Amish, Addicted, And My Recovery

In today’s episode of The Angela Rose Show, I sit down with someone I deeply admire — Jessica Witmer of Wild Olive Branch Coaching. This is her story as a teenager, but it’s also the story of so many of us who grew up silenced, oppressed, and searching for safety in high-control religious environments.

Jessica was raised in an Amish household with 15 siblings, a strict environment, with emotional neglect and physical abuse that ran deep. She opens up about being the “outsider” in a church she would never be fully accepted into, dissociation and self-harm, and the unbearable shame that engulfed her for years. Her courage to revisit her teenage years and speak so vulnerably is nothing short of stunning.

We talked about what it’s like to wake up from survival mode and realize you’ve never been taught how to live. How even after escaping abuse, the battle isn't over—it just changes. Jessica shares what helped her begin to heal, the poem she wrote that still gives me chills, and the powerful meaning behind her “I think you should stay” hat and self harm transformation tattoo.

💬 What we dive into:

• Jessica’s experience growing up Amish and feeling like an outsider
• Self inflicted violence, and how it became a way of coping
• How she escaped her abusive home at 17 
• What healing actually looked like… messy, non-linear, and painfully beautiful
• Why her scars and her story no longer carries shame

If you are struggling with your mental health, I hope this episode reminds you: there is nothing wrong with you. You were never the problem. And you are absolutely worthy of compassion and recovery. I think you should stay.

🖤 Follow Jessica:

Instagram: @wildolivebranchcoaching

Facebook: @jessicawitmer

Coaching & Support: Search Wild Olive Branch Coaching

🎙️ Follow me (Angela Rose):

Instagram: @angelarosemartin

Facebook: @angelarosemartin

TikTok: @angelaroseshow

🔔 Subscribe for more real stories from survivors who’ve turned pain into purpose.

❤️ If You Need Immediate Help

📍 CRISIS SUPPORT RESOURCES

Crisis Text Line – Text TWLOHA to 741741

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call 988

National Child Abuse Hotline – Call 800-422-4453

National Domestic Violence Hotline – Call 800-799-7233

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) – Call 800-656-4673

You matter. Your story matters. And healing is possible.