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Unseen Atlanta
Unseen Atlanta, an Atlanta Mission Podcast, shines a light on the untold stories of those who have experienced homelessness, revealing the hidden realities of this struggle and inspiring listeners to see hope, resilience, and the possibilities for change in Atlanta and beyond.
Hosted by Rachel Reynolds and Jonathan Miller, each episode tells the real-life story of a journey through hardships like housing insecurity, hunger, trauma, and addiction. Each episode also features a subject matter expert — like a neuroscientist or a shelter director — to further contextualize the subject.
Join us to see the unseen stories behind homelessness in Atlanta.
Unseen Atlanta
Sean’s Story: Overcoming Trauma and Addiction
In this week’s episode of Unseen Atlanta, we listen to Sean’s powerful story. Sean battled addiction, trauma, and homelessness before finding hope at Atlanta Mission's The Potter’s House in Athens, GA. His journey from self-loathing and isolation to transformation and faith is a testament to resilience and the power of community. We also hear from his mother, Debbie, as she shares her perspective on watching her son struggle and ultimately find a path forward.
This episode is dedicated to the memory of Thomas A. Shuford, a beloved member of the Atlanta Mission and recovery community.
Sean_Full Episode_Audio Only_01
Sean: It was probably one of the darkest times that I put myself through. I lost who I was, had become a ghost, an empty shell. I lost hope. I had nothing in my own eyes, no worth, and I knew if I was ever gonna get better. Somebody had to know.
Rachel: Welcome to Unseen Atlanta and Atlanta Mission Podcast, where we shine the light on some of the city's toughest issues.
Rachel: We do this by sharing true stories of real people who've experienced homelessness and addiction. We're also gonna bring you subject matter experts who give some context to some of these issues. I'm your host, Rachel Reynolds.
Jonathan: And I'm Jonathan Miller, your co-host.
Rachel: Today we are gonna bring you a really great story.
Rachel: It's a really hard story. We do talked about some really sensitive things, including some childhood sexual abuse. Yeah. So I wanna say that upfront. You probably don't wanna listen to this with your kids or if it's gonna trigger you in any way. Yeah. But the story that Sean shared, um, is just a story of courage, um, to really own his own story.
Jonathan: Yeah. It's very special episode. It's,
Rachel: it's really special. We'll be
Jonathan: hearing from Sean's mom as our subject matter expert. Um, so we really just get. The full perspective of of Sean's story. Mm-hmm. And then what it's like to be a mother of someone who's going through addiction.
Rachel: Yeah. It's a really emotional story.
Rachel: I think it's a story a lot of people can connect to. Just her extreme love for her son. Mm-hmm. Just really fueled her, never giving up on him. Yeah. Another thing is we wanna dedicate this. Uh, whole episode to Thomas Shuford. He was on staff with Atlanta Mission for many years, a beloved member of the Atlanta Mission community.
Rachel: Also a beloved member of the recovery community, especially in Athens. Um, he worked in many different forms on our campuses, and, um, he himself had been in recovery for over 20 years. And so many of the guys, you'll hear Sean talk about Thomas, so many of the guys felt so close to him, not only because he was just an amazing warm.
Rachel: Generous human, but they also felt so close to him because he had some lived experience with addiction. So they really felt like he could talk to them, um, just from a personal experience. We want to dedicate this. He passed away earlier this year, so I. We hope you guys enjoyed this episode. Let's dive in, Jonathan.
Jonathan: Let's do it.
Rachel: We're so happy to have you here. Yeah, it's good to be here. Um, we're talking, we wanna talk a little bit about your story today, so we'll just jump right in. Tell us a little bit about where you're from.
Sean: I'm from Noonan, Georgia. It's a little small town about 30, 45 minutes south of Atlanta.
Rachel: Yeah.
Sean: Let's see. Growing up, uh, I played baseball a lot with a twin brother. Pretty normal childhood life. Uh, my dad wasn't always around because Okay. For whatever reason. Sure. But, uh, you know, I had a great mother. I had two great older brothers and uh,
Rachel: so there was four of you? Four brothers?
