Content note: This episode includes strong language, discussion of opioid/heroin and crack use, overdose, stroke, withdrawal, arrest/incarceration, and suicidal hopelessness. Listener discretion advised.

 

At 27, Scott Jenkins woke up thrashing in a bathtub—his left arm dead, his vision blown out—after days of speedballs and Agatha Christie marathons. Doctors later confirmed he’d had a stroke, but even that didn’t stop the obsession: “I want to get high, I want to get high… It’s all you can think about.” What began with pain pills after routine procedures spiraled into years of heroin and crack, arrests, and a jail-cell detox that finally forced a choice: surrender or disappear. In this raw, unvarnished account, Scott traces the path from the early opioid boom to the economics of switching to heroin, the surreal comedy of being “stuffed to the brim with sausage biscuits” during an arrest, and the moment he decided to let other people help. He rebuilds—six months in rehab, twelve-step work, service, and, eventually, a thriving plumbing company staffed by people in recovery. It’s a story about obsession, consequence, and the quiet miracle of a craving that never came back.

If you or someone you love is struggling, you’re not alone. In the U.S., dial or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Story Producer: Nicholas Tecosky

If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story! Please email us at aliveagainproject@gmail.com We’d love to hear your story! 

Content note: This episode includes strong language, discussion of opioid/heroin and crack use, overdose, stroke, withdrawal, arrest/incarceration, and suicidal hopelessness. Listener discretion advised.
&nbsp;
At 27, Scott Jenkins woke up thrashing in a bathtub&mdash;his left arm dead, his vision blown out&mdash;after days of speedballs and Agatha Christie marathons. Doctors later confirmed he&rsquo;d had a stroke, but even that didn&rsquo;t stop the obsession: &ldquo;I want to get high, I want to get high&hellip; It&rsquo;s all you can think about.&rdquo; What began with pain pills after routine procedures spiraled into years of heroin and crack, arrests, and a jail-cell detox that finally forced a choice: surrender or disappear. In this raw, unvarnished account, Scott traces the path from the early opioid boom to the economics of switching to heroin, the surreal comedy of being &ldquo;stuffed to the brim with sausage biscuits&rdquo; during an arrest, and the moment he decided to let other people help. He rebuilds&mdash;six months in rehab, twelve-step work, service, and, eventually, a thriving plumbing company staffed by people in recovery. It&rsquo;s a story about obsession, consequence, and the quiet miracle of a craving that never came back.
If you or someone you love is struggling, you&rsquo;re not alone. In the U.S., dial or text 988 for the Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline.
Story Producer: Nicholas Tecosky
If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we&rsquo;d love to hear your story! Please email us at <a href="mailto:aliveagainproject@gmail.com">aliveagainproject@gmail.com</a> We&rsquo;d love to hear your story!&nbsp;

That which doesn’t kill us…

Hosted by award-winning filmmaker Dan Bush, Alive Again is a weekly series featuring extraordinary stories from people who faced death—and came back changed. From near-death experiences to near-fatal accidents and moments of profound crisis, each episode dives into the transformation that happens on the other side of survival.

Told in their own words, these first-hand accounts explore not just what happened in the moment, but how everything changed after: perspectives, priorities, purpose. Some stories are miraculous. Others are brutal. All of them are unforgettable.

Our mission is to find, explore, and share these stories to remind us all of our shared human condition.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you don’t die– this show is for you.

* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we’d love to hear your story. Please email us at aliveagainproject@gmail.com

That which doesn&rsquo;t kill us&hellip;
Hosted by award-winning filmmaker Dan Bush, Alive Again is a weekly series featuring extraordinary stories from people who faced death&mdash;and came back changed. From near-death experiences to near-fatal accidents and moments of profound crisis, each episode dives into the transformation that happens on the other side of survival.
Told in their own words, these first-hand accounts explore not just what happened in the moment, but how everything changed after: perspectives, priorities, purpose. Some stories are miraculous. Others are brutal. All of them are unforgettable.
Our mission is to find, explore, and share these stories to remind us all of our shared human condition.
If you&rsquo;ve ever wondered what happens when you don&rsquo;t die&ndash; this show is for you.
* If you have a transformative near-death experience to share, we&rsquo;d love to hear your story. Please email us at <a href="mailto:aliveagainproject@gmail.com">aliveagainproject@gmail.com</a>

Alive Again

31 | The Death of Craving

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/10c2b3e3-467a-404d-bb46-b3920181be51/transcript

Advertisement