The Hopeaholics
The Hopeaholics
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Purple Heart, Addict, 14 Felonies, and 1000 Days Sober w/ Jess Seiwert | The Hopeaholics Podcast #352
1 hour 31 minutes Posted Aug 10, 2026 at 5:00 pm.
Intro
Gambling: the addiction that swallowed everything at the end
Father arrested for child rape
Growing up angry
9/11 happens right after graduation. Joins the Army
First drink: the first time he ever felt normal
IED hits him + Purple Heart
Comes home on Oxycontin
Second marriage. Gets her hooked on pills.
Wakes up with 1st degree attempted murder, kidnapping
Crowley Correctional: in a gang within three months
High on meth, headbutts his parole officer. Back to prison.
Forgery across three states: $200,000
3 1/2 years in 8 county jails during Covid
Using his Purple Heart military ID to forge checks
Meets his 3rd wife in county jail
Gets out. Uses within 24 hours. She gets pregnant that night.
120 meetings in 90 days. Fires his sponsor at 3 months clean
Peer mentor in Kansas City / Social work.
Almost 1,000 days sober. 43 years old
Son with autism doing great. Rebuilding with his oldest two kids.
Why recovery has to be the foundation on the hardest days
Veterans and the VA
Veteran mental health access
"25 years of alcoholism. 15 years of addiction. Why would I give up on anybody?"
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Show notes
Jess Seiwert grew up in Kansas. He was abused at home from age 5 to 12. After 9/11 he joined the Army at 18, made sergeant, survived an IED blast, and came home with a Purple Heart and an Oxycontin addiction. One day he woke up in county jail charged with first-degree attempted murder and kidnapping after his best friend slept with his wife while he was passed out. He walked out with 14 felony convictions, seven rehab attempts, and 3.5 years in county jail across eight Kansas counties during ...
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