SHAIR 197: Stay Humble with Ian RomansSHAIR 197: Stay Humble with Ian Romans
The SHAIR Recovery Podcast
Heroin survivor Ian Romans talks about growing up with addicted parents, finding NA through parole, working the steps in depth and staying humble after two years clean. The conversation focuses on grief, service, daily routines and learning to stop beating himself up while building a new life in recovery.
1:04:17•20 Nov 2018
Staying Humble: Ian Romans on Heroin, Heartbreak and Two Years Clean
Episode Overview
- Fear of change and feeling undeserving can keep people using, even when they believe they are meant to die addicted.
- A simple daily routine of prayer, gratitude, making the bed and meetings helps build structure and stability in early recovery.
- Deep work with the NA Step Working Guide, especially around character defects and spiritual principles, can feel like "wiping the hard drive" and installing new coping skills.
- Grief, including losing a parent to addiction, does not have to lead to relapse when there is support, meetings and honest sharing.
- Service work, H&I panels and sponsorship give purpose, humility and a way to give others hope while strengthening one’s own recovery.
“I thought I was supposed to die. That was my end mindset. And that's why every time I did heroin, I was hoping it would take me out.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation with heroin survivor Ian Romans offers a raw, honest snapshot of early recovery and what it really takes to stay clean. Ian grew up with an addicted mum, an abusive stepfather and a childhood marked by foster care, violence and recycling cans so his parents could score. By his teens he was living in a makeshift treehouse, dealing weed and moving on to pills, cocaine and eventually heroin.
Prison, overdoses and using with his own mum became part of the routine, and he genuinely believed he was meant to die. As he puts it, "I thought I was supposed to die... every time I did heroin, I was hoping it would take me out." The turning point came when parole officers offered treatment instead of yet another burnt bridge.
Ian took the chance, got sent to rehab straight from prison and started saying yes to Narcotics Anonymous, even though NA meetings had always been linked in his mind with his parents using straight after. You’ll hear about his simple but solid routine: morning prayers, making the bed, group recovery chats, regular meetings and steady work through the NA Step Working Guide. The episode is especially helpful if you're early in recovery or supporting someone who is.
There’s talk of grief, particularly the death of Ian’s mum while he was 11 months clean, and how step work and sponsorship kept him from picking up. His focus on staying humble, accepting tough love, and putting the metaphorical "bat" down to stop beating himself up will resonate with anyone who feels undeserving of a better life.
If you’ve ever wondered whether deep step work, service and a Higher Power can really rebuild a life from rock bottom, this story might be the nudge you need to keep going.
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