#37 - "I Was That Stereotype": Struggling with Substance Abuse within the Stripping Community w/ Natashka

A lot of the episodes on this podcast have been centred around consent, free choice and agency. I've been so focused on sharing stories of successive cases that challenge the stereotype of strippers that the media has shoved down our throats since we were born. You know what I'm talking about: substance abuse, drunk, high on drugs and the like. But what about those strippers who actually fall right into that aesthetic? They exist too and their experiences are completely valid.

I speak with Portland-based stripper and dear friend, Natashka, who shares with me that it's not all about the lifestyle. Sure, the money is great, the drugs are accessible and the high is even better. Her story is deeply personal and her substance abuse is so entangled with the environment she worked in as well: the strip club she worked at. She struggled with a deadly mix of aderrall, cocaine and wine which lead her down a slippery slope of addiction while working as a stripper and her road to recovery wasn't easy. Now at six months sober, she's ready to share her experience for the first time. It's an important discussion to have in order to look at the big picture and dismantle this type of stereotype at its core. It is a RIVETING episode - you do not want to miss it!