Photos courtesy of Taylor Stevenson
Taylor Stevenson was a 15-year-old high school student when she was first introduced to prescription painkillers.
Between complications in her home life and the sort of self-esteem issues that often plague young people, she was at a vulnerable stage in her life. Her then-boyfriend introduced her to painkillers and, through him and the company they kept, she started to fall even deeper down the rabbit hole. Eventually, she started using heroin.
“The first time I tried it, I almost overdosed,” Stevenson says. “But there was something inside me that told me it was what I wanted. I was able to set aside all my problems for years.”
Stevenson and her mother moved from Worthington to the west side of Columbus. But when she was 18, disagreements with her mother meant she was no longer welcome in her home. She started living out on the streets. It was around this time she found her boyfriend dead in his car. He had overdosed.
“I went through life relying on the satisfaction of having a man,” Stevenson says. “That was the only way I kept my self-esteem up – from men telling me I was beautiful and that I was fun to
Stevenson’s life started to crumble. She wasn’t allowed to have a say in her boyfriend’s funeral arrangements, or even attend the funeral.
“I got to the point where I was desperate to escape and get to those drugs,” Stevenson says.
A friend introduced her to escorting, and Stevenson says it turned out to be a good way to earn money. She didn’t care that she no longer had relationships with her family. For about three years, she was addicted to crack cocaine in addition to heroin. She also continued using painkillers, as well as methamphetamine.
“There’s always a ‘yet’ in life,” Stevenson says. “‘I haven’t done that yet,’ ‘I’m not homeless yet.’ And then, when I was homeless, I was saying, ‘I’m not selling my body yet.’ That can affect anyone, and I think it’s important to know that the power of addiction doesn’t discriminate, whatever age or race you are, whatever family you come from or your financial status.”
At first, escorting seemed like an easy solution to many of Stevenson’s problems. Every night, she could go out to a party or a dinner, or stay in luxury hotel rooms – all while still feeding her addiction. It was, Stevenson says, everything she could possibly want.
“I didn’t want to grow up or have responsibilities,” she says. “I was afraid of facing myself, my feelings and my emotions. Drugs just made it easier for me.”
She was involved in prostitution for about five years when she met a man who expressed interest in becoming her pimp, which she refused. She also experienced sexual assault.
“I was never someone you could rely on, or someone you could come to – and now I am. I love helping people, especially young women.” - Taylor Stevenson
Stevenson reached a turning point at 22 years old when she discovered she was four months pregnant with her now-fiancé’s son.
“I couldn’t keep using, knowing I was putting (my son) at risk,” she says.
So she decided to work on her on-again, off again relationship.
“I put him through a lot of ups and downs,” she says. “I had to grow up, and grow up fast. But he was always there for me. We had to really piece together our relationship and go to counseling, but we did it.”
While reviewing treatment options, Stevenson remembered hearing about CompDrug’s Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) from a friend, and decided to look into it. CompDrug’s treatment approach involves traditional therapy as well as Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT).
“I thought I was just trading out one addiction for another,” Stevenson says. “But it really opened my perspective. The curriculum that’s offered there has made such an impact. I don’t think I would be here if I didn’t go that route.”
CompDrug uses methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone as part of its treatment plans.
“It’s really important to remember that opiate addiction is a physical disease,” says Kate Fillman, an outpatient substance abuse counselor with CompDrug. Fillman has worked with Stevenson throughout her recovery. “It’s very important to come from the perspective that humans don’t like to feel pain, or emotional pain. People look at (opiate addiction) as a shame-based issue, but a lot of people forget to approach it that way because they’re focused on how physical the abuse is.”
Today, at 23 years old, Stevenson says she is still in the recovery process. However, she has completely turned her life around – all for the better. Her son, Roen, recently turned 1, and she’ll be marrying her fiancé, Luke Steele, in October 2017.
She is also a full-time student at Columbus State Community College, where she is working on her human and social services degree.
“I’m achieving goals I’ve always wanted to achieve,” Stevenson says. “I love school and that environment.”
Stevenson also runs a support group through CompDrug.
“I get to be a mother, a fiancee and a friend,” she says. “I was never someone you could rely on, or someone you could come to – and now I am. I love helping people, especially young women.”
Throughout her recovery, Stevenson has also repaired her relationship with her mother and father.
“They were both able to step back and realize they couldn’t change me without me doing it for myself,” she says. “They had to let go. My dad always told me I’d be able to find my way back to the right path, and he was right.”
And what advice does Stevenson have for someone who might be struggling through a similar situation?
“Anyone who deals with alcoholism, addiction, mental illness or experiences any sort of trauma just needs to know that they’re not alone,” Stevenson says. “People take different routes in life, but we all experience emotions of hopelessness and depression. I think it’s important to get to the core of something and not focus so much on what you did. Focus on how you can connect with others. We’re all human.”
Helping a Loved One
“Look for changes in behavior,” says Heidi Carter, a counselor with CompDrug. “They may be secretive, or have a lot of energy, or are sleepy all the time.”
“They may want to be isolated, have mood swings or not want to travel,” says Kate Fillman, an outpatient substance abuse counselor with CompDrug. “Finding what you need (for an addiction) in a new place is very difficult.”
Fillman says to bring up concerning changes in a loved one’s behavior, but not in a way that’s shaming them. She says the confrontation should be gentle, so they’re not on the defensive.
“There comes a point in most addictions where they’ve been playing the game for too long,” Fillman says. “Generally what will happen is, once it’s gotten really bad, they’ll say, ‘I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.’”
Start Talking
Start Talking was created at the beginning of 2014 with one clear goal in mind: to change the way we talk about drug abuse by giving parents, guardians and educators the proper tools to educate Ohio’s youth.
“(Start Talking) is a drug prevention program that’s based on national research, which shows kids are 50 percent less likely to use if we’re having these conversations with them,” says Sarah Smith, director of Start Talking. “We’re letting parents know the value of having these conversations, but we’re also bringing in educators, community leaders and law enforcement. What makes us stand apart is the simplicity of the program. We are really trying to take a community-wide approach.”
So far, Smith says, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Pastors, parents, educators, coaches – these are all people that have an influential role in a child’s life,” Smith says. “If we’re all saying the same message, that just takes it to the next level. The one thing parents sometimes tell me is, they know how to tell their kids not to do drugs, but now they know how to take it a step further and talk about it without using scare tactics, which don’t work.”
Moving forward, Smith says there are plans to expand on what Start Talking has already accomplished, and continue to spread to school districts across the state. There is also a peer-to-peer component to Start Talking, which Smith says a number of students are already involved with.
Hannah Bealer is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
