Interview: Mom Tiffany Jenkins on Juggling the Jenkins, her road to overcoming addiction and raising her children

Tiffany Jenkins appears to many as a typical stay-at-home mom raising three young children. Seeing her videos and reading her posts, you quickly realize that Jenkins is anything but typical. She is honest and open as she shared with her audiences the life she used to live that included addiction and jail time. As Jenkins begins her tour in San Antonio, Texas this evening at the Tobin Center for Performing Arts, BWW had a chance to chat with her about her addiction, recovery and how she juggles the Jenkins in the world today.

How did you get started with your blogs and how did it blossom?

After I had my daughter, Chloe, I was suffering with Post-Partum depression. I went to the internet because I was a stay-at-home mom. I was isolated and the internet is the only connection I had with the outside world. I was looking for somebody I could relate to who had been through similar things as me. When I looked, all I could find was people who seemed perfect. And it made me think I am failing as a parent. I found writing and making videos was a therapeutic outlet for me when I felt like I couldn't be understood. It took me a long time to get the courage to post my first post. It started with me talking about issues that weren't really being talked about like addiction and depression and things like that. The more I talked about things that made me uncomfortable, the more people gravitated towards me. I realized I'm not as crazy as I thought. Now people don't feel as crazy as they thought. I decided to talk about things that maybe are things people tend to not brag about or bring out to the open for fear of judgement or shame. I figured by doing it in a silly way, it would let others who weren't into that sort of thing be able to listen and absorb as opposed to me lecturing. Make them laugh and then at the end of the video there was a message. What was it? It's been so cool.

How do you feel when you have so many people who relate to you and share their stories with you?

Overwhelmed is pretty much my new life. I stay in that space because I wasn't expecting any of this. I've been doing it for two years and everything that everyone sees has been in the past two years. Because of the subjects that I'm talking about, [to] a lot of my people I might be the first person that they've seen that they can relate to. I get tons of emails and they're all very deep and some are heartbreaking and I as an empath, I absorb all of it and want to help everybody. So, I practice self-care often. I practice taking a step back and being aware of when I'm taking on too much. Those who follow know that I have frequent mental breakdowns. I'm honest with it. I'm like, "I'm about to have a mental breakdown. See you in a couple of days. Love you." It's part of who I am but the reward of being able to help others feel better about where they are in life is far greater than any type of negativity that would come back my way.

So when you're in that state and you're thinking about it, it gives you a chance to reflect on your own experiences and the fact that now you have an outlet and because of you, others have an outlet and everybody's not so crazy after all.

That's the whole purpose of life, to help others and to make others enjoy their time here as much as possible and do as many things as you can. So, if I need to be truthful about who I am is helping others continuing to live their lives without being embarrassed, it's the least I can do.

As you progress, I'm sure there are many things that you will not share with others. How do you decide what to share and what to keep private?

I share everything unless it's going to affect someone negatively. I don't tell anybody else's stories. I stay neutral because somebody is looking up to me. They always ask my opinion. And it's always religion, politics, different kinds of drug treatments. I stay away from it because people these days, if you say something they don't agree with, they generally will cut you off completely and they think that you're crazy when it comes to those things. I don't ever want to lose somebody because of my opinions. That person could have stuck around for a week more and heard something that they needed to hear and made a decision to change their lives. That's the only restraints I have when it comes to what I talk about is other people and if could hurt anyone else or break anyone's anonymity.

You're just an open book.

I probably shouldn't be but I can't help it. I know that I have few million followers but it doesn't feel like that when I'm in on my live feeds and I'm talking to these people because my supporters are so supportive and loving. Not just to me but to everybody in the comments section and so it doesn't feel like I'm talking to strangers on the internet. It feels like I'm in a group of people that get me. That makes me feel like I can open up and be honest.

A lot of what you share is so important to so many people. Women feel like they are alone sometimes and seeing others like them going through the same things, makes all the difference in the world to them.

Just opening up can help other mothers who feel ashamed or embarrassed, to hear that they're not alone. That's so huge. Our stories help others and that's why we should tell them. They help not only us but others as well and I know how tough it must be to love somebody and feel completely powerless.

Now, let's talk about what people can expect when they come to see your show.

I'm glad you're asking this because my first two shows, people (the audience) were not prepared. They were under the impression that I was solely a stand-up comedienne which I am not. My show will definitely have comedy because that is the part of who I am. But, it is going to be my story. Parts of my story that my audience has never heard. It isn't just me rambling on about my story, it's the lessons that I learned along the way. I talk about the addiction, trying to end my life. What life is like now; why I'm so glad I wasn't successful in that. The things I discovered and learned along the way. The whole first half is going to be that. Just a moment of laughing and feeling inspired and your emotions being all over the place. The second half, I do a Q & A and I also call some people up on stage and put them on the spot and do a little giveaway. It's like getting out the house and sitting in a room full of people who are just as weird and awkward and silly as you and hanging out.

What do your kids say about you doing the things you do?

My youngest just turned three and my son is four. They have no clue what's going on. They just know that I talk to my friends on videos and they know that I make videos. They have no concept of the internet or anything. My eldest daughter, out of respect for her maternal family, I try my best not to put her on the internet and to keep her out of it. She is so sad because she wants to be on YouTube. She watches all the little girls and sliming on YouTube and she wants to do it. She loves it. I'd rather wait until she's older to understand the internet completely and the bullying and things like that before exposing her to it. She loves it. She tells everybody I'm famous. Stop telling people that. It's not true.

Tiffany Jenkins will be touring around the U.S. with her first stop in San Antonio, Texas at the Tobin Center this evening. Purchase tickets for the San Antonio show by going to the Tobin Center's website. Check out other tour dates by going to Tiffany Jenkins' Page.

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