CEO of True Mobile Health and Co-Founder of notMYkid - Steve MoakCEO of True Mobile Health and Co-Founder of notMYkid - Steve Moak
I Love Being Sober
Tim Westbrook speaks with Steve Moak about his journey from early substance use and a decade-long relapse to sustained sobriety and work in technology-assisted recovery. Their discussion touches on treatment, accountability, family boundaries and the importance of human connection in staying sober.
38:44•27 May 2020
From Decade-Long Relapse to Tech-Driven Recovery: Steve Moak’s Story
Episode Overview
- Extended treatment, sober living and outpatient care can significantly strengthen early recovery.
- Trying to control drinking after treatment, rather than fully committing to recovery, may prolong addiction for years.
- Human connection, regular contact and accountability tools are central to the True Mobile Health approach.
- Parents may need firm boundaries and outside support to avoid denial and enabling their child’s substance use.
- Recovery takes time for both individuals and families, and seeking guidance from support groups and professionals can make the process more manageable.
“I would say I only had one relapse. It just lasted a decade.”
How do individuals turn their lives around after addiction? This conversation between host Tim Westbrook and guest Steve Moak gives a detailed look at one such journey, mixing brutal honesty with practical ideas for staying sober. You'll hear Steve trace his history with alcohol and drugs from middle school experimentation to a decade-long relapse that followed three and a half years of sobriety.
He talks openly about the moment his family drew a hard line—go to rehab or lose their support—and how that ultimatum first pushed him into treatment for their sake rather than his own. One standout moment comes when Steve reflects on that relapse: "I would say I only had one relapse.
It just lasted a decade." From there, he describes the destruction that decade brought—marriage breakdown, job loss, financial chaos—and the turning point of checking into detox and then six weeks of inpatient treatment, followed by sober living and outpatient care. The episode also looks at how those experiences led Steve into service and entrepreneurship.
He helped start the nonprofit notMYkid with his family, sharing his story with young people and parents, and later founded True Mobile Health, a technology-assisted care platform used by treatment centres and sober living homes. His focus is firmly on human connection, accountability and regular support rather than seeing technology as a magic fix. Parents of struggling kids will find Steve’s comments on boundaries and denial especially relevant.
He talks about his own parents cutting off financial support and access to the family home, while still promising help with treatment when he was ready. He urges families to seek support groups and professional guidance rather than trying to manage everything alone. If you're curious what long-term recovery can look like—with its setbacks, second chances and new purpose—this story offers plenty to think about and might just nudge you to ask: what support are you willing to accept today?
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