Girl Overboard

Welcome to Girl Overboard, a documentary podcast about love, addiction, loss, and what remains. A project 15 years in the making, told from the perspective of a grieving little sister and her mom. It's an unfiltered look at a family fighting to stay together as one falls into substance use and ultimately doesn't make it out alive. Artistically blending timelines and voices from family, friends, counselors, experts, and roommates. 
Here you'll find tears and laughter, love and disaster, and above all, hope. 

Trigger Warning: This podcast discusses themes of addiction, loss, sexual assault, overdose, self-harm, eating disorders, and grief. Please be gentle with yourself. For resources and support, visit our website at www.girloverboardpod.com/resources

Connect with us:

• Website: www.girloverboardpod.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @girloverboardpod
• Substack: girloverboard.substack.com - written bonus content released weekly!
• Listen & Review: If you find Sierra's story meaningful, please leave us a review and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

Credits: Co-created by Reece and Karen Carman. Produced and Engineered by Reece Carman. Associate Producer: Megan Sanchez.

Join us for a bonus episode of Girl Overboard. In this episode, you'll learn about a surgery Sierra had when she was young and the significant impact we believe it has on her experience with substances. We also talk with Sterling Elliott, a Clinical Pharmacist Lead and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery. Dr Elliott specializes in surgical pharmacy and post-operative pain management, where he teaches patients to use a variety of medication options to manage pain while minimizing the use of opioid medications. Dr. Elliott is also on the board of directors for Voices For Non-Opioid Choices, an organization aiming to prevent addiction before it starts by increasing availability and utilization of non-opioid approaches to pain management. In our conversation, we talk about the opioid crisis, pain management, the victim toll, and more. Mom and I also discuss the Purdue Pharma settlement in depth. We hope you listen in, as there is much to learn!

Connect with Girl Overboard:

• Website: www.girloverboardpod.com
• Instagram: @girloverboardpod
• Substack: girloverboard.substack.com - written bonus content released weekly!
• Email: [email protected]
• Listen & Review: If you find Sierra's story meaningful, please leave us a review and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

Resources & Support:
For information on substance use disorder, treatment options, and family support, visit www.girloverboardpod.com. If you’re in an immediate crisis, contact local emergency services or a crisis hotline.

Credits:
Co-created by Reece and Karen Carman. Produced and Engineered by Reece Carman. Associate Producer: Megan Sanchez

Join us for a bonus episode of Girl Overboard, where we talk with William Cope Moyers. William is a New York Times best-selling author, vice president of Public Affairs and Community Relations at Hazelden Foundation, and a long-time advocate for addiction treatment and recovery. In our conversation, we talk about the impact of addiction on the whole family, the use of medically assisted treatments, relapse, and recovery. We hope you listen in, as there is much to learn!

Connect with Girl Overboard:

• Website: www.girloverboardpod.com
• Instagram: @girloverboardpod
• Substack: girloverboard.substack.com - written bonus content released weekly!
• Email: [email protected]
• Listen & Review: If you find Sierra's story meaningful, please leave us a review and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

Resources & Support:
For information on substance use disorder, treatment options, and family support, visit www.girloverboardpod.com. If you’re in an immediate crisis, contact local emergency services or a crisis hotline.

Credits:
Co-created by Reece and Karen Carman. Produced and Engineered by Reece Carman. Associate Producer: Megan Sanchez.

Join us for a bonus episode of Girl Overboard, where we talk with Marcia Lee Taylor. With 30+ years in the addiction and drug policy space, Marcia has infinite wisdom within this field. We cover topics from stigma and shame to the changing drug climate and the opioid crisis. We hope you listen in, as there is much to learn!

Connect with Girl Overboard:

• Website: www.girloverboardpod.com
• Instagram: @girloverboardpod
• Substack: girloverboard.substack.com - written bonus content released weekly!
• Email: [email protected]
• Listen & Review: If you find Sierra's story meaningful, please leave us a review and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

Resources & Support:
For information on substance use disorder, treatment options, and family support, visit www.girloverboardpod.com. If you’re in an immediate crisis, contact local emergency services or a crisis hotline.

Credits:
Co-created by Reece and Karen Carman. Produced and Engineered by Reece Carman. Associate Producer: Megan Sanchez.

