Just before she went off to college Ashlee's younger brother died in an ATV accident. With her soon-to-be-divorced parents grieving and her own uncertainty about how to cope with loss, she decided to leave for freshman year. Struggling once she was there, she dropped out and found work to help make her way while she figured out her future.
Within the next year, her mother would die by suicide and Ashlee spiraled into alcohol abuse and drug use. Unable to cope with her grief, Ashlee spent several years without hope and in a self-destructive cycle. But then like a light had turned on inside her, she decided that she didn't want to lose her girlfriend, she didn't want to stay trapped in a pattern of self-destruction, and she was ready to move on and build the life she wished for.
She rekindled her love of writing, enrolled back in school, made the President's List, and believes words are the most therapeutic a person has. In this episode, Ashlee talks about her losses and difficult years, her losses, and how she climbed her way out of her downward spiral.
Connect with Ashlee:
Website
Instagram
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here!
Instagram
Facebook
Damsel No More featuring Emily Davis
Sparrow in the Razor Wire featuring Quan Huynh
A Coming Out and Into Power Story featuring Heather Vickery
A Gay Man's Guide to Life featuring Britt East
The Toll of Mental Illness and Finding A Path Forward featuring Debbie Lechtman
All Bodies Are Good Bodies featuring Rachel Coleman
Breaking the Cycle of Abuse featuring Vanity Dawson
It's Okay Not to Be Okay featuring Simi Krishnan
When Your Child Has An Eating Disorder featuring Colleen Rosenblum
Hollywood Park featuring Mikel Jollett
The Blessing of Burnout and Other Unexpected Gifts featuring Ana Tajder
Reimagining Grief featuring Lisa Keefauver
Your Blue is Not My Blue featuring Aspen Matis
Quitter: A Story of Relapse and Recovery featuring Erica C. Barnett
Leaving the Mormon Church featuring Natalie Que
It Was Always Steven featuring Barbara Majeski
Healthcare is a Gender Issue featuring Dr. Shikha Jain
Forgiving the Father Who Left featuring Juan Aleman
The Hope for Something Different featuring Lisa Butler
Join Podbean Ads Marketplace and connect with engaged listeners.
Advertise Today
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Just Dumb Enough Podcast
Voices of Misery Podcast
House of Whimsical Terror
Stuff You Should Know
Timcast IRL