From Arrested at 16 to Briefing U.S. Senators: Andrew Drasen's Full Story

Andrew Drasen, author, addiction advocate, and identity repair speaker, joins KneeToKnee to talk about rebuilding your sense of self after addiction, loss, and incarceration.

Andrew went through eight treatment programs before finding meaningful change. He finished writing his memoir five minutes before walking out of prison in 2019. He lost the woman he loved to suicide. And now he is briefing U.S. senators on drug policy reform and speaking at international conferences on identity and relapse prevention.

This conversation goes past the usual addiction story. Andrew breaks down what recovery actually means — stopping the behavior is just the beginning — why identity is at the root of addiction, loss, and every major life transition, and why the story you tell yourself matters more than almost anything else.

Key moments in this episode

• Why eight treatments failed before one thing finally clicked
• How writing a memoir inside prison changed the lens Andrew sees life through
• What Andrew means when he says he has blown up the word “recovery”
• How losing Caroline to suicide became its own identity crisis — and how Eva the dog helped him through it
• Why self-talk is the most overlooked variable in how men change or stay stuck
• What compassion has to do with building real connection with other men

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:05 High School, Arrests, and the Beginning of the Battle
• 03:51 Writing a Memoir in Prison and the Mindset Shift It Created
• 08:04 Honesty, Acceptance, and Releasing the Past
• 14:37 Blowing Up the Word Recovery
• 16:06 Speaking, Advocacy, and Briefing Senators on Drug Policy
• 19:03 The One Thing Men Can Do to Build Deeper Connection

Listen on Spotify

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