We Can Do It Women
On January 7, 2005, Anita Cragen came off a life support machine after ten days when no one knew whether she would live or die. Twenty years later, she is twenty years sober and one of the most respected addiction specialists in the world — helping thousands of women get clean, stay sober, and repair the relationships addiction shattered. IN THIS EPISODE: * From running a Spanish real estate firm to 20 years sober and senior addiction specialist at Phoenix Programs, Spain's oldest treatment center * Why Anita didn't drink until 36 — and the loss of both parents within six weeks that pushed her over the edge * The wedding her daughter wouldn't let her attend at ten months sober — and how they became best friends * The "resentment rucksack" ritual: carrying written resentments down the beach and hurling them into the sea * Why 100 days is what the mind needs to change * Why empty-nest isolation is a breeding ground for addiction in women over 50 * The elevator metaphor: addiction only goes down — but you choose which floor to get off EPISODE SUMMARY: Anita had the big house, the cars, and a thriving business on the Costa del Sol. What no one saw was a woman who started drinking at 36 after losing both parents within six weeks — and couldn't stop. She promised her three children, over and over, that she'd never pick up another drink. Every time, she did. At her lowest, she tried to end her life and spent ten days on life support. That was 2005. She hasn't had a drink since. The man who told her "I have a solution" — Chris Spencer, ten years clean when they met — became her husband and program director at Phoenix Programs in Marbella, where Anita now serves as senior addiction specialist. What they build there is a re-education of mind, body, and spirit: nutrition, daily lectures, the 12 steps, and rituals like the resentment rucksack. Anita teaches that addiction is a disease — an allergy, not a moral failing. And she speaks directly to women home alone after the kids leave, drinking quietly: isolation is the disease's favorite room. Connection is the way out. ABOUT ANITA: Anita Cragen, ICADC, is an internationally qualified addiction therapist with 20+ years of experience, certified in Recovery Dynamics, specializing in women, young moms, and their children. She has worked with clients across Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Europe. CONNECT: https://www.phoenixprogrammes.com/ COMMUNITY: WeCanDoItWomen.com/groups If this episode stirred something in you, please seek help — you can't do this alone, and you don't have to. Then join us at WeCanDoItWomen.com. A 5-star Apple Podcasts review takes under a minute and helps more women find this show.
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