At 19, he moved to California for a fresh start—attending trauma therapy, enrolling in college, and playing football at Santa Monica College—until a fractured femur ended his athletic goals and he literally ended up homeless and living on Skid Row.
Soon after, his plans to serve in the Texas Army National Guard abruptly ended with a medical discharge for a heart condition.
He later moved to Florida, played arena football briefly, and relapsed into pill mills, drug dealing, and toxic relationships, including one that left him homeless after losing his truck, dog, and everything he owned.
A severe health crisis landed him in the ICU, where he had to relearn how to walk. When his family finally cut off all financial support, Robert was forced to take full responsibility for his recovery.
From there, he began to rebuild. He committed to treatment, fitness, and therapy, became a certified peer and family specialist, and built a career helping others navigate recovery. Along the way, he met his wife and found purpose through faith, structure, and service.
Today, Robert is in long-term recovery and continues to advocate for higher standards in addiction treatment, supportive housing, and accountability-based recovery programs.
GUEST
Robert Braun, LCDC-I
Owner/Manager/CEO at Healing House Mens Sober Living
Robert Braun is a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor Intern (LCDC-I) and serves as Owner, Manager, and CEO at Healing House Mens Sober Living, where he leads with personal experience and dedication to supporting men in recovery. He is also a case manager at Magnolia City Detox in Conroe, Texas.
Learn more about Healing House Mens Sober Living
Learn more about Magnolia City Detox
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
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