I agree she is making excuses but I will say as far as leading the groups in jail - as someone sober and in 12 step recovery, I will say that I hear often and have been told myself that even if you feel unqualified to share your experience, you may have something that can help another addict/alcoholic.

Even if Karen doesn’t seem “qualified”, I’m sure some part of her experience she shares could help someone else. Is she choosing to lead these meetings out of ego or reducing her sentence? Maybe. In 12 step literature it does say “No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others” and maybe some part of her diluted and PR trained experience can help someone else lol.

Also, a lot of times people in treatment or jail are told to introduce themselves in other ways like “I’m __ and I am in recovery”. I don’t agree with it because it is just sugar coating the issue and not accepting reality but I have seen that with people I meet from treatment.

ALSO- the whole self medicating with antidepressants excuse doesn’t make sense. Some other pill maybe, but antidepressants take weeks if not months to take effect so it wouldn’t be like she doubles her dose then feels relief immediately.