Episode 8: A Veteran's Battle With Alcoholism with Kenneth Watson
Kenneth is a veteran, author, podcaster, and academic who has been sober for over six years. He is the author of the best-selling book 12 Faces of Sober and the host of the podcast 12 Faces of Sober Speaks. In this episode, Kenneth talks about his past experiences with alcohol and how he overcame them. Kenneth's past Kenneth's first taste of alcohol was somewhere between the ages of 4-6, tasting a sip of his dad's beer. His dad was in the navy, so he would bring back different alcohol from around the world, making it always available in the house. Kenneth got drunk for the first time at the age of 12 in his house. He was an athlete in high school, and partying was a big part of the culture. When he went to college in Minnesota, there wasn't much to do except drink. After college, he worked in radio, his dream job. However, when he moved to Phoenix, he couldn’t get a foot in the door of radio there. He worked at random different jobs where he wasn’t using his degree. This started to grate on him and slipped into depression. He was around a lot of people with issues and was absorbing all their negativity too.
He also got into some abusive relationships and was emotionally and physically abused by women in those relationships. In 2008, he spent a night in jail for criminal damages. The charges were dismissed but he went to rehab. Thirty days later, he got out and went straight to the liquor store. Kenneth decided to join the military, where alcohol played a big part in life. He eventually went to court-mandated rehab after getting out of an abusive relationship. His ex-wife got arrested for domestic violence, and he took medical leave from the military.
After leaving the army, he drank almost every day for 400 days and lived in a homeless shelter for a while. He went to rehab one more time, but this time the choice was inspired by a conversation with his mom. She said she didn’t want to bury her son, and that was a turning point for him. He went into rehab on November 15th, 2016, and hasn't looked back since. He started studying again three weeks after getting out of rehab.
Kenneth's healing journey During his journey to sobriety, Kenneth tried various lifestyle changes, including:
looking at his diet and health
getting involved on campus instead of drinking
mentoring a group of people of color at college.
Kenneth's go-to tools in his healing journey include:
getting outside when the weather is good
therapy
planning and looking for new things to do to better himself
practicing gratitude
helping other people on their journeys
He is currently helping a non-profit homeless organization called Walking with a Purpose. Therapy Kenneth emphasizes the importance of therapy in his healing journey. However, finding the right therapist can be challenging, especially as a black man. Kenneth uses the VA (Veterans Affairs) to find his therapists. He was happy with his first therapist, but then he moved to Jacksonville. His therapist there stopped practicing, and he went a year without one. Then he got another therapist who aligned really well with him, but then he moved again and was sad to leave her. He is currently trying to find a new therapist in Minnesota. Kenneth's advice for someone who wants to get sober For someone who wants to start recovering, Kenneth says you must take it seriously. Looking at who you are surrounding yourself. He also emphasizes the importance of loving oneself, practicing gratitude, and finding support through treatment, social media, and coaching options. Kenneth's details To learn more about Kenneth Watson Jr, visit his website at 12facesofsober.com, or find 12facesofsober on Insta, Facebook, Tiktok and Twitter.