In this episode, I share Part 1 of my life story starting with a traumatic childhood marked by physical abuse and parental substance use to my teenage years as a competitive swimmer, to my first encounter with opioids at 16 following a tonsillectomy. I trace how that single prescription set off a 15-year battle with addiction that escalated through heroin, crack, and cocaine.

I open up about early relationships, becoming a mother, losing custody of my son, and a rare chapter of sobriety and adventure during years spent in California and Seattle with a partner who gave me some of the best memories of my life. I also reflect honestly on my criminal record including nine felony charges, six indictments and the circumstances that led there.