Addiction on Prescription with Chekesha Kay Ellis

Chekesha Kay Ellis is a recovery advocate and certified family recovery specialist, and New Jersey state lead for Mobilize Recovery. As she celebrates 10 years sobriety from opioid addiction, an addiction that also robber her of her hearing, she shares her experience of being a high-functioning addict, how she ultimately quit cold turkey, and the cornerstones of her subsequent self-directed recovery. 

In this episode we also discuss:

-The commonalities between opioid abuse and alcohol abuse.

-How easy it is for “legal” addictions to fly under the radar.

-Chasing feeling good vs. using to self-medicate pain.

-The role of both genetics and learned behavior when it comes to addiction running in families.

-The physical side-effects of opioids abuse. 

-Habitual use of both opioids and alcohol just to feel “normal.”

-The wake-up call that made Chekesha realize she had to quit—and why it took another year for her to get clean.

-What she experienced in her month of going cold turkey—and what got her through.

-What comes after the “pink cloud” moment of early sobriety.

-The lack of access for deaf and disabled people in traditional recovery circles. 

-The premature birth of her son—and the challenges of being a deaf first-time mom.

-Overcoming her challenges sober giving her a similar “high” to the drugs. 

-Why we have to change the stigma around addiction if we want to make it easier for people to get help.

-How we view addiction and addicts differently through the lens of race.

Follow Chekesha on Instagram @chekeshakay to learn more about her work.

Thank you to podcast season sponsors Lyres—visit lyres.com/sobercurious to claim a special 15% discount code and follow along @lyresspiritco.

Thanks also to Grüvi for partnering on this episode—stock up online at getgruvi.com and use the code SOBERCURIOUS for a one-time 20% discount.