When Mental Illness Turns Deadly — A Family Tragedy and the Warning Signs We Missed

How to Travel Sober Without Losing Your Mind or Your Wallet

Ever wonder if you can actually have fun traveling without drinking your way through every destination? Teresa Bergen joins Dr. Sarah Michaud to share her incredible journey from drinking rubbing alcohol as a child to becoming a sober travel expert who's kayaked through Arctic icebergs and rafted the Grand Canyon. With over 40 years of sobriety starting at age 20, Teresa breaks down the real talk on navigating airports, resorts, and adventures without liquid courage. From avoiding wine country with your drinking buddies to finding your tribe of fellow adventurers, this conversation reveals how sobriety opens doors to experiences you never imagined possible. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Start with group trips and guided activities when beginning sober travel to avoid logistics overwhelm * Choose destinations based on your genuine interests, not what others expect you to enjoy * Bring accountability support and maintain your healthy habits while traveling * You don't have to be perfect at new activities to enjoy incredible experiences * Sometimes the best adventures happen when you step outside your comfort zone (but keep the hotel room) NOTABLE QUOTE "You don't have to be good at all of them. I'm not saying that all these things I'm really great at, like when I'm kayaking in every state, it's not like I'm kayaking 50 miles out of the wild by myself. It's like I'm renting a kayak and paddling around for an hour or two and looking at birds." — Teresa Bergen GUEST BIO Teresa Bergen is author of The Sober Travel Handbook and a writer for Sober Curator Online magazine. With over 40 years of sobriety beginning at age 20, she's turned her passion for adventure into a mission to help others discover the world without alcohol. Teresa is currently on a quest to kayak in every US state and Canadian province while sharing practical tips for sober travelers worldwide. Leaving CrazyTown is a raw, real-talk podcast hosted by Finn and Dr. Sarah Michaud, two recovering addicts turned relatable guides on the wild ride of codependency healing. With a unique blend of humor, honesty, and clinical insight, this show tackles the chaos of dysfunctional relationships, identity loss, and boundary disasters — while offering practical tools, powerful storytelling, and a roadmap for emotional freedom. Weekly episodes on YouTube (@leavingcrazytown) and all major podcast platforms.

The Grief Recovery Handbook Breakdown: Healing Loss You Didn't Know You Had

Do you realize you're still carrying grief from 20 years ago? Sarah, Amy Liz Harrison, and Erin Lane break down The Grief Recovery Handbook by John James and Russell Friedman in this vulnerable Boozeless Book Club episode. They explore how unresolved grief shows up in codependency patterns, relationship addiction, people-pleasing, and chronic activation. From childhood friendship losses to miscarriage to sexual assault to empty nest, the Crazy Cats share what happened when they actually wrote completion letters and made their grief timelines. This episode is for anyone who thought they didn't have anything to grieve or has been white-knuckling their way through loss for decades. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Grief isn't just about death. It includes job loss, friendship shifts, miscarriage, divorce, empty nest, career changes, and even losing who you thought you were. * The Grief Recovery Handbook recommends creating a timeline of losses from birth to now, then writing completion letters that include positives, negatives, emotional impact statements, and unsaid things. * Unresolved grief can show up as depression, addiction, relationship addiction, compulsive busyness, fear of intimacy, detachment, physical problems, and a general lack of aliveness. * Women especially carry unprocessed grief from childhood friendship losses, which can activate us when our own kids experience rejection or exclusion. * Completing grief doesn't mean forgetting. It means creating space for new life without being haunted by old pain. GUEST BIOS Amy Liz Harrison is a writer, speaker, and recovery advocate. Mother of eight, she brings honesty and humor to conversations about faith, family, and healing. Erin Lane is a writer and storyteller navigating grief, motherhood, and recovery with vulnerability and grace. RESOURCES & LINKS The Grief Recovery Handbook by John James and Russell Friedman Notable Quote "We pathologize grief. We don't make space for this normal process. All human beings experience it, yet there's no space for it." — Sarah Connect With Us Dr. Sarah Michaud, Author of Co Crazy Follow @leavingcrazytown on YouTube Website: https://drsarahmichaud.com [https://drsarahmichaud.com] If you loved this conversation, subscribe, rate, and review Leaving CrazyTown. Hosted by Finn and Dr. Sarah Michaud. Codependency healing with humor, honesty, and hope. Subscribe and buckle up. For educational and entertainment purposes only. Not a substitute for professional mental health treatment.

