From Hollywood to Heroin to Health

Guest Blog: I never dreamed that my life would take me from Hollywood to Heroin, and back to health. I was born and raised in Santa Fe New Mexico, and I am proud to come from a long lineage of female filmmakers. Following in the footsteps of my mom and grandmother, I graduated high school early and began my film career at the young age of 17.  

I ventured to Los Angeles where I worked on several film projects as a makeup and special effects artist, as well as, some production work. I worked closely with Josh Brolin’s independent production company, the Coen Brothers on No Country for Old Men, and a host of other celebrities and projects. My career in film afforded me a lifestyle that I could have only ever dreamed of. I was able to travel the world, and start an international non-profit in Tanzania, Africa to support an underfunded school. 

Heroin and Cocaine

With the career of a lifetime, I was flying high. However, everything changed the day I decided to give it up for “love.” He was my high school sweetheart turned bad boy, who was sentenced to prison shortly after I left for Hollywood. When his prison sentence ended, I went back to him. I had just turned 21. He introduced me to the world of heavy drugs and I quickly digressed to become a horrific IV heroin and cocaine addict in Hollywood where I lost my health, and almost my life.  

Over the course of a year and a half my dream life turned into a nightmare. After losing everything, I felt utterly hopeless. I believed the only way out of my addiction was to take my own life. I purposefully took a heroin overdose, and was found unconscious and close to death. Sadly, it was by my mother, who ultimately saved my life. I ended up in a comatose-stroke-like state, was diagnosed with hepatitis C. In addition, I had a contracted gallbladder, superior mesenteric artery syndrome, and a myriad of other health complications.

A Second Chance at Life

Despite all the odds, I found the will and the drive to fight for my life. I embarked on a journey of whole self-healing. More than anything I needed to heal my mind, body, and spirit. I worked with both Naturopathic and western Doctors focusing on various liver protocols, specific cleanses, hot yoga, prayer and meditation. After four years on my wellness journey, all of my health issues resolved. My hepatitis C viral load was no longer detected, and my liver enzymes became normal.

I decided to make something out of the second chance I was given. After enrolling in Eastern Washington University, I eventually graduated Magna Cum Laude with major in International Political Science. My focus was on the socio-economic development of the opioid drug treatment system. In addition, I also got a minor in Cultural Anthropology with a focus on drug cultures. It was precisely the kind of education I need in order to become a leader in the field of drug addiction and policy. I am determined to help others gain the freedom from addiction that I have attained. 

Helping Others

Almost ten years later, I am not only surviving, I am thriving. The road from Hollywood to Heroin and back to health took time. Today, I hold several recovery and life coaching certifications. I also work in an administrative capacity helping youth who are in recovery from substance abuse and mental health problems. I look for every opportunity to reach out by working on city and state task forces and coalitions to better serve people who need hope. One of my highest goals is to help improve social determents of health for vulnerable populations, which include those suffering from substance abuse and mental health challenges. And, most importantly, I am sober, healthy, and happy!

You might not believe you have what it takes to move into a future like Sarah’s. But you’re a valuable person and there is hope! If you have any needs, or questions about addiction, Hepatitis C, or treatment for both, please reach out and let us know. Your future has promise. Anything is possible.

I’m glad to have Sarah as a Best Friend and hope you will follow her journey beyond Hepatitis C on her instagram account. It’s thesobersarah and she’s got so much to offer to those who are in recovery from addiction. xo Karen