Part one of a two-part conversation with guest Julie Schouest and host Paul from Jesus Loves Addicts. Julie rawly recounts a childhood marked by divorce, conflicting parental expectations, shame and feeling unseen — and how those wounds steered her into early substance use, risky relationships, and escalating drug use through adolescence and young adulthood.

The episode covers early experimentation (inhalants, alcohol, marijuana, synthetic cannabinoids, pills), boundary and authority issues, school expulsion, sex as a way to be remembered, the introduction to meth and other hard drugs, relationship dynamics, legal trouble, and job loss. Paul and Julie examine the roots of addiction: seeking approval, the pull of familiarity, and how loose or harsh boundaries shaped her path.

Julie also opens up about recovery and faith — her turn toward Christ, the role of faith-based recovery (including the Home of Grace), and practical takeaways about stigma, grace, and hope. Expect an honest, unfiltered story of failure and redemption aimed at listeners looking for understanding, encouragement, and real talk about recovery.

In this episode Kristyn Simmons shares her raw, candid story: a happy childhood shadowed by family addiction, a decade-long battle with opiates, violent relationships, jail and loss, and a horrific 2021 car accident that shattered her face and changed everything. Kristyn talks about sinking into IV opiate use, losing custody of her children, hitting rock bottom, and the long recovery process with the Home of Grace, including surgeries, counseling, and rebuilding relationships with her mother and children.

Hosts Paula and Kathryn discuss themes of family as a factor in addiction, the rewards and challenges of recovery, the role of faith and Christ in healing, and practical turning points like changing one’s environment, forgiveness, and community support. Listeners can expect an honest, hope-filled conversation about relapse, resilience, and reclaiming life.

Host interviews Kayla, who shares growing up in an addicted home with an absent, struggling father and a faithful mother, the instability of homelessness, and the cycle of rehab and jail. She recounts how God met her in childhood, her transformative years in a 24/7 prayer room, and the long process of grieving, healing, and learning to set healthy boundaries.

Topics include addiction’s impact on family dynamics, shame and imposter syndrome, forgiveness toward an imperfect parent, vulnerability in friendships and marriage, parenting after trauma, and finding purpose in faith and intentional recovery. Listeners will hear practical takeaways about boundaries, grieving lost childhoods, and the power of God’s grace.