Written by Samantha Carter
From a young age, Dave was exposed to alcohol by his family and friends. Unfortunately, these influences only seemed to exacerbate his underlying propensity toward addiction. Before he knew it, decades had passed and he no longer found joy or meaning in life—constantly controlled by the alcohol required to keep his body going.
After an old friend confronted him about his disease, Dave decided to seek treatment at All Points North Lodge in Edwards, Colorado. Having 71 days in the program and 14 months of sobriety on his belt at the time of filming, Dave opened up about his experience with addiction and sobriety in the APN podcast episode, Addiction Treatment Changed My Life: Recovery x Dave. To learn more about his story, check out the full podcast episode or continue reading the article below.
Born and Raised on the Bottle
Dave wasn’t the only person in his family who struggled with addiction.
“I come from a family that was heavily engaged in alcohol,” Dave said. “I had some childhood trauma and a lot of things that led up to getting to where I was.”
At first, Dave tried to brush off the peer pressure. But eventually, it wore him down.
“I kind of held off from the peer pressure and stuff for quite a while,” Dave said. “I mean, I didn’t start drinking until I was about 12. Then, I kind of went through the high school story—you know, drank some and did some other things. During sports I didn’t do it. [But then in] college [I] kind of picked it back up [and this carried] through to my adult life.”
Eventually, drinking became a way of life for Dave.
Using Alcohol and Drugs as an Escape
Not only was drinking a way of life, but it was also a way to escape.
“I really struggled with anxiety from the childhood stuff and I used the alcohol as an escape,” Dave said. “Ultimately, I ended up on heavy medication and heavy alcohol … Then, [my] body [became] accustomed to that method of treatment … and unfortunately it [became] a way of life.”
Like many others who struggle with addiction, Dave found ways to make excuses for his behavior.
“I was still successful in [my] career, still had a family, didn’t have all the true rock bottoms, but the drinking continued and got heavier,” Dave said. “Then the last few years it was full on alcohol. I was drinking every day. Sometimes it was the first thing I did. Sometimes it was the only thing I drank during the entire day. Sometimes it was several days [where] the only thing I had was alcohol.”
Dave opens up about what it’s like to go from having an unhealthy relationship with alcohol to watching it progress into something worse.
“You kind of lose sight of you,” Dave said. “You lose the ability to really control [anything]. It becomes that obsession and that … craving … You react mentally once you get that first taste and it’s so soothing—you just don’t want to leave that feeling. You keep going and going, even though you’re making bad decisions, and you know you’re making bad decisions … with this disease, you will continue doing it and making those decisions [until] you surrender to it.”
The Intervention Dave Needed
What started out as another opportunity to drink later turned into something Dave didn’t expect.
“I went to a fraternity event. It was my buddy’s anniversary party [and] I was in his wedding,” Dave said. “I hadn’t seen a lot of guys in years … There were kegs. There was Jungle Juice. You know, there was plenty of drinking and partying going on. But I was the only guy sitting by the cooler drinking the whole time while everybody else was [socializing] … I sat there and at some point I just decided I was going to bed and I went and got in a tent that wasn’t even mine.”
Dave needed something to change. Luckily for him, there was a special person in his life who helped him see the depths of his disease, inspiring him to seek treatment.
“The next day one of my [friends] called me and said, ‘Hey, I’m really concerned about you … I’ll come and get you right now and take you to treatment, but if you don’t want to go then I’ll be willing to read the five-side burial ritual at your funeral because that’s where you’re going to be.’ And that moment hit me like a ton of bricks. It was like lightning [struck]. I mean, it chilled me to my bone. I hung up and … started making phone calls [to go] to treatment. Two days later is when I arrived in Colorado.”
Coming to Treatment for the First Time
Even though Dave had been dealing with his disease for decades, coming to All Points North was his first time in a treatment program.
“At the end, I was just so tired of drinking,” Dave said. “It was no longer fun. It was just something I did out of necessity. So when I got [to APN] I was happy that I had a solution that might work. I had no idea what I was getting into, of course.”
Upon arriving, many of Dave’s anxieties were put to rest.
“When I walked in the doors, I had [this] first reaction of, wow—this place is incredible,” Dave said. “[Still, it was probably] two or three weeks before I … really truly let my guard down. [I had to] accept and get honest with myself that, Hey—you have a serious problem both mentally and physically … I was not in the best physical shape when I walked in this door. I was 80 pounds heavier and on a fistful of medications. [Now, I’m] not on any of that thanks to this place.”
Life-Changing Staff at APN
Part of what worked so well for Dave was the impact the APN staff had on his healing journey.
“My first meeting was with Dustin, [an APN therapist],” Dave said. “He was absolutely perfect for me—instrumental, really. I’m forever grateful to him for what he was able to get me through and get me to see and how and his guidance [got] me through the steps [and] the pieces of the process.”
At APN, Dave was able to dive into the issues driving his addiction that he previously left unaddressed for years.
“[Dustin] challenged me to overcome some of my fears, to be able to forgive, and to process some of my inner demons … I can remember [one time when] he asked me how I was doing and I sat down and kind of gave him what I thought … was a very good answer. It was a script. You know? … He just sat there and looked at me and goes, ‘I don’t even know who you are when you say stuff like that. Why don’t you tell me a little bit about you and what you’re really going through? Quit being a therapist and tell me about what’s going on inside you.’ … I hated it at the time, but now [I realize it was all] systematic and [that] those things were done for a reason.”
Life is Still Fun Sober
One of Dave’s biggest concerns about getting sober was how it might have impacted his personal life. However, he came to find that the outcome was far different from what he initially expected.
“You know all the things that [people say] when you’re in active addiction and all the fears that you have about how life can be fun at all on the other side [really affected me],” Dave said. “I thought—what am I going to do? [But] I’ll tell you firsthand – at least from my experience – that life is a hundred thousand times better [sober]. It’s way more fun. The people that are your true friends are still there. The people that were just around for the party [are gone and] that’s okay.”
Today, Dave lives a very different life from before, a better life than he even imagined.
“[Before], everything that I like[d] to do in life was taken away by this disease,” Dave said. “Now, I’m totally different … I eat extremely clean. Mentally, I’m totally different because … I’m more engaged with my family. I’m more engaged with my kids. I go on vacations. I’m willing to try new things that I would never have tried before. [Previously], I was completely shut down and now I’m completely open and eager to try new things and truly live a sober life.”
Reflections to Share
Now that Dave has healed from his addiction, he has some things he’d like to share with others who may be facing similar situations.
“Whether you’re an alcoholic or an addict or whatever—life isn’t always skipping through fields of daisies,” Dave said. “There’s difficult times, no matter. But it’s how you approach that and I think that being in recovery and … being self-aware prepares you to be able to handle those challenges without going back to the old ways of flying off the handle.”
For Dave, APN provided him with the space and skills he needed to do that.
“I’m extremely grateful for some of the people that I had an opportunity to work,” Dave said. “APN and its staff is what changed my life. I’m a totally different person mentally and physically and I owe it all to this place.”
If you’re interested in learning more about All Points North and our addiction, trauma, and mental health recovery programs, submit our confidential contact form or call us at 855.934.1178 today. You never know how good your life can get when you allow yourself to receive the gifts of sobriety.
More From Dave
Listen and watch the Dave’s episode of Recovery x APN below, and find more episodes on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
