My Recovery Story Featuring Kassandra Varga

My Recovery Story Featuring Kassandra Varga

Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation with Kassandra Varga on *Addiction Talk* lays out a raw, unfiltered account of addiction, mental illness and long-term recovery that many people in similar situations may relate to. Hosted by Mike Diamond, the episode follows Kassandra from years of IV heroin and meth use, homelessness and abusive relationships to nearly five years of continuous sobriety.

She shares how repeated “rock bottoms” on the outside never really shifted anything for her, until she reached a point where, as she puts it, she was “watching myself essentially suck my soul out by injecting drugs into my veins.” Kassandra talks openly about childhood sexual abuse, the loss of her baby son, multiple rapes and a bipolar and borderline personality disorder diagnosis.

She explains why, for her, addiction was “a painkiller” rather than a lifestyle, and why facing that pain through trauma therapy, EMDR, CBT and DBT became non-negotiable if she wanted to stay sober. Mental health medication is a major theme.

Kassandra is crystal clear: “If they don’t have a degree and they’re not your doctor and they tell you to get off your meds, don’t do it.” She separates recovery support from medical treatment and warns how damaging unqualified advice can be for someone in a fragile state.

You’ll also hear about the simple daily habits that keep her grounded: morning coffee, a nicotine vape, five minutes of affirmation audio, prayer and meditation, plus a small, genuine support circle that includes her sober husband and close friends.

Her message is straight to the point: “You don’t have to live in the dark… I’m a great example of that.” If you’ve ever wondered whether a life beyond trauma, mental illness and addiction is possible, this story might be the nudge you need to keep going one more day.