This episode contains disturbing content, including mention of sexual assault, illicit drug use, and explicit language.

Please take care while listening.

In 2013, Rose Stahl's life was tumultuous. She was at the beginning of a fairly public divorce.

Originally from Austin, Texas, she ended up in Los Angeles, after getting into a relationship with a famous actor.

They have a kid together.

But their relationship had turned problematic due to illicit substance use.

I was struggling with depression. I had been in my third relationship in a row with someone that suffered with drug abuse stuff and I wanted to try to break the cycle.

Rose wanted to talk to a therapist. A friend of hers recommended that she go see

someone named Chris Batham. Rose had been to therapy before, but she'd never

met a therapist like Chris. You know, you had a really kind of like dark humor and

extremely intelligent, you know,

love to wax philosophical.

Like, it was just a very intelligent, interesting person

who was willing to be as interested in my psyche as I was at the time, which is, you know, I mean that's what you want in a therapist.

And I mean that's what you want in anybody.

This therapist, Chris Batham, happened to be the founder and CEO of a drug treatment and recovery organization called Community Recovery Los Angeles, or CRLA. Rose liked that Chris had experience working in the treatment field.

She had fallen into this pattern. She would date a guy who was sober. Then he would have a bad

relapse. And Rose would would think I can help him stay sober but

this never worked instead Rose would end up participating in the substance use

herself I was just really questioning hating in the substance use herself.

I was just really questioning,

am I an alcoholic, am I not?

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