Project Recovery

Season 11 champion of the hit television show, 'Ultimate Fighter', and Welterweight MMA fighter, Court McGee, joins Casey Scott and Dr. Matt to talk about his experiences surrounding addiction and eventually overcoming years of struggle to ultimately become a professional UFC fighter.

Court also explains how an injury led to becoming addicted to pain pills in a week, which eventually led to a derailed college career as a wrestler and an overdose on September 9th, 2005.

He also details how he was able to find a path to sobriety after dying, only to be ruined by a single Long Island Iced Tea, leading to the worst two weeks of his life.

Court then talks about how his early love for wrestling was able to create a solid foundation to build his MMA skillset and how a loss to Jeremy Horn made him realize that he could compete in the UFC.

Lastly, we dive into the steps that eventually led him to become the champion of 'Ultimate Fighter' season 11 and how his success on TV and in the octagon helped him create the McGee Project, allowing him the opportunity to spread awareness surrounding addiction.

For more information about the McGee Project, visit courtmcgee.com/thecgeeproject.

Friend of the show, Christian Smith, joins Casey Scott and Dr. Matt Woolley to talk about the causal factors of low success rates in the recovery community, how we can increase recovery outcomes, and how insurance companies impact the cost of attending treatment centers.

Then we talk about ways we can improve the process of preparing addicts for a stint in treatment, why addicts need to open up about their struggles, and why loving who you are can help become a turning point in recovery.

Adam Rudy joins Casey Scott and Dr. Matt Woolley to look back on his childhood where he was surrounded by drug abuse due to his father being a drug dealer, losing his father in a car accident while he was under the influence, and how the passing of his father shaped his mindset towards living life.

Adam then talks about experimenting with drugs and alcohol during his early twenties, spending time in and out of jail and drug court due to his excessive drug use after struggling to stay sober, and what his rock bottom looked like before turning a corner and committing to recovery.

Then he opens up about his struggles with feeling welcomed back into society once he started his recovery journey and how the recovery community has helped stabilize his battle against addiction.

Unfortunately, we have lost our good friend, Seneca Higley, to the disease of addiction. We wanted to honor him by sharing his story with everyone to hopefully inspire anyone to seek help and continue the fight against addiction. Seneca was an amazing storyteller and hearing him talk about his life was such an inspirational moment for us. We hope his story can bring some light and hope into your day and that you enjoy hearing about Seneca as much as we did...

Casey Scott and Dr. Matt Woolley talk about the unfortunate and sudden passing of our good friend, Seneca Higley. Then Casey shares some of his favorite memories with Seneca and we talk about ways to help prevent overdoses.

Related Links

SAMSA: https://store.samhsa.gov/product/overdose-prevention-response-toolkit/pep23-03-00-001

Brandon Novack just turned 40, and he completed his 13th attempt at recovery in 2016. He's been sober ever since. At the age of 15, he was a pro skateboarder, endorsed by Gatorade and doing commercials with Michael Jordan. At 17, he was working for his idol, Tony Hawk. That's when he discovered the dark side of substance abuse. This would cause him to lose everything, save for a few personal belongings, and gain a restraining order from his Mom. It's a long road to recovery and one that you for sure want to hear.

Danielle Yarrington joins Casey Scott and Dr. Matt Woolley to talk about her introduction to alcohol as a teenager, using alcohol to separate herself from her ex-husband in her mid-twenties, and the events that led her to drink alcohol every day.

Danielle also opens up about her struggles to manage the chaos in her life due to relationships in her life, how she was able to only go to one rehabilitation center before committing to sobriety, and how she found her voice in rehab.

Lastly, Danielle opens up about how she’s fighting for the recovery community at Brighton Recovery Center.

Related Links

Brighton Recovery: https://www.brightonrecoverycenter.com/

Kyle Raines joins Casey Scott and Dr. Matt Wooley to talk about the impact that losing his brother when he was growing up had on him and his family, why he started pushing people away following the loss of his brother, and his earliest realizations that he had a problem with substances.

Then Kyle opens up about how his addiction got out of control throughout the years, being sent to jail for a DUI, and why being held accountable helped push him towards seeking help for his addiction. 

We also talk about Kyle’s experiences with treatment centers, what he found to be an effective recovery method, and finding stability through service and giving back.

Related Links

School of Addiction Recovery: https://schoolofaddiction.org/

Breann Sagers joins Casey Scott and Dr. Matt Woolley to talk about her niece, Kandis Harris, who has been missing for three years after running with the wrong crowd and struggling with addiction at an early age. 

We dive into Kandis’s time running in and out of multiple recovery programs, the day she stopped responding to family and friends, and how the search for Kandis has evolved over the past few years.

Breann also shares why Salt Lake City detectives have moved Kandis’s case now considered a homicide and why she is so passionate about sharing Kandis’s story.

If you or anyone you know may know about the whereabouts of Kandis Harris, please call the Salt Lake Police Department at (801) 799-3000 or the anonymous tip line at (801) 759-2248. You can also follow Bring Kandis Home for any updates.

Related LinksFacebook: Bring Kandis Home

Vili Auelua joins Casey Scott and Dr. Matt Woolley to talk about his life growing up in Compton, CA. where he spent a lot of his time committing crimes as a gang member, why abusing alcohol and marijuana was commonplace in his environment, and how his time running the streets ultimately caught up with him.

Vili also opens up about his battles with addiction after struggling to realize that he had a problem for years and how his life is better than ever once he finally committed to a life of recovery.

Then Vili talks about the work that he’s doing for other recovering addicts at The Haven.

Related Links

The Haven: https://havenhelps.com/