My Last Relapse: Life in Recovery After Addiction

My Last Relapse: Life in Recovery After Addiction

My Last Relapse is the recovery podcast that says out loud what you’ve been secretly thinking about addiction, relapse, and recovery. Matthew Handy—who lived through two decades of drug use—cuts through the lies and fear-mongering that dominate traditional recovery programs. This isn’t about war stories or your worst relapse moments. It’s about the future—your future—without rigid rules, unrealistic expectations, or being told you don’t belong. This is real conversations about relapse, addiction, treatment, rehab, recovery programs, meetings, self-help, and the stigma that keeps people stuck. For anyone who feels burned out, left out, or cast out by traditional approaches, Matt and his guests offer radical honesty, practical insights, and a new way forward. Whether you’re battling substance use, struggling with sobriety, navigating withdrawal, dealing with cravings, or just tired of going through the motions, My Last Relapse is here to remind you: You’re in recovery when YOU say you are. For individuals, families, friends, and professionals who are done with the lies and ready for a future without using, this is your space. Today, Matt is one of the founders of Harmony Grove Behavioral Health in Houston, Texas, created with his brothers after living the struggles of addiction and recovery firsthand. Their shared journey shaped who they are and inspired the creation of Harmony Grove, a place where authenticity and clinical excellence guide every step of the process. Together, they’ve built a program that feels real, meets people where they are, and provides tools for lasting success. 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.

Episodes

December 23, 2025 204 mins
Seeing him on this podcast for the first time in 13 years, Matt admits to his old friend Austin York that he robbed him during the chaos of their using days in Southern California.

Like Matt, Austin got into trouble very young, fighting in school and using drugs at a young age. His parents sent him away several times to try to get him back on track. He bounced around multiple high schools but never graduated, spending most of his te...
Mark as Played
After Cynthia was molested in childhood, she used food as a coping mechanism, developing bulimia and extreme body dysmorphia. As a teenager, vaccinations triggered hormonal and immune imbalances, causing mood changes and hives. 

When she became pregnant as a young adult, it motivated her to stop smoking and make healthier choices. She later married an alcoholic, leading to domestic violence and emotional turmoil. Because of her fait...
Mark as Played
Chris grew up in Odessa, Texas, in a home where alcohol and drugs were part of everyday life. At 15, he altered his birth certificate to work in the oil fields. By 19, he was drilling, and by 25, he was running crews—building a successful career.

Substance use resulted in four incarcerations, and by his last conviction he faced a potential life sentence. In prison, he began seeking faith and direction but his addiction destroyed his...
Mark as Played
Kratom is a plant-based substance that’s easy to find in smoke shops, gas stations, and even health food stores. Marketed as a natural remedy for pain, energy, or opioid withdrawal, it’s gained a reputation as a “safe” alternative.

But according to Houston addiction medicine specialist Dr. Kamal Shah, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

He’s seen firsthand how quickly people can become dependent, from those in long-term recovery...
Mark as Played
Growing up in Spring, Texas, Jordan was a standout student and star athlete. Raised in a supportive, yet strict household, he excelled in sports and academics, graduated near the top of his class, and was inducted into his high school’s Hall of Fame for football.

While attending Cornell University on a football scholarship, sports injuries shifted his focus from athletics to cocaine, ketamine, and marijuana. After graduation, he mov...
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At the age of 17, Robert entered treatment for the first time for heroin, painkillers, and Dilaudid addiction. Over the next few years, he cycled through nearly 60 detoxes and programs across the country, spending several years in and out of institutions. 

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 athl...
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Rachel grew up in Louisiana in a family marked by loss. Her older sister died of leukemia at age seven, leaving deep grief that shaped her childhood. At 13, she experienced sexual abuse, and by 21, she lost her mother to untreated hypertension and heart disease—the event that sent her drinking spiraling out of control.

She developed depression and anxiety early on, and alcohol quickly became her way to cope. By 25, she was a new mot...
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Ted was sent to military school, later joined the Navy, and served during the Gulf War, stationed in Jacksonville and working drug interdiction missions off the coast of Venezuela. During his Navy service, he drank heavily, a habit he continued for years in New Orleans while working in the oil and gas industry, as drinking was embedded in the local social culture.

After several failed recovery attempts, Ted got sober in March 2017 a...
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Candice grew up surrounded by addiction and loss. Both parents drank heavily, and by 11, she had lost her mom. Her dad died soon after, and by 19, most of her family was gone, including her sister, who was killed in a murder-suicide. 

She became a single mother at 16, and by 21, she had three kids. After her third child, heroin and painkillers took over her life. She lost custody—her daughters went to live with an aunt, and her son ...
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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 rel...
Mark as Played
Karen married young and became a mom at 15. By 17, she had two children, and by 36 she was a grandmother. Her brother’s overdose from Xanax and alcohol at age 19 propelled her toward addiction recovery work, determined to help others find the support he never had.

Jill lived in her car in the East Texas heat and humidity, calling treatment centers nonstop after losing her insurance. After more than a year of pestering, she was final...
Mark as Played
From Jason’s first drink at 17, his life spiraled into addiction, prison, and homelessness. He tried AA, NA, and church, but staying in recovery was tough, and a string of DUIs and prison sentences made things harder.

While homeless, Jason describes walking the streets of Pensacola, covering about 20 miles in June heat until his shoes were bloody and had to be discarded upon arrival at a mental hospital, where he collapsed. This gru...
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Rune never directly struggled with substance abuse, but grew up surrounded by it and then married into it. His father battled alcoholism and eventually died. Later, his ex-wife also lost her life to addiction after multiple attempts at treatment and time in jail, leaving their two children without a mother. 

For years, Rune kept his head down and worked quietly in IT to avoid the weight of his own reality. When he finally got divorc...
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Andy grew up in Houston and started drinking in high school, escalating in college.  After getting kicked out and switching schools, she eventually graduated while trying to keep her drinking under control. But when she entered the workforce, it got worse.

In 2013, after a family ultimatum she went to AA for the first time and stayed sober for a month. She relapsed and repeated that pattern for several years, bouncing between AA and...
Mark as Played
Raised in a solid, loving family, Danny was a standout athlete with a full ride to UCLA for golf. His future was golden, but the lure of partying and a fast lifestyle spiraled into meth and heroin addiction, multiple jail stints, and years of chaos. 

Danny’s last relapse was the breaking point. Detoxing himself at his mother’s house after a dangerous encounter involving fentanyl, he  surrendered and asked God for help. 

Facing his mo...
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Dr. Kamal Shah’s perspective on addiction recovery is both deeply personal and scientifically informed.  Addiction isn’t just behavior. It’s the brain, trauma, and the emotional patterns that keep people stuck. 

Over a decade into sobriety himself, Dr. Shah combines his lived experience with a background in neurology, movement disorders, and addiction medicine to explore what really drives relapse and what truly supports lasting rec...
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Scott’s last relapse ended with him withdrawing in jail, where for the first time since age 13 he made it past five days sober. 

Facing probation, restitution, treatment and childhood trauma, he found purpose through service work, community support, and helping others just starting their recovery. Ironically, a broken leg led him to a role supporting newcomers—work he excelled at and that launched a career dedicated to helping other...
Mark as Played
September 15, 2025 1 min
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 by traditional recovery approaches and still feels left out, misunderstood, or burdened by unrealistic expectations, this podcast looks to the future – rejecting the lies and dogma that hold people back from seeing their future without using.

Full epis...
Mark as Played

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