Welcome to the debut episode of Breaking Down Addiction, a podcast by National Addiction Specialists.

In this raw and unfiltered conversation, singer-songwriter and recovery advocate Mitzi Dawn shares her powerful journey—from growing up in the rooms of AA to discovering, later than expected, that addiction hadn’t skipped her after all.

Mitzi opens up about the early days of using, the isolation and denial that followed, and the moment someone finally looked her in the eye and said, “You’re a drug addict.” That moment changed everything.

We dive into:

• Why fun was part of the problem
• What she’d say to her younger self in active addiction
• The difference between getting sober and staying healed
• Her unexpected path from Nashville songwriter to clinical director
• Why programs like Smiles for Recovery and Treehouse are saving lives
• And the emotional cost of waiting to be seen, valued, and loved

She reminds us: “I wanted to give up a million times. I’m really glad I didn’t.”

Whether you’re in recovery, love someone who is, or just want to understand addiction better—this conversation will move you.

Listen now. Subscribe. Share hope.