It was an honor to sit with Bex and hear her story—from being a meth addict for 10 years, with a young daughter, to being clean for 4 years. Her biggest motivation? Her daughter. She shares the moment she realized she had to get clean for her. The hardest part was admitting she had a problem and seeking help. But Bex’s story shows that asking for help doesn’t always mean prison or losing custody.

It’s not an easy road, but she proves it’s possible, which fuels her passion for sharing her journey. We must offer compassion to those facing addiction. It can take people to dark places, but with support, more courageous recoveries like Bex’s are possible. Since getting clean, Bex has welcomed another daughter. Though we didn’t capture it in the podcast, she mentioned how different her parenting experience is now. Bex can’t change the past, but she can make a difference for those after her. Addiction doesn’t have to be your whole story; it can be just a chapter.

Nicole’s story is one we know all too well, but often shy away from because it’s too confronting. After a vicious attack by her husband - an event that made headlines - he’s now serving a 5-year prison sentence. Despite what happened, Nicole chose to stay. She’s fully aware of the risks and doesn’t encourage other women to do the same. But this is her story. Like many victims, Nicole’s heart is full of empathy. She wants to help him and hold her family together. Her story matters because without understanding, there’s no empathy, and without empathy, how can we help? Hundreds of thousands of women make the tough choice to stay. What happens when we judge or abandon them? When they finally do decide to leave, they often have no one, and this can create a perilous cycle of going back out of fear of being alone. The shame is isolating enough. Please, don’t give up on women like Nicole. If you can, offer help. Or, at the very least, be grateful you don't know what it's like to be her. Together, we can make a difference.