Early Oxy Leads to Heroin, Robbing Connects at Gun Point, Silkroad, Shooting Ketamine, Rapid Detoxes, Methadone for Years...Drew's Story is InsaneEarly Oxy Leads to Heroin, Robbing Connects at Gun Point, Silkroad, Shooting Ketamine, Rapid Detoxes, Methadone for Years...Drew's Story is Insane
Chasing Heroine: Addiction Recovery Podcast
Drew shares a chaotic path from early oxy use to heroin, robberies, Silk Road dealing, rapid detoxes and ketamine mishaps, before finally embracing full sobriety. The conversation balances dark, graphic stories with humour, 12‑step recovery and the new purpose he’s found helping other men get clean.
2:33:27•14 May 2026
From Oxy to Silk Road: Drew’s Wild Ride to Sobriety
Episode Overview
- Heavy, long-term use doesn’t rule out recovery; stopping after years of oxy, heroin, methadone and fentanyl really is possible.
- Rapid detox can clear opioids quickly but still leaves the body in withdrawal and may not address the underlying addiction at all.
- Crime that feels “strategic” in active addiction (like robbing dealers or gaming pill mills) still carries huge risks and fallout.
- Service commitments and showing up early to meetings helped Drew rebuild connection and humility after years of isolation.
- Linking sobriety to purpose — in his case, supporting other men in treatment and defining his values — helps make staying clean worth it.
“The idea that we actually stop using is insane. It’s a miracle. It’s an actual miracle.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This one is a rollercoaster. Chasing Heroine brings on Drew, a soft-spoken regular from Jeannine’s local 12‑step scene, whose life story turns out to be “one of the wildest, craziest stories” the show has ever aired. You’ll hear how early oxy use in Utah spiralled into heroin, methadone, benzos and years of dealing, armed robberies on heroin runners, high‑speed chases and police raids.
Drew breaks down the old cartel-style delivery system in Utah, shooting speedballs, and the chaos of robbing dealers at gunpoint before eventually landing in California. Once here, the hustle simply changed shape: pill mills, methadone clinics, online ads, then moving into Silk Road and bitcoin, stacking cash while sending blues across the country. The episode doesn’t glamorise any of it.
Rapid detoxes gone wrong, degloving his genitals while high on ketamine, friends overdosing, a father using alongside him, and bank accounts being shut down all show just how bad "functional" addiction can get. Covid-era fentanyl and ketamine binges finally push him towards rehab. What’s especially relatable for people in recovery is how long Drew wanted *anything but* full sobriety. He tried every trick except actually doing the programme.
That changed when, in treatment, someone casually suggested, “Why don’t you just try being completely sober?” From there, he found HA and CA in Oceanside, got commitments, built a sober community, and went on to open a men’s treatment centre focused on healthy masculinity and purpose. Jeannine’s style stays raw, funny and very real — there’s a lot of laughing in between some seriously dark memories. As she tells him, “The idea that we actually stop using is insane.
It’s a miracle.” If you (or someone you love) think you’re “too far gone,” Drew’s story might make you rethink that. What if your own “miracle” is closer than you think?
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