#83 – Kimberlee Plezia: The Rope of Hope#83 – Kimberlee Plezia: The Rope of Hope
Recovery Survey
Kimberlee Plezia talks about her journey from childhood abuse and years of dilaudid and meth use to long-term recovery and self-worth. She also shares how her Rope of Hope podcast gives others a platform to tell their own stories so no one has to feel alone in their struggle.
0:00•6 Oct 2021
The Rope of Hope: Kimberlee Plezia on Trauma, Addiction and Self-Worth
Episode Overview
- Abuse and trauma in childhood and marriage can set the stage for addiction, especially when pain relief becomes tied to emotional wounds.
- Owning her addiction began when Kimberlee injected herself, a moment she describes as the point she could no longer deny the problem.
- A failed suicide attempt and seeing her mother’s pain pushed her to accept medical detox and an eight-and-a-half-month rehab stay.
- In rehab, Kimberlee learned to see her own value, creating intentional boundaries and standards for the people she allows into her life.
- Through her Rope of Hope podcast, she shares diverse stories so others can say, "I'm not alone" and see that if someone else can heal, they might too.
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation with Kimberlee Plezia gives a raw, honest look at how messy and powerful that process can be. Kimberlee shares how childhood sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather shaped her early beliefs about love and pain, and how those wounds later fed into two abusive marriages.
She explains that her addiction began when her second husband injected her with dilaudid for a shoulder injury, saying, "I very firmly believe the true addiction started the day that I shot myself up." From there, a seven to eight year spiral into dilaudid and meth followed, with a grim rhythm of hospital visits, withdrawals and desperation. Her rock bottom came shortly after her husband died from liver failure.
Kimberlee recounts taking a full prescription of Percocet and Ativan, intending not to wake up. Instead, her mum found her, "tears in my mother's eyes" becoming the moment she realised she either had to seek help or die. A medical detox, followed by eight and a half months in a faith-based rehab, set the foundation for the seven years of sobriety she later celebrated.
The episode also highlights Kimberlee’s work as a life coach and host of three podcasts, including *The Rope of Hope*, where she shares stories of people facing everything from miscarriage and cerebral palsy to alcoholism and eating disorders. She ends each episode by asking guests the most inspiring thing they’ve ever been told.
Her own favourite line is an Eleanor Roosevelt quote: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." This chat is ideal if you’re dealing with addiction, trauma, or body shame, and want to hear from someone who’s been there, cried there, and now spends her days reminding others, "you're not on this island alone." Who might need to hear that they’re worth more than their worst day?
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