179: Bjorn - Crash Landing, Strong Finish

Bjorn’s Rock Bottom: Meth, Vodka, Needles, and the Road to Sobriety (Oct 30, 2013) | Rock Bottom with RyanBjorn joins Rock Bottom with Ryan to share his addiction and recovery story, including early drinking and drug use, frequent shoplifting arrests, and escalating use of weed, mushrooms, acid, coke, and eventually meth during culinary school and restaurant work. He describes treatment, relapse, the culture of heavy substance use in kitchens and Vegas nightclubs, opioid access through “pill mills,” severe daily vodka dependence, and a terrifying episode after injecting cocaine, plus multiple DUIs and dangerous blackouts. After a birthday binge in 2013, he called his sponsor, returned to AA, and marks October 30, 2013 as his sobriety date. He later rebuilt his life, left kitchen work to be a present father, and now runs Hold My NA Beer, sharing recovery content and offering sponsorship and coaching focused on patterns, triggers, and accountability.00:00 Petty Theft Rush00:49 Fatherhood After Recovery01:11 Show Intro and Sponsor02:27 Meet Bjorn and Basics04:35 Childhood Moves and Divorce06:23 Skateboarding as Escape08:08 Early Weed and Parties09:00 Shoplifting Spree Era10:31 Booze Hooks In11:46 Back to Minnesota and Treatment12:27 Acid House and Dealing13:23 Culinary School and First Meth14:42 Stimulants and ADHD History16:27 Kitchen Chaos and Meth Cycle17:36 Ultimatum and Rehab Entry19:42 New Orleans Externship Relapse20:55 Halfway House and Restaurant Partying24:20 Vegas Move and Pill Mills28:11 Handle a Day Drinking28:42 Needles and Near Overdose31:34 DUI Story and Consequences34:11 Army Plan Falls Apart35:20 Blacked Out Driving38:03 Court Ordered AA39:53 Relapse Into Secrets42:38 Birthday Breaking Point45:05 Rebuilding In Sobriety47:47 Divorce And Dark Night48:47 Reinventing Identity50:07 Meeting Future Wife51:44 Fatherhood Career Shift55:17 Hold My NA Beer Mission56:44 Coaching Vs Sponsorship01:03:14 Advice And Closing Quotes