Atmosphere and Re-Entry

Hey all,

Just recently got back into KSP after years of not playing, and I've noticed something about re-entry that I was curious about.

For some reason when re-entering Kerbin, around the 15-20k meter mark, it feels like my craft suddenly hits a proverbial brick wall.

My smooth re-entry turns in a spinning, flailing mass of spaceship. It also flips wrong way around from where my heat shield is, and I either burn up, or cant slow down fast enough to deploy my chutes.

Is it something I am doing wrong with my reentry or is this a known "feature" of the Kerbin atmosphere?

Any help is appreciated. If you need more info from me I'm happy to provide later today.

Ive never modded the game, but I am also open to mod suggestions that correct aerodynamic behavior.

Thanks in advance.