Adam and I are particularly proud of this episode of Life on Earth. We spoke to a woman named Heather who has overcome addiction, and continues to succeed in her recovery from this horrible disease. We have spoken to people who are educated in the field of supporting addiction recovery, but I learned so much from hearing the expertise of someone who survived the battle, and is now thriving in her success. She is a perfect example of how addiction can strike ANYONE from ANY walk of life. Heather is your stereotypical suburban soccer mom. Raising a family, progressing in her career, and building a community of friends wherever she goes. Then all of this was derailed when she was injured in an accident, and she was prescribed opiate based pain medicine to help her in her healing. This could have been the start of a tragic story, as she slipped further and further into the grips of addiction. She tells amazingly vulnerable stories about how addiction morphs who you are, and before you know it you're doing things you never thought you would do, all in service to your disease. Hearing her describe the mind frame of a person struggling with addiction, and all that changed in her world, was humbling. How the feeling of "not deserving help" would juxtapose with feelings of "I can't be an addict, I am not like the stereotypical addict" shows how powerful the mind can be when it comes to protecting itself. Seeing her now, on the other side of addiction, as she works to continue her progress was a much needed story of optimism. She definitely adds a human face to an often dehumanizing and stigmatized disease. It was a good reminder of the role optimism, support, and humanity play in helping people over come the crosses they bear.