A Rocky Road to Recovery - from Homelessness, to Prison, to Relapse to Recovery
A Rocky Road to Recovery - from Homelessness, to Prison, to Relapse to Recovery

Recovery Coast to Coast

Christopher Lopez shares a candid journey from homelessness and federal prison to long-term sobriety, a painful relapse, and a stronger recovery built on full support. A closing segment from Danny Trejo reflects on early 12-step experiences and the cost of walking away from help.

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21:50•14 Oct 2026

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From Prison to Relapse to Renewal: Christopher Lopez’s Rocky Road to Recovery

Episode Overview

Hitting a "low bottom" with homelessness and unemployment pushed Christopher into 12 years of sobriety.
Long-term recovery can still be followed by relapse, especially when someone starts believing they "know it all".
Trying to run a treatment programme while secretly using showed how denial and fear can silence colleagues.
Committing to a full continuum of care, including therapy, medication, sponsorship and regular meetings, helped create a more stable recovery.
Human connection in the rooms and rebuilding trust with family are central to Christopher’s current understanding of spirituality and recovery.

“"You don't have to do the research. I've done it for you. After 12 years sobriety, it does not get any better. It does get worse."”

What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction? This conversation on Recovery Coast to Coast follows Christopher Lopez as he talks through a life that’s swung from homelessness and federal prison to long-term sobriety, relapse, and then a sturdier recovery than ever before. The show, hosted by Neil Scott, is aimed at anyone touched by addiction – people in recovery, their families, or those simply curious about how change actually happens.

You’ll hear Christopher describe how jail became a strange sort of wake-up call, yet still wasn’t enough to break the cycle. His turning point came when he hit what he calls a "low bottom": homeless, unemployed, and out of options.

That moment pushed him into 12 years of sobriety, during which he rebuilt his career, repaired family ties, and learned, as he puts it, to "become for the first time in my adult life a responsible adult male." Christopher’s honesty about relapse is where this episode really hits home. After more than a decade clean and working as a programme director at a treatment centre, he convinced himself that "one drink wouldn't hurt".

Within seven months his life was “upside down”, anxiety appeared for the first time, and he realised, "You don't have to do the research. I've done it for you. It does get worse." His second chance at recovery meant dropping "Christopher's programme" and embracing full professional and peer support: detox, residential care, PHP, IOP, ongoing therapy, medication, sponsorship and regular meetings. For him, "the rooms" and human connection now sit at the heart of sobriety.

Rounding things off, actor and long-time recovery advocate Danny Trejo shares a brief but sharp reflection on early 12-step experiences and the consequences of walking away from support. If you’ve ever wondered whether coming back after relapse is possible, this episode offers one clear message: there’s always room to return and rebuild. What might your own "bottom of the bottom" moment be pointing you towards?

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