‘Cardigans are optional': Taylor Swift-themed community uses lyrics to talk addiction, recovery

One woman knows about substance use disorder all too well.

Julianne Griffin shares her fearless story of addiction and how she's helping others through a virtual Taylor Swift-themed recovery group.

At first glance, a Swift Steps meeting may just look like a bunch of gals having a listening party and jamming out to Taylor Swift's newest album, "The Tortured Poets Department."

But, when you listen closer the members of the group are relating lyrics of songs to their own struggles with addiction.

A new song off of the album is called, "Down Bad" and Griffin told the group, "This entire song, I could see myself back in the struggle."

"Yeah, like everything was fine before it all came crashing down," Griffin said.

Griffin's friend Emily Bee is a member of the group and she shared her story of losing her sister to an overdose.

During any given meeting hundreds of fellow Swifties are connected virtually and are all at different stages of recovery.

"We're not here to tell you what's considered sobriety or recovery, we're accepting of harm reduction, and we do not require abstinence to be a member," Griffin said during the meeting.

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Growing up in Northeast Philadelphia, Griffin's parents both struggled with drug addiction before her dad died of an overdose when she was just 12.

"I vilified anybody who struggled with substance use disorder. I thought it was absolutely a choice. I thought it was a moral failing," she explained.

Then, at 27 she was prescribed Oxycontin and Vicodin for back pain. And, for six years it wasn't easy to shake it off.

"I confronted probably the biggest fear ever, which was that I was exactly like my parents," she said.

Then, Taylor Swift's album "1989" helped her at the height of her addiction when she was getting drugs anywhere she could.

"Anything I could get to take the edge off of like living daily life," Griffin explained.

She reluctantly went to treatment and a teenager she met in rehab helped her have an epiphany.

"I called my husband and I told him where the fentanyl patches were in the house and I told him to throw them out," she told NBC10.

Now, Griffin has been out of the woods for eight years, as Taylor might call it, clean.

Just five months ago she started a recovery mentoring business "Swift Steps."

"Cardigans are optional, optional because it's virtual in your living room and like bring your cat," Griffing said.

She wants to replicate the sense of community that she felt at Taylor Swift's "The Era's Tour."

"Use Taylor's lyrics to express your journey, find 'Delicate' strength, and be 'Enchanted' by connection in recovery with other Swifties! It's not just a support group, it's a 'Love Story' with yourself!" the description on the group's Facebook page reads.

Never in her wildest dreams did she think it would grow to nearly a thousand members from across the country.

"It's amazing what she's doing now, like using her story and our stories to bring people together into a safe community and Swifties are the safest people we have," Bee said.

So, how did it end?

Griffin survived her great war with addiction and she saw her life begin again.

And now, she has some good karma as Swift Steps continues for-evermore.

"I feel really happy... and really grateful," Griffin said.