I Thought I Was Only Hurting Me with Matt Bauersachs

I Thought I Was Only Hurting Me with Matt Bauersachs

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation on Pondoff’s Anonymous follows Matt Bauersachs as he shares how a “typical” high‑school kid with ADHD, lupus and low self‑esteem slid into daily drinking, drugs, dealing and dangerous stunts – including flipping his car while racing to impress a girl.

You’ll hear Matt talk openly about self-hatred, suicidal talk, pills that made him feel like a pinball, and the warped belief that "I had myself convinced that I was only hurting me." Chris and Zoe keep the tone loose and darkly funny, but they don’t shy away from the heavy bits: interventions that feel like ambushes, parents walking their son into multiple programmes, and a family therapist calmly stating, “Matt’s not broken.” The heart of the episode is how his parents changed.

What starts as funny golf‑course drinking stories gradually turns into a stark look at blackouts, a 0.0 GPA, getting kicked out of treatment, and parents who feel totally out of answers. Once they learned about addiction, set firm boundaries and stopped rescuing him – including refusing to let him come home and insisting on long‑term care – everything shifted. Matt describes finding real joy in sober living in Connecticut, then building a life in St.

Louis: community college, meeting his now‑wife in biology class, earning his social work degrees, and eventually starting Learn to Live, a long‑term sober living and clinical programme in Hermann, Missouri. This one speaks directly to people in recovery, as well as mums and dads who feel lost, guilty or scared. You’ll get an honest view of relapse danger zones, why long‑term support matters, and how families can help without losing themselves.

It might leave you asking: what could change if you believed your loved one isn’t broken either?