247 - 12 step people are CRAZY! Brian shares his sobriety story

247 - 12 step people are CRAZY! Brian shares his sobriety story

What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? This conversation follows Brian Keller, a 42-year-old welder from Milwaukee, as he talks through years of heavy drinking, opiate use, and the turning point that pushed him to seek help.

You’ll hear how a hard, dirty job in welding, a drinking culture at work, and early exposure to OxyContin 80s all fed into a daily habit that left Brian shaking in the mornings and using every few hours just to function. He explains trying to "white-knuckle" sobriety with street detox and Suboxone, only to keep rebuilding his life and then watching it fall apart again. Brian’s honesty about his mindset on arrival is striking.

He admits he came in thinking 12-step people were "crazy," calling AA "cultish" and believing sheer willpower would be enough. "I realized here… the drugs and alcohol weren’t necessarily the only problem. It was a me problem," he says. That shift from blaming others to looking inward becomes a central theme. The chat with host Tom Conrad gently pulls apart some common myths: that quitting substances alone is enough, that willpower can beat addiction, and that non-alcoholic beer is harmless.

Brian contrasts his own experience with his grandfather, who quit drinking but stayed miserable, and explains why he now sees sobriety as a full lifestyle change, not just "putting the plug in the jug." This one feels especially relevant for anyone who’s sober-curious but sceptical about groups, feelings, or spirituality. Brian talks about learning to open up, let people in, and accept that colouring on the floor in group might actually matter.

He ends with simple, practical guidance: if you’re even wondering if you need help, you probably do – and keeping an open mind to treatment and support can change everything. Who in your life might need to hear that today?