Podcast Summary: We're All Insane – "Traveled Route 66 Alone in Full Blown Alcoholism"

Date: November 17, 2025
Guest: Riley
Theme: Raw personal account of the onset and escalation of alcoholism, culminating in a solo trip across Route 66, and the hard-earned journey to sobriety.

Episode Overview

This emotionally honest episode centers on Riley’s story—a young woman who grew up in Kentucky and descended into alcoholism, which led her to impulsively drive Route 66 alone while in the depths of addiction. Riley shares her life journey: from a seemingly typical, happy childhood to battling substance dependence, describing the effects of Adderall, early encounters with alcohol, the culture around drinking, and her multiple attempts at recovery. She offers insight into the realities of addiction and recovery, as well as the importance of community, sharing her story online, and finding hope in sobriety.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Upbringing and Early Use of Medication

• Riley describes a privileged, happy childhood.
• At age 8 (third grade), after moving to a more affluent neighborhood, she was diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed Adderall.
  • "I go to my pediatrician...and they're saying the same thing. So, you know, I don't look back at that and be like, why did you all put me on... prescribed meth, essentially." (01:07)
• Riley disliked Adderall from the start, feeling it dulled her personality and affected her health, but believed she needed a substance to make herself tolerable for adults. (02:58)
• Her performance in school remained poor despite the medication; the side effects, including severe weight loss and mood disruption, persisted into adulthood.
  • "The same dosage had me strung out in third grade as it did when I was 23. So something was wrong there." (05:14)

2. Early Interactions with Alcohol and Weed

• Began drinking regularly in eighth grade, following peer behaviors despite parental warnings.
  • "I became, like, a weekend warrior. Like, I was looking forward to the weekend because ... I got to drink. That was, like, all I looked forward to." (07:47)
• Early blackouts and risky behavior became normalized. Even after being publicly drunk at school events and suffering consequences, the family did not consider rehabilitation.
• The transition to marijuana in high school:
  • "Marijuana was, like, my first true love... it felt like I could do it whenever." (11:54)
• She describes using weed to counteract the negative effects of Adderall, leading to balancing multiple substances.
• Senior year and college: Her dependence intensifies, resulting in academic failure, job loss, and dropping out. Drinking and smoking took precedence over all else.
  • "It was completely unmanageable... I truly thought that I was going to get it together one day, but one day was never going to come." (15:36)

3. The Cyclical Nature of Addiction

• Post-college, living with her parents, working in the restaurant industry where drinking was highly normalized:
  • "Very quickly I realized people were drinking on the job, which appealed to me." (18:55)
• Reliance on alcohol led to fights, job loss, unstable housing, and estrangement from family.
• A pivotal family argument triggered her impulsive decision to escape by driving Route 66.

4. Driving Route 66 in Full-Blown Addiction

• After a big argument and facing eviction and unemployment, Riley decided to drive her old Ford Explorer alone from Louisville, Kentucky, en route to Los Angeles.
• She chronicled her trip on social media and drank heavily throughout:
  • "I chugged all three of the boxes of wine and like passed out and woke up..." (26:52)
• Experiences during the trip:
  • Severe anxiety and panic attacks, especially in the Texas Panhandle, causing her to pull over and binge-drink in the car.
  • At one point, drank and passed out in her car for almost 20 hours at a truck stop, losing track of time and feeling immense shame.
    • "I woke up almost like... a day later. Like, I think I slept for, like, 20 hours... that was like, a culmination of things, like the alcohol, the lack of sleep, just strung out..." (32:40)
• Describes the fear and loneliness of driving alone as a young woman, legal troubles, and being emotionally cut off from family.
• Arrival in California did not bring relief or transformation: continued to abuse alcohol and take advantage of people who tried to help her.

5. Hitting Bottom and Path to Recovery

• After unstable housing and burning bridges in L.A., Riley was welcomed home unwillingly by a family friend after COVID hit.
• On her return, her physical health had notably deteriorated from alcohol use and abrupt withdrawal from Adderall.
  • "I had gained 40 pounds... my whole body, I looked like I had a sunburn... the natural signs of alcoholism." (43:27)
• Despite her parents’ best efforts to restrict access, she resorted to extreme measures to obtain alcohol (stealing, walking miles for liquor).
• Turning point: Her dad insisted she go to rehab, her first time considering complete abstention as a solution.
  • "My expectation going into it was like, okay, they're going to teach me how to drink better. They're going to teach me my triggers, and they're going to teach me how to have three drinks and go home." (48:22)

6. Rehab, Relapse, and Lasting Sobriety

• Rehab revealed her physical dependence and brought intense withdrawal.
• The significance of “identifying as an alcoholic,” finding community among other women in treatment, and learning about herself:
  • "Once I made that admission, like, my whole world changed, because I could never unsee myself as that from that point on..." (53:00)
• Lived in sober living for almost two years, joining a 12-step program. Despite an initial period of growth, she became complacent, slipping back into old habits and ultimately relapsing.
• The relapse lasted seven months and demonstrated the inescapable nature of her addiction, regardless of external stability.
  • "Within a month of drinking for the first time, I was back to drinking around the clock... it really solidified the fact for me that I cannot drink like a normal person." (56:52)
• After her parents staged an intervention, she returned to rehab for 90 days, resolved to “fully take suggestions” and help others.

