Hand It Over, Snatch It Back, Hand It Over Again — That’s My Third Step on Repeat Every Day — David V.
About This Speaker Tape
David shares his story of growing up feeling like he never got the rulebook for life. Despite a supportive family and natural athletic ability, he was restless, insecure, and unable to sit still from childhood. When he discovered drugs and alcohol around eighth grade, everything clicked — his overactive nervous system finally quieted down, and he had an instant social circle of fellow users. He chose his college solely because the players there smoked weed and drank, ignoring better options because he already had a drug connection lined up.
His drinking and drug use destroyed a promising baseball career. He won a state championship in high school but watched teammates get arrested the next year at a party he narrowly missed. At the University of Georgia, he showed up to a walk-on tryout twenty pounds heavier after a year of bar-hopping instead of training. For roughly ten years the same cycle repeated — new pursuits, abandoned commitments, mounting anxiety that alcohol could no longer touch.
On New Year's Eve 2021, David blacked out after about twenty-five beers, then spent three days weaning himself off with drinks and Xanax. On January 3, 2022, sitting at his parents' house, everything broke open — every moment from childhood where he had turned to substances instead of facing discomfort came flooding back. He got sober that day and has stayed sober since.
In recovery David got a sponsor, worked the steps, earned an MBA, passed multiple challenging finance exams, and became a youth leader for seventh-grade boys who are now in tenth grade. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in May and credits the program with giving him the tools to face that loss without escaping into substances. He closes with gratitude for chocolate, cupcakes, and the rooms of AA.
Discussion
Be the first to share your thoughts on this tape.