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Episode 45: Jason Coombs on That Sober Guy Podcast with Shane Ramer

A wide-ranging conversation on recovery, faith, fatherhood, identity, and the daily work of staying sober.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How a legitimate injury and pain pills turned into a life-consuming spiral
• The collapse of an OxyContin supply chain and why heroin surged next
• What it’s like to survive homelessness in a brutal winter
• The moment a text from Jason’s mom disrupted a suicidal night
• “The gift of volition” and why lasting change has to become personal
• A simple reflection practice that builds momentum instead of shame
• The difference between the “smaller story” and the “larger story”
• A faith-rooted decision framework: study it out, choose, then take it to God
• Warrior Heart Retreat and the three pillars that wake a man’s heart up again
• How Jason now supports families who feel exhausted, scared, and alone

Timestamps

• [01:00] Crossover episode intro: That Sober Guy Podcast with Shane Ramer
• [01:43] Year-end reflection: journaling victories and lessons
• [08:11] Emotionally shut down, risk-taking, anxiety/ADHD self-medicating
• [12:05] The OxyContin ring and the spiral that followed
• [16:06] Homelessness, felony charges, surviving winter on the streets
• [17:21] Court-mandated treatment, five rehabs, psychosis before sobriety
• [23:07] The text from Mom that interrupted a suicidal moment
• [24:26] “Volition”: why internal motivation outlasts external pressure
• [26:13] From selling hot dogs to a calling to help families
• [30:26] Stepping out of the smaller story into the larger story
• [36:10] 12 Steps as a pathway to conscious contact and guidance
• [40:37] Decision-making: study it out, choose, take it to God
• [44:32] Warrior Heart pillars: battle, adventure, beauty
• [52:14] Retreat impact: stripping the crust, restoring identity
• [56:50] Resources for families: book, podcast, free tools

Quotes worth revisiting

• “External pressure can work for a season. Internal motivation is what lasts.”
• “You don’t just get out of the hole. You get outfitted to climb.”
• “A plan beats panic. Support beats isolation.”

Resources mentioned

• Brick House Recovery: (add your link)
• Get Unhooked Podcast: (add your link)
• Unhooked (book): (add your Amazon/Audible links)
• Warrior Heart Retreat: (add your link)
• That Sober Guy Podcast: (add show link)

For families who feel stuck

If you love someone who’s struggling, you’re not powerless and you’re not the cause. You may not be able to control their choices, but you can change how you show up, create healthier conditions, and get support for your own nervous system, boundaries, and peace.

Gentle note

This episode includes discussion of addiction, homelessness, and suicidal moments. If you or som

Join Jason Coombs LIVE each week for tips and tricks and LIVE Q&A’s. Go to https://www.liveunhooked.com/live-unhooked.

For information about treatment services visit https://www.brickhouserecovery.com/

For more information about Warrior Heart Bootcamp for men visit www.awarriorheart.com

https://awarriorheart.com/

$100 DISCOUNT CODE for Warrior Heart = 2026Brick100

To learn more about the women’s retreat, Heart of a Woman:
https://theheartofawoman.net/

$100 DISCOUNT CODE for Heart of a Woman = 2026Brick100

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Why You Say You Want Peace… But Refuse to Do the One Thing That Brings It

Most families say they want peace.

But when it comes time to grieve the loss of the relationship they hoped for…

they tighten their grip instead.

In this deeply honest episode, Jason reveals:

• Why control disguises itself as love
• How fear keeps families emotionally hooked
• The grief step most people skip
• Why surrender is not giving up
• And how to finally reclaim your life — even if your loved one hasn’t changed

This episode is both confronting and freeing.

If you’ve been strong for far too long…

this one will hit home.

