From Secrets to Sobriety: How Alison Van Horn Broke the Cycle of Addiction - Part 1
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Meet Alison Van Horn, a driven academic from suburban Philadelphia who grew up in a loving Catholic Italian household—but felt different from the start. Her journey began with stolen candy and cigarettes in grade school and spiraled into a full-blown heroin addiction by her twenties.
Alison opens up about her descent from a straight-A student with two master’s degrees to a secret life in Kensington, PA. She reveals how her relationship with a heroin user pulled her in, and how denial masked her pain for years. Today, Alison is over a decade sober and works in the recovery field helping others transform their lives.
Listeners will walk away with a deeper understanding of addiction's roots, the power of family patterns, and the strength it takes to reclaim your life.
From Suburban Roots to the Streets of Kensington: Alison’s Journey Through Heroin Addiction and Recovery
Alison Van Horn didn’t grow up in chaos. She grew up in Paoli, a quiet suburb outside of Philadelphia, in a Catholic Italian family that emphasized tradition, education, and doing the right thing. From the outside, it looked like she had every reason to succeed and she did. Alison excelled academically, earned multiple degrees, and followed a path toward law. But beneath that polished exterior was a different story.
By middle school, Alison was already experimenting, stealing candy, smoking cigarettes, and drinking alcohol, all while trying to project the image of a good girl to her family and a cool kid to her friends. “I thought I wasn’t cool if I didn’t steal or smoke,” she admits in the episode. Those early patterns of secrecy and people-pleasing would follow her for years.
Despite witnessing her older sister’s battle with heroin addiction, Alison never believed it could happen to her. But in her mid-twenties, a relationship with someone who used heroin opened the door. What started as an attempt to understand him turned into her own spiral into addiction. “I thought I could control it,” she says. “But that’s not how heroin works.”
She lost jobs, burned through credit, isolated from her family, and began frequenting Kensington, Philadelphia, a neighborhood known for open drug use. She hit her lowest point when she realized she couldn’t go a day without using, and even the first time she tried heroin, her body rejected it violently. Still, she continued.
Her turning point came through desperation and the one person who had once been in her shoes, her sister. That call didn’t lead to instant rescue, but it marked the beginning of Alison’s path back.
Today, Alison is over a decade sober. She works in the recovery field and dedicates her life to helping others find their way out. Her story is a powerful reminder that addiction doesn’t always start in trauma or dysfunction, it can begin in the most “normal” places. And recovery? It starts with honesty, help, and the willingness to face yourself.
Tune into this powerful episode to hear Alison’s full journey from Catholic school to recovery coach and find hope in the possibility of change, no matter where you start.
FAQs
1. What is binge alcoholism?
Binge alcoholism refers to consuming large amounts of alcohol in a short period, often followed by periods of sobriety, and can be just as dangerous as daily drinking.
2. Can someone recover without going to rehab?
Yes—many people, like John, recover through support groups like AA and counseling without inpatient treatment.
3. What role does family support play in recovery?
Family support, especially from informed partners or loved ones in Al-Anon, can be crucial for sustained recovery.
4. How does Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) work?
AA offers a structured 12-step program with meetings, sponsors, and spiritual principles to support long-term sobriety.
5. What is the significance of a "spiritual awakening" in AA?
It often marks a shift in perspective, where the individual accepts help, seeks connection with a higher power, and commits to helping others.
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