Sean: Yes, four of us.
Rachel: Any sisters?
Sean: Uh, one sister, but she didn't live with us.
Rachel: Okay. So, so it's a house household of boys?
Sean: Yeah. All boys.
Rachel: So you liked baseball growing up?
Sean: Absolutely. Okay. Absolutely. Me and my twin brother both. I actually had a chance to play in the Little League World Series, but decided it was cool to go hit trees with sticks and it wrapped around the tree and.
Sean: Hit me in the eye and it started bleeding. Oh, no. So that pretty much took you out, killed that. Yeah.
Rachel: So, obviously you're at the Potter's House. Tell us a little bit about how your addiction started. What kind of,
Sean: yeah,
Rachel: how, how did you end up here?
Sean: Well, addiction is obviously, it's a side effect of what's truly wrong, wrong with you.
Sean: So I had some trauma from the childhood that I hadn't dealt with, and I desired to change how I felt. About who I was, about, you know, what I'd been through, and it started subtly, it never starts, you know, just boom all at once. Mm-hmm. It started as smoking marijuana and showing up in my life as trying to skip school and isolate.
Sean: And after smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol, life got harder and I isolated more.
Rachel: What were you running from
Sean: self-loathing? Um, feelings of not being enough?
Rachel: Do you know when those started or how those started?
Sean: Yeah, I know how they started. Definitely. Um, and I don't really share too often. Mm-hmm.
Sean: About how they started, about five or six at the, I can't really. Mm-hmm. It's all a little fuzzy. Yeah. But I was, uh. Sexually abused by a, at the time it was a babysitter. And, um, I didn't really know what happened. Mm-hmm. Because I was just,
Rachel: you were so low. I was ignorant.
Sean: Yeah. I, I didn't, I was too young.
Hmm.
Sean: And, uh, I knew that it was wrong, but I felt like if anything were. To have been said about it that it was just gonna get worse. Mm-hmm. So instead of vocalizing my problems, I started to mask and bottle my emotions and hide the burdens that I carried. Mm-hmm. So that they wouldn't be imposed on somebody else.
Jonathan: I can imagine a lot of fear. Absolutely. And shame.
Sean: Yeah.
Jonathan: Um, just taking control of your life.
Sean: Absolutely. And uh, once shame and fear and guilt has a foothold, it tends to grow just like anything else.
Mm-hmm.
Sean: I never really spoke about it. I just bottled it up because I was a tough kid, you know, always put on this facade of.
Sean: I'm strong, I can handle it. Nobody needs to know, and I don't wanna trouble anybody with my burden.
Mm-hmm.
Sean: And this was a young age. I'm thinking this, like I grew up way too quick. I'm not unique. I'm not the only one that this has happened to. And there are people going through the same thing and they could be doing the same things that I did, which is not talking about it, bottling it up.
Sean: And just,
Rachel: was this the first time at the Potter's house? Was it the first time you'd ever talked about it?
Sean: Yeah.
Rachel: Okay.
Sean: Okay. I knew that it was the root of some of my problems, so I had to get it out. And you just never
Rachel: talked, you never talked about it, you just kept bottling it down. Mm-hmm. Um, mean, obvious addiction
Sean: is a side effect of that.
Rachel: Yeah.
Sean: It was just, uh, a desire to change who I was, how I felt, because I felt like there was something wrong with me.
Rachel: So is that the only time this happened?
Sean: Uhm. No.
Rachel: So it was a, it, it kept happening.
Sean: Well, not with that person, because after a while my brothers were old enough to watch us and, uh, we stopped going to that babysitter, obviously.
Sean: Yeah. And, um, I was about eight when it happened again. Mm-hmm. But it was, uh, somebody much closer.
Mm-hmm.
Sean: And it, uh, had an even worse effect on me because when someone's close to you, you trust them. Mm-hmm. You expect safety or you feel safe, or you're supposed to feel safe. And all I ever got from what seemed to be the person that I entrusted with safety and security was betrayal and pain.
