Addiction carries so much stigma, and too many people stay silent because of shame.

I have been told, often by people who do not know me, that I need to be trauma-informed, or that I need to listen more closely to the research or the data or the intellectuals that study this issue. And while research matters, I want to say this very clearly. We will never solve this crisis if we do not listen to the people with lived experience, especially those who have healed. Recovery is not theoretical. It is lived one day at a time. I wear the scars, but I also wear the success of defeating the demon of addiction. I always wanted to go into politics, but I delayed running because of my past. The weight held me back. I asked myself, what if I win? What if my past comes out? What if I'm judged or shamed or dismissed because of who I once was, rather than who I am today? The fear is not unique to me. It's the stigma many recovered people carry with them, even after they've built their lives. I decided I would no longer carry that stigma in silence. I'm ending it by telling my story.