Jed A. Age 37 Sober since: 5/14/13

Jed A. Age 37 Sober since: 5/14/13

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation between host Mike S and guest Jed A gives a very honest look at exactly that, with plenty of humour, raw detail, and practical recovery talk.

Jed, sober since May 2013 with relapse in his story, talks about chasing those first “five or ten minutes” of relief from alcohol and drugs, and how quickly it all turns on him: “for about 10 minutes, it gave me what I wanted… once it was over, the addiction just started up again.

Like that.” He shares how fear, anxiety and a lifelong sense of being “wrong inside” pushed him towards pot, ecstasy, alcohol and anything that could slam down the “gate on fear”. You’ll hear about chaos at home, early therapy and Ritalin at six, and a family history soaked in depression and alcoholism.

Jed’s story moves from daily smoking and forgotten exams to swallowing a pill out of nightclub vomit, through to a grim wake-up call involving eight months’ worth of cigarette butts in a Foster’s can. His first shot at AA brings nearly two years dry but no real step work, sponsorship or spiritual practice, and that’s where things start to crack. The heart of the episode lies in his relapse and return.

Jed explains how moving to New York, losing his Jersey recovery network and relying only on meetings left him unprepared when life got tough. He describes the day he “knew” he was going to drink, polishing off a bottle of Hennessy by the river for ten minutes of peace and ten months of misery. Crucially, he frames the steps as “training” for handling emotions, not magic tricks.

Along the way, there’s talk of obsessive gym habits, turning addictive focus into a “superpower”, and making powerful amends to his sister and father. If you’ve ever wondered whether relapse means you’ve blown it, or whether the steps actually matter, this one might get you thinking about what kind of life you really want in sobriety.