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All The Wiser

80. Her Secret Ambien Addiction Almost Killed Her

All The Wiser

Kimi Culp

Society & Culture, Education, Health & Fitness, Self-improvement

4.9652 Ratings

🗓️ 22 March 2023

⏱️ 67 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Laura Cathcart Robbins first started using Ambien to help her get some sleep. But as the pressures of her public life grew, so did her usage of the drug. She was swallowing lethal amounts of sleeping pills and washing them down with booze. At the heart of her addiction was a feeling that she wasn’t able to be honest about who she really was – beginning in childhood at the hands of an abusive step-father, through motherhood and a Hollywood marriage. In this episode, Laura shares how the choice to release her secrets allowed her to start living instead of just existing.


In this episode:

  • Laura’s departure from her authentic self.
  • The first time taking using Ambien
  • Experiencing life as a “double agent.”
  • Laura files for divorce and decides to go to rehab.
  • The impact of unconscious bias as a black woman.
  • What it means to be fully seen.


Stay connected to Laura:

Book: Stash

Website: www.theonlyonepod.com

Instagram: @lauracathcartrobbins | @theonlyoneintheroom

Charity Donation: Friendly House


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Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:56.9

The interesting thing about my addiction is a lot of people stop partying and stop doing drugs

1:03.2

for their kids. Like, once they have children, they leave that lifestyle behind. Mine kind of

1:10.2

started then, not the partying, but

1:13.3

my addiction started after my kids were born, which is unusual.

1:18.9

At the peak of her addiction, Laura was taking lethal amounts of Ambien and washing them

1:24.9

down with booze. Like many, she was taking Ambien to sleep,

1:30.3

but she was also taking it because it moved and shifted her into a place of comfort.

1:36.3

And this was a feeling she was unable to access in the life she was living.

1:43.3

I didn't have a place of solace in my home anymore because I wasn't happy.

1:48.4

So I figured the best thing I can do for my family is to get loaded enough so that I can show up.

1:56.4

Because if I don't have these, I can't show up.

1:58.7

And then that's the worst thing for my family.

2:02.7

Today on the show, self-medicating.

...

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