When Addiction Feels Normal: Growing Up Around Alcohol – Cort McCown

Comedian and actor Cort McCown joins Forrest to talk addiction, drinking, mental health, and growing up in an environment where chaos felt normal. They get into starting young, family dynamics, fear, the myth of the "drunk artist," and how addiction slowly became a way of coping rather than a choice. It's raw, funny, and packed with real stories about alcohol, denial, isolation, creativity, relationships, and learning how to live comfortably in your own skin without numbing out. 🎧 If you grew up around addiction, normalized unhealthy behavior, or have ever wondered why chaos felt familiar — this episode hits close to home and still makes you laugh. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on addiction, recovery, mental health, and comedy. Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro & Meet Cort McCown 01:13 – Growing Up Around Alcohol 03:07 – The "Geographic Fix" Myth 04:50 – Remembering 9/11 in Early Recovery 07:09 – Fear as a Driving Force 08:45 – Comedy, Bars & Being Around It 10:40 – Pain on the Inside vs the Outside 12:50 – Why Moderation Never Worked 15:11 – Dating & Not Drinking 18:45 – Responsibility Changes Everything 21:22 – The Drunk Artist Myth 23:39 – Starting Young & Losing Control 27:50 – Barely Getting Through School 30:01 – From Acting to Stand-Up 33:36 – Isolation and Addiction 41:03 – "I'll Worry About It Tomorrow" 46:36 – One Word for Addiction / One for Recovery 🎙️ Find Cort McCown: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cortmccown/ ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/cortmccowncomedy