David P. Age. 27 Sober: 1/8/17

David P. Age. 27 Sober: 1/8/17

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation between host Mike S and guest David P offers a raw look at what it’s like to get sober young, relapse, and come back again.

David, 27, shares how his drinking started with blackout episodes at 13 and quickly became a pattern: “Every time I drank and I woke up, I wanted to get hit by a bus… there was this shame and this deep down regret that I wasn’t being the person I wanted to be.” On the surface he looked like a functioning student-athlete, but inside he describes feeling emotionally and spiritually bankrupt.

The episode is especially relatable for anyone who drank heavily in school or thinks, “I was never arrested, so it can’t be that bad.” David talks about getting sober in college, hiding meetings from classmates, and using sports as a cover story. He also explains what pulled him back out: over 100 drinks a week, constant drugs, and terrifying blackouts behind the wheel.

For those curious about recovery programmes, there’s a grounded chat about early AA experiences, including sitting in rough noontime meetings and finding a small group of men who showed him a different way to live. The pair talk honestly about anonymity, sponsorship, the fourth step, and what David calls building a “quiet mind” – learning to pause, listen, and not jump into every situation or argument. Newcomers get some straightforward advice too.

David urges people in their first 90 days to “keep yourself in the game” and, above all, be honest, even when making mistakes. It’s a candid, sometimes dark, often funny conversation that shows sobriety as messy, human and possible – especially if you’ve ever woken up thinking, “I just can’t do this anymore.” Maybe it’s time to ask: what would keeping yourself in the game look like today?