the twelve step program. And now it’s really about choosing the people that I surround myself and those people lift me up. And I I also I have become very attached to my family. And they’re they’re a huge part of my recovery and my happiness and my stability.
But I’m always surrounded by those that are in recovery and recovery centers. And I love one of the things that you shared earlier about, you know, learning those new tools and the communication.
The CARE Method for Effective Communication
Marcy, will you tell us about your CARE acronym and then I would love to learn more about your books as well.
Yeah. So this has been life changing for me. And the first is C, which is communicating effectively. Communication is key. It was something I was not good at. I wasn’t raised it in a way that I knew how to communicate. I stayed small. I I pushed everything down and then I would blow up. So it’s learning to communicate so we can effectively move forward in whatever situation we’re in, right? And communicate our needs. And then there’s also asking for help without guilt. One of the things that I always felt like if I needed to ask for help, then I was failing. And I would just push harder and try harder. So I teach others how to ask for help without guilt because actually you’re showing so much strength when you ask for help.
And then also reinforcing your boundaries so you’re not going, you know, falling back on that people pleasing and asking yourself the question: like, is this going to drain me energetically, or is this something that’s going to fuel me? Is this something I really want to do? And then embracing your worth and just knowing your value. And if you don’t have that fully at the time, it’s allowing you to view yourself at this moment and then as you progress to build on that worth and and just knowing that you are valuable always and just as you are.
Books and Tools for Recovery
Wow, I love that because it’s it’s easy to remember, but it’s so profound. Like when you even talked about building that foundation for your house, like that sounds like an incredible foundation. and thinking about the the ways that we grow up, and of course nobody’s perfect at this. We’re always growing in these, which is good, but the more that we can share and I just love the ask part so much because personally, even as someone who’s not in recovery myself, but seen it in my family, like I’ve seen their lives get better when they’re able to use that care and to ask.
And then I’ve seen in my own life, whenever I get too proud or something like that, and I’m not asking, I see evidence of my life suffering pretty much immediately. So it’s I love the care. Can you tell me so is that something that’s in your books? Can you tell us a little bit about your your works that you’ve authored?
Yeah, it is, it is in my my second book. My first is Chaos to Clarity, Seeing the Signs and Breaking the Cycles. So it’s a memoir, self-help. I weave in my stories, how I got through trauma, how I healed, the addiction portion of my my life, my my mother as an addict, what I learned in the 12 step program, and then how I changed my mindset through gratitude and forgiveness and service and the things that I did that were life-changing and my spiritual connections. So that seeing the signs is seeing signs from the other side and then breaking those generational cycles, you know, we just continue to pass those things along in in our families. And so I hope that this will help you to break those cycles in in your life.
And then wake up, you’re not broken, a companion for your first 30 days is really just a gentle guide to help people in those first 30 days to lie that lay that foundation. And I share some of my personal stories. I share how I got through the emotions that you’re going to face, things that you’re going to face physically, cravings, triggers. And there’s each day in addition to the things that I share, I have let’s say a guide for each day that you will face in those first 30 days. And so what it is you may be facing that day, a journal prompt, an after affirmation, and a tool. So it’s really to help you to create a foundation and be able to move forward with your recovery.
Wow, that sounds really cool and and honestly just useful to have a guide and that you’ve written it that way that every day you can have something to follow, invest in yourself in, and then have a tool. that makes me curious. I love tools. Is there is there one in your book that stands out that you’re like, I love telling people about this one, or that people have told you, like texted you, my gosh, like I’m using this one today.
Well, one of the ones that I learned early on that I really love and I still use is move a muscle, change a thought. Because we can only have two thoughts, one thought at one time. We cannot have two. So if we have the idea of maybe having that drink or something that that we’re trying to change in our lives, if we get up, we do something else, we will interrupt that that thought pattern.
And create a new thought pattern. Right. So it’s these little mini micro changes that we make in our lives so we can become stronger and they will become a lifelong change in our lives. So for instance, I I’ll use a story way back when my husband had gone out of town, my kids were sleeping, I was watching a movie, and I thought about having a drink. And I was like, who’s going to know? No one’s around. And I used that tool. I got up and for me, I went up and I got my big book and I sat down and I started doing something more productive. And the craving went away. And that, you know, usually a craving lasts for about 20 minutes. So move a muscle, change of thought is a is a life-changing one for for so many reasons. And it it again, it’s just about that that thought interrupting that thought pattern to create a change.
