Life After Burning 13 Holes in My Leg & 2 in My Junk, and Escaping a Life Sentence

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 family.

When an 86-year-old lawyer offers to take Chris’s case and be paid later, he miraculously gets his sentence reduced to a six‑month state jail deal, which he sees entirely as divine intervention.

After he’s released, rather than changing his life he spirals again, overdosing in a hospital bed. This is when he knew it was time to change.

In 2009, he committed to sobriety and has stayed clean since 2012, but his tattoos and criminal record made it hard to find a job. He earned his CDL, became a truck driver, and saved more than $70,000. In 2016, he invested in Bitcoin and set about rebuilding his family life.

Chris went on to start The Hopper House, a faith-based recovery program, became a pastor, and began speaking in prisons and meetings. Today, he leads a church where people in recovery share their stories and teaches faith and accountability as tools for lasting change.

GUEST

Chris Hopper
Founder of The Hopper House

Chris Hopper is a pastor, speaker, and founder of The Hopper House, a faith-based recovery community dedicated to helping men rebuild their lives through structure, service, and spiritual growth. After overcoming incarceration and personal loss, he turned his life toward ministry and mentorship, inspiring others with a message of redemption and purpose. Through The Hopper House, Chris continues to guide people toward healing, responsibility, and lasting transformation.

Learn more about The Hopper House https://www.hopperrecoverycenter.com/

Subscribe to Chris’ YouTube channel    / @chrishoppersoberlife6472  

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 http://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 http://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 https://voltage.fm/, Spencer Clarkson
Theme music: Survive The Tide, Machina Aeon    / @machinaaeonai  
Cover Art: DMARK https://www.instagram.com/dmarkgraffi...

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

Contents of this video:
00:00 - Intro
00:08 - Why are people getting turned away from addiction treatment?
05:56 - Chris’ spiritual awakening and journey to sobriety
47:55 - How AA saved my life
50:45 - The principles of the 12 steps
01:23:50 - Why Chris doesn’t listen to recovery podcasts
01:30:20 - Chris’s wild last relapse
01:37:00 - Supporting my children and grandchildren
01:40:40 - How God manipulated me
01:44:55 - Rough necking incidents
02:04:22 - What works in recovery
02:13:25 - The debt of recovery and helping others with our experiences
02:24:20 - Stop putting people in recovery into boxes
02:36:10 - How the Hopper House started
02:41:00 - Religion discussion
02:49:40 - The choice to become clean
02:56:03 - Outro