Shownotes
Episode Summary
A snowboarding accident. A prescription for pain medication. An addiction that quietly took over eight years of Kristina Pollard's life.
On this episode of DunnWise Perspectives, Kristina shares the deeply personal journey that led her from doctor shopping, arrests, and isolation in a jail cell to a life filled with purpose, faith, and service to others. Her story reminds us that addiction rarely begins with a single bad decision—it often starts with pain, trauma, and unhealthy ways of coping.
Kristina opens up about growing up in a broken home, feeling like the "black sheep," and how childhood experiences shaped the choices she made later in life. She describes the moment she reached rock bottom, the unexpected turning point that led her into a 13-month faith-based recovery program, and how surrender—not willpower—became the foundation for lasting change.
Today, Kristina is building a new chapter, helping others through her own business while encouraging people to seek hope before they reach their own rock bottom.
Whether you have personally struggled with addiction, love someone who has, or simply need a reminder that transformation is possible, this conversation is filled with honesty, compassion, and hope.
In This Episode
- How a snowboarding injury led to opioid addiction
- Growing up in a home marked by divorce, loss, and alcoholism
- Why addiction is often a symptom of something deeper
- The dangers of shame, secrecy, and isolation
- Hitting rock bottom after an arrest and three days alone in jail
- The faith-based recovery program that changed her life
- What recovery taught her about surrender, community, and identity
- The difference between enabling someone and truly helping them
- Why helping others became an essential part of her own healing
- Building a life of purpose after addiction
Memorable Quotes
- "I thought changing my geography would solve my problems. My addiction followed me."
- "When you stop focusing on yourself and start helping someone else, it changes your heart posture."
- "There is hope. You don't have to wait until rock bottom."
- "If you find yourself hiding pieces of your life from the people who love you, that may be the sign that it's time to tell on yourself."
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