Episode 30: "Man in the Mirror"

Bradley Richard, 42

Williston, ND

Recorded 12/30/2024

What do you do after you’ve already walked through fire? We close the season 2 with a conversation that’s equal parts confession and compass, sitting with Bradley as he traces a path from early rebellion and first heartbreak to a string of devastating losses that fed a brutal addiction—and the moment he chose to live. He talks about an intentional overdose, seven minutes gone, and the treatment-room wake-up call that shattered his assumptions about who addiction affects. Twenty-one years later, he’s still sober, and he’s honest about what that really takes.

We go beyond sobriety and into mental health: how unguarded thoughts can undo progress, why vulnerability is a daily practice, and how “time equals love” reframed his role as a partner and father. Bradley shares the story he rarely tells—a daughter he didn’t know for two years, a preacher father who spent everything to find him, and the unbearable loss that followed just as recovery began. He also walks us through a home invasion in Seattle, a split-second self-defense decision, and the legal and emotional aftermath that could have sent him back to using. Instead, he doubled down on healing.

Along the way, we talk parenting, family court, and the skills we owe our kids: independence, discernment, and the courage to leave harm. We unpack jealousy, betrayal, and the quiet ways fear of investment destroys connection. This is a raw, grounded look at recovery, grief, and accountability—built on friendship, the power of showing up, and the belief that presence is the only proof of love.

If this conversation moved you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs it. Your words can help others find the courage to keep going.

I can't find the feeling that comes to mind when listening to this for the first time. But I will find the words for this one day. All I know is I made it here. and I'm still breathing.

Support the show

Contact & Info:

www.hangingwithhumans.com

https://poplme.co/hash/P5oM9JFj/1/dash

Support the Podcast:

https://gofund.me/2a99e9b7

Video Podcast :

https://www.YouTube.com/@hangingwithhumans

https://rumble.com/c/c-2507620

Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/hangingwithhumans

https://www.tiktok.com/@hangingwithhumans


Thank you so much for taking the time out of your important life to listen, It means the world to me.

#HangingWithHumans #Podcast #HWHP

In honor of those who served our country. During times of peace and war. Those who gave the supreme sacrifice, Those still missing and those who came home both whole and broken.

In honor of those still fighting everyday to keep their head above water.