Episode 41: Sam — Sobriety, Spiritual Healing, and Building a Life With Fellowship

Sam has 9 years sober, with alcohol and cocaine as her drugs of choice. While she experienced physical bottoms, it was the spiritual sickness that nearly broke her—the slow erosion of her values, her morals, and her sense of self. She remembers stealing from a friend, blacking out on a family trip to Disneyland, and terrifying her loved ones when she wound up in Long Beach at a stranger’s house. That was the final straw for her family, especially her mom—who told her plainly: you have a problem with alcohol, and you need help.

Her sister didn’t even want to be around her anymore, a loss that would later become one of the biggest blessings in recovery when they rebuilt their bond. Sam reached out to an old friend, whose boyfriend connected her with a treatment program in Villa Park. Her dad picked her up at the airport, and in one of those surreal alcoholic moments, actually stopped at Vons so she could buy a box of wine before going into detox. Sam remembers thinking she could never fathom a life without drinking.

In treatment, everything began to shift. She found her first real friend in recovery—someone who later passed away from this disease—and she met Brett, who would become her husband. Grief could have taken her out, but instead, she leaned on meetings—sometimes two or three a day—and the fellowship carried her through. She also met her sponsor in a moment of vulnerability after making a “fool” of herself at a meeting. This woman related to her instantly and became a guiding light.

At four months sober, Sam started dating Brett. He had only a few more months than she did, and everyone swore they would take each other out. And for a moment, it looked like they might—when Brett relapsed on heroin just shy of two years sober. Sam had 18 months at the time, found his stash in their bathroom, and confronted him. Brett went back to detox, got sober again, and they made the decision to stay together. Since then, they’ve leaned into meetings and the fellowship as the foundation of both their sobriety and their relationship.

🎧 Listen in as Sam shares her journey of honesty, heartbreak, and healing—a story of rebuilding family bonds, finding love in recovery, and discovering that fellowship is the heartbeat of a sober life.