My Dad Died from the Same Addiction I Escaped

In episode 31 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with Maggie who opens up about her journey through addiction, recovery, and rebuilding her life. She shares what it was like growing up around addiction, experimenting as a teen, and facing early arrests and probation. From her first rehab stay—where she admits she tried to “beat the system”—to the depths of opiate and heroin addiction in Kensington, Maggie’s story is raw and eye-opening. She talks about the repeated attempts at treatment, the turning point of true surrender, and how community became essential to her recovery. Now years sober, Maggie reflects on becoming a parent in recovery, working in treatment, navigating mental health challenges, and finding spirituality and purpose in long-term sobriety. This episode is a real, honest look at what it takes to rebuild and heal after addiction. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that challenge stigma and bring awareness to mental health and addiction. Chapters | 00:00 Intro and Podcast Mission 00:35 Maggie's Early Years & Family Background 02:00 Childhood Experiences with Addiction 04:34 Noticing Differences & First Encounters 07:14 Teen Experimentation and Escalation 13:10 High School Arrests & Probation Struggles 17:00 First Rehab and Intentions to ‘Beat the System’ 19:09 Opiates, Heroin, and Full-Blown Addiction 23:18 Going Deeper: Kensington and Consequences 27:30 Multiple Attempts at Treatment 32:00 The Role of Community and True Surrender 38:29 Early Recovery, Growth, & New Challenges 44:24 Becoming a Sober Parent and Building a New Life 47:07 Working in Treatment & Family Recovery 52:18 Mental Health, Stigma, and Support Needs 55:26 Spirituality in Recovery 01:03:42 Long-term Sobriety and Changing Recovery Paths 01:07:07 Biggest Highlights and Reflections 01:09:54 Ongoing Mental Health and Support in Recovery 01:13:23 Final Thoughts and Closing FTS Medication Assistance Program | Apply today : https://www.fthestigma.com/pages/rx-a... Donate to support! : https://www.fthestigma.com/pages/donate Pod links | Spotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/46dw6sl... Apple Podcast | https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast... Follow us! Website | https://fthestigma.com/ Instagram |   / fthestigmapod   TikTok |   / fthestigma   Facebook |   / ftstigma   X | https://x.com/fthestigma Subscribe for more! |    / @fthestigma   Tags in this video ↓ fthestigma, podcast, addiction, recovery, trauma, anxiety, depression, ptsd, mentalhealth, mentalillness, nonprofit, vulnerability, youth, healthandwellness, god, sobriety, relapse, treatment, loss, grief, addicts, recovery, addict, relationships, psychological, experience, spiritual, spirituality, alcoholic, addiction recovery, insanity, psychosis, story, neglect, jail, prescription, alcoholic, alcoholism, treatment, diagnosis, prison, criminal, psychology, doctor, dealer, baltimore diagnosis, felony, felonies, DUI, DWI, forgiveness, #fthestigma #podcast #addiction #overdoseawareness #nonprofit #mentalhealth #mentalillness