Life After Losing My Mom at 21, Marrying an Abusive Alcoholic, and Going to Jail for Defending Myself

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 addiction quickly became her way to cope. By 25, she was a new mother, married to an alcoholic, and caught in a cycle of domestic violence and codependency. In the hospital with a gallstone, she openly denied her drinking while hiding a bottle of wine in the sheets of her hospital bed. Her drinking escalated, leading to jail time and physical decline—vomiting blood, bruising easily, and losing weight. In 2015, Rachel’s sister helped her get into treatment in Arizona. She left her daughter with family, completed detox and residential care, and moved into sober living. With time and therapy, she found stability, got involved in 12-step addiction recovery, and began working in women’s sober living.In 2018, she opened Journey Way, her own sober living program in Texas. Now ten years into sobriety, Rachel is a mother of two, active in AA, and open about recovery at home.GUESTRachel LiebegottRachel is the founder of Journey Way Sober Living and serves as a Regional Recovery Liaison at a detox center, drawing inspiration from her own journey in long-term recovery. She is dedicated to helping women and families build healthy, hopeful lives, and finds her greatest joy in her faith, family, and serving others.Learn more about Journey Way Sober LivingMatt 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  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.comFind us on YouTube @MyLastRelapse and follow Matt on Instagram @matthew.handy.17About Harmony Grove Behavioral Health Harmony 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.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: Voltage FM, Spencer ClarksonTheme music: Survive The Tide, Machina AeonCover Art:  DMARKMy Last Relapse is a production of Kind Creative: kindcreative.comQuestions this episode answers:What does "long-term recovery" actually mean, and why is the definition so contested?Why do Air Force studies put the magic number for lifelong sobriety at five years?What happens when you relapse after three years of sobriety and your family takes your daughter?How do you rebuild after a relapse costs you the one thing you were staying sober for?Why do consequences keep some people sober until the consequences finally go away?