RRP 128: Anthony Good / It's All Good: Recovery, Fatherhood, and Starting Over

When the old life stops working, recovery can begin with one honest moment and one person willing to answer the phone.

There's a moment in this conversation where Anthony Good talks about getting his job, his car, and college back, then losing all three within two weeks. He'd found a way to look like he was doing well. He hadn't learned how to live there yet.

Anthony has four and a half years clean. He's spent years in prison, lived through relapse, and carried the kind of guilt that turns into another excuse to use. He told us he used to beat himself up over the father he'd been, then use that pain as a reason to pick up again. Recovery meant something different had to happen. He had to stop making his past a reason to give up on his future.

His kids became that future. Anthony talked about being present, caring, and loving in ways that still catch him off guard. He grew up around violence, trauma, and loss, and he's made sure his own children get something else. They don't know the anger and abuse he knew. They get a dad who shows up.

Anthony also had to leave behind the name Demon, the one people had called him for twenty five years instead of Anthony. Sitting in a jail cell, he told a lifelong friend he was done. That friend was the first person to say, "I believe you." Changing your name doesn't change your life on its own, but sometimes it marks the moment you stop protecting the person you used to be.

That decision shows up in Anthony's recovery as integrity. He put it plainly: "You're gonna have to do a lot of the right things when nobody notices." He's working, studying human services with a substance abuse focus at Hilbert College, raising his kids, taking care of his mother, and connecting people who want help with resources like Willamette Family and Adult & Teen Challenge PacWest.

He's also building something of his own. Anthony started It's All Good Recovery, an online meeting space for people who want support without pretending every recovery path has to look the same. There's honest sharing, positive affirmations, and room for somebody to have a bad day without letting that bad day take over the whole meeting. The public schedule currently listed for the group is Thursday at 6:00 PM, Saturday at 2:00 PM, and Sunday at 6:00 PM. Check the Facebook group directly to confirm access before you show up.

Anthony hasn't walked away from twelve step recovery. He still keeps a twelve step book next to his bed. He's just learned that the usual format didn't meet him where he was, and that finding a different kind of support beat deciding support wasn't for him at all. His phrase is "one moment at a time," because a full twenty four hours gives his impulsive mind too much room to make a bad decision.

We love how this conversation keeps circling back to the same truth. Recovery isn't one size fits all. You might need a structured meeting. You might need something different. You might need a person who'll pick up the phone and tell you the truth. Some days that looks like making your bed, getting through a hard conversation without throwing a punch, or just making it through the next moment.

Listen to Episode 128 and hear Anthony tell this story in his own words. You can also read the episode show notes and subscribe to the Real Recovery Podcast newsletter.

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