057: Justin Brien - Overcoming Addiction and Becoming a Mental Health Advocate057: Justin Brien - Overcoming Addiction and Becoming a Mental Health Advocate
You're Sober! Now What?
Justin Bryan talks about his 16-year struggle with addiction, deep depression and suicidality, and how his son became the driving force behind his recovery. The conversation outlines practical tools, mindset shifts and support systems that he uses today as a mental health advocate and coach.
35:01•12 Oct 2020
From Suicidal Addiction to Mental Health Advocate: Justin Bryan’s Story
Episode Overview
- Finding a strong personal "why"—in Justin’s case, his son—can be a powerful driver to commit to recovery when doing it for yourself feels impossible.
- Building a support team with professionals, rehab, and consistent appointments can create safety nets that make long-term sobriety more realistic.
- Tools like gratitude, mindfulness, exercise, journalling and personal growth audio content can help manage ongoing depression and low mood.
- Writing down goals, reviewing them regularly and accepting imperfect progress supports a healthier mindset: "Give yourself some grace. Nobody’s perfect."
- Openly sharing struggles can inspire others to seek help, break stigma around mental health, and show that asking for support is okay.
“It got to the point where I was preparing my body to leave. I became an organ donor because I was preparing my body to exit.”
What emotional and inspiring tales of recovery are out there? This conversation with mental health advocate and coach Justin Bryan gives a raw, honest look at what long-term recovery can actually feel like. Hosted by Tamara from The Road to Health podcast, the chat is aimed at anyone battling addiction, depression, or relentless negative self-talk, as well as those who support them.
Justin shares how 16 years of addiction and a lifetime of low self-worth led him to a point where he was preparing his body to die, becoming an organ donor and even eating healthily so "somebody else would be able to live on." His turning point came on 4 January 2019, when he hospitalised himself for suicidality and alcoholism and finally said out loud, "I had a plan.
And that plan was to end it." From there, you’ll hear how he shifted from wanting to exit his son’s life to making his son his "why". Influenced by motivational speakers like Trent Shelton and Les Brown, he began to picture the father he wanted to be and built a recovery team around him: rehab stays, counselling, psychiatrists, and a clear commitment that drinking is "not an option" anymore.
Justin talks candidly about using tools like gratitude, mindfulness, gym sessions, journalling and audible books to manage ongoing depression. He jokes about racking up 20,000+ steps a day working in a restaurant, but keeps bringing it back to mindset and responsibility: asking, "Is this really that big of a deal?" and "Are you the problem in this?" Anyone feeling stuck in the failure cycle of repeating the same behaviours expecting different results will relate.
Justin and Tamara highlight practical starting points like asking for help, writing down goals, and giving yourself grace: "Nobody’s perfect. We’re all imperfectly perfect." If you’re feeling lost, tired of saying sorry, or scared to ask for help, this story might be the reminder you need that you’re not alone and change is still possible. What could your own “why” be?
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