Life After 5 DWIs, 35 Convictions, Getting Arrested in Walmart With a Louis Vuitton Bag Full of Dope

Although Curtiss was sexually abused as a child, he did well in school and football until a humiliating pep‑rally incident in seventh grade led him to quit sports and start smoking marijuana. Drifting into fights, he landed in alternative schools and eventually dropped out. While his mother used crack and his father cooked meth for the Bandidos, he lived mostly with his grandparents while stacking up arrests and DWIs. For two decades, he cycled through probation, prison, and the SAFP program, manipulating drug tests while he continued to use and run businesses such as vape shops and a Delta‑8 company.Throughout the course of his addiction, the substances he used included weed, Xanax, cocaine, crack, meth, heroin, and PCP. His alcohol addiction and cocaine addiction were at the center of years of destruction. He identifies himself as an alcoholic, and although he says he can "take or leave alcohol," once he starts using any substance he can't put it down and keep it down.Repeatedly relying on “responsible women” to keep the home stable while he used, he entered a long relationship with Nikki, who could maintain external functioning while using.Secretly believing that having a child would force him to change his life, he and Nikki “fought to have” a baby. But his drug use continued, leading to moments like leaving his toddler son alone while he got high in the garage and being arrested with a large Louis Vuitton bag full of drugs while shopping at Walmart. A direct warning from a friend pushed Curtiss into treatment at The Orchard, where Nikki later joined him; there, tough feedback, family‑therapy boundaries, and exposure to the Story of Self process led him to commit to addiction recovery, shut down the drug‑related business, train as a counselor, and eventually build a life of sobriety as a father and facilitator working with treatment‑resistant clients.GUESTCURTISS CALLAWAY is a sober father, counselor, and Story of Self facilitator who helps people struggling with addiction, chronic relapse, and unresolved trauma. After years of arrests, prison time, and failed treatment attempts, he rebuilt his life through recovery work and now co‑leads workshops and extended‑care programming with his wife Nikki. Today, he focuses on treatment‑resistant clients and young people few others want to work with, offering direct guidance grounded in his own lived experience.Learn more about Story of SelfFollow Curtiss on Instagram @curtiss_callawayFollow Story of Self on Instagram @story.ofselfMatt 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.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.comFollow Matt on Instagram @matthew.handy.17About Harmony Grove Behavioral HealthHarmony Grove delivers outpatient addiction and mental health treatment focused on wellness, creativity, and authentic human connection—providing a supportive space for healing that extends beyond traditional clinical care. Find out more at http://harmonygrovebh.com/Harmony Grove’s IOP in Houston, Texas, is more than a program; it’s a lifeline for those ready to take the next step in their recovery. We are ready to meet you where you are and find your unique path to change.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.Host: Matthew HandyProducer: Eva SheieAssistant Producers: Mary Ellen Clarkson & Hannah BurkhartEngineering: Chris MannTheme music: Survive The Tide, Machina AeonCover Art:  DMARKMy Last Relapse is a production of Kind Creative: kindcreative.comQuestions this episode answers:How does one moment of public humiliation at age 12 derail an entire life?Why isn't the "big trauma" always the one driving addiction?What is Story of Self — and why does it work when years of therapy haven't?Why do both husband and wife going to treatment together almost never work?Why does AA have a 100% success rate 100 years ago and a 2% rate today?Who is actually an alcoholic — and why do consequences alone not make you one?Why do most relapses happen in the first 90 days after leaving treatment?How does enabling rob an addict of the one thing that could actually save them?Why does getting everything you wanted in recovery still feel empty?When does chasing money stop working — and what replaces it?