Episode
Ep 69: A Legendary Cop Opens Up About Addiction, PTSD, and Redemption
- Podcast
- Beyond The Barrel Podcast
- Published
- Jul 22, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 6691
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://traffic.megaphone.fm/CCI4208814780.mp3
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Summary
What happens when the toughest battle isn’t on the street but inside your own mind? In this episode of Beyond the Barrel, we sit down with retired Sgt. John Kelly, national keynote speaker, law enforcement life coach, and author of Surviving Self-Inflicted Wounds. After surviving decades in law enforcement, John reveals how addiction, alcoholism, infidelity, post-traumatic stress injury, and suicidal thoughts nearly ended his life—long after the dangers of the job should have. With remarkable honesty, John shares the lessons that transformed his life and the mission behind his “Sometimes Heroes Need Help” program. We dive into leadership, relationships, organizational culture, financial wellness, physical and mental health, and why true strength starts with personal accountability. This isn’t a conversation about being a perfect cop or leader. It’s about becoming a better human being, asking for help when you need it, and giving others permission to do the same. No scripts. No agendas. Just an honest conversation about failure, forgiveness, resilience, and the courage to keep getting up when life knocks you down. Timestamps: 01:31 About John Kelly 11:01 Work Ethic 14:56 Boston Roots 27:44 Career Beginnings 41:24 K-9 & SWAT 49:04 Warrior Mindset 55:20 Personal Failures 1:09:20 Self Leadership 1:33:43 Policing Today 1:45:35 Future Policing If you like what you hear, like, subscribe and follow the Beyond the Barrel podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyond_the_barrel_pod/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices