Rise Above with Kevin Lanning

Austin’s story is one of the most intense, raw, and honest recovery journeys ever shared on Rise Above.

After 7 years sober, Austin relapsed—triggered by success, ego, and untreated trauma. What followed was a devastating downward spiral:
🔹 Crack, benzos, kratom, and gambling addiction
🔹 A near-fatal overdose at the Hard Rock Hotel
🔹 20 months running from his life in Mexico, embedded in cartel territory
🔹 Losing millions, his marriage, and himself
🔹 Multiple rehabs, jail, and starting over—again and again

But this isn’t just a relapse story. It’s a redemption story.

Austin opens up about trauma, pride, fatherhood, faith vs. spirituality, why kratom nearly destroyed him, and what finally changed after decades of trying to stay sober on his own terms. Today, he’s a present father of five, active in recovery, and the author of One Last Hit.

This episode is a must-watch for anyone struggling with addiction, relapse, ego, success, or the belief that “this time will be different.”

👉 If relapse has ever been part of your story—or someone you love—this one will hit home.

#RiseAbove #AddictionRecovery #RelapseStory #OverdoseSurvivor #HardRockHotel #KratomAwareness #CrackAddiction #SobrietyJourney #RecoveryIsPossible #12StepRecovery #Alcoholism #DrugAddiction #MentalHealthAwareness #TraumaHealing #Fatherhood #SecondChances #RedemptionStory #LifeAfterRelapse

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Amy Simmonds had everything from the outside — a thriving real estate career, a family, success — but inside she was slowly being destroyed by alcohol.

In this raw and powerful conversation, Amy opens up about her childhood wounds, blackouts, relapse after years sober, and the moment she finally surrendered. She shares how grief — especially the sudden loss of her mother — became the catalyst for a deeper calling: a mission to break the stigma around addiction and show others that recovery is not just possible, it’s powerful.

Amy is now 12.5 years sober and launching a new movement rooted in honesty, faith, service, and daily commitment. This episode dives into:


The hidden alcoholism that no one talks about


Relapsing after long-term sobriety


Alcohol as a “solution” that quietly becomes the problem


Grief, pain, and staying sober through unimaginable loss


Why helping others is the key to lasting recovery


Breaking the stigma for professionals who “look put together”

If you or someone you love is struggling, this conversation could be the sign you’ve been waiting for.

📌 Recovery is not about perfection — it’s about connection.

#RiseAbove #Sobriety #Alcoholism #RecoveryJourney #WomensRecovery #BreakingTheStigma #SoberLife #AddictionRecovery #OneDayAtATime #HealingThroughService

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Romaine Campbell is a police officer, husband, father, and a man of unshakable faith — but in 2019, his life was shattered forever.

Romaine’s two-year-old son, Hayden Campbell, was rushed to the hospital brain-dead, with a fractured skull and signs of blunt force trauma. The explanation given?
“They said he fell out of a bed.”

Medical evidence told a different story.

In this raw and heartbreaking conversation, Romaine opens up about the night he received the phone call no parent should ever get — learning that his son was fighting for his life after being left alone with his mother’s boyfriend. Despite devastating injuries, the man responsible was granted bond and walked free while Romaine buried his child.

This episode goes far beyond the tragedy.

Romaine shares:


The disturbing details surrounding Hayden’s death


What it’s like being a law enforcement officer while your own child’s killer is free


The rage, grief, and temptation for revenge — and why he didn’t act on it


How grief nearly destroyed his marriage


The painful mistakes he made while grieving


How faith, accountability, and humility saved his life


Why “it’s okay to not be okay”


How he turned unimaginable loss into purpose

Romaine is also the author of Rooted in Resilience, a deeply personal book about faith, grief, and rebuilding after loss, and is creating a nonprofit to honor Hayden’s legacy through mental health and domestic violence awareness.

This is not just a story about loss — it’s a story about restraint, resilience, and choosing not to let tragedy create another victim.

⚠️ Viewer discretion advised. This episode contains sensitive material involving child abuse and death.

If this story reaches even one parent, one grieving family, or one person standing at a breaking point — it has done its job.

#TrueCrime #JusticeForHayden #Grief #PoliceOfficer #ChildAbuseAwareness #FaithOverVengeance #MurderCase #LawEnforcementStories #FathersGrief #RiseAbove #HealingAfterLoss #MentalHealthAwareness #DomesticViolenceAwareness #Resilience #UnfilteredTruth

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When someone you love is struggling with mental illness or addiction, the pain doesn’t stop with them — the family feels it too.

In this powerful and eye-opening conversation, I sit down with Brittany Bennett, a licensed mental health counselor specializing in supporting families who love someone diagnosed with conditions like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, and substance use disorders.

We talk about:


Why families often feel shut out, confused, or helpless


The stigma around mental health and addiction — and how it hurts loved ones


Self-medication, undiagnosed ADHD, and the link between mental health and sobriety


When therapy is actually needed (not just during crisis)


Boundaries vs. enabling — and when distance may be necessary


Why self-care isn’t selfish for family members


One-on-one therapy vs. support groups


Supporting someone without losing yourself

Brittany also shares her personal journey into the mental health field, her experience working in prisons, and insights from her book Selfish Is the New Selfless, which reframes self-care as a necessity — not a luxury.

If you’re supporting a partner, child, parent, or loved one with mental illness or addiction, this episode will help you feel seen, understood, and less alone.

👉 If this conversation helps you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

#MentalHealthAwareness #AddictionRecovery #FamilySupport
#MentalHealthMatters #SobrietyJourney #TherapyWorks
#BipolarDisorder #ADHD #SelfCareIsNotSelfish
#HealingFamilies #BreakingTheStigma #RiseAbove
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Becky’s story is one of survival at every level.

She was sexually abused as a child, adopted into a strict household, and later diagnosed with aggressive cancer just one month after giving birth. Doctors told her she’d be lucky to see her son turn five.

She beat cancer—multiple times.

But the unresolved trauma, years of surgeries, and being told her life was a ticking clock led her down a darker path. Becky fell into severe alcoholism, stole hundreds of thousands of dollars, lost her marriage, and was eventually sentenced to three years in prison.

Even behind bars, cancer returned.

Shackled in a hospital bed during radiation treatment, Becky hit a bottom unlike anything she’d ever known. What followed was a brutal reckoning with addiction, accountability, and ultimately, surrender.

In this episode, Becky opens up about:


Childhood sexual abuse and the lifelong impact of secrecy


Being told she wouldn’t live to raise her son


Alcoholism that escalated after years of trauma


Prison, cancer treatment behind bars, and total loss


The exact moment she finally surrendered and got sober


Rebuilding her relationship with her son and finding purpose again

Becky has now been sober since 2011 and serves as COO of her son’s company—built from the pain of their separation and transformed into something meaningful.

This is a powerful conversation about trauma, addiction, resilience, and what it really means to rise after losing everything.

If this episode helps even one person feel less alone, it’s worth sharing.

#AddictionRecovery #SurvivorStory #SobrietyJourney #TraumaHealing #LifeAfterPrison #CancerSurvivor #AlcoholismRecovery #RiseAbove #RedemptionStory #MentalHealthMatters

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