Take It From Us with Kent Johns
Take It From Us is the voice of lived experience. In this podcast, you'll hear real people share honest stories about mental health, addiction, trauma and recovery - straight from their own journeys.
They'll tell you what actually worked, what didn't, and what they wish they'd known sooner.
Host Kent Johns is a former broadcaster-turned-health-coach who believes everyone has a story to tell if people take the time to really listen.
So settle in, you're going to hear some stories. Take it from us - and from them.
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If you need support, click here for helpful links, phone numbers and resources:
https://ember.org.nz/resources/in-a-crisis/
Take It From Us with Kent Johns
Melanie Rauth: Methamphetamine, prison and a second chance
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Melanie Rauth grew up in Australia. When her parents separated at 13, she started making different choices - cannabis, the wrong crowd, trouble at school. She had her daughter and in 2010 they moved to New Zealand.
Rural isolation and methamphetamine came next. Her life spiralled into crime and five prison stints between 2017 and 2021.
But on her last arrest, her young daughter had had enough of empty promises. "Show me," she said, and hung up the phone.
That conversation woke Melanie up. She got referred to the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Court, where people believed in her for the first time. They understood the drug was the problem, not her character.
Two years post-graduation, Melanie works as team leader at Auckland City Mission Social Detox. She's thriving in recovery and has found a calling helping others navigate the path she's walked.
We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text or a voicemail by clicking here.
If you need support, here are helpful links, phone numbers and resources: https://ember.org.nz/resources/in-a-crisis/
