Penelope’s drinking and drug use began in high school and ramped in her young adulthood. During the 1960s, she traveled around and participated in events like Woodstock and became addicted to heroin in the process. She ended up in prison for a year at the age of 21. Upon getting out, she joined a company as a dancer and taught at a college while also making crystal meth for the Hell’s Angels on the side. After a nightmare detox experience in a psych ward, and with the help of her brother, a MARR alumnus, Penelope made it from San Francisco to admit to MARR’s women’s program, now called Traditions Recovery Center. Being new to the South, she felt like a fish out of water, but she hung in and found recovery and made lifelong friendships. Penelope discusses the principles she learned in early recovery, which she still uses to this day 20 years later. She also shares how she learned to accept and share love from people she thought she had nothing in common with.
0:01 Intro
1:33 History of addiction
4:50 Starting on crystal meth
6:30 Calling 9-1-1 for help
8:55 Getting to MARR
10:55 Acknowledging she had a drug problem
14:00 Lifelong friendships she made at MARR
15:12 Being a woman in recovery
19:03 Dealing with conflict
20:08 Getting help for mental health issues
24:19 What MARR provided for her that helped her recovery
29:00 What she would pass on to others
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
