alcohol addiction – A St. Louis-area physician describes years of hiding heavy drinking, then getting sober and building support for others.
A physician who once hid his drinking with elaborate deceptions says sobriety saved his life—and helped him become an advocate for others fighting addiction.
In an interview shared by Misryoum, Dr.. Chris Schenewerk, a primary care doctor from the St.. Louis area, traced his alcohol use back to adolescence.. He described learning how to conceal evidence of drinking. portraying a life where the habits could be covered up until they could no longer be managed.. He said his drinking spending climbed into the thousands of dollars each month as the pattern tightened around his work. his home life. and his relationships.
What makes this story stand out is the way concealment can look like “control” from the outside—until health, behavior, and close relationships force the truth into the open.
As his drinking intensified. he said it shifted from something he framed as fun into something he relied on for relief.. He described increasingly destructive nights and the lengths he went to avoid showing the effects at work. including trying to make his appearance match the story he told others.. Over time, colleagues and patients began to notice.. The situation escalated alongside serious health problems. including liver and kidney disease and dangerously high blood pressure. according to Misryoum’s account of his medical status at the time.
In November 2018, he said an incident involving a winery trip became the turning point.. He described reaching the point where he did not recognize himself in a mirror. then confronting a reality he could no longer disguise.. Within days, he entered rehabilitation, and he has marked his sobriety from that period onward.
His experience highlights a painful reality: addiction often persists in private for years, even when a person appears functional, because the “plan” to hide it can delay the moment of help.
After getting sober, Schenewerk said he turned toward recovery communities and treatment work.. Misryoum reports that he became involved with Alcoholics Anonymous meetings locally and later took on a leadership role as a medical director at a recovery center.. From there. he returned to primary care and described efforts to expand access to treatment for people who cannot afford it.
In 2025. Misryoum reports. he established The Walk Forward Foundation. a nonprofit intended to help individuals enter drug or alcohol rehabilitation regardless of cost.. He also described rebuilding his health through nutrition and consistent exercise. alongside the support he credits from his personal and professional life.. He said he is now focused not only on staying sober, but on giving others a practical path to treatment.
For families and patients watching someone struggle, stories like this can matter because they emphasize that recovery is not just a personal transformation—it can become a community project built on support, accountability, and access to care.