111: Addicted2Life with Sean Gay111: Addicted2Life with Sean Gay
You're Sober! Now What?
Sean Gay shares how addiction to alcohol, drugs and food escalated despite a comfortable upbringing, and how rehab, the 12 steps and honest self-work led him into a new life as a personal trainer, counsellor and founder of Sober Golfers and Sober Heroes. The conversation focuses on practical recovery, meaningful support and creating alcohol-free ways to enjoy long-term sobriety.
39:10•28 Jun 2021
From Drug Debt to Sober Golfers: Sean Gay Turns Addiction Into Purpose
Episode Overview
- Addiction does not always stem from obvious childhood trauma; stable upbringings can still lead to serious substance and food issues.
- Changing location alone rarely solves addiction, as alcohol and drugs tend to appear wherever underlying problems remain unaddressed.
- Working with counsellors who understand addiction firsthand can be more effective than advice from professionals who lack that experience.
- The 12 steps and a spiritual shift helped Sean move from ego-driven choices to a more grounded and purposeful way of living.
- Building sober communities around existing passions, such as golf, can make alcohol-free life feel enjoyable, social and sustainable.
“If you put half the effort in to changing your life around as you did to being a drug addict, then you're going to lead a very successful life.”
What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction? This conversation with Sean Gay from Addicted2Life gives a candid look at how chaotic things can get—and how different life can feel on the other side. Hosted by Tamar Medford, the chat starts with Sean’s background: a seemingly stable upbringing in Wimbledon, no dramatic childhood trauma, yet a long slide into alcohol, drugs and food addiction.
He talks about being “blind drunk” from his teens, getting bullied, comfort eating and eventually realising in Overeaters Anonymous that his addiction actually started with food. From there, things escalated to daily drinking at university, drug debt, and desperate attempts to escape his problems by moving to Thailand, Australia and South Africa, only to find the same substances wherever he went.
Sean describes hitting his breaking point on 2 January 2018, watching his bank balance disappear and feeling “suicidally depressed” before finally entering rehab. His private stay in a psychiatric unit and a thorough 12-step process led to what he calls a spiritual awakening and a complete shift in how he saw his life and ego.
Now three and a half years sober, Sean works as a personal trainer and counsellor, using fitness and talking therapy to support others—especially people in addiction and obesity. He contrasts being told to “reduce” cocaine use by a non-addict counsellor with the powerful impact of working with someone who truly understands addiction, which inspired his Addicted2Life work.
You’ll also hear about Sober Golfers, a growing community for people who want to enjoy golf without the booze, and his podcast Sober Heroes, where varied recovery stories help people see themselves in others’ experiences. If you’ve ever wondered whether changing your environment is enough—or if you’re curious how someone turns pain into purpose—this episode might be the nudge you need to ask what change could be possible for you.
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