Life After Putting a Pistol To My Head 3 Times & Being a Recovery Speaker While Quietly Addicted to Opioids

Craig “Bubba” Norton was first exposed to addiction when his mother died from alcoholism in 1982. His father later entered treatment, and during a family program Craig realized at age 20 that he was also an alcoholic. After moving from North Carolina to Texas, his drinking escalated, leading to three DWIs and jail in 1987, where he decided to seek help.He found early stability through work and AA but later stopped going to meetings, believing he was cured. Although he stayed abstinent for a time, his life became unstable. After returning to AA and completing deep step work, the sudden death of his sponsor led him to drift away again. He married, had two children, opened an MMA school, and later suffered a serious neck injury that led to long-term pain management and opioid addiction.By 2009, Craig was arrested for possession of pain pills and jailed. The arrest led to the end of his marriage and significant professional and financial losses. He returned to AA primarily to avoid further consequences and attended meetings while on Suboxone. Within a short period, his divorce was finalized, he lost his insurance license, closed a gym, and had his vehicle repossessed. A moment with his daughter, followed by a period of severe despair and suicidal thoughts, marked a turning point in which he accepted that he had to change how he lived, not just maintain sobriety.Craig re-engaged fully in AA, took a new sponsor, and worked the steps with a focus on action and acceptance. He committed to service work in jails, treatment programs, and addiction recovery settings, gradually shifting from reputation repair to genuine service. He later remarried and became a stepfather, describing a fundamental change in priorities toward presence and responsibility.In 2020, he founded A Better Boat, providing interventions and sober transport, and continues to work with treatment centers and the criminal justice system, focused on service and daily action.GUESTCraig "Bubba" NortonFounder of A Better BoatCraig “Bubba” Norton is a nationally certified interventionist, sober companion, and sober coach. He has also been trained and certified as a sober transport.Bubba has been an active member of the recovery community since 1987. For the past twelve years, Bubba has spent his free time relentlessly sharing his experience, strength, and hope with addicts and alcoholics who found themselves in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system.Learn more about A Better BoatMatt 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.About 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.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.17Host: 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 11 years of sobriety make you more vulnerable to a prescription opiate addiction?Why did a father flying across the country to sit silently in a meeting change everything?What happens when you do the 12 steps without a sponsor — and skip step four entirely?How does losing your sponsor to a sudden death send a sober man back out?Why does chronic pain management become a gateway to 60-70 pills a day?What does standing in a driveway in Mickey Mouse boxers with a coat hanger finally teach you?What is the sober transport industry — and why does it save lives that treatment couldn't?How do you build a recovery business when you've got nothing but lived experience?