Compounded grief can lengthen the road back to reclaim one’s soul and integrate learned lessons. The Hero’s Journey includes lessons learned and reintegration into the world as a changed person. Lessons are prompted, for example, by heartbreak, trauma, or debilitating loss. Suzula Bidon explains two harsh spiritual awakenings that lead to a profound turn around in her life. In Suzula’s situation, she decided to change when it became more painful to stay the same. DOWNLOAD

Without this decision to change, I don’t think Suzula would have launched a private legal practice, become an advocate for criminal justice system reform, and a change maker regarding treatment and recovery policy. Plus, she acquired the skills to be a yoga practitioner!

Listen to Suzula describe the second part of her Hero’s Journey as she confronts her inner villain and undergoes one ordeal after the other to get comfortable in her own skin. Use the following summary to keep track of the details from both mentoring conversations.

Suzula struggled with addiction and major depression for 18 years. After experimenting with alcohol and marijuana as a teenager, she moved to New York to study at Barnard College, where she discovered harder drugs to self medicate her untreated grief. She got addicted to heroin and withdrew from school. Two years later, while in a methadone treatment program, she returned to Barnard and graduated with a theater degree.

After college, Suzula struggled to maintain sobriety. Eventually, unresolved grief and major depression set in. She relapsed on methamphetamine. She started dealing the drug to support her habit, and in 2005, a friend asked her to send some of the drugs to him in New York. It was a setup, and Suzula was federally indicted for a conspiracy drug charge.

Suzula spent one year at Federal Prison Camp in Pekin, Illinois, got caught violating the conditions of her supervised release by relapsing, and did a 15-month stint (18-month sentence minus 53 days/year off for ‘good time’/good behavior) at Hazelton Secure Female Facility Federal Prison in West Virginia. That experience inspired her to become a lawyer.

Suzula graduated magna cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law and was admitted to the Minnesota bar. She practiced criminal defense, then served as the Interim Executive Director of Minnesota Recovery Connection, Minnesota’s first and largest Recovery Community Organization. Suzula worked closely with the Minnesota Department of Human Services to reform Minnesota’s Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Policy.

By the way, I made a mistake. As you listen, you will hear me summarizing part of what Suzula was saying. I said, “…she turned to methadone and cocaine.” I meant to say, “…she turned to methamphetamine and cocaine.” Methadone is a Medication Assisted Treatment that she was prescribed to help her stop using heroin. We will discuss Medication-Assisted Treatment during next Monday’s podcast conversation.

WeMentor Meaningful Activities

Answer the following questions after you listen:

• If someone in your life is acting out, ask them; what happened to you? NOT, what’s wrong with you?
• What is the difference between a correctional facility and a federal prison?
  1. What did you learn about how these environments shaped the next phase of Suzula’s life?
  2. How were both prison sentences reduced?
• Who was Suzula’s inspiration?
• Write down her two spiritual awakenings that profoundly changed the trajectory of her life?
  1.  
  2.  
• Why does Suzula say, “Addiction in America is an illegal disease?”
• How many events compounded Suzula’s grief? Name the events.
• How did she turn her life around and redirect her energies into healing and building an entrepreneurial life using her talents and gifts to help others?

Complete the next part of your Hero’s Journey.

1. How did you heal from your facedown moments?
2. Describe your journey to reclaim your soul, integrate your learnings, and start a new journey with a deeper understanding of your life purpose?
3. What are your next steps in your business and your life?
4. Check out our WeMentor E.L.M. LABs. Click HERE

Substance Use Disorder meet the Criminal Justice System, Episode 116

Learn more about Suzula and Recovery Yoga Meetings®  Recovery Yoga Meetings  Facebook: @rymtgs