Escaping the Cycle of Abuse

Sexual abuse. Family betrayal. Meth, heroin, and fentanyl. Borderline personality disorder. Jail. Stevie survived all of it — and has been clean since August 2025. | Free Like Me Podcast with Clark Fredericks

Stevie grew up in small-town Maryland in a home full of heavy drinking and conflict. She was first abused around age 6 by an uncle by marriage. Then groomed and assaulted by her great-uncle. At 11 years old — terrified for her little sister's safety — she reported him. He served 18 months and landed on the sex offender registry. Her extended family blamed her anyway. Her school made it worse.

What followed was years of compounding pain — diagnoses of borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder, addiction that escalated from alcohol at 15 to meth, heroin, and fentanyl, repeated suicidal crises, and a revolving door of psychiatric facilities. Then jail. That became her turning point.

Stevie opens up about how DBT and CBT therapy, music, movement, sleep, and mindset work pulled her out — and why she went back for maintenance help when cravings returned instead of staying silent. This is one of the most honest conversations about what early recovery actually looks like day to day.