#8 Will Drury: From Dope Sick to Dad Again—Finding Hope in the Cold Cell and a New Calling

Will Drury’s story is a raw, winding path through grief, addiction, jail, and the kind of recovery that rebuilds a life from the ground up. He started using at 13, lost close friends to DUI tragedies, and by 18 he was a “kid having a kid”—while sliding deeper into alcohol, weed, and eventually opioids.

Hydrocodone turned into oxycodone, tolerance turned into withdrawal, and survival became a daily chase to not get sick. Will shares what it was like to walk into a methadone clinic at 20, live in and out of jail, and later endure opioid withdrawal behind bars—alone, freezing, and hallucinating in what he calls the “turtle suit.”

But the episode doesn’t stay in the dark. Will opens up about the moment a simple prayer cracked something open, how treatment and the AA community helped him grow up fast, and how he rebuilt trust—especially with his son, Tyson. Today, Will has turned his recovery into service, helping others find a path forward and creating Forge Recovery Home, a safe place for men to transition into sober living.

You’ll Hear:

• How early grief and trauma helped fuel Will’s addiction
• The “lines in the sandbox” that kept moving—from weed to pills to IV drug use
• What it’s like to be dope sick at 19 with no idea what’s happening
• The methadone clinic experience at 20—and why he felt “out of place”
• Withdrawal in jail: the cold cell, hallucinations, and the “turtle suit”
• The stolen truck story that became a turning point
• The prayer that shifted everything: “God, let your will be done.”
• How recovery helped him become a dad again—and rebuild a real life
• Why boundaries matter: “Love them from a distance.”
• How Will’s purpose became a calling—and led to Forge Recovery Home

Why Listen:

• To understand how addiction hijacks choices long before someone “looks” addicted
• To hear a brutally honest account of withdrawal, jail, and what people don’t talk about
• To be reminded that grief and shame don’t have to be a life sentence
• To see what’s possible when recovery becomes community, responsibility, and service
• To hear a story that proves it’s never too late to come home—to your life, and to the people you love