S3 E11 Never Lose Hope with Tennille Heitkamp
From Pondoff's Anonymous by Chris Pondoff, Jeff Allen, Zoë Mendenall
April 6, 2026 · 1h 55m · Season 3 · Episode 11
About this episode
Tennille Heitkamp shares her family's painful journey through addiction and the hope that emerged from it.
Never Lose Hope with Tennille Heitkamp Tennille Heitkamp joins Pondoff’s Anonymous to share the long, painful, and hopeful story of walking through addiction with her son, Jacob. What starts as a conversation about Underground and finding the right support community turns into a brutally honest look at what addiction does to an entire family. Tennille talks about Jacob’s childhood, ADHD, early struggles to fit in, his exposure to pills and fentanyl, emergency room visits, detox, sober living, relapse, and the emotional chaos that came with trying to keep him alive. She also opens up about the toll it took on her, her marriage, her other son, and her own mental health as she tried to hold everything together. But this episode is not just about the darkness. It is also about not giving up. Tennille shares how Jacob eventually found real help, how Florida became a turning point, how he is now six months sober, and how hope slowly started to return. The conversation also highlights Tennille’s work with Addiction is Real, where she now helps other families recognize warning signs, find resources, and feel less alone. This episode is for parents, loved ones, and anyone who has ever…
People in this episode
Hosts: Chris Pondoff, Jeff Allen, Zoë Mendenall
Guest: Tennille Heitkamp
Topics covered
- addiction
- family struggles
- mental health
- support communities
- hope and recovery
Keywords
- addiction
- recovery
- mental health
- support
- family
- hope
- sober living
- fentanyl
- ADHD
Sponsors
McKelvey Insurance Group, LightSource Psychotherapy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Addiction is Real
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