I've Got My Hands On A Miracle: Healing From A 35-Year Wound

Terry Murphy has been sober since May 23, 1991—nearly 35 years of continuous recovery. In this live episode of I Love Being Sober, recorded with the Camelback Recovery outpatient community in Phoenix, Arizona, Terry joins host Tim Westbrook to share the addiction that nearly killed him, the morning everything changed, and the life he has built since.

Terry is a husband of 47 years, father of two, and grandfather of three. In long-term recovery, he has spent more than three decades serving in substance-use programs with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and the Arizona Department of Corrections. He was appointed by Governor Janet Napolitano to Arizona’s substance abuse credentialing committee and founded Helping Hands for the Navajo Nation during the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering millions of pounds of aid to tribal communities. In 2024, he became the primary author of the Twelve Step Companion Guide of Cocaine Anonymous—the first major addict-authored recovery text since 1982. He also ran his first marathon at 50 and has now completed five ultramarathons.

In this episode, Terry discusses:

• The night in active addiction when he believed his family would be better off without him—and what stopped him

• Why he calls addiction “a grave I dug” and recovery a miracle he didn’t earn

• Losing his job after entering rehab, and the opportunity nine months sober that changed everything

• The difficult amends he has made over three decades in recovery

• Working the 12 Steps repeatedly—and how each pass brings something new

• Running marathons and ultramarathons, and what endurance teaches about sobriety

• Co-authoring a new recovery guide and why it was long overdue

• What 35 years of sobriety has looked like in its most recent chapter

• A direct message to those in treatment—and anyone questioning whether recovery is worth it

Whether you are new to sobriety, long into recovery, working the Steps, or supporting someone in addiction, Terry Murphy’s story is a reminder of what long-term recovery can make possible.