A Conversation with Mary Beth O'Connor, Author of From Junkie to Judge

Mary Beth O'Connor has been clean and sober since 1994. She also is in recovery from abuse and trauma. The details of her story can be found in her memoir, From Junkie to Judge: One Woman’s Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction, where she describes the child abuse that led her to use methamphetamine beginning at 17, the chaos of her 15-year addiction, and building an individual recovery plan that worked for her. Mary Beth is a Director and Secretary for She Recovers Foundation and is a Director for LifeRing Secular Recovery. She regularly speaks on behalf of LifeRing, She Recovers, and multiple paths to recovery. She also develops relationships with organizations supportive of the multiple pathways approach, such as participating in San Francisco’s Methamphetamine Task Force, and working on joint projects with Women for Sobriety. Mary Beth has had numerous essays and memoir writings published, such as in The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Recovery Today.  Professionally, six years into her recovery, Mary Beth attended Berkeley Law. She worked at a large firm in Silicon Valley, then litigated class actions for the federal government. In 2014, Mary Beth was appointed an Administrative Law Judge. She recently retired, so she could devote her time to her writing and recovery advocacy. Her new book is From Junkie to Judge: One Woman’s Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction.  From a junkie addicted to methamphetamines to a federal judge, Mary Beth’s memoir shares her inspiring journey from rock bottom to resilience as she forged a personal path to recovery from trauma and addiction. Within a week of being born, O’Connor was dropped off at a convent. When she was brought into her home, her mother focused on her own needs and desires, ignoring her young child. When she was nine years old, her stepfather kicked her in the stomach for spilling milk, beat her when she didn’t clean a plate to his satisfaction, and molested her when she was 12. A few months later, with her first sip of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill wine, her life changed. She felt euphoric and relaxed. So she got drunk as often as possible, adding pot, then pills, then acid. At 16, she found her drug of choice--methamphetamine. With her first snort, she felt that she experienced true joy for the first time. When this high was no longer sufficient, she turned to the needle and shot up. During the next 16 years, she descended into a severe meth addiction, working her way down the corporate ladder, destroying relationships, and shattering her physical and emotional well-being. At 32, she entered rehab, where she was ordered to submit to the 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. As an atheist, turning her will and her life over to a higher power was not an option, and she refused to agree she was powerless. Told to comply or fail, she bravely created a new path that combined ideas from multiple programs and even incorporated some AA concepts. Clean and sober now for nearly three decades, she is proof that anyone can find their sober self, their best self, no matter how far they have fallen. Along with her inspiring story, she offers a comprehensive checklist of questions for readers to ask themselves, as they take the brave steps toward recovery, offering a powerful blueprint for personal change. To become her best version, she uses patience and prioritizing. Learn more at the links below: From Junkie to Judge: One Woman's Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction junkietojudge.com @MaryBethO_ (LinkedIn and twitter)