Dr. Tony Dice can trace his appetite for adrenaline back to riding his bike as fast as he could and swinging from ropes in the trees. Long before he became a Navy SEAL, he knew the feeling he was after. On Night Two of The MisFitNation Veterans Week 2026, he talks about where that pursuit took him, how alcohol and drug addiction became part of his life, and what it took to ask for help.
Tony takes listeners inside his early recovery, when he was afraid of relapsing and wanted to stay in treatment. He talks about working through the Twelve Steps, going back to school, and continuing to attend recovery meetings. He speaks about sobriety in terms of what he can do today, and why it matters to remember how bad things got even when life is going well.
One of the most revealing moments starts with a listener who got sober and threw themselves into work. They ask Tony how he recognized when ambition had become another way to avoid what he was feeling. It’s a question that opens up the conversation beyond substance use and into the habits people can carry with them into recovery.
A U.S. Navy SEAL veteran, former firefighter and paramedic, and now a clinical therapist, Tony brings his own experience to his work with veterans and first responders. He also shares what led him to write *After the Trident: A Navy SEAL’s Battle with Secrets, Shame, and Addiction* and why he decided to tell this part of his story publicly.
Follow The MisFitNation on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for the full Veterans Week series. If Tony’s story brings someone to mind, share the episode with them.
Learn more about Dr. Tony Dice and his work at https://bishopdicedefense.com/
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