A Patient's Story Of Recovery And PurposeA Patient's Story Of Recovery And Purpose
I Love Being Sober
Former patient Hannah Keller shares her journey through family addiction, trauma, grief, mental health struggles and faith to a stable, sober life helping others. The conversation highlights forgiveness, spirituality, and practical recovery tools for those dealing with both addiction and complex emotional pain.
50:13•26 May 2026
From Patient to Purpose: Hannah Keller on Grief, Faith and Loving Sobriety
Episode Overview
- Sobriety doesn’t instantly fix life; unresolved trauma and mental health issues can surface more strongly once substances are removed.
- Forgiveness, including structured exercises and daily prayer for those who caused harm, can remove the power of resentment and bring peace.
- Mental health diagnoses like borderline personality disorder can be managed with treatment, education, and accountability rather than used as excuses.
- Spirituality and a sense of a higher power help reframe painful events as opportunities for growth and connection.
- A “good or great day” mindset—measuring success by whether you stayed sober and safe—can shift how setbacks are experienced in recovery.
“We either have good days or great days… a great day is when the world goes to shit and everything that could go wrong does, and we don’t drink, use, self-harm, or do anything to hurt ourselves.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? For former patient and now staff member Hannah Keller, it took losing three siblings, surviving childhood abuse, and nearly ending her own life before things finally shifted. Recorded in front of a live audience at Camelback Recovery in Phoenix, this conversation between host Tim Westbrook and Hannah is raw, honest, and strangely hopeful.
Hannah talks through growing up around alcoholism, being introduced to pills by her sister at 14, and learning early on that, as she puts it, drinking became “the first time that I knew that in order to not feel something, I could do this.” You’ll hear how motherhood pulled her back from the edge, only for grief and trauma to push her deeper into addiction, destructive relationships, and eventually multiple rock bottoms—some of them in sobriety.
She speaks openly about being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, her suicide attempt, and the phone call with Dr Robbie that led to treatment at Camelback Recovery and TMS therapy. Hannah shares how faith, AA, therapy, and internal family systems work helped her move from self-hatred to genuine self-respect.
One of her most powerful shifts came through forgiveness: writing letters to her abuser with both hands, praying for people she resented, and realising that “you no longer have power over me and my decisions.” This episode is especially helpful if you’ve ever felt stuck in sobriety or wondered why life can feel worse after you stop drinking.
Hannah’s definition of success is refreshingly simple: “We either have good days or great days… a great day is when the world goes to shit… and we don’t drink, use, self-harm, or do anything to hurt ourselves.” If you’re wrestling with grief, trauma, or mental health in recovery, Hannah’s story might be the reminder you need that you’re still worthy of a good life—so what kind of day are you going to claim today, good or great?
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