Sean: And. It really warped my way of having relationships with people, which is a big reason as to why I isolated as I got older, because I didn't trust anybody and I didn't, I just didn't have a relationship with anybody, and when I did, I was aggressive and standoffish. Nobody wants to be around that. Mm-hmm.
Sean: And I didn't wanna be around people because it wasn't their fault, and I knew that. I always blamed myself. I didn't know who else to blame.
Rachel: Why did you blame yourself,
Sean: I guess, at that age? And you don't really understand what's taking place. You question why. Mm-hmm. And uh, the first thing you ask yourself is, you know, why me?
Sean: Yeah. What's wrong with me? What did I do to you to deserve? I just hurt and you never get answers.
Jonathan: So, um, your addiction really was just a coping strategy for the pain that Absolutely. You were feeling.
Sean: You're in pain for so long, you want to change how you feel eventually.
Jonathan: When did you
Sean: first start using? I was like 14 years old.
Hmm.
Sean: Yeah, I started using marijuana. It didn't take what, maybe two or three years before I started using methamphetamine. And it didn't even numb the pain. It just helped you to ignore it. It was always there. The pain's always been there. It hasn't gone away. Not until, you know,
Jonathan: recently. So, um, so you're coping, um, you're masking your emotions, your hurts.
Jonathan: Okay. Um, when did you recognize, hey, this is a problem? Well,
Sean: about going on two years ago, I was, uh, homeless. I was in a bad predicament in Columbus, Georgia, and, uh,
Sean: I didn't think there was any other way out. Drugs didn't work, nothing else worked. So I. I was gonna try to kill myself. I did try to kill myself and, uh, I knew when the cops picked me up the way the cop was talking to me, he wasn't mad at me for the first time. I saw somebody that cared.
Mm-hmm.
Sean: And, and, uh,
Sean: I just didn't wanna feel like that anymore. I didn't wanna feel alone. I didn't wanna be in pain.
Sean: 14 years of pain is a long time.
Jonathan: It is,
Sean: and I just wanted to end it. I didn't see any other way out,
Sean: but I guess God had something different for me. Yeah.
Rachel: So that cop picks you up and then what?
Sean: Well, I got into a little bit of trouble, obviously for. What I was doing in the process of all this, I wasn't supposed to be where I was at. Mm-hmm. Whatever, blah, blah, blah. Um, I sat in jail for about eight months.
Rachel: Okay.
Sean: And luckily my probation officer I went to high school with, and rather than sending me to prison, like the court system usually does, she fought for me and fought for me, and fought for me to be entered into a program. And, uh. The person that looked into the Potter's house was my mom.
Hmm.
Sean: Because her friend had gone through the program years upon years ago, and the judge was okay with it.
Sean: He, uh, he said that, you know, he said it was a reputable program and about. Three months after that sentence, that sentencing. I was, I showed up at the Potter's house.
Jonathan: So this whole time, um, you're, you're an addiction, um, you try to commit suicide. You, you're with the cops. What, what does your family know?
Jonathan: Yeah. At this point, nothing. They don't know anything. Know all.
Sean: They just know you're an addiction. They knew I was on drugs. I was a really closed off person. Nobody knew what I was going through or what I was doing, but me, and it was. It became at one point to protect him because I knew what I had become.
Hmm.
Sean: And uh, yeah, they didn't really know anything. I just up and left one time because the police showed up to my house in another county and I ran.
Rachel: Hmm.
Sean: And had been running for years, ever since that.
Rachel: Did you stay in contact with your mom?
Sean: Yeah. Yeah. Here and there.
Rachel: Yeah.
Sean: I've The guilt and the shame of doing drugs and just,
Rachel: yeah.
Sean: What I felt like was just me being a complete and utter disappointment. Mm-hmm. To my family. I just decided it would be better if they didn't have me in their life. It, they could be happier without me.
Jonathan: Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Rachel: So you get to the Potter's house, what's it like?
