Gaining Victory Over Fear and Addiction Through Faith : Journey of Resilience with Jonathan Field

Letting go of an old identity, like addict or convict, can be what finally breaks a cycle of shame and relapse. My guest Jonathan Field grew up without his dad around, so he made his older brother Jacob his hero. At 17 he dropped out of high school to follow the Grateful Dead's last tour with him. The brothers made a pact never to use needles. Jacob broke it, and just before he turned 21, he died of an overdose. Jonathan, almost 18, suddenly had to figure out who he was. A year later he inherited money and slid back into drugs while hiding it from his church friends. He lived a double life, hated himself, and says suicide was on the table. He later married, and his first son, named Jacob after his brother, opened a love he'd never felt. He still turned to meth whenever stress hit. When he confessed, his wife met him with judgment, so he started lying. The marriage ended.

Jonathan's first step out was simple and hard. He decided he would never fake it or lie again. He told new people right away that he was an addict, and he told trusted friends the truth, hoping someone had answers. He says hiding keeps a habit in the dark, where it's hard to break free. His turning point came through his faith, when he finally believed he was loved and accepted even at his worst. He stopped running and hiding in shame. Then he learned to separate himself from the old man, the addict and the failure, and to identify with who he truly is. In the first week of a short mentorship, he knew he was done with meth. He threw his cigarettes out the car window too. Mike Forrester teaches that who a man is stays separate from the labels and roles he's carried.

Once the meth was gone, life finally got normal. Jonathan remarried, had four more kids, started a business, bought a house, and led a men's group. Then he was charged with wire and mail fraud, a charge he still disputes. He lost at trial and was sentenced to five years in prison when his youngest son was three months old. He told his kids again and again that they'd miss each other and that the family would be back together. He refused to see himself as a victim and took ownership of how he had run his business. In prison he read books he never would have opened before, and he says his marriage is stronger because of it. He now chooses discomfort on purpose, because that's where growth happens. For the dad hiding a habit from his family and drowning in shame, Jonathan's story offers a way out of hiding.

What You'll Learn In This Episode:

Recognize how hiding a habit from your wife and friends keeps you stuck and why honesty is the first step out.
Separate who you are from old labels like addict, convict, or failure.
Take ownership of how you got where you are without letting shame define you.
Prepare your kids honestly for a hard season so they know the family will get through it.
Choose discomfort on purpose, since that's where you grow.
Keep moving forward after losing a business, a job, or even your freedom.

The key moments in this episode are:

00:06:47 - overcoming the loss of a brother and an identity crisis

00:15:24 - deciding to stop lying and living a double life

00:17:12 - struggling with meth addiction as a husband and dad

00:18:30 - why vulnerability is the first step to breaking an addiction

00:21:50 - discovering you're loved and accepted even at your worst

00:37:03 - going to prison and preparing your kids

00:47:51 - embracing change and growth through discomfort

00:49:33 - facing trials and adversity by taking ownership

Connect with Jonathan Field

Website

https://sonstonecoaching.com/