7. Making Amends and Finding Community

• Riley experienced a true “spiritual experience” through making amends to family, friends, and even strangers.
• She describes the relief and closure that came from owning her mistakes and being forgiven—by others and herself.
  • "The shame and guilt…that was the starting point for me, was, like, making amends, because I left every single one feeling like, okay, I can let go of this now." (63:00)
• Shares actively on TikTok about her recovery, finding solidarity with sober young people around the world.

8. Reflection on Drinking Culture, Young Sobriety, and Social Media

• Riley and the interviewer discuss how normalized heavy drinking is among youth and in college, and that early warning signs of addiction are often missed or labeled as "just a phase."
• She emphasizes that for many, alcohol serves as self-medication for discomfort, anxiety, and insecurity, and the line between social drinking and problem drinking can be blurry.
  • "The thing is, alcohol was always my solution. It was never my problem." (70:09)
• The importance of social support, sober community, and tight-knit networks, especially in cities with heavy drinking cultures.
• Recognition that stepping away from drinking often results in losing “party friends,” but this can be a blessing.
  • "You realize some of the people... you thought were your friends were really just drinking buddies, and that's okay." (83:29)
• Mocktails, sober Facebook groups, Reddit, and fitness communities are highlighted as alternate spaces for connection.

9. Final Reflections & Advice

• Riley now embraces a sober life she never imagined was possible:
  • "It's everything that I never knew I wanted and nor needed. And it's like a life beyond my wildest dreams." (84:06)
• She encourages anyone struggling to reach out for help, reminding listeners that support is always available.
  • "If you're struggling, reach out for help. It's always available." (86:54)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On prescribed drugs in childhood:
  "That's essentially all that is [Adderall]." – Riley (01:22)

• On early beliefs about needing substances:
  "I need something to feel more tolerable to people even at a young age." – Riley (03:05)

• On early drinking:
  "I want to do that again and again and again and again." – Riley, reflecting on her first blackout (07:47)

• On the progression of dependence:
  "Tomorrow was never going to come. Like, it just. I had gotten too deep." – Riley (15:36)

• Hitting bottom on Route 66:
  "I woke up almost like... a day later... and the shame that I felt when I walked in to use the bathroom..." – Riley (32:43)

• On identifying as an alcoholic:
  "Once I made that admission, like, my whole world changed, because I could never unsee myself as that from that point on..." – Riley (53:00)

• On relapse and acceptance:
  "I cannot drink like a normal person... it's just zero to 100. Because one for me is too many. And like, a thousand is never enough." – Riley (57:10)

• On amends and recovery:
  "Making amends... I left every single one feeling like, okay, I can let go of this now." – Riley (63:00)

• On losing party friends:
  "You realize some of the people… you thought were your friends were really just drinking buddies, and that's okay." – Riley (83:29)

• On reaching the other side:
  "It's a life beyond my wildest dreams." – Riley (84:06)

• Closing advice:
  "If you're struggling, reach out for help. It's always available." – Riley (86:54)

Important Timestamps

• Adderall and ADHD Diagnosis: 01:00 – 06:15
• First Drinking Experiences: 06:15 – 11:53
• High School, Marijuana, Escalating Substance Use: 11:54 – 15:36
• College Dropout, Family Tensions: 15:36 – 18:54
• Work, Instability, Pre-Route 66: 18:55 – 25:50
• Route 66 Trip Begins: 25:50 – 34:37
• Breakdowns in Texas, New Mexico: 28:56 – 34:37
• Arrival in LA, Continuing Addiction: 34:37 – 40:24
• Return Home, Physical Deterioration: 43:27 – 48:25
• First Rehab Experience, Rediscovery in Sobriety: 48:26 – 54:40
• Sober Living, Relapse, 2nd Rehab: 54:41 – 60:49
• Rebuilding, Amends, Clarity: 60:50 – 66:27
• TikTok, Sober Community Building: 66:28 – 83:36
• Sober Life, Final Reflections: 83:37 – End

Tone & Takeaways

Riley’s storytelling is raw, candid, and unpretentious, alternating between humor, vulnerability, clarity, and hope. Her journey demonstrates the complexity of addiction: how quickly it can escalate, the insidiousness of denial, the critical role community and honesty play in recovery, and the power of second chances. For listeners, the episode offers both a warning and a promise—no matter how far you stray or how lost you feel, real help and profound transformation are possible.

If you need support or want to share your own story, reach out to the podcast at wereallinsanepodcast@gmail.com.