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From 2001–2011, as the prescription opioid crisis spiraled out of control, Kim Harmon, then with Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, went undercover to bust pill mills, among other investigations into medical fraud.

Shortly after she progressed up into a new role, however, her daughter Taylor’s own actual struggles with substance use disorder began to spiral out of control, and suddenly this law enforcement officer, once tasked with imitating people with addiction to stop the flow of illicit pills, now had to figure out how she could help her own daughter find recovery. And yet despite all her experience and resources, it was not an easy road.

Taylor’s struggles might sound familiar to many Tennesseans. Despite growing up in a peaceful childhood, a personal tragedy caused a tendency to over-drink into a full blown disorder, closely followed by a problem with benzos, opioids and other so-called hard drugs. Fortunately, however, her story of sobriety should be equally recognizable: she found a strong community of peers in recovery and they helped Taylor find her own path.

This is a fascinating, far-reaching conversation that touches on many topics. If I had to boil it down, though, I might say the big takeaway is that anybody and everybody is susceptible to addiction, and the most important thing we can do from a policy perspective is to make sure people with substance use disorder have real access to resources that make a difference.

Hosted and produced by Jeremy Kourvelas. Original music by Blind House.