Ep34 Sean Dugan—How to Find Peace When Fear Has Been Running Your Life

What happens when you do everything right, the meetings, the steps, and the service, and still get close to losing it all? In this episode of The Pressures of Privilege, host Diana Oehrli sits down with Sean Dugan, a sober companion with 35 years of sobriety, nearly 20 years of professional recovery work, and a board seat at the Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation. Sean has worked with clients navigating addiction and dual diagnosis across the globe. He knows what recovery actually looks like when the conditions are already perfect and something is still quietly breaking. Together they trace what fear costs when it goes unnamed: how it shows up in the choices you defer and the risks you never quite take. Sean shares what happened at year 10 when everything fell apart, why the HOW principle reframed his entire understanding of the program, and what people consistently get wrong about someone who's been sober for 35 years. If you've ever believed that enough time or enough resources would finally make you feel at peace, this episode was made for you. Chapters (00:00:00) - The Secret to Living With All You Have(00:00:40) - Meet Sean Dugan(00:03:43) - Anonymity in Alcoholics' Recovery(00:06:11) - Alcoholics' Stories: Year 10(00:11:45) - God's Grace in Alcoholism(00:13:01) - Blocking People in the Cold(00:19:25) - What Made Me Become a Sobro Companion?(00:26:59) - Does a Companion Need to Attend Meetings?(00:27:57) - Transport: Female clients to treatment(00:33:30) - No One Size Fits All in AA(00:40:04) - Gambling is an Addiction(00:44:37) - Overeaters Talk Prayer(00:51:32) - Say the Serenity Prayer(00:52:39) - Don't Be Afraid of Your Child's Use of Pot(00:57:07) - What Do People Get Wrong About Long Term Sobriety?