'Crime Junkie' podcast co-host Brit Prawat shares she is in recovery for alcohol abuse following brain bleed
Crime Junkie co-host Brit Prawat shared that she is in recovery for alcohol abuse.
Prawat, who hosts the Indianapolis-based true crime podcast with her best friend Ashley Flowers, took a step back from the podcast in May after suffering a sudden brain bleed. On a special Sept. 6 update episode, which typically recaps true crime stories, Prawat joined Flowers to provide Crime Junkie listeners with more context surrounding her health battle.
Prawat, who had two surgeries on her brain following the bleed, shared that the emergency revealed she was highly anemic and malnourished, which stemmed from her abuse of alcohol. Prawat, who said she hid her alcohol use from friends and family, including Flowers, explained, “After being released from the hospital, after my surgeries, after being cleared by everybody else, I entered a treatment program. I've been out now for a while. I am sober. I am planning on staying that way with the support of everyone around me, including our Crime Junkie family, which is why I wanted to tell you that this is the journey I'm on and what happened in my time off mic.”
Prawat said one of the most impactful moments in her recovery was when Flowers, who she has worked with on the podcast since 2017, told her she brought two outfits to the hospital: One to sit with Prawat, and another in case she had to go to her funeral.
“There is a lot of shame associated with addiction, which is another reason why it's not talked about…even with my closest, closest friend, who knows all the other shameful things about me — this was too much,” she explained to Flowers. “This was too much shame. This was too much. I'm not OK. And on top of that, you know me as kind of like a fixer — like, give me a problem, I'll try to find a solution. Give me a solution, and I'll poke little holes in it to make sure it's the perfect one. And this was one that I didn't have the answer to — and if I didn't have the answer to like, what could you do? You would just feel helpless and I don't want you to feel helpless.”
Prawat, who is currently in a 12-step program, said recovery is a “full-time job,” and that she will be staying off mic for a while longer. She thanked her Crime Junkie listeners for their support.
“Bringing you in is part of my recovery, and is something that as much as I'm doing for you guys, to bring you into our circle even deeper, is also for me,” the host explained. “So I thank you guys so much for all of your support and love. I really can't say how much seeing those DMs for the past few months has made me feel. It's been amazing.”
In an Instagram post shared on Sept. 6, Prawat also thanked fans for their support.
"I want to thank all of you for your continued support and respect for my privacy over the past several months," she began her post. "As most of you know, I suffered a brain bleed requiring two brain surgeries. What I haven’t shared is what likely led to that - I was severely anemic as a result of my alcohol abuse. This led to the realization that I needed help. After I was released from the hospital, I entered a treatment program. Today, I am sober - and I plan on staying that way with the support of those around me, including my Crime Junkie family. I can’t wait to be back on the show as soon as I’m ready!"
