008: "The Frat Boy"- Shane B. shares his 8 yr story of addiction, drug abuse and alcoholism until he finds recovery!008: "The Frat Boy"- Shane B. shares his 8 yr story of addiction, drug abuse and alcoholism until he finds recovery!
The SHAIR Recovery Podcast
Shane B recounts his progression from early drinking and fraternity cocaine use to extreme isolation and addiction while building a business in Costa Rica, and how a family-led intervention and rehab led to 10 years clean. He shares how meetings, sponsorship and daily recovery practices help him maintain a family life he once thought impossible.
59:50•7 Apr 2015
From Frat Boy Chaos to Costa Rica Calm: Shane B’s 10-Year Clean Story
Episode Overview
- Early experimentation with alcohol and drugs can be minimised as ‘normal’, even when patterns of secrecy and isolation are already forming.
- Access to money and apparent success can hide a serious addiction, especially when responsibilities and work are used as a cover.
- Intervention from loved ones, especially those with recovery experience, can be a crucial turning point when someone is finally willing to accept help.
- Regular meetings, sponsorship and working the steps provide structure and connection that help prevent a return to old behaviours.
- Long-term recovery involves ongoing awareness of character defects, especially in close relationships, and a daily commitment to staying connected to the programme.
“The disease is insidious, sticky, deadly… and how it comes into your life without you really knowing it, for me at least, is absolutely amazing.”
What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? Shane B’s journey from “frat boy” party culture to 10 years clean gives plenty to think about, with equal parts chaos and hope. The episode follows Shane as he talks through his early years in Montana, where alcohol first appeared at age 12 during family cabin trips. He recalls the rush of “getting away with things” and how that thrill of secrecy followed him into high school and college.
Fraternity life, cocaine in Las Vegas, snorted Ritalin from a campus prescription, and hidden stashes became his normal – all while keeping grades just good enough to keep questions at bay. Shane walks through how easy access to family money and an online business venture in Costa Rica fuelled his addiction.
He paints a stark picture of isolation: 18–20 hour workdays, a room wired with a long blue ethernet cable, dealers passing cocaine through his bedroom window, and a body wasting away to “about 115, 120 pounds” with no eyebrows because he compulsively pulled them out. His description of a flooded house he didn’t notice for days says it all. The turning point comes when his girlfriend alerts his business partners, who then contact his mum.
His uncle – a long‑time sober counsellor – flies in to stage an intervention. Shane admits, “I’ll never know exactly why I never ran,” but he boards a plane to rehab in Minnesota and starts a new chapter. Back in Costa Rica, he meets host Omar Pinto, finds meetings, gets a sponsor, and slowly builds a life centred around his wife, two daughters and regular recovery work.
Shane is clear that he stays well only by staying connected: “If I don’t go to meetings… I quickly become a complete asshole.” If you’ve ever wondered how far addiction can go – and how ordinary tools like meetings, sponsors and daily routines can rebuild a life – this one might be worth your time.
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