Sean: Scary at first, 'cause I didn't know what to expect and, uh.
Sean: Extremely new. 'cause, you know, I had been in outta jail all my life and, uh, the first thing that they did was, uh. They fed me so much chicken, I felt like I was gonna be sick. Um,
Jonathan: that's the first step of our program. That
Sean: is, that's
Rachel: actually the 13th step in the fir in the 12 step program. Feed 'em a lot of chicken.
Sean: Um, I would have to say the very first thing that they had us do was, I don't know what it was about this man, Tom Scheuer. Hmm. I don't know what it was about him. That I just felt so comfortable with him and he told us to write down on a piece of paper, you know, something that may have traumatized you in your past.
Sean: And that was the first time I had ever shared with anyone that I was sexually abused when I was younger.
Jonathan: How did that feel?
Sean: Uh, I was scared. A lot of fear. Um. You know, apprehension. And then, uh, after I finally told him, when I finally actually came out and said what was bothering me, he was like, oh, hold up, hold up, hold up.
Sean: And he pulled me outside and we went and had a conversation. And, uh,
Jonathan: yeah,
Sean: I felt relief.
Jonathan: What was your conversation about?
Sean: Just making sure that I was comfortable with everybody in there, knowing that Mm, and just why he, he asked a lot of the same questions, why I hadn't told anybody or. Anything like that.
Sean: And
Rachel: yeah. What made it about, when he said that, write down something that traumatized you, you could have put a lot of things down.
Sean: I could have put a lot of things
Rachel: down. Yeah. What about that moment made you say, okay, I'm ready to talk about this?
Sean: Because I realized it was probably one of the darkest times that I put myself through mentally, uh, emotionally I had become a ghost, an empty shell.
Sean: I. Lost who I was. I uh, I lost hope.
Sean: I had nothing in my own eyes, no worth. Uh, and I knew if I was ever gonna get better, somebody had to know. Somebody had to know. And that was, how was Mr. Shuford? I don't know what it was about him that made me feel comfortable, but.
Rachel: He makes a lot of people feel comfortable. Mm-hmm. He made a lot of people feel comfortable.
Sean: Yeah, absolutely. He's, uh, definitely been like a light for me in my recovery. Mm-hmm. He's definitely been a mentor and yeah, he's been a big part of this.
Rachel: Yeah. Talk a little bit about what you're at the Potter's House. What was it like being in that community of guys? Because you talk so much about isolation.
Sean: Yeah.
Rachel: And then you go to the Potter's house, it can't really be isolated 'cause you're like a hundred of your best friends. There's,
Sean: there's no such thing as isolation. Even though there's a lot
Rachel: of space, it's not isolation. Well,
Sean: you know, the opposite of isolation is connection. And that's one of the things they try to instill there is community having accountability and just.
Sean: People you can be openly vulnerable with, which is completely and totally foreign to me. But I mean, it was good. It was different. It felt like I had opened up a way to be, you know, trusting again. Mm-hmm. To trust people to be who I actually was, even though I didn't actually know who I was because. I didn't know who I was for so long, I just masked it with drugs.
Sean: But being there at the Potter's house with those guys, hearing them be op, openly vulnerable, it creates a sense of brotherhood. Like it bonds you with these people whether you get along or not.
Mm-hmm.
Sean: It bonds you with these people in ways you could never imagine.
Hmm.
Sean: Because regardless of your background, regardless of the culture you come from, everybody loves each other there.
Sean: And it's like I said, whether they get along or not, they love each other and they lift each other up. That's the main goal of the community there, and they do a good job of it.
Rachel: So tell us a little bit about some of the things that have been really influential being at the Potter's House. Like what's, what is gonna make it different this time?
Sean: Oh, I got to the root of the problem and they actually showed me the clinical side to addiction. That would be the, you know, the classes that you take there? Yeah, yeah. They actually showed me the root to the addiction, the trauma behind it.
Mm-hmm. The fact
Sean: that it was a side effect. They show you scientifically what it does to you, um, how you can stop it before it arises, and it just, it gives you a strong foundation there, a strong foundation and a.
