Kasey's StoryKasey's Story
Voices In Recovery Podcast
Kasey begins his story with feelings of being disconnected and alone, which led him to search for who he was. This question led him down the path of substance abuse, in which he found some sense of identity. A place where he could numb the pain of life an
56:53•27 May 2020
Kasey’s Journey from Meth, Music and Mayhem to Meaningful Sobriety
Episode Overview
- Feeling disconnected, even in a loving family, can push someone toward substances in an attempt to find identity and belonging.
- Music and creative outlets can provide grounding and purpose, but untreated pain and grief may still feed addiction in the background.
- Methamphetamine use rapidly escalated Kasey’s addiction, leading to stealing from family, legal trouble, and deep shame.
- Experiences at Renfrew and Simon House introduced him to structure, 12-step recovery, and the idea of complete surrender to a higher power.
- Relapse showed Kasey how truly powerless he is over any substance, motivating him to commit fully to recovery, rebuild trust, pay off debt, and help others in treatment.
“Reach out. When that phone is 10,000 pounds, reach out no matter what. Don't give up. I turned pain into power so I can help people.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? Kasey’s story on the Voices In Recovery Podcast offers a raw, funny, and emotionally honest ride through addiction, relapse, and the slow, steady rebuild of a life that nearly vanished. Kasey grows up in a loving family but never quite feels like he fits in. Music becomes his grounding force after an aunt buys him a guitar, and soon he’s playing at Indigenous youth events and music schools.
At the same time, alcohol and drugs creep in as a way to cope with loneliness, grief, and a growing sense of disconnection. He talks openly about being “an alcoholic” and “a drug addict as well, extraordinaire,” and how methamphetamine took him from “manageable” chaos to total destruction. The conversation tracks his spiral through meth use, stealing from family, and calling the police on himself, all the way to detox, Renfrew, and finally treatment at Simon House.
Kasey describes his first go at recovery as half-measured – he still believed he could “use like a gentleman.” A single joint shatters that illusion and sends him straight back to crystal meth, proving to him how “powerless” he is over any substance. His second attempt at Simon House is different.
He talks about fully surrendering to the 12 steps, building a relationship with a higher power of his own understanding, and rebuilding trust with his family, including a grandmother who once kept firm boundaries with him. He pays off $15,000 of debt, finds work he enjoys, returns to his love of music, adopts two cats, and eventually starts working at Simon House itself. Kasey’s message to anyone struggling is simple and strong: “Reach out… Don’t ever give up.
I turned pain into power so I can help people.” If you’re feeling stuck, his journey might be the nudge you need to keep going.
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