SHAIR 156: It's the Only Way with Alekzandr MacSHAIR 156: It's the Only Way with Alekzandr Mac
The SHAIR Recovery Podcast
Omar Pinto talks with Alekzandr “Ant” Mac about his decades-long dependence on prescription pills and suboxone, and how Narcotics Anonymous became central to his life. The conversation highlights raw honesty, family fallout and the slow rebuild of daily routines, aimed at anyone questioning whether lasting change is possible.
1:21:49•6 Feb 2018
From Suboxone to Freedom: Alekzandr Mac Says NA Is His Only Way
Episode Overview
- Long-term suboxone use can be as chaotic and harmful as other opioid use, and coming off it may involve a lengthy and intense withdrawal.
- Narcotics Anonymous, sponsorship and regular meetings provide structure, accountability and a sense of belonging that many people in recovery rely on.
- Simply stopping drugs is not enough; learning basic life skills, routines and honesty in relationships is crucial to staying clean.
- Family members may not immediately understand why meetings and fellowship are so important, but prioritising recovery is framed as essential for everyone’s wellbeing.
- Sharing openly in groups and with sponsors about what is happening “yesterday and today” is presented as a key tool for anyone new to recovery.
“If a guy in solitary confinement can come into N.A. and get clean, I think the rest of you can.”
How do people find hope in the darkest times? This conversation between host Omar Pinto and his long-time friend Alekzandr “Ant” Mac shows just how messy, funny and brutally honest that journey can be. Ant talks through more than two decades of prescription drug addiction, fuelled by family patterns (both his father and stepfather were hooked on opiates) and a long stretch on suboxone that he genuinely believed counted as being "clean".
You’ll hear how he went from smuggling pharmacy bags over borders with his dad, to abusing suboxone and Xanax for ten years, to finally locking himself in his own back garden to come off everything or die trying. The episode leans heavily into life after the detox too.
Ant shares what 60 days of withdrawal felt like, how Narcotics Anonymous became “the only way” for him, and why his wife’s blunt line – “you’re the same junkie…” – forced him to realise that being clean doesn’t automatically mean living well. There’s plenty of dark humour, from peeing the bed and nearly killing the family dog, to learning how to make vegemite sandwiches and get the kids to school on time.
At its heart, this is for anyone wrestling with long-term pill use, suboxone dependence, or the guilt of wreckage left behind. Ant’s message is simple and sharp: "If a guy in solitary confinement can come into N.A. and get clean, I think the rest of you can." It speaks directly to newcomers, partners and families who need proof that change is possible, one meeting and one very human mistake at a time.
If you’ve ever thought, "I’ve gone too far to come back," this story might make you ask yourself whether that’s really true.
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