Sean: A nice little toolbox Yeah. Of, uh, things that help you to stay clean when you actually get out there.
Jonathan: So you, you just really felt I now have tools that I can use to cope with the things I'm feeling.
Sean: Well, the main thing that they have you do is when you get to. The final phase of the program is they get you rooted in community, rooted in church, rooted in meetings, and set up a network of people that you can rely and trust, rely on and trust to help you accountability.
Rachel: Which that, it must be hard for you because you tried to build your life around not doing that.
Sean: It's a little difficult, but I had a friend of mine there. Um. He was like, you wanna go to the business meeting of an NA meeting? And I was like, no, not really. And he was like, well, you're gonna, you're gonna, he's like, you're gonna go.
Sean: And I was like, all right. And he was like, all right, well we're gonna get you a service position too. And I'm just like,
Jonathan: oh no.
Sean: I'm like, why? And he was like, it'd be good for you. And I've now dove headfirst into service work and helping other people. In the same predicament that I've been in. It also helps me to understand that in order to change, you have to change.
Sean: Mm-hmm. So if I don't want to go back to the same way that I was living before, I obviously have to do something different.
Mm-hmm.
Sean: In all the Potter's House has done, has shown me exactly what I did wrong. Hmm. Where I went wrong and how I can do it differently.
Jonathan: How, how, how did it feel? You know, you're serving people that have gone through the same thing you have experienced.
Jonathan: How did, how did that feel for you and how did it impact your recovery? It,
Sean: uh, it helps to give me empathy where they are. Um, it helps me to relate. I also know when to push them and when to draw back. It just really gives me the experience. To actually be able to help somebody instead of maybe cause 'em to shy away from recovery.
Sean: That's really about, that's about all that's done for me.
Rachel: How has your faith played a piece in this or has it?
Sean: Absolutely. Yeah. Uh, if it wasn't for God, I wouldn't be here. I believe that that cop was sent there by God to save me that night.
Mm-hmm.
Sean: Divine intervention. Um, God always has a purpose for you.
Sean: You are where you're supposed to be 100% of the time. It took me a long time to understand that and uh, I always questioned him, but the restored relationship that I have with God now is, uh, allowed me to, to enjoy the journey. Hmm. To just sit back and relax and know he's in control, which has given me just as much peace as dealing with the trauma has.
Sean: It's knowing everything happens for a reason. Everything happened for a reason, for a greater purpose.
Rachel: And what are your relationships like now with your mom?
Sean: Great. I'm in, uh, contact with her on a regular basis. Um, is she proud
Rachel: of you? Yes.
Hmm.
Sean: This is the result of many years of praying and support and, uh, she's never given up on me.
Sean: A lot of people did. I gave up, but she never did. Yeah, it's gotten a lot better. There's still so much that I have to talk to her about. But it's gotten a lot better. Hmm.
Rachel: What does the future look like for you?
Sean: Bright. Hopeful.
Rachel: Hopeful.
Sean: Um, clean, successful. Hmm. And, uh, I could see myself in be in service for the rest of my life because now that I know what it is to be loved and I know what it is to trust, I just wanna be that for somebody else.
Hmm.
Sean: And if I can just change one person's outlook on life or help somebody that's been through the same thing that I've been through, then that's all that really matters to me. I know what it's like to be loved now. Now I wanna show somebody else
Jonathan: that's so powerful. Hmm. Um, I want to ask, I'm going to go back to thinking about your story.
Jonathan: You didn't have to share that with us.
Mm-hmm.
Jonathan: You could have kept it hidden. Um, why is it important for you to share your story?
Sean: Because it could help somebody. I want anybody else that's experiencing the same things that I've been through to understand that it's okay to be vulnerable. That if you're ever gonna heal, then you have to put it out there in the open.
Sean: Uh, holding it in will only numb you and only cause pain. It's like a cancer. It just grows and grows and grows. It never stops. You can numb it, but it'll never stop growing. It'll always be there.
