BeTempered Episode 115 - The Truth About Addiction That Most People Never See with Kara Harris

Some stories remind you that addiction isn’t a lack of willpower. It’s a battle that slowly steals your identity until you no longer recognize the person staring back at you. On BeTempered Episode 115, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr welcome Kara Harris for one of the most honest conversations we've had about addiction, trauma, recovery, and what it really takes to rebuild a life.Kara shares her journey from experimenting with pills at a young age to years consumed by heroin, methamphetamine, arrests, abusive relationships, homelessness, and the constant fight to survive. She opens up about how bullying, trauma, untreated mental health struggles, and the loss of her identity fueled the addiction, and why telling someone to "just quit" completely misses the reality of what they're experiencing.The conversation also explores the devastating impact addiction has on families, the heartbreak of losing Logan to an overdose, and the difficult balance between loving someone and enabling them. It's an honest look at the pain addiction leaves behind for everyone involved.But this story doesn't end there.Kara explains what finally changed, from probation and treatment to medication-assisted treatment, accountability, and the faith-based community at Another Chance Ministry that helped her discover a new purpose. Today, she's using her own experiences to help other women find hope, healing, and a path forward while pursuing a future in social work.This episode is a reminder that no matter how dark life becomes, your past doesn't have to define your future.If this conversation encouraged you, share it with someone who needs to hear it, subscribe for more authentic conversations, and help us continue these stories by visiting betempered.com and joining our community at patreon.com/betempered.Send us Fan MailSupport the show