Navy SEAL Dr. Tony Dice on PTSD, Drug Addiction, and Helping Veterans Rebuild Their LivesNavy SEAL Dr. Tony Dice on PTSD, Drug Addiction, and Helping Veterans Rebuild Their Lives
The Addiction Podcast - Point of No Return
Dr. Tony Dice shares how a hero-driven life as a Navy SEAL, firefighter and paramedic spiralled into alcohol and drug addiction, then shifted into deep recovery work. The conversation touches on his bottom as a father, his path through 12-step recovery, and his mission to support veterans and first responders struggling with PTSD and addiction.
23:37•10 Sept 2026
From Navy SEAL to Therapist: Dr. Tony Dice on Addiction, PTSD and Helping Heroes Heal
Episode Overview
- Dr. Tony Dice explains how military and first responder culture can normalise heavy drinking and emotional suppression.
- He describes the progression from alcohol to multiple drugs, culminating in years of crystal meth use and severe physical decline.
- A crisis involving his young son during the swine flu scare becomes the emotional breaking point that leads him to seek treatment.
- Tony outlines how 12-step recovery mirrors recognised therapeutic approaches, helping clinicians better support people in those programmes.
- Through Bishop & Dice Defense, he shares a model for building trust with veterans and first responders before offering mental health support.
“"Alcohol takes things from you and it's no, you give them freely in exchange for your alcohol."”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol after years of service, danger and adrenaline? This conversation with Dr. Tony Dice pulls you straight into that question. A Navy SEAL, firefighter, paramedic, therapist, author and co-founder of Bishop & Dice Defense, Tony talks through a life spent trying to "be a hero" and how that same drive fed his addiction.
You’ll hear how fire rescue and ambulance work fed his need to be needed, and how joining the SEAL teams turned his drinking "pro." In Tony’s words, alcohol became "the Swiss Army knife of dealing with emotion" – a tool for grief, conflict, and stress that was celebrated in his culture.
He shares how addiction quietly tightened its grip, leading him to leave the military so he could drink and use drugs the way he wanted, with no "third option" even crossing his mind.
The story moves from heavy drinking to cocaine, ecstasy and years of crystal meth, ending with Tony at 130 pounds and rejected for overseas contracting work because he "looked like shit." His turning point comes in a hotel room, unable to leave to pick up his sick young son from daycare, feeling his "spirit breaking" and hating who he’d become.
From there, Tony walks through treatment at The Farley Center, being told to "get a sponsor or die," and how a 12-step programme transformed him so deeply that he went back to school, all the way to a PhD. He breaks down the 12 steps in therapy language, showing how they align with stages of change, narrative work, cognitive behavioural tools and purpose-focused counselling.
You’ll also hear about Bishop & Dice Defense, which quietly builds trust with veterans, first responders and law enforcement before introducing mental health support, and Tony’s book "After the Trident," capturing the shame and secrets he once hid. If you or someone you love feels like a "high performer" who’s falling apart inside, could Tony’s journey be the nudge to ask for help today?
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