Codependency with Goldfish

In this episode, Sarah shares how the death of her 20-year-old goldfish Joe triggered a full codependency relapse as she obsessed over whether his tank mate Jeff was lonely. Finn and Sarah dive into how we project our own unprocessed feelings onto others including our pets and create suffering where none exists. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Codependency involves obsessive thinking about others similar to how addiction involves obsessive thinking about substances * We often project our own unmet emotional needs onto others including pets and make up stories about what they need * The question to ask yourself when you start obsessing is what am I feeling right now and what story am I making up * Our codependent behaviors usually start with our own unprocessed emotions not the other person's actual needs * Projection can happen with anyone in our lives from romantic partners to children to pets NOTABLE QUOTE "The thing why codependency is awful is it doesn't work for either person. All it does is affect the relationship and it kills us. We go down the tubes with them." — Dr. Sarah Michaud Connect With Us Website: https://drsarahmichaud.com [https://drsarahmichaud.com/] Buy the Book: Co-Crazy If you loved this conversation, subscribe, rate, and review Leaving CrazyTown. Hosted by Finn and Dr. Sarah Michaud. Codependency healing with humor, honesty, and hope. Subscribe and buckle up. For educational and entertainment purposes only. Not a substitute for professional mental health treatment.

Codependency and Anger: Even in Dogs

Ever wonder why your pet seems cranky despite all your care? In this eye-opening episode, Sarah and Finn respond to a letter from Bentley, a dog struggling with his codependent owner's over-helping behaviors. Through Bentley's story, they explore how codependent patterns show up in pet relationships and why "helping" can actually harm those we love most. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Codependent behavior with pets mirrors parent-child dynamics where we fix feelings instead of allowing them * Over-helping pets (or people) removes their opportunity to build self-esteem through their own accomplishments * When we focus on everyone else's needs while ignoring our own, resentment and anger build up * Boundaries may start out harsh when we're not used to setting them, but they can be refined with practice * Pack animals need to interact with their peers, not just be attached to one human * True helping means allowing others to experience consequences and build their own confidence NOTABLE QUOTE "We are not responsible for other people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The most important thing is to notice what is happening for me and what do I need." — Dr. Sarah Michaud Connect With Us Website: https://drsarahmichaud.com [https://drsarahmichaud.com/] Buy the Book: Co-Crazy If you loved this conversation, subscribe, rate, and review Leaving CrazyTown. Hosted by Finn and Dr. Sarah Michaud. Codependency healing with humor, honesty, and hope. Subscribe and buckle up. For educational and entertainment purposes only. Not a substitute for professional mental health treatment.

When Mental Illness Turns Deadly — A Family Tragedy and the Warning Signs We Missed

Do you stay when someone you love is spiraling — or do you walk away? Sarah and Finn sit down with Alex Konicke, author of Evil Among Us, to talk about a family tragedy no one saw coming — and the mental health system that failed them. Alex's older brother Zach struggled with addiction, mental illness, and escalating behavior that culminated in murder and arson. This is a raw conversation about codependency, boundaries, community, and what happens when love isn't enough to save someone. Key Takeaways * Mental illness often looks like addiction — and both get missed until it's too late * Families can enable and protect out of love — and still end up in danger * Calling 9-1-1 creates a record — and can be the difference between intervention and tragedy * Grief isn't linear — it spirals, and everyone processes it differently * Community, therapy, and sharing your story are essential for survival after trauma Guest Bio Alex Konicke is the author of Evil Among Us, a memoir about love, loss, mental health, and survival. After losing his mother in a family tragedy involving mental illness and violence, Alex became an advocate for mental health awareness and the importance of boundaries in crisis situations. He lives with his wife and stepchildren and continues to share his story to help others facing similar pain. Resources and Links Book: Evil Among Us by Alex Konicke — available on Amazon Website: alexkonicke.com Connect with Alex on Facebook and Instagram Notable Quote "Just because someone is crazy doesn't mean they're dumb — and just because you love them doesn't mean you're safe." — Alex Konicke Connect With Us Dr. Sarah Michaud, Author of Co Crazy Follow @leavingcrazytown on YouTube Website: https://drsarahmichaud.com If you loved this conversation, subscribe, rate, and review Leaving CrazyTown — and share it with a friend ready to reclaim their voice and leave confusion behind. Leaving CrazyTown is a raw, real-talk podcast hosted by Finn and Dr. Sarah Michaud, two recovering addicts turned relatable guides on the wild ride of codependency healing. Each episode dives deep into the chaos of dysfunctional relationships, identity loss, and emotional recovery — with humor, honesty, and hope. Subscribe and buckle up — we're leaving CrazyTown. This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment. If you're struggling, please seek support from a licensed professional.