Show notes
In episode 39 of F The Stigma Podcast, host Laisha Martinez sits down with William Mitchell, who was wrongfully sentenced to life in prison for attempted murder at just 23 years old and ended up serving 18 years behind bars. William opens up about battling crack addiction, how prison transformed him, and the moment he found his faith in Christianity. He shares how becoming a minister and paralegal while incarcerated changed the course of his life, and how he now dedicates his time to advocating for people in recovery and supporting those impacted by overdoses in Baltimore. This is a powerful conversation about resilience, redemption, and using your story to help others.Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations that challenge stigma and bring awareness to mental health and addiction.Chapters |00:00 Intro & Prison Backstory03:35 Growing Up Around Addiction08:00 Prison Life & Self-Transformation14:00 Faith, Purpose, and Religion in Recovery20:45 Meeting People Where They Are25:25 Family Influence & Early Recovery Attempts32:00 Crack Addiction: Control & Recovery38:45 Stigma, Language, and Helping Others45:35 Recovery Identities & Harm Reduction52:00 Addiction, Faith & The 'God-Sized Hole'59:40 Working as an Overdose Coach01:07:00 Giving, Money, and Service in Recovery01:11:45 Loving Difficult People01:17:00 Overdoses, Fentanyl, and Community Response01:21:00 Breaking the Stigma of Addiction & Mental Health01:25:05 Explaining Addiction to Non-Addicts01:32:00 Closing Reflections & Final ThoughtsFuck the Stigma is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that believes people shouldn’t be judged or labeled based on their mental health status. Whether you are struggling with an addiction or have been taking meds for a diagnosis, our community doesn’t judge and seeks to collectively end the stigma around mental health. Our mission is to normalize mental health and mental illness as widespread, treatable, and acceptable. We do this by providing useful resources, improving access to services for those who need help, sharing stories, and building a community of young people who all agree… Follow us! Website | https://fthestigma.com/Instagram | https://instagram.com/fukthestigmaTikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@fthestigmaFacebook | https://www.facebook.com/FTStigmaX | https://x.com/fthestigmaSubscribe for more! | https://www.youtube.com/@fthestigmaTags in this video ↓fthestigma, podcast, addiction, recovery, trauma, anxiety, depression, ptsd, mentalhealth, mentalillness, nonprofit, vulnerability, youth, healthandwellness, god, sobriety, relapse, treatment, loss, grief, addicts, recovery, addict, relationships, psychological, experience, spiritual, spirituality, alcoholic, addiction recovery, insanity, psychosis, story, neglect, jail, prescription, alcoholic, alcoholism, treatment, diagnosis, prison, criminal, psychology, doctor, dealer, baltimore diagnosis, felony, felonies, forgiveness, spiritual, DUI#fthestigma #podcast #addiction #overdoseawareness #nonprofit #mentalhealth #mentalillness
