Life After Childhood Sexual Abuse, 15 Years in Prison for Organized Crime, and Relapsing With a Weapon While on Parole

Brandon grew up in Houston with an abusive, alcoholic father and experienced trauma from sexual abuse at ages eight and 10. By 11, he had his first sip of alcohol, and by seventeen, he was charged with organized crime and began a seven-year prison sentence—learning basic life skills like shaving from other inmates.

Over time, he spent a total of fifteen years incarcerated, carrying a street mentality that followed him long after release.

On parole, Brandon returned to drugs, relationships, and old habits. His last relapse stripped him of everything—no car, no home, no money, only the clothes on his back. He was using heroin, oxy, and meth while carrying a weapon when someone from AA offered him a chance at recovery. Agreeing to every suggestion, he entered a halfway house and began complete abstinence through the 12 steps.

Cut off from family and alone, Brandon rebuilt from nothing. He reconnected with his daughter after more than two decades, built stability, and for the first time in his life, leased his own place, bought a car, and opened a bank account.

Now married and in a healthy relationship, Brandon works at Arise Recovery Center and runs sober living homes in Houston and Dallas. He sponsors others, mentors men in recovery, and shows that lasting change is possible, no matter how far gone things seem. 

GUEST

Brandon White

Brandon is a dedicated recovery advocate and mentor who has been sober since March 2021, working at the Arise Recovery Center and managing several sober living homes in Texas. His passion for helping others stems from his own transformative journey, and he is known for openly sharing his story to inspire hope. 

Learn more about Arise Recovery Centers

Connect with Brandon on LinkedIn

Matt Handy is the founder of Harmony Grove Behavioral Health in Houston, Texas, where their mission is to provide compassionate, evidence-based care for anyone facing addiction, mental health challenges, and co-occurring disorders.

Find out more at harmonygrovebh.com  

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or struggling, you don’t have to face it alone. Reaching out for support is a sign of strength, and help is always available. If you or anyone you know needs help, give us a call 24 hours a day at 844-430-3060.

My Last Relapse explores what everyone is thinking but no one is saying about addiction and recovery through conversations with those whose lives have changed.

For anyone disillusioned with traditional recovery and feeling left out, misunderstood, or weighed down by unrealistic expectations, this podcast looks ahead—rejecting the lies and dogma that keep people from imagining life without using.

Got a question for us? Leave us a message or voicemail at mylastrelapse.com

Find us on YouTube @MyLastRelapse and follow Matt on Instagram @matthew.handy.17

Host: Matthew Handy
Producer: Eva Sheie
Assistant Producers: Mary Ellen Clarkson & Hannah Burkhart
Engineering: Voltage FM, Spencer Clarkson
Theme music: Survive The Tide, Machina Aeon
Cover Art:  DMARK

My Last Relapse is a production of Kind Creative: kindcreative.com