RRP 115 — Jeremiah N.: I Didn't Put Recovery in My Life — I Put My Life Into Recovery

RRP 115 — Jeremiah N. / I Didn’t Put Recovery in My Life — I Put My Life Into Recovery

Presenters: Julie P. Lewis and Peter B. Dowell  |  Episode Length: 1 hour 35 minutes  |  Release Date: May 22, 2026

Summary

Jeremiah N. spent years convinced addiction wasn’t shaping him — until his mom died and he lost everything with her: his job, his shop, his house. Nearly a decade of heroin, fentanyl, meth, a tent in Seaside, and county jail followed. A frog necklace at a methadone clinic — tied to his late mother’s FROG acronym, Fully Rely On God — changed his direction. He said “send me to treatment” in a courtroom, got into outpatient at Another Chance, and built a recovery life so full he eventually had to step back to protect his mental health. More than two years later, he’s an Oxford House chapter officer and still moving forward.

Key Points

• 00:07:00 Jeremiah’s childhood: his mom’s approach was “do it at home, so I know you’re safe” — but addiction didn’t take hold until adulthood. It ran in the family: his mom had done time for drugs; his biological father was absent.
• 00:10:00 His mom’s death was the turning point. She was his best friend. When she passed from cancer, he lost his job, his custom truck shop, his tow truck, and every vehicle he owned — and let himself fall fully into addiction.
• 00:13:00 Five-year downward spiral: heroin to fentanyl to meth; tent at a Seaside homeless camp alternating with county jail. Every cop in the county knew him by face and name.
• 00:16:00 Overdosed at a friend’s house. They almost couldn’t bring him back — and told him he had to leave.
• 00:21:00 Walked into the Seaside methadone clinic and found a frog necklace on the counter. Nobody knew where it came from — and his mom loved frogs. Her acronym: FROG, Fully Rely On God. He kept it. He knew he was in the right place.
• 00:24:00 January 19, 2024: walking back to his tent, he prayed for a way out. He was arrested that night for something he didn’t do. The case was dropped in court, but his probation officer hit him with six revokes. Jeremiah said: “Send me to treatment.”
• 00:38:00 Connected with Sober Housing of Oregon; moved into sober housing; started outpatient at Another Chance. First meeting: Rule 62 on a Saturday night — Don’t take yourself so seriously.
• 00:43:00 Found sponsor Kerry Poorman at Plinky’s and the Men’s SIS meeting. Sponsor’s strategy: agree to one suggestion — “Don’t say no to any unreasonable request.” Jeremiah didn’t realize he’d just agreed to everything at once.
• 00:53:00 PTSD since age 14 from childhood abuse by his father — it drove deep social anxiety. He pushed through it by volunteering H&I meetings at City Team nearly every week for almost two years.
• 00:57:00 Started his own meeting at 4D Recovery in Clackamas — Unwasted on the Weekends — and ran it for about six months before passing it to a sponsee.
• 01:02:00 Seven months sober: after consulting his sponsor, counselor, and house manager, Rob Blackhouse asked Jeremiah to manage two sober houses. He said yes without hesitation.
• 01:28:00 Words of wisdom: no matter what, just keep going forward. Take suggestions one at a time. Sobriety date: January 20, 2024. Currently a chapter officer for Oxford House.

Guest Quote

“I didn’t just put recovery in my life, I put my life into recovery.” — Jeremiah N.

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