Today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud found success early in life. Mark Ehrenkranz built a career in the entertainment industry in California and New York, taking on a range of roles. But beneath that success, he was quietly fighting a battle with addiction.
Over the years, Mark says recovery would come in long stretches, sometimes years before everything would unravel again. In one case, he says it was triggered by a medication prescribed by a doctor. Other times, it started with the thought that just one pill wouldn’t hurt. But, as he puts it, that’s not how his brain is wired.
Mark says one of the turning points in his recovery has been learning to sit with discomfort, whether it’s difficult emotions, hard moments or even physical pain, instead of trying to escape it.
In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Mark opens up about the highs and lows of his journey through substance use disorder, and the tools that have helped him not only rebuild his life in recovery, but find a deeper sense of joy along the way.
Explore the Go Humans!™ website here.
Related episodes:
- From Hollywood to healing: A mom’s battle with Ambien addiction
- A Wife’s Battle With Addiction, A Husband’s Journey to Love Her Through It
- The Voice You Knew — The Story You Didn’t
MEET THE GUEST
Mark Ehrenkranz
Mark Ehrenkranz is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist and writer whose work bridges the worlds of recovery, storytelling, and human connection. Sober since 1985, Mark has spent decades supporting people in emergency rooms, ICUs, detox units, and recovery organizations, helping others navigate the emotional, somatic, and human realities of healing.
