by Lynn Oldshue | Sep 18, 2022 | A Southern Soul
“I didn’t have a traumatic childhood that could explain the direction my life would go. My mom and dad lived in California but divorced when I was a baby. Mom went back to school and sent me to live with my grandmother in Prichard. I grew up there and went to...
by Lynn Oldshue | Sep 17, 2022 | A Southern Soul
“Our daughter lived on her own. She partied hard and we kept telling her to slow down. We didn’t know exactly how bad it was until she overdosed. We knew something was wrong when she missed family dinner because that’s not something she would bail on. I...
by Lynn Oldshue | Sep 16, 2022 | A Southern Soul
“I don’t know how I got here. I had a happy childhood with no trauma. I had good parents and went to good schools, but I also had a severe panic disorder. Everything felt like it was zooming in. When I was 14, my doctor prescribed Xanax. I struggled with thoughts of...
by Lynn Oldshue | Sep 15, 2022 | A Southern Soul
“Kelsey was my cousin. We were born four months apart and raised as sisters with sleepovers, dance classes, and matching clothes on picture day. Kelsey was the “square one,” giving love and encouragement. She was a cheerleader at Theodore High School and made...
by Lynn Oldshue | Sep 13, 2022 | A Southern Soul
I am working on the next round of recovery interviews and stories. I know these are tough-and there are more coming-but each story gives hope in what people survive. Recovery is possible and can lead to lives filled with higher purpose that make communities better....
by Lynn Oldshue | Sep 11, 2022 | A Southern Soul
“I am originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When I was about 12 years old, doctors removed my gallbladder and put me on oxycodone. I was regularly taking pain pills by age 16, and realized I was in full-blown addiction at age 18. The first time I took opiates,...
