Lancashire, UK – The end of an eight-year marriage brought 43-year-old Paul Matthew back to his parents' and in search of a way to heal his worsening depression. After he was turned onto the expansive world of body modifications, he's quite literally never been the same.

Breakups that send you packing your bags for a stay at your parents' home can be anxiety-ridden and depression-provoking. Matthew didn't want to stay in that broken place.

Instead, the father of two quit his job in digital marketing and sought out body modifications as a way to cope.

He's since been branded with a blowtorch and a hot iron, had his tongue bifurcated and stretched, inserted a plethora of gauges, and gained an impressive collection of tattoos.

Where some people turn to talk therapy, spa days, and relaxing retreats, Matthew turned to bodily harm in search of healing.

The obsessed enthusiast took things to a new level and acquired the branding services of Mac "Dr Evil" MacCarthy – a body modification specialist that was recently imprisoned for his gruesome work with blowtorches and other branding devices, according to The Sun.

Though the average person might think of skin brandings as one of the more painful modifications to endure, Matthew's experience proved differently.

"Surprisingly enough, as long as the nail glows hot enough, it doesn’t actually hurt at all," he told the newspaper.

The father now manages True Color Tattoos. He confessed that while his favorite alteration is the slew of ink tatted across his body, the most painful thing he's done so far was pushing a 4 millimeter gauge through his nostrils.

"That was brutal. I remember blood gushing down my throat, causing me to choke and splutter," he said. "The piercing room looked like something out of a horror movie."

In search of those who shared his passion, Matthew joined a body modification website in 2005 and found more than just a place to belong – he found love with his current wife of 13 years, Rachel (39).

It took heartbreak for Matthew to find who he really was – and for that, he doesn't harbor an ounce of regret.