Drinking Hand Sanitizer, Homeless, and the Moment Everything Changed
Fri Feb 06 2026
Send us a text
Jason Caldwell’s alcoholism didn’t begin with chaos — it began with heartbreak, loneliness, and a slow erosion of identity. After a painful breakup, alcohol became a nightly sedative, a way to avoid being awake with his thoughts.
What started as weekend drinking escalated into daytime vodka, blackouts, job loss, estrangement from family, homelessness, and waking up in hospitals with no memory of how he got there.
Cut off by his father and evicted from his home, Jason found himself drinking hand sanitizer, cycling through shelters, and facing the reality that he would not survive much longer. A chance intervention, radical honesty, and an unexpected path to healing led him to a therapeutic farm where purpose, structure, and belonging replaced isolation.
This episode explores alcoholism, homelessness, grief, recovery, and how meaning — not punishment — became the foundation of lasting sobriety.
✅ Check SEIU West
✅ Wellness News
✅ Parenting in the Storm
Support the show
Check out the speakeasy podcast
Follow Daniel Unmanageable on Facebook
Follow Project Sparky
We've got fresh merch and it's amazing! Pick yours up HERE
For business or speaking inquiries: Daniel@hardknoxtalks.com
Follow Hard Knox Talks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hardknoxtalkspodcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardknoxtalks/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardknoxtalks?lang=en
Are you getting something from our content? Tap here and buy us a coffee to say thanks and help us keep this train on the tracks!
Check us out on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@hardknoxtalks
Want to watch our episodes uncensored? Become a channel member here!
More
Send us a text Jason Caldwell’s alcoholism didn’t begin with chaos — it began with heartbreak, loneliness, and a slow erosion of identity. After a painful breakup, alcohol became a nightly sedative, a way to avoid being awake with his thoughts. What started as weekend drinking escalated into daytime vodka, blackouts, job loss, estrangement from family, homelessness, and waking up in hospitals with no memory of how he got there. Cut off by his father and evicted from his home, Jason found himself drinking hand sanitizer, cycling through shelters, and facing the reality that he would not survive much longer. A chance intervention, radical honesty, and an unexpected path to healing led him to a therapeutic farm where purpose, structure, and belonging replaced isolation. This episode explores alcoholism, homelessness, grief, recovery, and how meaning — not punishment — became the foundation of lasting sobriety. ✅ Check SEIU West ✅ Wellness News ✅ Parenting in the Storm Support the show Check out the speakeasy podcast Follow Daniel Unmanageable on Facebook Follow Project Sparky We've got fresh merch and it's amazing! Pick yours up HERE For business or speaking inquiries: Daniel@hardknoxtalks.com Follow Hard Knox Talks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hardknoxtalkspodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardknoxtalks/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hardknoxtalks?lang=en Are you getting something from our content? Tap here and buy us a coffee to say thanks and help us keep this train on the tracks! Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hardknoxtalks Want to watch our episodes uncensored? Become a channel member here!