RRP Episode 65 – Tristan S: Strength in the Scars—Seven Overdoses and the Road to Recovery5/29/2025
From addiction and homelessness to service and sobriety, Tristan’s story shows the power of daily surrender and hard-won resilience.
In episode 65 of the Real Recovery Podcast, we sit down with Tristan S., a courageous young man whose journey through addiction, trauma, and homelessness nearly ended in tragedy—but ultimately led to transformation. At just 29 years old, Tristan has survived more than most endure in a lifetime. His scars, both visible and hidden, tell a story of pain, perseverance, and profound hope.
From Chaos to Crisis: A Life Almost Lost
Tristan began using meth at the age of 13. His early years were marked by instability, repeated school changes, and a growing dependence on substances that numbed—but never healed—the pain. Over time, his addiction led him to the streets of Portland, where he lived in a tent and spiraled through fentanyl use, psychosis, and seven overdoses. As he puts it, "I should have been dead a long time ago."
The turning point came during a hospitalization in New Hampshire, where he was treated for MRSA infections from self-harm wounds. Physically broken and emotionally exhausted, he faced his own mortality—and made a choice. “I realized I had a chance to make a choice to make a change,” he recalls.
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Finding a New Path Through Recovery
Back in Portland, Tristan connected with Another Chance Recovery, a moment he describes as life-saving. He entered housing, found work, and recommitted to sobriety. Now with over nine months clean, he’s not just rebuilding his life—he’s helping others rebuild theirs.
Tristan sponsors newcomers in recovery, works full-time, and plays an active role in his partner’s life and the lives of her children. He speaks with clarity about surrender, daily commitment, and the internal work that real recovery demands. “Recovery is more than not using. It’s healing, accountability, and finding your purpose,” he says.
Strength in the Scars
One of the most powerful moments in this episode comes when Tristan talks about the literal scars on his body—and how he’s come to see them not with shame, but as reminders that he’s still alive, still fighting. “I used to hide them. Now they remind me that I survived,” he says.
Tristan’s journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformational power of community-based recovery. Whether you’re struggling yourself or walking alongside someone who is, this episode is a moving reminder that it’s never too late to choose life, healing, and connection.
Listen to Tristan’s full story: https://mdcr1.com/65
Read more inspiring stories on our blog: https://mdcr1.com/65b
#RealRecoveryPodcast #SevenOverdoses #AddictionRecovery #StrengthInScars #FentanylCrisis #AnotherChance #RecoveryJourney #HomelessToHopeful #TraumaSurvivor #SoberLiving
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A high-functioning façade, quiet rock bottoms, and the courage to speak out.
In Episode 64 of the Real Recovery Podcast, Grant S. joins Julie and Peter to share a compelling and deeply reflective story of recovery. His journey defies the stereotypes: no DUIs, no arrests, and no lost jobs. But behind the image of success was a man battling alcohol dependency, anxiety, and emotional disconnection. With clarity, humility, and passion, Grant opens up about his upbringing in rural Oregon, the slow build of daily drinking, and the moment that forced him to face the truth.
Growing Up in Drinking Culture
Grant’s childhood on a cattle ranch in north-central Oregon exposed him early to a culture where alcohol use was normalized. He recalls the pressures of wanting to fit in, the influence of generational drinking habits, and how those early exposures laid the groundwork for problematic behaviors later in life. “In my family,” he shares, “it wasn’t modeled as something to be careful with—it was expected.”
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High-Functioning but Hollow
Throughout college and into his professional life, Grant maintained the appearance of success. But behind the scenes, alcohol had become a daily ritual—used to treat anxiety, mask emotional discomfort, and escape from overwhelming stress. “I drank alcoholically from the beginning,” he says. By 2017–2018, it had escalated to morning drinking and blackouts, all while convincing himself he was still in control.
A Moment of Reckoning
Everything changed after a political fundraiser where Grant drank excessively and publicly embarrassed himself. “I was humiliated,” he recalls. “That was my rock bottom.” Shortly after, a therapist gave him the information he needed to fully understand alcohol’s impact on the brain. This marked a turning point and led him to seek recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous. “It takes a year for your brain to heal—and sometimes five years to pull your head out of your ass.”
Relapse and Recommitment
Though Grant found relief in AA, he admits to a brief relapse involving a few glasses of wine. The slip was enough to remind him of what he risked. “It set me back emotionally,” he explains, “but I kept my sobriety date.” That date—June 15, 2019—remains a powerful milestone in his story.
Healing Through Connection and Service
Grant credits much of his growth to the fellowship he found in AA, especially through online meetings during the pandemic. He now balances a demanding job with continued service work in the recovery community. Whether he’s traveling for work and attending meetings across cities or being openly vocal in advocacy spaces, Grant lives his recovery out loud.
The Bigger Picture
Grant wants people to understand that alcoholism can be subtle, especially when masked by achievement and functionality. “It takes a year for your brain to heal—and sometimes five years to pull your head out of your ass,” he says with raw honesty. His mission now includes speaking about the underreported dangers of alcohol and advocating for increased support in recovery communities across Oregon.
Links to Websites Discussed
Listen to Grant’s full story and explore more inspiring episodes at the links below:
Listen: https://mdcr1.com/64 Blog: https://mdcr1.com/64b
#RealRecoveryPodcast #AlcoholRecovery #AAWorks #MentalHealthAwareness #HighBottomRecovery #RelapseAndRecovery #SobrietyJourney #HopeInSobriety #OregonRecovers
@OregonRecovers @portlandalanoclub Breaking cycles, reclaiming motherhood, and choosing a new path
In episode 63 of the Real Recovery Podcast, we sit down with Tiffany A., whose story begins in a place few can imagine—born inside a Mexican prison. Raised between two drastically different worlds and shaped by generational trauma, Tiffany’s life story reveals what it means to survive, to lose yourself, and to come back home to healing and purpose. This episode is a powerful reflection on responsibility, recovery, and rediscovering motherhood.
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Family Shattered by Deportation
When Tiffany was just seven years old, almost her entire extended family was arrested and deported. The experience shattered the sense of security she had built with her tight-knit family. Only her immediate household remained, marking a painful rupture that would foreshadow further instability. “The entirety of my family was arrested and deported…”
A Childhood of Duality and Early Responsibility
Split between a highly religious, controlling household and a more permissive one, Tiffany internalized mixed messages about identity and belonging. Her mother’s relapse when Tiffany was only 12 left her to assume the role of caregiver to her younger siblings. She began acting out and looking for relief wherever she could find it.
The Long Road to Recovery
Tiffany’s recovery journey, while not linear, is marked by moments of clarity and commitment. She began to rebuild her life by facing the roots of her trauma, reclaiming her role as a mother, and speaking openly about the reality of addiction and healing. “Sometimes our best just doesn’t cut it—we have to do better than our best.”
Tiffany’s story is one of grit, grace, and growth. From the chaos of generational trauma and addiction to the beauty of reconnection and self-forgiveness, her journey reminds us that recovery isn’t about perfection—it’s about the willingness to keep showing up. Her words and story will resonate with anyone who has ever questioned if healing is possible.
Listen: https://mdcr1.com/63
Blog: https://mdcr1.com/63b
#RealRecoveryPodcast #AddictionRecovery #BornBehindBars #HealingFromTrauma #MotherhoodInRecovery #TraumaToTransformation #RecoveryIsPossible @OxfordHouse
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