The series finale of Girl Overboard is a profoundly emotional exploration of the immediate and long-term aftermath of Sierra’s death. It begins with a poignant poem by Donna Ashworth, setting the stage for a narrative that reframes grief not as something to "move on" from, but as a companion to "move with".

Reece recounts her return to college just a week after losing Sierra, describing the surreal experience of trying to resume "normal" life while in a state of shock and dissociation. Pat reflects on the isolation of experiencing grief as a man. Reece and her family look back on the nine years since Sierra’s passing, reflecting on how grief has transformed from a monster into a lifelong companion. Karen shares the incredible origin story of Hope Street, the recovery residence she founded in Sierra's honor. We hear about the beautiful legacy of healing that now lives within its walls.

It's more than a conclusion; it’s the "starting of an adventure", a phrase Sierra herself used to describe the unpredictability and beauty of life.


Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of substance use and death.

Connect with Girl Overboard:

• Website: www.girloverboardpod.com
• Instagram: @girloverboardpod
• Substack: girloverboard.substack.com - written bonus content released weekly!
• Email: [email protected]
• Listen & Review: If you find Sierra's story meaningful, please leave us a review and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

Resources & Support:
For information on substance use disorder, treatment options, and family support, visit www.girloverboardpod.com. If you’re in an immediate crisis, contact local emergency services or a crisis hotline.

Credits:
Co-created by Reece and Karen Carman. Produced and Engineered by Reece Carman. Associate Producer: Megan Sanchez.

Episode 9 is a raw exploration of the day the Carman family’s world stood still. We hear the harrowing details of Sierra’s final night at the recovery residence, the frantic efforts to understand what had happened, and the agonizing realization that their worst fear had come true.

Through the voices of Sierra’s sister, parents, and closest friends, this episode captures the initial, numbing shock of loss and the slow, painful process of piecing together a life without her. From the physical weight of sorrow to the small, inexplicable “God moments” that offered a glimmer of hope, we explore the concept of endurance in the face of the unthinkable.

As the family prepares for the series finale, they reflect on the lessons learned through their loss and the enduring power of Sierra’s memory. It is a testament to the fact that while grief never fully disappears, we can learn to carry it with grace and purpose.

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of substance use, overdose, and death.

Connect with Girl Overboard:

• Website: www.girloverboardpod.com
• Instagram: @girloverboardpod
• Substack: girloverboard.substack.com - written bonus content released weekly!
• Email: [email protected]
• Listen & Review: If you find Sierra's story meaningful, please leave us a review and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

Resources & Support:
For information on substance use disorder, treatment options, and family support, visit www.girloverboardpod.com. If you’re in an immediate crisis, contact local emergency services or a crisis hotline.

Credits:
Co-created by Reece and Karen Carman. Produced and Engineered by Reece Carman. Associate Producer: Megan Sanchez.

In late 2017, the Carman family found themselves back together for a rare, bittersweet Christmas in Austin. While the holiday was filled with laughter and the joy of a long-awaited reunion, the cracks in Sierra’s recovery were already beginning to show. From a simple "family sculpture" exercise that exposed a deep sense of isolation to the physical toll that signaled her body was under immense stress, the warning signs were there—even if they were too painful to fully acknowledge.

This episode explores the dark side of recovery, specifically the vulnerability to abusive relationships and the "secondary" diseases, like bulimia, that can take hold when substances are removed. We hear the harrowing story of Sierra’s escape from a dangerous situation and the agonizing realization for her parents that, despite their best efforts, they couldn't always be there to shield her.

Through tears and honest reflection, Reece and her parents navigate the difficult territory of regret: the moments they missed, the calls they didn't make, and the enduring power of a family bond that persists even when the boat feels tattered and worn.

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussions of substance use, eating disorders, and domestic abuse.

Link to video

Connect with Girl Overboard:

• Website: www.girloverboardpod.com
• Instagram: @girloverboardpod
• Substack: girloverboard.substack.com - written bonus content released weekly!
• Email: [email protected]
• Listen & Review: If you find Sierra's story meaningful, please leave us a review and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

Resources & Support:
For information on substance use disorder, treatment options, and family support, visit www.girloverboardpod.com. If you’re in an immediate crisis, contact local emergency services or a crisis hotline.