Personal Growth and Mindset
That’s powerful. That’s very cool. Moving muscle change of thought. and I guess, yeah, you’re you’re moving anything, you’re changing your environment. And I I don’t know the most about like triggers and and mindset, but the more I learn, the more I’m fascinated at how amazing our brain is and that how malleable it is, and that you’re have a you you have a habit that you’ve been creating, but that your brain is so good, you don’t have to stay stuck.
Like you mentioned hope. Like there is always hope, especially if you’re willing to do the work. Yeah, and that’s the thing. That nothing comes easy. It is work. But just like anything, I mean, let’s think about so many people care about what’s on the outside, right? So we’ll go to the gym, we’ll lift weights. And but it takes time to create the muscle, right? So we are we are changing the form of our muscle, which is the same thing that we are doing when we are changing our mindset.
And that’s neuroplasticity. And we literally are changing the way that our brains are wired by the different actions we take. And it takes time and it takes action every day. But then it does become easier over time. Just like we we start with a five-pound weight, we then move to a 10-pound weight, and so on. So it gets easier and easier. And you know, I just wanna say that this is.
This is not about perfection, right? This is about being present. It’s about showing up and being kind and grace and giving yourself grace. So if you you mess up, you get up and you you just start again because you literally are changing your brain. So just keep that in mind. It’s going to take time. But we do, I still have my practices every day. I still have my gratitude practice, which is recognizing what I’m grateful for in my day. And that that moves us from a place of lack where we think things are always negative are happening to us. When we start seeing the positive things that are happening, we start viewing life in a very, very different way. I also connect to my higher power every day. And what’s wonderful about that, I mean, whether it’s nature or whatever it is for you, I mean for me, it’s God source, it’s an energetic connection.
I know I’m not doing this alone and I have faith. and and I don’t I don’t need to feel like I need to be in control of everything because I am not. I am only in control of myself, right? How I respond to things. So that is it. You know, so it’s just these practices is just encouraging you to do them every day.
And that’s incredible. And I it’s a good reminder too. Like I’m so glad that I’m not in charge of everything God is. That’s yeah. Yeah, I’ve hard enough just with one person trying to do what I want to do and not mess it up. So I love that. well I would love to to end with a question and then just learn more about where I can access all of the great things that you’re doing. my last question for you is.
I think teenagers today, they honestly they know more about drugs than a lot of us do because they’re seeing it around in their communities. they’re really smart, they research a lot of things. Yes, there’s a lot of bad information out there too. So like sometimes we have to guide them with the good information. But oftentimes when students are coming through a path where maybe they’re in recovery and they need that nudge, maybe they’re choosing not to use. And they just need that courage to keep going. But I’m curious for your story, Marcy, if you could talk to yourself as a teenager and just tell yourself one thing that might have made a a big difference for you, what would you tell your teenage self?
Advice to the Younger Self
But I didn’t have to do it alone. And I didn’t have to try to figure it out alone. Because, well, for me, I was in a home where there was abuse and addiction. And so it was very lonely. And I was acting out and I was doing things to seek attention in not necessarily positive ways. So I would say just knowing that that asking for help is showing so much strength and you don’t have to try to survive and figure it all out on your own.
That is so good, Marcy. That is so good. Well, I I want to thank you for like doing that and not only having that thought, but literally writing the book and being who you are, your personality. You’re big. I follow you on your socials. You are such an advocate. so for people who want to stay in touch with you, and I I mean, even I want to get a copy of your book, so I want to know where I can get that. can you leave us with that?
Yeah, please. both of my books are on Amazon. And again, my my most current is Wake Up, You’re Not Broken. And you could go to my website, wakeupwithmarcy.com. But I’m most active on Instagram at Wake Up With Marcy. So just wake up with Marcy is pretty much just type that in and you’ll find me.
Okay, perfect. Marcy, thank you for everything that you do. Thank you, Jake of course. And for all of our listeners out there, we appreciate you staying in the field. If you’re in recovery and prevention, we really, really need you. We know the work is not easy, but it’s definitely worth it. And you’ve got a story just like Marcy’s that’s propelling you forward. Know that you’re not alone. You can ask Marcy for help. You can come to us. we’re definitely better together. And we will see you all next Monday. For another episode of the Drug Prevention Power Hour.
Featured Quote
“You’re not giving up something, you’re getting your life back.” — Marci Hopkins
Connect with Marci Hopkins
Website: Wake Up With Marci
Instagram: Wake Up With Marci
Books: Available on Amazon