Rachel: Yeah. Thank you for being so generous with your story. Sure. Yeah. Um, it's, our stories are the most powerful thing that we have and I think you talking about helping one person, just the courage it took for you to write that down that day, um, I know that's gonna help many people, um, to have that courage.
Jonathan: I hope it's a big deal.
Rachel: It is. It's a big deal. I.
Jonathan: Sean, I'm, I'm just thinking back to this Sean that was, uh, sitting in jail wondering what would happen next. Um, if you could say something to that Sean in that moment, what would it be?
Sean: If I could say one thing to myself in that moment,
Sean: get ready, open up. Don't be scared. It's okay to be who you are.
Sean: That'd be
Jonathan: about it. Hmm.
Rachel: That's beautiful.
Jonathan: Something I needed to hear. I know.
Rachel: I'm like, yes, Sean. Yes. Uh, thank you so much for sharing your story with us today.
Yeah.
Rachel: You're so courageous to share that, so generous with your story. I mean, just sitting here, I wish everyone could feel you have so much love. Um, and you obviously are able to connect deeply with people, so I just, I hope that everyone that listens to this can.
Rachel: Feel that, um, in your voice? Feel that in your story. I mean, I think
Jonathan: yeah. You have such a gentle voice. I
Rachel: know. And
Jonathan: I just feel like when you speak, I'm getting a big hug. I know.
Rachel: Well, and there was so much and so warm, so much confidence in what you're saying of, Hey, if I don't own this part of my story, if I don't own my story, then I can't move forward.
Rachel: Mm-hmm. And I think for so many of us, we may not have been sitting in jail like Sean, but there's so many parts of our own story that we don't wanna. Deal with or think about. Um, and so I think, I hope that I know I'm going to take this and have more courage to share that and confront those things. I hope that you all can, um, take that with you and I hope you really, um.
Rachel: Enjoyed and are proud of Sean for sharing his story as much as we are. And, um, yeah. Thanks for being here.
Jonathan: Yeah, and stay tuned. We're gonna hear from our subject matter expert
Rachel: next. You've made it this far into the episode. You're likely feeling the weight of these stories unseen. Atlanta was created to reveal the raw and unfiltered realities faced by individuals in our city struggles with addiction, homelessness, and mental health.
Rachel: It's heavy, but don't stop. Now we're about to turn the page to something. Life changing. Hope is coming. When someone steps through our doors, they step into an opportunity to start fresh. The transformation you're about to hear wouldn't be possible without our incredible partners like the Justin Landis group.
Rachel: Whether you're buying or selling your home in metro Atlanta, their unwavering commitment to exceptional service and authentic relationships sets 'em apart. Their compassion and dedication to our community fuels stories just like these. A heartfelt thank you to our partner and sponsor, Justin Landis Group, because of your generosity.
Rachel: These stories don't end here. Now let's dive back into the episode. We're so happy to have you here. It's a pleasure to be here. This is Sean's mom. We just talked to Sean. Sean's amazing. Thank you so much. I think so. You've obviously raised a great, great guy.
Debbie: I did the best I could with what I had to do with
Rachel: Yeah.
Rachel: He loves you a lot.
Debbie: Yeah, and I love him. I have four sons, Kyle, Seth, Brett, and Sean. And unfortunately all four of them have suffered from some form of addiction. Um, each had their own addiction.
Rachel: Yeah. Yeah. What was life like, um, when you were raising the boys? It sounds like their dad wasn't,
Debbie: no, he wasn't.
Debbie: Um,
Rachel: wasn't in the picture.
Debbie: No.
Rachel: So you were a single mom?
Debbie: Yes. Mm-hmm. And, um, it was hard, but you know, I wouldn't take any of it back if I could. Mm-hmm. I am so proud of all four of my boys. I mean, they're amazing and they have so much potential. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I hope that they can see how amazing they are.
Debbie: And where their new life is going to lead them. Mm-hmm. Because, you know, they can do anything. Anything they wanna do,
Jonathan: they can do it. One thing that, um, stood out to me from Sean's story, um, was that you never gave up on him.
