222 - Eric B: His mental health struggles and how he is sober 4 years!222 - Eric B: His mental health struggles and how he is sober 4 years!
Real Recovery Talk
Eric Bowler shares how a childhood of instability, mental health struggles and heavy substance use led to a DUI, treatment, and four years of continuous sobriety. The conversation highlights dual diagnosis, the importance of structure and support, and why families shouldn’t wait to seek help.
58:54•2 Oct 2022
From Chaos to Stability: Eric B’s Four-Year Sober Turnaround
Episode Overview
- Willingness doesn’t have to come first; entering treatment for legal reasons can still lead to genuine change over time.
- Stable recovery for many people needs both addiction support and proper mental health care, including therapy and medication management.
- Following recommendations fully – treatment levels, 12 steps, sponsorship and a home group – can create a completely different life within a few years.
- The people and environment around someone in early recovery strongly influence whether they lean towards sobriety or relapse.
- Families are urged to act sooner rather than later, as the real alternative to treatment in the current fentanyl climate can be funeral costs.
“Without my mental health being managed appropriately, my recovery would not be where it is today. Period. Point blank. No argument.”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? This conversation on Real Recovery Talk follows Eric Bowler as he shares how childhood chaos, mental health struggles, and heavy substance use eventually led him to four years of continuous sobriety. You’ll hear Eric describe a childhood spent bouncing between 17 different school districts, hotel rooms, relatives’ houses and even living in a car.
Early exposure to parental addiction and untreated mental health issues set the stage: “Little did I know, I had brewing chronic mental health conditions and untreated alcoholism at a very young age.” The chat stays honest and informal, with plenty of humour from hosts Tom Conrad and Ben (Benjamin B) as they ground some very heavy material.
Eric walks through his progression from “time bomb Tuesdays” and college arrests to a DUI at 110 mph and a stark choice between “caskets, cremation, or treatment”. He’s clear that his first motive for rehab was just avoiding jail, but steady change came from doing what was suggested, getting a sponsor, working the 12 steps and staying in structured sober living. A big thread running through the episode is dual diagnosis.
Eric talks openly about bipolar disorder, depression and PTSD, and how booze and drugs were “like pouring gasoline on a fire”. He stresses that recovery and mental health both need attention: therapy, appropriate medication, and honest feedback to a psychiatrist – not just meetings alone. For families, this is particularly useful. Tom and Ben tackle common worries such as “Is treatment a waste of time if they don’t want it?” and the fear of fentanyl-related deaths.
The message is firm but hopeful: showing up is enough to start, and “help is just around the corner” if someone is willing to pick up the phone. If you’re dealing with addiction, mental health issues, or trying to support someone who is, this story might be the nudge you need to take that next step.
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