From Shame to Light: Catherine’s Story

This year, my sister Catherine would have turned 53. Instead of calling to sing her happy birthday or sharing laughter over a meal, I honor her memory and the lessons she left behind.

Catherine died of a fentanyl overdose after decades of battling mental health challenges that led her into addiction. For 27 years, she lived inside a prison that most people could not see. It was not only the grip of drugs. It was the hidden shame of mental illness. It was the silence that surrounded her pain. It was the heavy weight of stigma that made her believe she had to fight alone.

The Hidden Prison of Mental Health and Addiction

Catherine’s story is deeply personal, but it is not unique. So many people live behind invisible walls of fear, self-judgment, and isolation. Mental health struggles often go unseen because our culture teaches us to hide them.

We live in a world that rewards perfection, productivity, and control, while quietly shaming vulnerability. We are told to be strong, to keep it together, to push through. But that pressure builds its own kind of prison, one made of limiting beliefs, cultural norms, assumptions, and ego.

These invisible prisons are the heart of my work and the foundation of my RISE Through It™ Framework. They are the barriers that hold us back from authenticity, growth, and true freedom.

Learning to Surrender

For years, I tried to save Catherine. I wanted to believe that my love could heal her. I prayed she would choose life. But love alone was not enough. Her struggle was bigger than my will.

Eventually, I had to surrender to the truth that her journey was not mine to control. That surrender broke me open. It forced me to face my own hidden prisons, my need to fix, my attachment to outcomes, my fear of loss.

In that breaking came clarity. I began to understand that surrender is not giving up; it is letting go of what we cannot change so we can rise in what we can.

Choosing Compassion Over Silence

Catherine’s life and death continue to guide me. Her story is why I speak about invisible prisons, mental health, addiction, shame, and silence, because they destroy too many lives in the shadows.

We rise by choosing compassion over silence. We rise by daring to talk about what is hard. When we bring truth into the light, shame loses its power.

Leadership, whether in families, organizations, or communities, begins here. It begins with creating spaces where people feel seen, heard, and supported without judgment. Real leadership is not about fixing people. It is about making it safe for them to be real.

A Challenge for You

This week, ask yourself: What invisible prison am I ready to name?
Maybe it is shame. Maybe it is fear of being judged. Maybe it is the belief that you must do everything on your own. Whatever it is, name it. Share it with someone you trust. That one act of honesty can open the door to freedom.

The Power of Compassion

When we shift from judgment to curiosity, we open ourselves to empathy. And empathy has the power to change lives. Each of us can be a bridge for someone who feels trapped in silence.

As I write this, I can still hear Catherine’s laugh. It was loud, contagious, and full of life. Her spirit lives in my work, my keynotes, my book, and every message I share about resilience and rising through adversity.

We rise when we remember those we have lost. We rise when we break through the shame that binds us. We rise when we speak truth, even when it hurts.

For Catherine. For every person touched by struggle. For all of us daring to rise.