Episode #149: From Surviving to Living: Ron Permenter’s Story

Episode #149: From Surviving to Living: Ron Permenter’s Story

How do individuals turn their lives around after addiction? Recovery Lab shines a spotlight on that question through Ron Permenter’s long-term sobriety and deep commitment to service. You’ll hear how Ron grew up in a multi-generational alcoholic family where drinking, fighting and chaos were considered normal. He talks openly about an angry father, a devoted but overwhelmed mother, and the confusion of being a sensitive, gay kid in a culture that shamed both feelings and sexuality.

As Ron puts it, “I wasn’t feeling great about myself,” and alcohol quickly became the magic ticket to feeling seen and accepted. The conversation with hosts Brynn Knox, Daniel Anderson and David Sugg follows Ron from those early days to a rock-bottom moment in an abandoned farmhouse, then to a courtroom where a judge first mentioned alcoholism and pointed him toward meetings.

Ron recalls his first candlelight meeting, the strange language of recovery literature, and how a sponsor cleverly used his devotion to drinking to explain a “power greater than himself.” This isn’t just about getting sober; it’s about what happens next. Ron shares how recovery helped him go back to education, train as a nurse, and find the courage to speak in front of groups using AA’s fear prayer.

He also talks about making hard amends, including to a father who was once his biggest resentment and to a brother whose final years in a nursing home became a surprising source of spiritual connection. There’s humour too, from electric-bike crashes to parachute trousers and teenage schemes, but the heart of the episode is Ron’s steady message of showing up for family, sponsees and patients.

If you’re wondering whether long-term recovery can transform relationships and open up a meaningful career, this story might be one you’ll want to sit with—what would "living" look like for you, beyond just surviving?