John N. Age 29 Sober : 12/23/12

John N. Age 29 Sober : 12/23/12

What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction? This conversation between host Mike S and guest John N, sober since December 2012, lays out a raw and relatable picture of active addiction, early recovery, and life in long-term sobriety. John describes the brutal end stage of his using: “I’d watch Law & Order while playing solitaire, hoping I didn’t wake up the next morning.

Fine if I died.” From chewing tobacco at 12 to pot at 13, to a full-blown painkiller and cocaine habit by his early twenties, his story shows how quickly things escalated once access and money lined up with obsession.

He talks about the moment pills “clicked” for him, sitting in a friend’s basement watching Entourage and thinking, “No one realises that they’re doing life wrong.” For anyone who’s ever tried to outsmart addiction by swapping substances or going half-in on recovery, this episode hits close to home. John and Mike trade stories of half-measures in AA, secrecy, and the exhausting web of lies spun between friends, family, dealers and meetings.

They talk frankly about Suboxone, the fantasy of “just one drink”, and the reality that the real craving was “alone on my couch snorting oxys.” Sobriety for John isn’t just abstinence, though. He shares how the steps exposed his blame-heavy mindset, how a tough sponsor “reading him the riot act” finally cut through, and why making amends to his dad was both necessary and heartbreaking.

There’s also honest chat about perfectionism, early sober dating, and learning to “do the next right thing” instead of chasing flawless days. If you’re new, curious, or just feeling stuck, you’ll hear plenty of practical AA suggestions and see how simply doing “all the suggestions” changed John’s life. Maybe the question to sit with is this: what would it take for you to stop picking and choosing, and just try it all for 90 days?