“I got prideful. I was like, ‘I’m never going to drink again.’ And then all of a sudden… it looked really good.”

This conversation with Jeramy Houghton is a reminder that recovery is rarely clean or linear. Jeramy shares how growing up in an unsafe home shaped his sense of stability long before alcohol ever entered the picture. When drinking did become part of his life, it wasn’t chaos at first—it was relief. Alcohol became a way to cope with pressure, stress, and the weight of adulthood, even as his faith was growing.

Over time, that coping turned into dependence. Jeramy talks honestly about knowing God was calling him to stop and still choosing alcohol because it felt easier. What started as occasional drinking escalated into daily use, morning vodka, and a slow unraveling that included job loss, health warnings, and deep strain on his marriage. Eventually, everything came to a head when Jeramy admitted what he could no longer deny: he couldn’t stop on his own.

What followed was a dramatic turning point. Jeramy describes a moment where his desire for alcohol disappeared entirely—something he’s careful not to present as a formula or a promise. For years, sobriety came without craving. But freedom didn’t mean the work was finished. Slowly, pride crept in. After five years sober, Jeramy found himself believing he was beyond the danger zone—until the old pull returned and drinking “looked really good again.”

This time, the turning point wasn’t dramatic—it was honest. Jeramy shares how naming his desire out loud before acting on it changed everything, exposing unresolved family pain and leading to difficult but necessary boundaries. His story isn’t about perfection or permanence. It’s about humility, obedience, and the kind of freedom in Christ that keeps inviting deeper truth long after sobriety begins.

We Explore:

— Growing up in an emotionally unsafe home shaped by alcoholism
— How alcohol slowly became a coping mechanism rather than a pleasure
— Living as a Christian while choosing alcohol despite conviction
— The escalation into daily drinking and morning vodka
— Job loss, medical warnings, and the moment of surrender
— Experiencing radical freedom from desire—and why that wasn’t the end
— Why some recovery structures felt like a different form of bondage
— How pride quietly reopened the door after years sober
— The power of naming desire out loud before acting on it
— Setting painful family boundaries for the sake of safety
— What freedom in Christ looks like amid ongoing sanctification

Follow me: @jonseidl

Order my new book, Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic.

&ldquo;I got prideful. I was like, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m never going to drink again.&rsquo; And then all of a sudden&hellip; it looked really good.&rdquo;
This conversation with Jeramy Houghton is a reminder that recovery is rarely clean or linear. Jeramy shares how growing up in an unsafe home shaped his sense of stability long before alcohol ever entered the picture. When drinking did become part of his life, it wasn&rsquo;t chaos at first&mdash;it was relief. Alcohol became a way to cope with pressure, stress, and the weight of adulthood, even as his faith was growing.
Over time, that coping turned into dependence. Jeramy talks honestly about knowing God was calling him to stop and still choosing alcohol because it felt easier. What started as occasional drinking escalated into daily use, morning vodka, and a slow unraveling that included job loss, health warnings, and deep strain on his marriage. Eventually, everything came to a head when Jeramy admitted what he could no longer deny: he couldn&rsquo;t stop on his own.
What followed was a dramatic turning point. Jeramy describes a moment where his desire for alcohol disappeared entirely&mdash;something he&rsquo;s careful not to present as a formula or a promise. For years, sobriety came without craving. But freedom didn&rsquo;t mean the work was finished. Slowly, pride crept in. After five years sober, Jeramy found himself believing he was beyond the danger zone&mdash;until the old pull returned and drinking &ldquo;looked really good again.&rdquo;
This time, the turning point wasn&rsquo;t dramatic&mdash;it was honest. Jeramy shares how naming his desire out loud before acting on it changed everything, exposing unresolved family pain and leading to difficult but necessary boundaries. His story isn&rsquo;t about perfection or permanence. It&rsquo;s about humility, obedience, and the kind of freedom in Christ that keeps inviting deeper truth long after sobriety begins.
We Explore:
&mdash; Growing up in an emotionally unsafe home shaped by alcoholism &mdash; How alcohol slowly became a coping mechanism rather than a pleasure &mdash; Living as a Christian while choosing alcohol despite conviction &mdash; The escalation into daily drinking and morning vodka &mdash; Job loss, medical warnings, and the moment of surrender &mdash; Experiencing radical freedom from desire&mdash;and why that wasn&rsquo;t the end &mdash; Why some recovery structures felt like a different form of bondage &mdash; How pride quietly reopened the door after years sober &mdash; The power of naming desire out loud before acting on it &mdash; Setting painful family boundaries for the sake of safety &mdash; What freedom in Christ looks like amid ongoing sanctification
Follow me: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jonseidl/">@jonseidl</a>
Order my new book, <a href="https://amzn.to/4opuOt">Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic</a>.

Jon Seidl is the bestselling Christian author who became an alcoholic, not the other way around. It's usually the other way around. Or is it? "Confessions of a Christian alcoholic" (based on the book by the same title) is all about real stories, radical vulnerability, and remarkable comebacks of people who have struggled with alcoholism and addictions of all sorts. The show features interviews with fellow addicts and alcoholics as well as professionals in the fields of trauma, faith, and addiction recovery. Because let's be honest, we're all addicted to something. "Confessions" is a place for the desperate, the downtrodden, the destitute, and especially, the drunk. But it's also a place of hope and healing. Jon found sobriety after decades of struggling, but more importantly than finding sobriety, he found Jesus. In every episode, he gets radically vulnerable as he explores what it looks like to be on this journey of messy sanctification. Visit christianalcoholic.com for more resources.

Jon Seidl is the bestselling Christian author who became an alcoholic, not the other way around. It's usually the other way around. Or is it? "Confessions of a Christian alcoholic" (based on the book by the same title) is all about real stories, radical vulnerability, and remarkable comebacks of people who have struggled with alcoholism and addictions of all sorts. The show features interviews with fellow addicts and alcoholics as well as professionals in the fields of trauma, faith, and addiction recovery. Because let's be honest, we're all addicted to something. "Confessions" is a place for the desperate, the downtrodden, the destitute, and especially, the drunk. But it's also a place of hope and healing. Jon found sobriety after decades of struggling, but more importantly than finding sobriety, he found Jesus. In every episode, he gets radically vulnerable as he explores what it looks like to be on this journey of messy sanctification. Visit <a href="http://christianalcoholic.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://christianalcoholic.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1747239325727000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1G-752Q-1dyjq6GN5gt7xw">christianalcoholic.com</a> for more resources.

Jon Seidl is the bestselling Christian author who became an alcoholic, not the other way around. It's usually the other way around. Or is it? "Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic" is all about real stories, radical vulnerability, and remarkable comebacks of people who have struggled with alcoholism and addictions of all sorts.

Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic with Jon Seidl

He Relapsed After 5 Years of Sobriety: Jeramy Houghton on Obedience, Pride, and Honest Surrender

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/39ab645e-5353-4cb8-ae42-b3d1017ef12b/transcript