CWSA Guest: Jeanine Shantz (Pt. 1)CWSA Guest: Jeanine Shantz (Pt. 1)
Christians with Secret Addictions
Jeanine Shantz shares her long journey from early pill and alcohol use to heroin addiction, repeated detoxes, and jail, before finding faith-centred recovery and the 12 steps. The conversation focuses on surrender, tough love, and the hope that "we do recover" for those still struggling.
14:09•3 May 2026
Jeanine Shantz on Surrender, Tough Love and Faith-Fuelled Recovery
Episode Overview
- Early use of alcohol and pills can quickly escalate into long-term, life-threatening addiction.
- Repeated detox and rehab attempts may fail until genuine surrender and commitment to recovery happen.
- Family tough love, including refusing to enable, can be a crucial turning point for someone in active addiction.
- Working the 12 steps deeply, especially steps four and five, helps reveal selfish patterns and supports lasting change.
- Combining structured recovery meetings with Christian faith offers strength and hope, reinforcing the belief that "we do recover."
“"Recovery was the last thing I chose, but the first thing that worked."”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This episode of *Christians with Secret Addictions* focuses on Jeanine Shantz, a woman who spent decades caught in addiction and now speaks openly about how faith and recovery reshaped her life. From growing up in what she calls a "somewhat normal" home to stealing pills at 13 and working as a jail guard while secretly using, Jeanine paints a vivid picture of how fast things spiralled.
She explains how pain medication like Percocet, then alcohol and heroin, became a way to fill a deep inner void: "I always had a hole inside of my heart that I needed to fill." Jail time, more than 50 detox attempts, and countless rehabs followed, often cut short as she signed out "against medical advice" and chased a quick fix. The turning point comes when her family finally draws a firm line.
Her mum refuses to let her return home, and Jeanine ends up in a small rehab, violently sick from precipitated withdrawal and crying out, "If you're going to help me, Lord, I need you to help me now." She describes a powerful encounter with God in that moment and a strange aroma she later realised she didn’t need to keep hunting for. From there, she moves into sober living, becomes a house manager, and throws herself into 12-step recovery.
She admits she once chose a year in jail over doing "90 meetings in 90 days," calling it "so insane," and shares how working steps four and five forced her to finally meet herself and confront her selfishness.
Jeanine highlights the blend of AA and Christian recovery, repeating a favourite line from host Terry Hanna: "Recovery saved his life and Jesus saved my soul." She closes with a "hope shot" for anyone still stuck: surrender, trust God, work the steps, and remember, as she says, "We do recover." If you’re wrestling with faith, addiction, or both, could her story be the nudge you’ve been waiting for?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.