He Hated Drugs More Than Anyone. Then He Was Running a Drug Ring at 17 | Jon Mendonca

He was the kid who hated drugs more than anyone in the room. 5 years later, he was running supply through gang territory at 17. Guest: Jon Mendonca | The Elevated Path | Recovery John on TikTok TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@recoveryjon?_... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jo... Book "Life on Life's Terms": https://a.co/d/0g5cujLV ----------- Podcast: investinginsobriety | Investing in Sobriety IG:   / investinginsobriety   TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@investinginso... Website: https://www.investinginsobriety.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3OxgJdx... Jon Mendonca - 7 years sober, author of "Life on Life's Terms," and Recovery John on TikTok, sits down with us to walk through a story that starts with a white-picket-fence Connecticut childhood, nearly ends a dozen different ways. "I'M ADDICTED. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO STOP. I HATE MY LIFE EVERY DAY." That's what Jon said standing in a courtroom at 28 - the first time he was fully honest in front of a room full of people. It took 7 arrests, 7 trips to treatment, and years in and out of some of the darkest corners of Connecticut and New York to get him there. Jon shares: • Derek Jeter was his idol. Scouts were watching. A near-death accident at 14 and Ox*Contin in his high school took all of it. • Jon stood in a courtroom at 28, facing 4 years, and said it out loud for the first time: "I'm addicted. I don't know how to stop. I hate my life every day." • Seven months sober, spiritually on fire - then one night on a date erased everything. What he quietly stopped doing in the weeks before the fall. • His brother Tyler was supposed to walk into his first 12-step meeting that morning. The doorbell rang instead. Jon stayed sober and gave the eulogy. • "My parents were ready for my funeral before they lost my brother. They were not ready for his." • The ultimatum: one year all in. If it didn't work, he was done. "THAT'S GOD TO ME. THERE'S NO WAY I COULD STAY SOBER THROUGH THAT, AND I STAYED SOBER." If you're interested in: • Real stories of long-term recovery after multiple relapses and treatment attempts • Grief and loss in sobriety - and what it takes to stay sober through the worst moments • What faith and spirituality actually look like in real, lived recovery • The mental, physical, and spiritual work that actually sustains sobriety • Addiction recovery from someone who has lived it and now helps others through it This conversation is for you. 0:00 Introduction 0:40 Meet Jon Mendonca: Recovery John, Author of 'Life on Life's Terms' 1:40 Growing Up: Baseball, God, Connecticut 3:00 His Friend's Dad Dies at 12: The Day Faith Broke 5:40 Near-Death at 14: Ruptured Spleen, One Day From a Trach 8:40 Derek Jeter Was His Idol. Then the Pills Took Over. 10:00 First Time With the Pills: 'It Was Perfection' 13:30 Full-Blown Addiction, Running Supply at 17 15:00 What Addiction Was Really Providing Him 18:40 7 Arrests, 5 Treatment Centers, 7 Trips to Treatment 20:00 Why Treatment Kept Failing: Same Person Inside 22:00 What's Missing From Addiction Treatment Today 24:00 Waterbury CT: Dead Soon or Sober Soon 25:30 Arrested in New York at 28, Facing Four Years 26:00 The Courtroom Confession: First Honest Moment 26:50 I Just Wanted Off the Merry-Go-Round 28:30 The Relapse After 7 Months: One Night, Starting Over 33:10 Rock Bottom: 'I Qualified. I'm in the Club.' 34:20 The Final Decision: One Year With God, All In 37:00 On His Knees, Praying: Seven Years Without a Craving 40:00 Sponsor: 'You'll Try Everything. You Won't Try Prayer.' 41:30 12-Step Was 70%. Fitness 80%. Meditation 90%. Career 100%. 43:40 The Spiritual Bank Account 45:00 The Daily Routine That Rebuilt Him 47:30 Tyler Was Supposed to Be There That Morning 49:00 The Day Tyler Died: 'I Stayed Sober, Man.' 51:00 My Parents Were Ready for My Funeral 54:30 Life on Life's Terms: The Book and Tyler's Legacy 57:30 7 Years Sober: Balancing Success and Staying Grounded 1:03:20 Mid-COVID: Three Friends Dead in One Week, Almost Relapsed 1:04:20 The Post That Started Everything: Recovery John 1:08:30 90210 Recovery and Life After Treatment 1:13:50 Is Community Imperative? It Doesn't Work Alone. 1:16:50 Change Everything. Do the Exact Opposite. 1:19:40 Sober 30 Days? Get Outside Your Comfort Zone 1:21:20 Closing Want to connect or share your story? Reach us at [email protected] #investinginsobriety #addictionrecovery #sobercommunity #recoveryispossible #recoverycoach