From Junkie to Judge: a Recovery Story of Hope with Mary Beth O'Connor

SecondWind with Joyce

Mary Beth O'Connor has been sober from methamphetamine and other substances since 1994. She also is in recovery from abuse and trauma. The details of her story can be found in her memoir, From Junkie to Judge: One Woman’s Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction.

Mary Beth is a Director for LifeRing Secular Recovery. She also is a Director and Secretary for She Recovers Foundation. She develops relationships with organizations supportive of the multiple pathways approach, such as working on joint projects with Women for Sobriety.

Mary Beth regularly speaks about her personal story, on behalf of LifeRing and She Recovers, about multiple paths to recovery, and shares her expertise on other substance use and recovery topics. She's appeared on podcasts, radio, and television. She has presented keynotes and workshops at a variety of conferences and events.

Mary Beth writes opinion pieces and has been published in The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Recovery Today, among others. She's also had numerous memoir writings published. Professionally, 6 years into her recovery, Mary Beth attended Berkeley Law. She worked at a large firm in Silicon Valley, then litigated class actions for the federal government. In 2014 Mary Beth was appointed an Administrative Law Judge. She retired early in 2020 and now devotes her time to her writing and recovery advocacy.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• The interconnectedness of trauma and substance abuse
• Mary Beth's multi-pronged approach to recovery
• The challenges she faced in relationships during her recovery
• Debunking outdated ideas of substance abuse and addiction
• How Mary Beth went from substance abuse to federal administrative law judge
• How to combat the stigma of addiction and find hope and healing

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Linked In