94. Chasing the Escape - Living the Facade of 'Someone Else's Version of Me'

94. Chasing the Escape - Living the Facade of 'Someone Else's Version of Me'

What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? This conversation with Travis K gives a raw, honest look at how chasing escape can slowly take over an ordinary life. Travis shares how he grew up in a loving Christian home with very little alcohol around, started drinking out of curiosity as a teenager, and then watched it slowly turn into his main coping mechanism when adult life hit hard.

Marriage at 18, a baby at 20, and then a daughter with a rare genetic condition and intense care needs all piled on top of each other. As he puts it, drinking became “chasing that escape and chasing that feeling of not feeling good enough.” Things escalated into blackouts, legal trouble, probation, a divorce, and a second marriage that also came under strain.

The breaking point came after his daughter’s death and a desperate binge ending in a mental health hold, a “grippy socks vacation” as he wryly calls it. There, a book he’d bought to “control” his drinking – *This Naked Mind* by Annie Grace – helped him shift his mindset and accept that alcohol couldn’t stay in his life. He talks openly about rehab, therapy, and why his recovery didn’t quite fit the typical 12-step mould.

You’ll hear about the importance of finding your “why”, protecting your peace, and refining your circle so you’re not living “someone else’s version of me”. He’s honest about transfer addictions too – shopping, sugar, even running – and how awareness and harm reduction help keep him steady. This episode speaks to anyone who’s ever tried to control their drinking, loved someone in addiction, or felt like they’re performing a life that doesn’t really fit.

It asks you to consider: what’s your why, and are you willing to start, even if you have to do it afraid?