Hannah Sward: From Chaos to Clarity
I feel very fortunate that right from the beginning I surrounded myself with people and I've stayed in the middle and because I've gotten with a group of people that I love being around.
Jeannine Coulter Lindgren and Narcan Nate sit down with Hannah Sward, the author of 'Strip: A Memoir', in this episode of 'Chasing Heroine: Addiction Recovery Podcast'. Hannah's life reads like a whirlwind novel—born in the Bohemian seventies, she faced abandonment by her mother and lived with her poet father on an island devoid of stores or cars. Her childhood took a dark turn when she was kidnapped and molested at the age of six.
As she grew older, Hannah turned to stripping and prostitution, using crystal meth as a misguided tool for weight loss. Her story is raw, gripping, and incredibly real. She talks about her battle with addiction, her journey through sex work, and how she finally found her way to sobriety after collapsing on a neighbor's floor and being taken to rehab. Hannah emphasizes the importance of creating new rituals to replace old, destructive habits and surrounding oneself with a supportive community.
Her narrative isn't just about survival; it's about transformation and finding hope in the darkest of places. If you're looking for a story that combines heartbreak with resilience, this episode is a must-listen.