E16. Story Hour with Bridget Phetasy Part 2 – Addiction and Sobriety

Story Hour with Bridget Phetasy is a segment where Bridget reminisces with cousin Maggie and tells stories explaining who she is and how she got here. Full transcript available here: WiW16-StoryHour2-Transcript
This week Bridget delves into her long history with addiction and her 20 year journey to sobriety. Learn how Bridget went from being a straight A student on the path to an Ivy League school, to a heroin addict in rehab at age 19. She talks about hitting rock bottom on a trip to LA, kicking heroin in a mental ward, and seven months in “boot camp” rehab in downtown Minneapolis. Hear about the mental back-flips she performed to convince herself that she wasn’t an addict as long as she stayed away from heroin, because she didn’t want to give up her one true love – marijuana. She discusses her resistance to AA, going sober for a year to prove she didn’t have a problem, a second emotional rock bottom and her eventual surrender to the idea that she’s an alcoholic two years into her five years of sobriety. If you’ve ever wrestled with addiction, sobriety, or loved someone who has, Bridget’s take on 12 step programs, struggling with the “God stuff”, dogs as a higher power, and having an open-minded view of sobriety, might help. It’s a long one, but it’s worth it!