Ben and I have a guest with us today who is a patient at Rock Recovery Center. Mathew K, our special guest, shares his history and experience with recovery from alcohol addiction. Matt has been in several different types of treatment several times over the past five years. We discuss Matt’s past wins, mistakes, and his past history related to his addiction.

Currently, in his mid-30’s, he started drinking at age 14 and his first use of drugs at age 15. His earliest childhood memories at the age of five were of a work-oriented father who wasn’t present and gave Matt constant negative feedback and a mother who was giving. Several times his father would come home drunk and have arguments with his mom, which is the reason Matt remembers feelings of being protective of his mother. He played several sports and remembered his grandparents watching his games. School was a safe place for Matt as he was an outstanding athlete and received good grades, until his junior year in high school.

When drinking, Matt felt that he was free, and his state of being drunk made the world feel like it was slowing down. His alcoholism progressed with his junior and senior years when he quit sports, found a job, and bought a car. Additionally, he was friends with many of the cheerleaders and sports jocks who liked to throw parties. Known as “the party guy,” he held parties on his property as his parents had a large property with land, which he would host parties on frequently.

By the time he was out of high school, he had identified with being the bartender. He would boast he could “drink like his dad.” Like a badge of honor, this was a sense of accomplishment and entrance into manhood. He was continually trying to “one-up” himself drinking.

He realized at the age of 25 that he had become an alcoholic. Even though his friends pointed out he had become alcoholic, he would respond with “alcoholics go to meetings.” About four years ago, he had to time out how often he needed to drink so he wouldn’t get the shakes. Matt avoided drinking during his workday as a pizza delivery associate because he didn’t want to be drunk and kill someone drunk driving.

His drinking, bad eating habits, and smoking ended him up in the hospital with pancreatitis at the age of 30. Since then, he has been hospitalized 15 times for pancreatitis. His liver and pancreas are so weakened that he will die from pancreatitis or liver shutdown if he continues to drink.

Listen in to find out when Matt sought out treatment for alcoholism, his residential rehab experiences, and the different programs he went through during the past five years. Learn why he couldn’t stand to be in his first treatment program, and what his criteria are for being successful at a rehabilitation clinic.

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Show Notes:

• [05:34] Matt shares his history of addiction with Ben and I.
• [09:32] How Matt reacted and dealt with his dad’s drinking at a very young age.
• [11:44] Alcoholism paving the way for Matt to have trauma related to his dad’s drinking. 
• [13:06] Neurological aspects of alcohol addiction. 
• [14:18] Matt’s first experience getting drunk involved eating pizza with cigarettes on top.
• [18:34] His road to alcoholism starting in his junior year of high school.
• [19:33] When Matt did eight shots twice, then kept drinking and blacked out in the snow.
• [23:14] Upholding drinking as a badge of honor, this was a sense of accomplishment and entrance into manhood.
• [24:15] When Matt realized he had become an alcoholic.
• [26:30] The reason he went into treatment was because he had pancreatitis.
• [29:41] Why Matt has been hospitalized 15 times in five years.
• [32:01] Matt’s attempt at drinking with attempted moderation after being diagnosed and told he would die if he continued to drink.
• [35:24] Ben’s professional opinion on 30 days of treatment for addiction.
• [40:20] Why Matt had to fall flat multiple times to keep himself in treatment.
• [41:30] Matt’s criteria for a rehabilitation clinic.
• [46:09] The importance of a geographical change when getting sober. 
• [50:27] This is the longest period since his teens that Matt has been sober.
• [52:44] Ben discusses the positive aspects of recovery far away from home.
• [55:12] Sobriety support in the “Recovery Capital of the World”.
• [58:16] Taking pride in your sobriety.
• [61:13] Drivers for addicts to become sober.

Episode Links and Resources

• Real Recovery Live Chat
• Real Recovery Talk on the Web
• Real Recovery Talk on YouTube
• Leave Real Recovery Talk a review on iTunes
• Rock Recovery Center
• Real Recovery Talk on Facebook
• Ideas for a show? Email us [email protected] and [email protected]
• Brene Brown and Vulnerability
• Futures Recovery Healthcare Center