RRP 137 — Cade M. / You Can Stop Digging Now: Getting Sober Young

A Wednesday meeting, a hospital bed, and a reason to stay.

Cade wouldn't give up his Wednesday home group to record with us. We asked about that night, and he told us it belonged to his meeting. It's where he got sober, where his sponsor goes, and where his guys go. We respected that and found another night.

Cade M. is 23. He tells us he finally got sober at 19, after an earlier attempt at 18. He talks honestly about drinking and drug use, treatment in Minnesota, and the people he hurt along the way. In a hospital bed, a thought about wanting another pill made him recognize something about himself. That realization didn't mean he stayed sober right away.

He wanted people his own age around him. Young people's meetings gave him a place to fit in and have fun without getting loaded. He could hear the similarities in their stories. Following the suggestions was another matter. Get a sponsor. Get into the book. Do the work. He heard those things, but says he didn't listen to them.

Later, he got into the book and worked the steps. He started sponsoring around six months. Now he talks about the young newcomers who walk into his home group not knowing what's going on yet.

We hope the young person who thinks their story isn't dramatic enough hears that. Cade tells them they don't have to burn their life all the way to the ground. Julie agrees. A less dramatic story means less time spent repairing the damage.

We also talk about outside help and medication. Peter shares what happened when he stopped a prescribed medication on his own, and Julie's advice is simple: don't try to do it on your own.

Cade still has fun sober. He talks about dancing and karaoke, and about continuing to do the work. We're grateful he gave us his time and his story. If you're young and wondering whether there's a place for you in recovery, we hope you'll listen.

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