006: "Road Trippin"- Kevin H. shares his 9 yr story of addiction, drug abuse and alcoholism until he finds recovery!006: "Road Trippin"- Kevin H. shares his 9 yr story of addiction, drug abuse and alcoholism until he finds recovery!
The SHAIR Recovery Podcast
Kevin H. recounts nine intense years of alcohol and drug abuse, the strange morning an AA Big Book appeared on his floor, and how that moment led to decades of sobriety. His story covers chaos, paranoia, recovery tools and building a new sober life in Costa Rica.
58:53•24 Mar 2015
From Blackouts to Big Book: Kevin H.’s 9-Year Spiral and 29 Years Sober
Episode Overview
- Alcohol initially felt like a cure for deep loneliness and not fitting in, which made it extremely hard for Kevin to imagine life without drinking.
- His use escalated rapidly from teenage drinking to daily weed, LSD and cocaine, alongside arrests and severe paranoia from hallucinogens.
- Finding an AA Big Book after a blackout, then reading it in one day while taking a final shot of tequila, marked the start of his lifelong sobriety.
- Daily meetings, being picked up by others, and simple guidance such as “one day at a time” and “do the next right thing” were crucial in early recovery.
- Kevin emphasises that the physical craving for alcohol can still appear, but ongoing connection, purpose and meetings help him choose not to drink today.
“"I was born an alcoholic and I will die an alcoholic. It's just that I don't have to drink today."”
How do individuals turn their lives around after addiction? This episode of The SHAIR Recovery Podcast follows Kevin H., who shares how nine chaotic years of drinking and drug use gave way to nearly three decades of sobriety. From sneaking beer foam at seven to getting drunk at 13 in a church choir, Kevin describes how alcohol instantly made him feel like he "finally felt whole and complete inside" and part of the human race.
What starts as weekend drinking quickly escalates: daily weed before school, LSD, cocaine, three DUIs, paranoid delusions, and playing bass as the only white guy in an all‑Black soul band while tripping on acid and convinced the crowd is going to cook him in a big pot.
He talks honestly about homelessness-level hunger (including "pickle soup" made from pickles and ketchup packets), wrecked relationships, and feeling so apart from people that he was sure others could tell he "wasn't really a human being". The emotional bottom stretches over months of isolation, fear, and hearing voices.
The turning point comes when he wakes from a blackout, sees an AA Big Book on the floor, takes a final shot of tequila for breakfast, and reads the entire book in one sitting. That day becomes his sobriety date. From there, Kevin describes early meetings, being picked up daily by a tight-knit group of AA "Nazis", learning service by cleaning ashtrays, and clinging to simple tools like "one day at a time" and "do the next right thing".
Listeners also hear how recovery shaped his moves from Alabama to Atlanta and then to Costa Rica, his life in music, changing views on God, and the friendships that helped him stay sober. If you've ever wondered whether nine years of destruction can really lead to long-term recovery, Kevin’s story might have you asking what could be possible for you too.
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