Total Abstinence and the 90-Day Sprint to a Spiritual Awakening — Quentin S.

About This Speaker Tape

June 2021. A sunup-to-sundown bender in Houston. Quentin S. is drifting in and out of blackouts, a functional alcoholic in a suit, until he finally calls an old boss and begs for a ride out of the wreckage

. He spent years playing a double life: the "good kid" for his sister and the "life of the party" in the dorms, hiding a bottle of vodka while the world thought he was a professional. He describes the trajectory of his use as a loaded gun, a genetic inheritance from a biological father he barely knew.

After a blur of cocaine, high-end hotel concierge work, and a COVID-era isolation that accelerated his descent, he hit a wall of surrender. He recalls a meeting years prior where he refused a desire chip because he "wasn't done drinking." This time, he took the chip. Now, he focuses on the grit of the 90-day sprint, the necessity of total abstinence, and the humility of being beaten.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Introduction to Quentin S. and his early history of substance use
• 5:24 Quentin's sobriety date of June 23, 2021, and the bender that led to it
• 13:15 Family of origin: details on his birth, adoptive father, and family secrets
• 26:40 The escalation of drinking during college and the struggle of the double life
• 37:12 Career progression from pool boy to concierge and the use of cocaine
• 48:50 The impact of COVID-19 on his drinking habits and isolation
• 56:10 Hitting bottom and the medical detox at Ben Taub hospital
• 1:04:15 Working the 12 steps in 90 days and the Holy Name Men's Retreat
• 1:12:40 Reflections on maintaining conscious contact with a Higher Power