Suicidal, addicted, and emotionally numb—until he woke up in a hospital with one chilling ultimatum: stop drinking, or die.
In this gripping, soul-baring episode of Spicy Bananas, Ness and Kel sit down with Chris Baus, a man who’s lived a thousand lives—from being the frontman of a metal band to nearly dying from addiction, and now coaching men out of their own darkest hours. This is more than recovery. It’s raw truth, masculine healing, and finally saying out loud: “I need help.”
Episode Breakdown:
Meet the Guest:
Chris Baus is a Master Certified Life Coach, speaker, founder of Awareness to Obtain and Men’s Forum, and author of Becoming a Better Man. After 25 years of addiction, a medically induced coma, and a shattered marriage, Chris rebuilt from the inside out—and now helps other men do the same.
Key Moments in the Episode:
“You don’t stop drinking… you’re going to die.”
After years of numbing pain through drugs and alcohol, Chris hit his breaking point in a hospital bed—where doctors gave him a brutal truth that changed everything.
From Construction to Coaching
Though he outwardly “had it all”—career, wife, success—Chris was dying inside. A life coach helped him reclaim his soul. Now, he’s helping others do the same.
Masculinity, Misunderstood
Chris breaks down how men are conditioned to bottle everything—fear, shame, vulnerability—and why that leads to emotional implosion.
Vulnerability Isn’t Weakness. It’s Survival.
From suicidal ideation to spiritual growth, Chris reveals how owning his pain became his greatest strength.
Backpack of Rocks
One powerful metaphor: every trauma you avoid is a rock in your emotional backpack. One day, you can’t walk anymore. That’s where healing must begin.
Takeaways & Truth Bombs:
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Addiction isn’t the problem. It’s the solution. The real root is deeper—shame, trauma, fear, identity.
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You are enough. But until you believe it, you’ll keep self-sabotaging everything you touch.
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Masculine healing begins with honesty. The scariest sentence for a man to say? “I’m not okay.”
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Men don’t need to man up—they need to open up.
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Love yourself first—and the rest follows. Chris’s marriage only healed when he did.
Recap Notes:
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Chris’s story includes addiction, coma, divorce, relapse, coaching, and finally transformation.
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His work centers around helping men break free from societal molds that say they must be providers, not feelers.
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He now runs Men’s Forum, a free global platform offering courses, coaching, and real connection.
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His upcoming book Becoming a Better Man launches soon on all platforms.
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The healing continues—with a new project Family Forum, teaching women how to support men without enabling them.
🎧 Listen to the full episode now:
👉 Chris Baus on Spicy Bananas – Episode 10