"I work with The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. I sit proudly as one of only two recovering addicts on their board"
About this Quote
There is a quiet flex in that first sentence: Columbia University, a National Center, a board seat. Jamie Lee Curtis opens by borrowing institutional credibility, then pivots and reveals the credential that actually matters: lived experience. The structure is the point. It mirrors how recovery is often forced to operate in public life - you lead with what the room respects (status, achievement, proximity to “serious” expertise) before admitting the truth that still risks being punished.
The phrase “sit proudly” is doing heavy cultural work. Pride is not the default emotion our society permits recovering addicts; we tend to offer redemption only if it’s packaged as shame, cautionary tale, or inspiration porn. Curtis claims pride anyway, reframing recovery as not merely a private battle but a legitimate qualification for leadership. It’s also a subtle rebuke to stigma: if pride is allowed for survival stories in other arenas, why not here?
“One of only two” lands like a statistic and an indictment. On paper, it’s representation. Underneath, it’s a critique of who gets to steer addiction policy and philanthropy: too often people who have studied addiction, funded addiction, or been harmed by it at arm’s length, not those who have lived inside it. Curtis is marking the gap between expertise and experience, suggesting that boards love the optics of empathy but rarely make room for the voices that would complicate the narrative.
In the broader context of celebrity confession culture, this isn’t a tearful tell-all. It’s a governance statement: I’m not here just to share; I’m here to shape.
The phrase “sit proudly” is doing heavy cultural work. Pride is not the default emotion our society permits recovering addicts; we tend to offer redemption only if it’s packaged as shame, cautionary tale, or inspiration porn. Curtis claims pride anyway, reframing recovery as not merely a private battle but a legitimate qualification for leadership. It’s also a subtle rebuke to stigma: if pride is allowed for survival stories in other arenas, why not here?
“One of only two” lands like a statistic and an indictment. On paper, it’s representation. Underneath, it’s a critique of who gets to steer addiction policy and philanthropy: too often people who have studied addiction, funded addiction, or been harmed by it at arm’s length, not those who have lived inside it. Curtis is marking the gap between expertise and experience, suggesting that boards love the optics of empathy but rarely make room for the voices that would complicate the narrative.
In the broader context of celebrity confession culture, this isn’t a tearful tell-all. It’s a governance statement: I’m not here just to share; I’m here to shape.
Quote Details
| Topic | Mental Health |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
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