When Drinking Becomes a Daily Requirement w/ Mike Schuab | The Hopeaholics Podcast


In this deeply personal episode, Mike Schuab shares an unfiltered account of how alcohol gradually took control of his life while he worked tirelessly to convince everyone—including himself—that everything was fine. What began as normal social drinking slowly evolved into secretive behavior, isolation, and a daily reliance on alcohol just to feel steady, leading to broken relationships, constant lying, and an overwhelming sense of shame. Mike walks through the moments when drinking stopped being fun and started feeling necessary, the fear of being exposed, and the painful realization that his life was shrinking around his addiction. He opens up about confronting his family, facing the possibility of losing everything he cared about, and finally surrendering by walking into treatment emotionally exhausted and out of options. This conversation dives into the emotional toll of addiction, the mental gymnastics of denial, and the relief that comes with radical honesty. Mike also reflects on the difficult process of learning how to live, cope, and find meaning without alcohol, and how recovery forced him to rebuild trust one day at a time. This episode is a powerful reminder that addiction doesn’t always look dramatic on the outside—but the internal struggle can be just as devastating—and that real change begins the moment someone admits they need help.


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Timestamps:
00:01:12 – Growing Up Around Alcohol and Chaos
00:05:48 – First Time Drinking Changes Everything
00:09:31 – Realizing He Can’t Drink Like Other People
00:13:06 – Drinking Becomes the Solution to Everything
00:17:42 – Alcohol Turns Into an Everyday Requirement
00:22:15 – Lying to Everyone While Falling Apart
00:27:08 – Drinking Alone and Hiding Bottles
00:31:54 – The Moment He Knows He’s Out of Control
00:36:29 – Family Finally Sees How Bad It Is
00:41:03 – Consequences Catch Up All at Once
00:46:18 – Facing the Reality of Losing Everything
00:50:42 – Saying “I Can’t Do This Anymore”
00:55:09 – Walking Into Treatment Broken
01:02:37 – Learning to Live Without Alcohol
01:11:44 – Finding Purpose Through Recovery