Dean's Over 4 Years Clean & SoberDean's Over 4 Years Clean & Sober
Miracle Mansion Podcast by Broadway Lodge
Dean looks back on more than 25 years of alcohol and drug use, repeated treatment attempts and serious health issues before finally getting clean at Broadway Lodge. He talks about rebuilding his life with education, work in a college, AA service, family connection and keeping a promise to his granddad to stay sober.
32:56•16 Apr 2026
From Seizures to Service: Dean’s Four Years Clean and Sober After 25 Years Using
Episode Overview
- Medical support during treatment can be crucial for those experiencing seizures and other health issues linked to alcohol and drug use.
- Feeling different or having unresolved identity questions in childhood can feed into addiction, but they can also be faced in recovery.
- Taking treatment seriously, being honest and listening to others made a clear difference compared with earlier half-hearted rehab attempts.
- Getting clean opened the door for Dean to restart his education, gain qualifications and build a meaningful job supporting vulnerable students.
- Staying sober through grief, such as the death of a loved one, is possible with strong support, clear promises and ongoing connection to recovery communities.
“"I said, grandad, I'm going to do it this time. I'm going to get clean. I'm going to get sober. I'm going to stick with it."”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol after 25 years of chaos? This conversation between Dean and Markkus from Broadway Lodge gives a straight-talking look at just that.
Dean walks back through the doors of Broadway Lodge over four years clean and sober, calling it "something special" because "this is where my journey started." He talks honestly about having seizures triggered by alcohol and drug use, waking up in hospital and thinking only, "I need to get out of this hospital bed. I need a drink," and how the medical team and staff at Broadway Lodge helped keep him safe while his body adjusted.
He shares how growing up with "identity issues" and "feeling like the odd one out" fed into years of drinking and drug use, hostels, ultimatums from partners, and losing his family home. Even a first go at treatment was, in his words, "like a summer camp" where he "didn't want to get well." It was only when he hit a point of sheer desperation that he grabbed the chance of another stay in treatment and came to Broadway Lodge.
From there, the story shifts to what life looks like on the other side. Dean starts again with basic maths and English at college, passes plastering courses, and ends up working as a learning support worker, helping students with ADHD, autism and other additional needs. He talks about AA meetings, going through the steps, sponsoring others, and even doing service at a convention in Spain after getting his first passport in his 40s.
One of the most moving moments comes when Dean recalls promising his granddad Jeff, "I'm going to do it this time. I'm going to get clean. I'm going to get sober." He later carries Jeff’s coffin clean and sober, returns to treatment, and finishes what he started. If you’ve ever wondered whether long-term addiction leaves any real way back, this story might make you ask: what could your own life look like four years from today?
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