Episode 23: Patt O. —"Eight Years Sober and Ready to End it All"

In this powerful and eye-opening Episode 23 of Sober Disclosure, Breezy and Jimmy sit down with Patt O., whose story shatters the illusion that time in sobriety guarantees peace. Patt has been sober for over two decades, and his mother was one of the most well-known women in Alcoholics Anonymous. But growing up in her shadow, Patt found himself trapped in an image—not just of what others expected from him, but what AA seemed to expect as well.

For his first 8 to 10 years in the program, Patt did everything “right.” He was the guy sponsoring everyone, speaking at events, attending all the meetings, and living out the slogans. From the outside, he was the AA poster child. On the inside, he was spiraling. At eight years sober, Patt was planning to end his life. He couldn’t reconcile why, after doing everything the program said, he still felt so empty and disconnected.

This episode digs deep into that turning point—standing on a freeway overpass, ready to jump, when something Patt can only describe as God intervened. It wasn’t a lightning bolt moment of clarity, but a quiet shift that pulled him back. From there, everything began to change—not because he “worked harder,” but because he finally sought a real connection with a power greater than himself.

Patt shares how his early years in recovery were filled with ego, dishonesty, manipulation, and control. And how only when he let go of trying to manage everyone else’s experience did he start to heal. He talks about how he sponsors men today—by making space, not giving orders—and why he's wary of some AA catchphrases that get tossed around as truth but aren’t rooted in the Big Book or experience.

This is a rare and honest look at what can happen when recovery is based on performance rather than connection—and how real spiritual awakening often begins where the slogans end. Patt’s story is a reminder that sobriety alone doesn’t save us—connection does.