KneeToKnee
From Arrested at 16 to Briefing U.S. Senators: Andrew Drasen's Full Story
Andrew Drasen on rebuilding self after addiction, loss, and incarceration — from eight failed treatments to briefing U.S. senators on drug policy.
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Andrew Drasen, author, addiction advocate, and identity repair speaker, joins KneeToKnee to talk about rebuilding your sense of self after addiction, loss, and incarceration.
Andrew went through eight treatment programs before finding meaningful change. He finished writing his memoir five minutes before walking out of prison in 2019. He lost the woman he loved to suicide. And now he is briefing U.S. senators on drug policy reform and speaking at international conferences on identity and relapse prevention.
This conversation goes past the usual addiction story. Andrew breaks down what recovery actually means — stopping the behavior is just the beginning — why identity is at the root of addiction, loss, and every major life transition, and why the story you tell yourself matters more than almost anything else.
Key moments in this episode
- Why eight treatments failed before one thing finally clicked
- How writing a memoir inside prison changed the lens Andrew sees life through
- What Andrew means when he says he has blown up the word “recovery”
- How losing Caroline to suicide became its own identity crisis — and how Eva the dog helped him through it
- Why self-talk is the most overlooked variable in how men change or stay stuck
- What compassion has to do with building real connection with other men
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:05 High School, Arrests, and the Beginning of the Battle
- 03:51 Writing a Memoir in Prison and the Mindset Shift It Created
- 08:04 Honesty, Acceptance, and Releasing the Past
- 14:37 Blowing Up the Word Recovery
- 16:06 Speaking, Advocacy, and Briefing Senators on Drug Policy
- 19:03 The One Thing Men Can Do to Build Deeper Connection
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Episode transcript & show notes
Andrew Drasen on KneeToKnee shares his full story from addiction and eight failed treatments to briefing U.S. senators on drug policy — identity, grief, self-talk, and what recovery really means.
Key takeaways
- Eight treatments failed until identity and honest self-talk became non-negotiable.
- Writing the memoir in prison reframed how Andrew sees setbacks, policy, and purpose.
- "Recovery" is bigger than stopping a behavior — it applies to loss, reentry, and life transitions.
- Losing Caroline created a second identity crisis; connection (including Eva the dog) helped rebuild.
- Self-talk is the most overlooked variable in whether men change or stay stuck.
Discussion highlights
Arrested at sixteen. Early justice involvement and the long arc to advocacy.
Briefing senators. From incarceration to drug-policy conversations at the federal level.
Blowing up the word recovery. Expanding the frame beyond substances to identity repair.
Compassion and connection. What men can do to build deeper, honest relationships.