149 Stay Stopped with Jackson149 Stay Stopped with Jackson
You're Sober! Now What?
Jackson talks about his journey from alcohol and crystal meth addiction through multiple rehabs to finding stable sobriety in a 12-step programme. He explains how helping others and creating his Stay Stopped recovery apparel brand support his commitment to remain sober.
51:36•7 Nov 2021
Stay Stopped: Jackson on Turning Crisis into Long-Term Sobriety
Episode Overview
- Stopping is common; learning how to stay stopped requires a structured recovery programme and ongoing support.
- Working the 12 steps repeatedly with a sponsor and then with others can create a strong foundation for long-term sobriety.
- Sharing your story and helping another person in recovery can be a powerful way to sustain your own sobriety.
- Connection and collaboration with recovery communities are presented as key antidotes to isolation and addiction.
- Building a purposeful life, such as through service or recovery-focused work, helps make returning to substances feel unnecessary.
“Alcoholics and drug addicts, they stop all the time. They just don't know how to stay stopped.”
Curious about how others manage to keep sobriety going long term? This conversation between host Tamar and her friend Jackson from Stay Stopped Recovery Apparel zeroes right in on that tricky part: staying stopped. Jackson shares his journey from a fun-loving teenager chasing that "sense of ease and comfort" from his first drink, through years of crystal meth addiction and multiple stints in residential treatment.
He talks openly about living a double life as a licensed insurance agent, family man and football coach, while addiction quietly took over every spare minute of his day. The turning point comes in a raw story of domestic violence and child endangerment, where Jackson describes his "darkest, lowest day" and the moment his daughter screamed "Daddy, stop".
That crisis leads him into custody, a 12-step programme and a new understanding that, as he reads, "There's no great trick to stop. Trick is to stay stopped." You’ll hear how repeated relapses, therapy, veteran services and dialectical behaviour therapy all played a part, but Jackson credits working the 12 steps with others as his biggest anchor.
He explains how sponsoring men, going through the book again and again, and becoming "a voice of hope" are central to his own sobriety. The chat also covers how his phrase "stay stopped" evolved into a recovery apparel brand aimed at unity and connection. Jackson talks about using clothing to reinforce recovery identities, support treatment centres and recovery coaches, and give people in sobriety "a double sense of belonging".
This episode speaks directly to people wondering if long-term recovery is possible, as well as those already sober who want their life to mean something more. It’s honest, funny at times, and very focused on practical ways to keep going. If you’ve ever thought, "I can stop, but I can’t stay stopped," this one’s worth your time – what might change if you found purpose in helping someone else stay stopped too?
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