Steppin' Out Radio

In the late 1970's and 1980's Lee McCormick hit the road as a singer songwriter. He plunged into the lifestyle head first and headstrong. His tipping point came in 1997 when he barely woke up one day, realized he had an out-of-control drug problem and checked himself into rehab. In rehab, he had a profound awakening and set out on a personal quest to find real truth and healing in his life. His inward journey took him to Native American and Mesoamerican shamans and healers who opened him up to a universal view of life and a new paradigm for addiction treatment.

Adam thinks he was born an alcoholic; even as a young child never felt comfortable with himself. And alcohol, he learned, could make those feelings go away. He would later learn his own father was stashing alcohol around the house, an despite promising to never end up like, he knew he was, at heart, an addict. His drinking lead to money problems, including divorce and jail for non-payment of debts. After being set free, Adam beings a long path towards sustaining sobriety. Come one future day during a business trip, Adam meets Susan. While they hit it off, Adam didn't keep in contact, but by chance the met again in an AA meeting.

Jeff is a recovering gambling addict, and his adult son Michael is a member of Gam-Anon which has helped him return his own life to his own control after growing up raised by an addict. Jeff's own parents were addicts; his father was not only an alcoholic but a gambler as well. His father was more interested in teaching Jeff how to read race tickets and than books. Jeff grew up thinking gambling was not only cool, but also necessary. He gambled at tracks, casinos and with bookies. He got in so deep he lost his marriage so far in debt he decided to take his own life. When his suicide attempt failed, he called his son. Instead of asking for real help, Jeff asked Michael for money.

Harry's first drug experience was with alcohol. His family would use alcohol for kids' ailments, like toothaches, etc. At age 12, he drank a bottle of sacramental wine and loved it. But at the same age, he also tried marijuana. Harry says he's different from most other addicts, though; where many people would come out of their shell while intoxicated, he became more withdrawn, in what felt like an escape from his home life. Harry came of age in the Hippie era, which allowed him the opportunity to use and deal marijuana and hallucinogenic drugs. As the 60's ended and the 70's began, Harry moved to cocaine, heroin and the discos. His narcotics use would continue for 16 years when he would end up in prison.

Fred's family was entirely made up of alcoholics. Alcohol was present at every family event, and nobody would only have one drink. Everybody imbibed but alcohol affected Fred's father to the point it changed his personality. When sober, his father was a loving man. When drunk, Fred's father could be in a rage and would beat him. While Fred promised himself he would not drink like his father, he grew up to find himself having similar character traits, and it scared him.

Mark refused to attend an Al-Anon meeting when his therapist first suggested it. Despite his family not being comprised of drinkers, Mark now knows his family was unhealthy. His parents, especially his father, was what is termed to be a "rage-aholic." His father was constantly angry and often his father would take that anger out on him. Occasionally Mark's father would beat him. His relationship with his father was defined by angry confrontation, and that became the paradigm for how he would interact with other people.

Matt was a young drinker; so young, in fact, he got sober at age 19. He hails from a large family of alcoholics and spent his whole young life believing that alcoholism was a normal way of life. But it also caused him to feel like an outcast – a feeling that could only be quelled by drinking alcohol himself. By age 18, Matt is drinking nightly and winding up in strange situations that the following morning he would conclude made for a "good night."

Even as a young child, Carlito would "play doctor" with anyone; he knew at that early age he was bisexual. As an adolescent that aspect of his life became more apparent to him, but he was never something he could be open about. In those times and in his family attitudes regarding sex were different, and his religious culture had expectations of how his lifestyle should be. He learned about his sexuality "on the street." His insecurities, he found, would be alleviated by alcohol and drugs, and that's when he found himself seeking sex as a form of escape and acceptance.

Jimmy's first drink was in junior high school. He had friends whose parents kept a stocked bar and were frequently absent. As a child, he felt awkward and out of place, but the alcohol provided Jim with "the answer." He loved the feeling he got when the alcohol went down the hatch. He began also noticing, as a he matured, that his family often had a problem with alcohol. His siblings also became drinkers. One ended up in a rehab, and his transformation planted the seed in Jim's mind that perhaps his drinking was a danger to him.

Steve always felt different from other people. He first felt that way when, as a young child, he was made to repeat kindergarten. Steve now thinks his failure to socialize or make friendships at that age was the result of his mother being an alcoholic. By age thirteen he began to pick up the drink himself. And since then Steve would drink to get drunk. He had no desire to have just a glass of wine. Steve's alcoholism even caused him to have a breakdown while in the military.