Mm-hmm.
Jonathan: Even though he had, I just, I just want to know like, what was going through your mind as a mother?
Jonathan: That made you so resilient?
Debbie: Well, God played a big role in it. You know, I pray for him. Always have and always will. And I believe the Potter House was the answer that God sent because you found it for him. The Potter's House is a wonderful place. Mm.
Rachel: How'd you, how'd you know about it?
Debbie: Through a, um, organization in the county we live in.
Debbie: Okay. Coweta force. Uh, it was actually, they helped to start it with someone whose son had accidentally OD'ed and, uh, he was a friend of Sean's, so, uh, she. Helped start it and uh, as soon as I found out that it was Christian based, I knew then that's where he needs to be. And I would, you know, I would recommend it for anybody with addiction.
Debbie: I really would because they have done so much for shot. I mean, if you'd have seen him. When all this started versus now, you wouldn't know it was the same person. Drugs just robbed all of them really of their potential at the time. But moving forward, they still had that potential and I'm still proud of them.
Debbie: I'd never give up on them. Never, because the one thing I always told them. Growing up was, please just do me one favor. Don't ever make me come and identify you in the morgue. Because a mother's child is not supposed to die before her. Mm-hmm. And they're not, not that way. That's not the way God intended it.
Debbie: I don't believe. You know, God has his time and
Rachel: so what was it like? Because I'm sure there was a lot of times throughout the years that you didn't know where Sean was or what was going on.
Debbie: Exactly.
Rachel: And what, what was that like as a mom?
Debbie: Constant worry. You know, sleepless nights. Wondering where he was, who he was with, what he was doing.
Debbie: Is he okay? You just never knew.
Rachel: Well, and it like never goes away. You can't ever like
Debbie: No, it never, it never went away. It was. A nightmare. It really was a nightmare. And
Debbie: I don't envy anybody that is going through this nightmare. Mm-hmm. And for any anybody out there that's listening, if you're addicted, I would highly recommend that you go to the Potter's House. It is Christian based and that's what makes it so good. Because you gotta have God in your life too.
Rachel: Yeah.
Debbie: Because God's gonna get you through.
Rachel: So you found out about the Potter's house and then Sean gets in.
Debbie: Right? How did that feel?
Rachel: Yeah. Were you like happy he was somewhere?
Debbie: Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I didn't sleep. Were you able to where he was, what he was doing and Yes, I could sleep. Mm-hmm. Like,
Rachel: did that make you feel so much relief?
Debbie: You just don't know? Yes, it did. It really did. Mm.
Rachel: And, and now it's not even, I, I'm sure at the, the beginning stages it was like a relief. He's safe. The transformation that's happened is
Debbie: unbelievable.
Rachel: Right?
Debbie: The first time I went to the Potter's House and I saw him, I was just in awe. I couldn't believe it.
Debbie: I thought, that's my son. Huh? He turned out good looking.
Rachel: So when you got to see him for the first time, it was like, wow.
Debbie: Oh yeah. It blowed me away. I couldn't believe it. And he keeps in contact with you regularly? We were texting each other this morning actually. Okay. Mom, when you gonna be there?
Rachel: Yeah. Tell me about what's the transformation been like in him?
Debbie: Oh, wow. I see the light in his eyes again because the light. It was burned out a long time ago. You know, there was no zest there. And like I said, he looked horrible and, uh, he was just somebody I didn't recognize. Mm-hmm. And then, uh, after he went to the potter's house, the first time I went to see him, I looked at him and he was smiling and the zest for life was back in his eyes.
Debbie: And I knew then. That he was on the right path. He was on the right path to getting there. And uh, I believe he's gonna be okay. He's gonna be okay because I'm not gonna let him quit. I've never been a quitter and he's not either. I didn't raise my boys to be quitters.
Rachel: Do you feel like he has a new life now?
