What happens when an Army combat Veteran loses everything to alcoholism, ends up in jail, and discovers that the only person who can save his life is himself?

In this powerful episode of This Sober Vet Podcast, host and Army Veteran Joe Yurick sits down with fellow Army Veteran Sean Young for an unfiltered conversation about military drinking culture, alcohol addiction, combat trauma, domestic violence, accountability, Veterans Treatment Court, sobriety, and spiritual healing.

Sean served 12½ years in the U.S. Army as a forward observer, including combat deployments. Like many Veterans, his relationship with alcohol began early in his military career, where excessive drinking was often accepted as part of the culture.

But what started as drinking with fellow Soldiers eventually spiraled into destructive behavior, broken relationships, and a devastating relapse.

In December 2019, after a night of heavy drinking and a blackout, Sean learned that he had assaulted his wife. He turned himself in to authorities and spent 20 days in jail. It was there, after years of blaming everyone else for his problems, that Sean finally confronted a painful truth: he was responsible for his choices.

That realization became the beginning of a remarkable recovery journey.

Through the Anchorage Veterans Treatment Court, Sean found the accountability, structure, and support he needed to rebuild his life. Today, nearly six years into his sobriety journey, he uses his lived experience to help other Veterans navigate addiction recovery, trauma, and the challenges of transitioning from military to civilian life.

But Sean's story doesn't stop with sobriety.

Joe and Sean explore his unexpected journey into shamanism, spiritual healing, ancestral connections, and holistic wellness. They discuss the importance of confronting painful emotions, processing grief, reconnecting with personal identity, and finding purpose beyond military service.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• How military drinking culture can normalize dangerous alcohol consumption
• Sean's experience with alcoholism, blackouts, and the consequences of addiction
• The moment in jail that changed his perspective on personal responsibility
• How Veterans Treatment Courts can provide a pathway toward recovery
• Why getting sober and actually healing are two different things
• The importance of peer support and Veterans helping Veterans
• Sean's journey into shamanism, spirituality, and alternative healing practices
• Men's mental health, emotional vulnerability, anger, and unresolved trauma
• Processing grief, rebuilding relationships, and learning to forgive
• Finding purpose through service, recovery advocacy, and helping others

This conversation challenges the belief that strength means hiding your emotions, refusing help, or pretending everything is fine.

Sometimes the strongest thing a Veteran can do is admit that something needs to change.

Sobriety isn't just about putting down the bottle. It's about confronting the person you were, taking responsibility for your choices, and discovering who you can become.

Whether you're a Veteran struggling with alcohol addiction, someone navigating PTSD or combat trauma, a family member supporting a loved one in recovery, or simply searching for a different path forward, Sean's story offers a powerful reminder that your past does not have to define your future.

Recovery Outloud Podcast

Our mission is simple: Normalize sobriety with Veterans.

Learn more at www.thissobervet.com

Follow:
Instagram: @thissobervetpodcast
Facebook: This Sober Vet Podcast

What happens when a highly decorated Army Veteran stops performing strength and begins confronting the trauma her body has carried for years?

In this powerful episode of This Sober Vet Podcast, Joe Yurick sits down with Samantha Juan, a Filipina-Persian American writer, artist, speaker, Bronze Star recipient, Pat Tillman Scholar and the 2026 DAV Veteran of the Year.

Samantha served ten years in the U.S. Army as a signals intelligence analyst and Cultural Support Team leader attached to Joint Special Operations Command in Afghanistan. She shares the hidden emotional cost of high-level military service and what happened when the identity, discipline and survival mechanisms that helped her succeed in uniform followed her into civilian life.

Joe and Samantha have an honest conversation about combat trauma, PTSD, dissociation, addiction, alcohol use, motherhood and the pressure Veterans feel to appear strong even when they are struggling internally. Samantha explains how trauma can remain stored in the body, why destructive coping mechanisms often develop after military service and what it means to finally reconnect with the parts of yourself you were trained to suppress.

They also explore Samantha’s experiences with psychedelic-assisted therapy, Veteran mental health treatment, creative healing, writing and painting. She discusses how art helped her process experiences that were difficult to express through traditional conversation and how creativity can become a powerful tool for trauma recovery, sobriety and personal transformation.

This episode is for Veterans, military spouses and families, trauma survivors and anyone who has ever questioned who they are when the mission ends.

Connect with Samantha here

Topics discussed include:

Army Veteran mental health, women Veterans, PTSD recovery, combat trauma, military sexual trauma, dissociation, Veteran addiction, alcohol and trauma, sobriety, psychedelic therapy for Veterans, creative healing, post-traumatic growth, motherhood after military service, JSOC, Cultural Support Teams, Afghanistan Veterans, identity after the military and healing through writing and art.

Our mission is simple: Normalize sobriety with Veterans.

Learn more at www.thissobervet.com

Follow:
Instagram: @thissobervetpodcast
Facebook: This Sober Vet Podcast

What happens when a combat Veteran turns the trauma of war into music instead of allowing it to destroy him?

In this episode of This Sober Vet Podcast, Army Airborne Infantry Veteran Sean Martin, vocalist, guitarist and creative force behind The Quarantined, shares his journey from serving in Iraq to building a powerful music career rooted in truth, trauma and Veteran mental health.

Sean opens up about the lasting effects of military service, PTSD, identity, anger and the difficult transition from combat to civilian life. He explains how songwriting and music gave him a healthy outlet for experiences that were difficult to discuss—and how creative expression can help Veterans process pain they may otherwise attempt to silence with alcohol or other destructive behaviors.

Joe Yurick and Dr. T also explore why so many Veterans struggle to communicate what they are carrying, the connection between trauma and substance use, and the importance of finding purpose, community and healthier ways to cope after leaving the military.

This conversation is for Veterans, military families, musicians and anyone searching for honest discussions about PTSD, sobriety, alcohol recovery, mental health and healing after war.

In this episode:

• Sean Martin’s experience as an Army Airborne Infantry Veteran
• Deploying to Iraq and returning home from combat
• PTSD, trauma and the loss of military identity
• Why Veterans often use alcohol to suppress difficult emotions
• Music and songwriting as outlets for pain
• The story and mission behind The Quarantined
• Veteran mental health awareness and advocacy
• Finding purpose and rebuilding after military service

Listen, follow and share This Sober Vet Podcast as we work to normalize sobriety and honest conversations about alcohol within the Veteran community.

Our mission is simple: Normalize sobriety with Veterans.

Learn more at www.thissobervet.com

Follow:
Instagram: @thissobervetpodcast
Facebook: This Sober Vet Podcast