Janet
Janet
Smacked, Hooked and Crashed with Melinda Ferguson
Smacked, Hooked and Crashed with Melinda Ferguson
Smacked, Hooked and Crashed with Melinda Ferguson
Saturday 26th March 2022
Listen to Melinda Ferguson's journey from heroin addiction to bestselling author and advocate on this episode of Tribe Sober.
54 minutes
Inspiring
Informative
Hopeful
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Authentic
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Janet
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Sobriety Toolkit
Sexual Empowerment & Identity
Creative Recovery Journeys
Empowering Recovery Journeys
Understanding Addiction & Recovery
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Get the buttons here!Melinda Ferguson: From Addiction to Author and Advocate
It has to be the click that says enough, I've had enough, and it's a beautiful thing to say I've had enough and I don't have to carry on doing this.
What happens when a person goes from the depths of heroin addiction to becoming a celebrated author and advocate? In this episode of Tribe Sober, Janet sits down with Melinda Ferguson, whose journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Melinda’s story begins in an alcoholic household where she found solace in booze at a young age. However, as she grew older, her aversion to alcohol due to her mother’s drinking led her down a darker path—towards hard drugs.
By the age of 24, she was taking heroin, believing she could quit whenever she wanted. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t that simple. Melinda opens up about her life on the streets of Johannesburg, battling homelessness and addiction. She shares how she managed to stay somewhat functional as a filmmaker for a while, but the grip of addiction was relentless.
Her story is a stark reminder that many of us think we can stop anytime, only to realize we’re more dependent than we ever imagined. Today, Melinda is an award-winning journalist and the author of bestselling memoirs like 'Smacked', 'Hooked', and 'Crashed'. She’s also a publisher and runs writing courses to help others find their voice.
In this candid conversation, she discusses the importance of having a supportive tribe in recovery, the role of one’s environment, and how storytelling can be a powerful tool for healing. Melinda’s insights into social pressures to drink, the comparative harms of alcohol versus other drugs, and the necessity of acceptance in recovery are eye-opening. Her journey from rock bottom to respected public figure serves as an inspiring testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
Tune in to hear how she transformed her life and how her memoirs continue to inspire countless others on their own paths to recovery.