Debbie: Yes. He's got to persevere. You know, he's gotta remember. God gives you strength, courage, peace and comfort. Just take it to him. I mean, that's how I've lived.
Mm-hmm.
Debbie: My whole life. I mean, imagine raising four boys by yourself.
Rachel: What would you tell another mom who was in your situation with your, with Sean, your other sons, what would you tell them?
Rachel: When their, their child is still in the midst of addiction. How do they keep going?
Debbie: You just can't give up on them. You just, you can't, you've always gotta be there no matter what. You've got to encourage them, and I mean, if you have to put 'em there yourself, you know, put 'em there yourself.
Jonathan: When you think about Sean's future, what do you see?
Debbie: Nothing but brightness. He's smart. He is smart, highly intelligent. He's just gotta believe in himself and get going. 'cause he's not too old to start over. Mm-hmm. You're never too old to start over. Never.
Rachel: You have an incredible amount of positivity in resilience. It's very inspiring.
Debbie: Yeah. Thank you.
Rachel: Um, just the way you talk about.
Rachel: Life. It's, it doesn't sound like life's been easy for you. Um, does and continues to not be easy, but you have a, a, just a positivity about it.
Debbie: Well, I mean, life hasn't been easy, but I'm not gonna complain because there's so many people in this world that's worse off than me. So who am I to complain? You know, you roll with the punches.
Debbie: You take what life gives you and make the best of it. And I have no regrets. Mm-hmm. Well, except for one, and that one being that I was so ignorant to drugs because I've never done drugs. I didn't know what the signs were to look for drugs. I really didn't. Hmm. And then by the time that I was enlightened, you know.
Debbie: It was. It was too late. It was done. It was too late.
Rachel: Thank you so much for sharing today. I know that it's emotional and hard, but I think your story is, there are so many people like you that they have kids who have struggled with this, and as a parent, like you feel like you're in a hard spot. What do I do?
Rachel: You can't, you don't ever stop loving them.
Debbie: No. Never. You don't.
Rachel: Yeah. You don't ever stop wanting what you're saying. You see that potential. You want that potential for them. And so I think your story is so, um, it resonates with so many people because they're in your same boat.
Debbie: All I can say is never give up on them because they've already given up on themselves.
Debbie: Mm. So it's up to you to reel 'em back in and give them the confidence to know. That they can keep on keeping on.
Rachel: Yeah.
Debbie: You know, just forget the past it's history. Just look forward to the future.
Jonathan: Yeah. I just feel so much hope.
Rachel: Yeah, I do too.
Jonathan: Um, just hearing Sean's story and your experience as a mother.
Jonathan: Mm-hmm.
Rachel: And,
Jonathan: um, there's hope out there. Yeah. No matter what your situation is. Well, and it
Rachel: reminds me just so much of like. The Lord never gives up on us.
Jonathan: No.
Rachel: And you know, we have that relationship with the father. It's, um, and, and talking to a mother, like, there's just that as a parent, you never wanna give up on your kid.
Rachel: Um, and so I really hope that's what I feel like I got so much from that is like, just as much as we as parents don't wanna give up on our kids, the Lord never gives up on us.
Debbie: That's right. Yeah.
Rachel: Um, and we can
Debbie: up, giving up is never an option.
Rachel: No, it's not an option.
Debbie: No.
Rachel: Even though sometimes in our darkest moments it feels like the only option is to give up.
Rachel: So thank you so much for sharing your story. We really hope that, um, someone was able to see, uh, just the incredible power of love that Debbie has for her son. All, all of her sons. Um, and we hope that really resonated with you and we will, um, see you next time. Thanks.
Tensley: Thank you so much for listening and engaging with these challenging yet vital conversations about mental health addiction, homelessness, and trauma in our city.
Tensley: Facing these issues head on is how we ignite real transformation in Atlanta. Thank you to our season sponsor, the Scott Pryor Law Group. The transformation you've heard wouldn't be possible without incredible partners like the Scott Pryor Law Group, personal Injury and Accident Attorneys, their compassion and dedication to our community.
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