TSP 076: Costa Rica Recovery with Chris Wright "it was the crack!"TSP 076: Costa Rica Recovery with Chris Wright "it was the crack!"
The SHAIR Recovery Podcast
Chris Wright recounts his journey from heavy crack use, lost opportunities and family heartbreak to finding help at Costa Rica Recovery and building a new sober life. The conversation highlights the power of 12-step support, a simple daily routine and the unexpected influence of his dog in keeping him alive long enough to change.
1:38:15•26 Jul 2016
From Crack and Chaos to Costa Rica Recovery: Chris Wright’s Remarkable Turnaround
Episode Overview
- Addiction can sit behind apparent success, with good grades and promotions hiding serious alcohol and drug use.
- Fear, ego and stigma around addiction can block people from accepting help, even when consequences are severe.
- Treatment in a structured setting, including regular AA and NA meetings and step work with a sponsor, can be crucial for early recovery.
- Writing down what matters – the people and activities you love sober – can highlight what addiction will eventually take away.
- "Don't leave before the miracle happens" stresses the importance of staying with recovery efforts long enough for change to take root.
“"If you're doing a 12-step program, or whatever you're doing, just don't leave before the miracle happens."”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? This conversation between host Omar Pinto and guest Chris Wright offers a raw, honest account of crack addiction, near-misses, and the unlikely role a dog can play in keeping someone alive. Listeners meet Chris at a high point: one year clean and sober, living in Hartford, Connecticut and working as an organic, biodynamic farmer for a community supported agriculture (CSA) project.
He talks about long days in the fields, hauling rocks instead of spraying chemicals, and why farming feels like "something greater than yourself" after years of self-destruction. From there, the story rewinds. Chris describes a "textbook" spiral: gifted student and standout footballer (soccer player) who seemed to have it all, then fell hard for alcohol, weed, ecstasy, cocaine and, eventually, crack.
He shares how he hid serious use behind good grades, promotions and charm, even ghosting friends and family rather than admit he’d been dismissed from university or was using heavily. The darkest parts are stark but matter-of-fact: drink-driving crashes, stealing from his parents, heavy use with sex workers, and being so paranoid he was peeking through blinds while his life collapsed.
Through it all, his dog Jordan stayed by his side – a silent witness whose unconditional love became one of the few things Chris couldn’t justify losing. A crucial turning point comes when he texts his mum, "I need help", and uses his cashed-out pension to get to Costa Rica Recovery. There, three months in structured treatment, daily meetings, and a sponsor-led 12-step programme slowly change everything.
Chris goes on to stay in Costa Rica, work at the clinic, run a half marathon, and really embrace meetings and step work once back in the US. If you’re wondering whether it’s worth hanging on a bit longer in early recovery, this episode asks a simple question: why leave before the miracle happens?
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