This is Don't story. He takes us through decades of “I can quit whenever I want,” isolation, stints in treatment, gaming the system in sober living, and the DUI that finally shattered his pride. Along the way he talks about support that he didn’t think he deserved, the brother he can’t fix, and the simple spiritual practice that turned recovery from a chore into actual peace.

It’s honest, humbling, and quietly hopeful.

00:00 – Popcorn with chopsticks and a bowl of wet baby pickles
03:08 – Brian thanks listeners and shares why they’re bringing more guests into the circle
05:11 – Don traces when alcohol stopped being “social” and started taking over his work and home life during COVID
10:26 – The three-year stretches of not drinking, the secret stashes, and why he always slid back
18:43 – Hazelden vs. Fairview and the first time someone clearly explained what alcohol was doing to his brain and body
23:38 – Finding Quest, comparing it with AA, and why the “biker room” honesty felt more real than anything else
27:41 – The DUI night: speeding home to drink, getting pulled over in a suit, and the shame that finally broke him
33:52 – Rebuilding trust with his wife, kids, and grandkids while realizing how far his selfishness had spread
52:20 – Don on the true root of sobriety, daily prayer, and why spiritual surrender finally quieted the anxiety

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