Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Sammy Carroll grew up in Malibu, attended private school, and never imagined she'd one day be living on the streets. In this episode of What It's Really Like, she shares how experimenting with drugs slowly spiraled into severe addiction, leading to homelessness, arrests, and even the loss of her teeth before she finally found sobriety.
We talk about the realities of surviving on the streets as a woman, how addiction impacts entire families, what recovery actually looks like, and the long process of rebuilding a life after rock bottom. Today, Sammy is clean and sober, using her story to prove that no matter how far you've fallen, recovery is possible.
Follow Sammy on TikTok to learn more about her journey and the work she's doing today: tiktok.com/@sxarrrollls
Chapters:
0:00 Sammy’s Journey From Malibu to the Streets
0:44 Meet Sammy Carroll: Addiction Doesn’t Discriminate
4:54 Growing Up Privileged Around Alcohol
7:34 When Teenage Partying Became Drug Use
11:36 Why Hard Drugs Didn’t Scare Her
16:57 Becoming Addicted to Heroin at 16
19:34 Her First Intervention and Years of Rehab
21:53 The Overdose That Still Couldn’t Make Her Stop
26:06 Her First Arrest and Immediate Return to Drugs
29:05 Losing Her Jobs, Apartment, Car, and Stability
32:37 Her First Night in a Homeless Encampment
38:36 What Homelessness Actually Felt Like
41:56 Should You Give Homeless People Money?
43:14 Addiction, Mental Illness, and Housing Programs
45:11 Losing Her Teeth and the $62,000 Surgery
51:46 The Arrest That Finally Led to Sobriety
55:29 Hygiene, Xylazine, and Almost Losing Her Leg
58:27 The Most Terrifying Things She Witnessed
1:01:02 Processing Trauma After Getting Sober
1:02:14 Rebuilding Her Life and Rediscovering Joy
1:05:21 Periods on the Street and Why Jail Was Worse
1:09:10 Breaking the Cycle of Dating Other Addicts
1:11:27 What People Misunderstand About Homelessness
1:12:57 The Awkward Question: Is She Afraid of Relapsing?
1:14:54 Helping Others by Sharing Her Story
1:16:25 What It’s Really Like to Be Sammy Carroll
📚 ORDER MY MEMOIR: UNSEEN: How I Lost My Vision but Found My Voice — available now! Tap the link in bio to get your copy.
🐾 Support My GoFundMe for The Mira Foundation (guide dogs for the blind): gofund.me/5d8fc57f
🛍 Shop My Amazon Favorites: amazon.com/shop/mollyburke
(Find my go-to vision boarding book, motivational stickers, and more in the Health & Wellness section!)
🐝 Join the Killer Bee Club on Patreon: patreon.com/mollyburke
🎧 Listen to my audiobook “It’s Not What It Looks Like” on Audible: audible.com/mollyburke
📲 FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Instagram: @mollyburkeofficial
TikTok: @mollyburkeofficial
Twitter: @mollybofficial
Facebook: Molly Burke Official
🌐 Learn more about me: mollyburkeofficial.com
Hi! I’m Molly Burke — a fashion-loving, sushi-obsessed, makeup-wearing millennial who just so happens to be blind. Diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at 4 years old, I began public speaking at age 5 and haven’t stopped since. From motivational talks to modeling, I’m passionate about creating a more inclusive world for people with disabilities. Even though I can’t see, I believe there’s always a bright side — and I’m here to help you find it. 💕
Sammy Carroll grew up in Malibu, attended private school, and never imagined she'd one day be living on the streets. In this episode of What It's Really Like, she shares how experimenting with drugs slowly spiraled into severe addiction, leading to homelessness, arrests, and even the loss of her teeth before she finally found sobriety.
We talk about the realities of surviving on the streets as a woman, how addiction impacts entire families, what recovery actually looks like, and the long process of rebuilding a life after rock bottom. Today, Sammy is clean and sober, using her story to prove that no matter how far you've fallen, recovery is possible.
Follow Sammy on TikTok to learn more about her journey and the work she's doing today: tiktok.com/@sxarrrollls
Chapters:
0:00 Sammy’s Journey From Malibu to the Streets
0:44 Meet Sammy Carroll: Addiction Doesn’t Discriminate
4:54 Growing Up Privileged Around Alcohol
7:34 When Teenage Partying Became Drug Use
11:36 Why Hard Drugs Didn’t Scare Her
16:57 Becoming Addicted to Heroin at 16
19:34 Her First Intervention and Years of Rehab
21:53 The Overdose That Still Couldn’t Make Her Stop
26:06 Her First Arrest and Immediate Return to Drugs
29:05 Losing Her Jobs, Apartment, Car, and Stability
32:37 Her First Night in a Homeless Encampment
38:36 What Homelessness Actually Felt Like
41:56 Should You Give Homeless People Money?
43:14 Addiction, Mental Illness, and Housing Programs
45:11 Losing Her Teeth and the $62,000 Surgery
51:46 The Arrest That Finally Led to Sobriety
55:29 Hygiene, Xylazine, and Almost Losing Her Leg
58:27 The Most Terrifying Things She Witnessed
1:01:02 Processing Trauma After Getting Sober
1:02:14 Rebuilding Her Life and Rediscovering Joy
1:05:21 Periods on the Street and Why Jail Was Worse
1:09:10 Breaking the Cycle of Dating Other Addicts
1:11:27 What People Misunderstand About Homelessness
1:12:57 The Awkward Question: Is She Afraid of Relapsing?
1:14:54 Helping Others by Sharing Her Story
1:16:25 What It’s Really Like to Be Sammy Carroll
📚 ORDER MY MEMOIR: UNSEEN: How I Lost My Vision but Found My Voice — available now! Tap the link in bio to get your copy.
🐾 Support My GoFundMe for The Mira Foundation (guide dogs for the blind): gofund.me/5d8fc57f
🛍 Shop My Amazon Favorites: amazon.com/shop/mollyburke
(Find my go-to vision boarding book, motivational stickers, and more in the Health & Wellness section!)
🐝 Join the Killer Bee Club on Patreon: patreon.com/mollyburke
🎧 Listen to my audiobook “It’s Not What It Looks Like” on Audible: audible.com/mollyburke
📲 FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Instagram: @mollyburkeofficial
TikTok: @mollyburkeofficial
Twitter: @mollybofficial
Facebook: Molly Burke Official
🌐 Learn more about me: mollyburkeofficial.com
Hi! I’m Molly Burke — a fashion-loving, sushi-obsessed, makeup-wearing millennial who just so happens to be blind. Diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at 4 years old, I began public speaking at age 5 and haven’t stopped since. From motivational talks to modeling, I’m passionate about creating a more inclusive world for people with disabilities. Even though I can’t see, I believe there’s always a bright side — and I’m here to help you find it. 💕
