Steppin' Out Radio

Rick is one of seven kids. Rick's two sisters are not addicts. His three brothers, however, are. Two have already died due to alcoholism. His sole remaining brother, like himself, is now sober. His first drinks came by way of an adult friend when Rick was in high school. Those drinks began a life spent chasing alcohol. He drank through his time in the service and even working as a firefighter in New York City. His first clear moment came when he wound up in prison one night after a night of drinking – an event he knew even then was due to his abuse of alcohol. But he would be dismissed from the fire department after they learned his was an addict.

Maggie's first experience with alcoholism was when she was a child. Her own mother died of alcohol-related illnesses at the age of 27. The family preferred to she died of "tuberculosis." Maggie thinks her own alcoholism stems from her mother's disease. She grew up in the seventies and eighties, enjoying the bar and nightclub scenes in New York City, and was a regular at Studio 54. She pursued the alcohol because it allowed her to relax and enjoy herself, where she had no knowledge how to do that sober.

John says the most important thing he needs to remember is that he is an alcoholic. He says if he can remember that each day, he won't go back to the life he used to lead; one spent wasted and drunk. He says his first drink was a child, at church. John can remember, as a child, he just was never comfortable with himself. Looking back, he thinks it's odd that a child could detest himself so much. But drinking made those feelings go away. While away at school, John worked in restaurant where he had unbridled access to booze. His drinking lead to deathly health problems that lead John to finally seek sobriety.

Cynthia can remember never liking herself, even as a child. She remembers at age four hating herself. She thinks now it had to do with her family, who themselves were all alcoholics. She was afraid of bringing friends home as the police might be there or her parents might be engaged in a brutal physical fight. Cynthia thinks her first drink was at age four or five, when made to get beer for her father out of the family fridge. She took a sampling, because she watched her father drink all the time. Cynthia's next big drink happened at age 15, with friends. And when she drank, he teenage insecurities melted away and she felt different; funny, popular and sexy.

Dennis grew up in Brooklyn's Breezy Point neighborhood, which all of his friends used to call "Boozy Point." At age thirteen, working as a Cabana Boy, he would take beer from the beach club and host weekend bonfire parties for his friends. By the time he was 15, he was stealing liquor from his family's cabinet in hopes of having better parties. In retrospect, Dennis says he drank so early in hopes it could help him fit in with the other kids. He also felt isolated from his family; he could never be comfortable at gatherings or parties. He chose to stay in his room. Drinking took over Dennis' life by age 17, and he was cutting classes both in high school and later in college. The first person to confront Dennis about his drinking was his bartender.

Mark's son's addiction was out of control, but Mark knew no way to help. Problems began when his son, as a teenager, got arrested for possessing marijuana. Drug treatment and court-ordered programs didn't help. The time and stress spent keeping a vigilant watch on his son took it's toll on Mark, to the point Mark couldn't manage his own life.

Carmen's son Timmy was by all accounts a healthy young man. He was popular, athletic and charming. But he began using steroids after high school. That, Carmen says, lead to OxyContin abuse and eventual abuse of injected heroin. Carmen lost her son to his addiction. Asked what her life is like now, Carmen replies, "Hell. I am waiting to die to see my son again."

Renee believes her son Adam was an addict from the first time he smoked pot in middle school; he almost immediately tried harder drugs culminating with "Special K." That was an animal tranquilizer which leaves you in a catatonic, trance-like state. She relates her struggle to help Adam with his battle with addiction and his many attempts to get clean before his untimely death.

Darryl Strawberry once held the world in his hands, as the premier slugger for both the New York Mets and Yankees, as well as the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Fransisco Giants. But his fame and fortune became tarnished by addiction and carelessness. Strawberry went from having everything to nothing, all while fighting demons, the law and cancer. Now, sober and married, Strawberry recounts his life and his new passions, detailed in his autobiography.

Gary Mendell was a high-profile CEO of an exclusive hotel chain, overseeing an operation worth billions of dollars and yearly revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars. But he is also the father of an addict. His son, Brian, started abusing alcohol and drugs at age 14, and sadly lost the battle. Now, Gary is the chairman of Shatterproof, an advocacy group seeking to increase funding for addiction research and spreading awareness to families about identifying children and others with addiction problems and getting them into treatment before it's too late.