A young man’s struggle with alcohol addiction - Episode 24 - The Addict’s Advocate

Caleb shares his journey with addiction, starting with his first drink at 16 and progressing to daily drinking and alcoholism. He experienced alcohol poisoning at 18 but didn't fully admit he was an alcoholic until two years ago. Caleb has made multiple attempts at sobriety, with his longest period of 123 days. Boredom and the lack of extracurricular activities have been challenging for him, as many of his previous activities were centered around drinking. He has learned the importance of changing routines and environments to avoid triggers. Caleb also discusses the difficulty of enduring the withdrawal period and the loss of pleasure during sobriety. He emphasizes the need to embrace the bad days and process emotions. The relapse after 123 days felt devastating, and Caleb is determined to stay sober and rebuild his life. In this conversation, Dusty and Caleb discuss their experiences with addiction and sobriety. They talk about the challenges of staying sober, the importance of finding joy in life without alcohol, and the need for self-love and community support. They also touch on the difficulty of educating others about addiction and offer advice for parents who suspect their child may have an addiction. Caleb emphasizes the importance of patience, understanding, and taking sobriety one day at a time.

With Special Guest Caleb from happy.sober.life (Instagram)

 

Takeaways

• Addiction can start at a young age and progress to daily drinking and alcoholism.
• Boredom and lack of extracurricular activities can be challenging during sobriety.
• Changing routines and environments can help avoid triggers and maintain sobriety.
• Enduring the withdrawal period and loss of pleasure are part of the recovery process.
• Relapses can be devastating, but determination and support are key to staying sober and rebuilding one's life. Staying sober requires finding joy in life without alcohol and being patient and understanding with oneself.
• Addiction is a disease and cannot be cured or controlled by willpower alone.
• Community support, such as attending AA meetings, can be crucial for maintaining sobriety.
• Educating others about addiction can be challenging, but resources like Dr. Nicole Labor's keynote speech on Addiction 101 can help.
• Parents who suspect their child may have an addiction should practice patience, understanding, and offer support without enabling.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

06:00 Admitting to Alcoholism

09:17 The Impact of Boredom on Sobriety

13:33 The Consequences of Relapse

16:59 Determination and Commitment to Sobriety

23:43 The Cunning Nature of Addiction

24:25 The Freedom of Sobriety

29:06 The Fragility of the Mind and the Power of Triggers

33:28 Finding Joy in Sobriety

37:57 The Deceptive Nature of Addiction

39:33 Advice for Parents of Addicted Children

42:55 Taking Sobriety One Day at a Time

45:29 The Importance of Education on Addiction