<p>In episode 50 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Faust Castellanos, who shares a powerful and deeply vulnerable conversation about trauma, addiction, faith, and recovery. Known for his appearance on Soft White Underbelly and several other podcasts, as well as his work as a pastor, clinical therapist, and founder of a peptide company, Fausto opens up about the sexual abuse he endured during his adolescent years and how that unresolved trauma led him to drugs and alcohol at just 14 years old. He shares candidly about overdoses, traumatic experiences, and hitting rock bottom in his early twenties before finally choosing sobriety and rebuilding his life from the ground up. Now thriving in recovery and helping others through faith, therapy, and entrepreneurship, Fausto explains why sharing his story publicly has been one of the most empowering and healing experiences of his life. This episode dives deep into childhood trauma, substance abuse, overcoming shame, getting sober, faith based healing, and what it truly means to transform pain into purpose.</p><p><br></p><p>Chapters |</p><p>00:00 Intro &amp; Purpose of the Podcast</p><p>01:00 Meet Foster: Therapist, Influencer, Speaker</p><p>02:00 Motivation &amp; Overcoming Adversity</p><p>04:00 Early Life: Trauma, Addiction, and Pain</p><p>07:30 Alcohol, Drugs &amp; Escaping Anxieties</p><p>12:00 Teen Addiction &amp; Spiraling Out</p><p>18:00 Progression of Substances &amp; Deepening Struggles</p><p>22:00 Narcissistic Abuse Explained</p><p>26:00 Rock Bottom: Overdoses &amp; Seizures</p><p>29:00 Attempts at Normalcy &amp; Cycles of Toxic Relationships</p><p>34:30 Escalation: Heavier Use &amp; Isolation</p><p>38:00 Reaching Out for Help &amp; First Spiritual Experience</p><p>41:00 Entering Recovery: AA, Social Media &amp; Vulnerability</p><p>46:00 Religion, Spirituality, and Recovery</p><p>55:00 Overcoming Trauma: Forgiveness &amp; Growth</p><p>01:00:00 Addiction as a Disease and Relapse</p><p>01:02:00 Final Thoughts on Recovery and Resilience</p><p>01:03:00 Outro: Reflections and Gratitude</p><p><br></p><p>Follow us! I</p><p>Instagram | https://instagram.com/fukthestigma</p><p>TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@fthestigma</p><p>Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/FTStigma</p><p><br></p><p>Tags in this video ↓</p><p>fthestigma, podcast, addiction, recovery, trauma, anxiety, depression, ptsd, mentalhealth, mentalillness, nonprofit, vulnerability, youth, healthandwellness, god, sobriety, relapse, treatment, loss, grief, addicts, recovery, addict, relationships, psychological, experience, spiritual, spirituality, alcoholic, addiction recovery, insanity, psychosis, story, neglect, jail, prescription, alcoholic, alcoholism, treatment, diagnosis, prison, criminal, psychology, doctor, dealer, baltimore diagnosis, felony, felonies, forgiveness, spiritual, DUI#fthestigma #podcast #addiction #overdoseawareness #nonprofit #mentalhealth #mentalillness #recovery #criminal #addictionrecovery #addict</p>