⏱ Episode Highlights

[01:01] Why families show up strong, not weak — and how control hides behind love

[03:12] Step 1: The Hula Hoop Principle — what’s yours and what’s not

[05:23] Step 2: Facing your worst fear without catastrophizing

[07:12] Step 3: Letting go of attachment to specific outcomes

[09:04] Step 4: The grief stage most families avoid (and why it keeps you stuck)

[11:30] Why families say they want peace but refuse to grieve

[14:59] The five stages of grief explained through Jason’s personal loss

[20:57] Step 5: Trusting something bigger than your fear

[21:37] Step 6: Holding onto hope while releasing control

[22:37] Step 7: The daily practice of surrender

What You’ll Learn

✔ The difference between surrender and enabling

✔ Why fear creates the very outcomes you’re trying to prevent

✔ How grief breaks the control cycle

✔ How to be okay — even if they don’t change

✔ A 14-day surrender blueprint to begin reclaiming your peace

A Personal Note from Jason

You don’t have to wait for your loved one to recover before you recover your life.

That’s not selfish.

That’s sane.

Surrender is not giving up on them.

It’s finally picking yourself back up.

Resources & Support

📖 Unhooked: How to Help an Addicted Loved One Recover — Available on Amazon & Audible

🌐 Learn more about family recovery support at:

https://www.brickhouserecovery.com

Join Jason Coombs LIVE each week for tips and tricks and LIVE Q&A’s. Go to https://www.liveunhooked.com/live-unhooked.

For information about treatment services visit https://www.brickhouserecovery.com/

For more information about Warrior Heart Bootcamp for men visit www.awarriorheart.com

https://awarriorheart.com/

$100 DISCOUNT CODE for Warrior Heart = 2026Brick100

To learn more about the women’s retreat, Heart of a Woman:
https://theheartofawoman.net/

$100 DISCOUNT CODE for Heart of a Woman = 2026Brick100

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You set the boundary. They break it. Again. And somehow, you end up feeling like the bad guy.

If you’ve ever tried to hold the line with an addicted loved one—only to second-guess yourself, give in, or get gaslit—this episode is for you.

In Episode 43 of the Get Unhooked Podcast, Jason unpacks the BOUNDARY Framework—a practical, compassionate tool for setting and holding boundaries that actually work. Through a powerful real-life story about a woman named Grace, you’ll see how relapse and resistance aren’t always failures—they might just be the painful catalysts for lasting change.

Whether you’re deep in the cycle of enabling, drowning in guilt, or exhausted from carrying the weight of someone else’s choices, this episode offers clarity, direction, and hope. Learn how to protect your peace, reclaim your power, and stop rescuing someone who isn’t ready to change.

You’ll discover:

• The hidden reason your boundaries keep getting ignored
• How to respond calmly—without becoming a doormat
• Why “natural consequences” matter more than ultimatums
• The most misunderstood stage of change (and why it matters)
• What it really means to “Get off the beach”

And most importantly: how to put yourself first… without giving up on them.

🎯 This is one of the most requested topics from families—and it could be the mindset shift you’ve been praying for.

📌 Show Notes:

In this episode:

• [00:00] Intro: Setting boundaries in quicksand
• [03:17] Grace’s story: When relapse becomes resolution
• [10:08] The 5 stages of grief in addiction recovery
• [14:40] Why boundaries fail (and how to fix them)
• [19:02] The BOUNDARY Framework (step-by-step)
• [34:11] “I’m not leaving the relationship—I’m leaving this conversation.”
• [37:26] What putting yourself first really means

Links & Resources:

👉 Free resources for families: brickhouserecovery.com/unhooked

👉 Read the book Unhooked: https://a.co/d/08ZF46B4

👉 Need support? Learn more about our Family Recovery Program

https://www.liveunhooked.com/live-unhooked-order-form

Join Jason Coombs LIVE each week for tips and tricks and LIVE Q&A’s. Go to https://www.liveunhooked.com/live-unhooked.

For information about treatment services visit https://www.brickhouserecovery.com/

For more information about Warrior Heart Bootcamp for men visit www.awarriorheart.com

https://awarriorheart.com/

$100 DISCOUNT CODE for Warrior Heart = 2026Brick100

To learn more about the women’s retreat, Heart of a Woman:
https://theheartofawoman.net/

$100 DISCOUNT CODE for Heart of a Woman = 2026Brick100