Credits:
Co-created by Reece and Karen Carman. Produced and Engineered by Reece Carman. Associate Producer: Megan Sanchez.

Episode 7 picks up in the winter of 2015, a time when a fresh sense of hope buoyed Sierra and her family. Sierra had decided to return to treatment on her own terms, and for a fleeting moment, the weight of addiction seemed to lift. Reece and Karen reflect on that hopeful Christmas and a rare, joyful afternoon at the mall—a glimpse of the "old Sierra" that remains a cherished memory.

But as the winter turned to spring, that hope was tested by the brutal reality of relapse. Through Sierra’s own heartbreaking journal entries, we hear her internal war: the desperate desire to be a role model for her sister, the crushing shame of feeling "unfixable", and the terrifying realization that she hadn’t yet hit bottom.

This episode also dives into the medical complexities of recovery. Reece speaks with William Moyers, VP at the Hazelden Foundation and NY Times best-selling author, to explore the life-saving potential and the social stigma of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). We hear the harrowing story of Sierra’s physical rejection of Suboxone and the impossible choice her parents faced when they realized that, sometimes, supporting an addict means watching them fall.

From a trip to Texas to a father’s tearful blessing for his daughter, Episode 7 is a raw look at a family’s tireless effort to save the person they love. 

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussions of substance use.

Connect with Girl Overboard:

• Website: www.girloverboardpod.com
• Instagram: @girloverboardpod
• Substack: girloverboard.substack.com - written bonus content released weekly!
• Email: [email protected]
• Listen & Review: If you find Sierra's story meaningful, please leave us a review and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

Resources & Support:
For information on substance use disorder, treatment options, and family support, visit www.girloverboardpod.com. If you’re in an immediate crisis, contact local emergency services or a crisis hotline.

Credits:
Co-created by Reece and Karen Carman. Produced and Engineered by Reece Carman. Associate Producer: Megan Sanchez.

In this episode, Sierra leaves treatment and moves to Portland with two friends (Jonathan and Andrew), a move that quickly goes awry, leading her to move in with her grandma. What follows is a painful chapter: relapse, the discovery of heroin use, seizures, and a family trying to keep it all together.

Reece and Karen sit down with Jonathan and Andrew to piece together Sierra’s time in Portland, the red flags, and the chaotic cleanup of a room full of drug paraphernalia. On the drive home, Karen keeps spotting rainbows—small, fragile signs of hope amid grief and confusion. This episode examines how families try to respond to relapse and the complicated mix of love, guilt, and hope that follows.

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of substance use.

Connect with Girl Overboard:

• Website: www.girloverboardpod.com
• Instagram: @girloverboardpod
• Substack: girloverboard.substack.com - written bonus content released weekly!
• Email: [email protected]
• Listen & Review: If you find Sierra's story meaningful, please leave us a review and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

Resources & Support:
For information on substance use disorder, treatment options, and family support, visit www.girloverboardpod.com/resources. If you’re in an immediate crisis, contact local emergency services or a crisis hotline.

Credits:
Co-created by Reece and Karen Carman. Produced and Engineered by Reece Carman. Associate Producer: Megan Sanchez.

In the early morning hours of Christmas Eve 2014, the Carman family’s world was turned upside down. Cousin Maddy recounts how a holiday party turned into a life-altering emergency as Sierra faced a near-fatal overdose.

In this deeply personal episode, the family recalls the harrowing events of that night and the complicated days that followed. From the life-saving role of Narcan to the intense feelings of guilt, anger, and fear that rippled through the family. In this episode, we explore:
Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussions of substance use and overdose.

Connect with Girl Overboard:

• Website: www.girloverboardpod.com
• Instagram: @girloverboardpod
• Substack: girloverboard.substack.com - written bonus content released weekly!
• Email: [email protected]
• Listen & Review: If you find Sierra's story meaningful, please leave us a review and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

Resources & Support:
For information on substance use disorder, treatment options, and family support, visit www.girloverboardpod.com/resources. If you’re in an immediate crisis, contact local emergency services or a crisis hotline.

Credits:
Co-created by Reece and Karen Carman. Produced and Engineered by Reece Carman. Associate Producer: Megan Sanchez.