From Arrested at 16 to Briefing U.S. Senators: Andrew Drasen's Full Story

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 any 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's 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 (hint: 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's 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 menChapters00:00 Introduction01:05 High School, Arrests, and the Beginning of the Battle03:51 Writing a Memoir in Prison and the Mindset Shift It Created08:04 Honesty, Acceptance, and Releasing the Past14:37 Blowing Up the Word Recovery16:06 Speaking, Advocacy, and Briefing Senators on Drug Policy19:03 The One Thing Men Can Do to Build Deeper ConnectionFind Andrew's book and more at avisionofhopebook.com📩 Get The One Thing - a weekly note from Mark every time a new episode drops: https://bit.ly/4eIs6gfMore Like This - Suggested Playlists:• The Conversations Men Need to Be Having - This episode goes exactly where that playlist lives: honest, unfiltered, and covering loss, identity, purpose, and what it takes to show up differently.• Start Here: The Episodes That Change How Men Think About Connection - Andrew's message on self-talk, compassion, and identity repair makes this a strong anchor episode for any new listener.