Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 2810

Tonight's special guest is Tonya Doolin, 49 years young, from Oxnard, California. She survived child abuse and many other traumas. She is a recovering addict who has lived a life of trauma and addiction to alcohol and other drugs. Generally speaking, women progress faster in addiction than men, face different barriers to getting help, and recover differently. At the age of 12, Tonya sought out the first 18 wheeler truck driver she could and used their radio to ask if anyone was going anywhere interesting. She became a state to state runner, and eventually a victim of human trafficking, not knowing where she was. Back to her home state of Texas at 14, Tonya was enrolled in runaway program/group home where attempted suicide and later be admitted to a mental hospital. At 15 Tonya started to dance topless because she remembered the words of her mother, ”Females should never be broke”. She was told marriage would get her out of trouble and since the age of 14 she has had several husbands, one after another, who only further worsened her situation. Her deep conviction of being self employed led her to become a renegade sex workers, working the streets without a pimp. Lonely and seeking validation and self worth, Tonya found herself drowning in her old habits. The core of her addiction and recovery experience has made her realize that by being through the hell of addiction and slowly working to make it back to the other side her story can help provide a sense of relief and give both hope and the opportunity to feel seen and perhaps a little less alone. Tonya hopes to get back into writing poetry about love and religion and to one day become a sponsor. She has dreams of writing her own book and looks to go back to school to help her do so. Tonya wants people to see that drugs and alcohol will only make things worse.