Valiant Living Podcast

Recovery On Both Sides: A Mother & Daughter Story Of Healing

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2221303/fan_mail/new] A mother and daughter getting sober at the same time sounds inspiring, until you hear what it actually takes: naming the family patterns, setting real boundaries, and staying in the room for the hard conversations. I’m joined by Sherry Young and Julie Hurley to talk about how addiction shows up inside a family system and how recovery becomes possible when we stop performing “fine” and start telling the truth. Their story spans early drinking, blackout shame, high-functioning denial, and the moment consequences finally force clarity. We dig into rebuilding trust after addiction, what forgiveness does and does not mean, and why emotional connection matters more than perfect parenting. Julie shares what it looks like to be sober while still repeating old patterns, and Sherry reflects on growing up around alcoholism and how that shaped control, safety, and the hunger for attachment. If you’ve ever felt “manageably unmanageable,” this conversation puts language to that experience and offers a path forward grounded in community and humility. We also talk about the work they do through Right Fit, helping families, therapists, and treatment professionals navigate complex case management, higher levels of care, and the messy reality of crisis. You’ll hear practical guidance for moms who feel lost, including how to get curious, ask for help, and put the oxygen mask on first. If you find this helpful, subscribe, share the episode with someone who needs hope today, and leave a review so more families can find these recovery stories. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you don’t have to face it alone. Valiant Living helps men and their families move from crisis to stability through clinically driven care, community, and hope. Learn more about our programs at www.valiantliving.com [https://www.valiantliving.com] or call us confidentially at (720) 796-6885 to speak with someone who can help.

When Faith Falls Apart: Rebuilding a Relationship with God After Addiction (with Father Chad E. Jarnigan)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2221303/fan_mail/new] What happens when faith falls apart in ways sobriety alone cannot fix? In this episode, a former pastor who found himself disqualified and starting over sits down with Anglican priest and author Father Chad Jarnigan for an honest conversation about losing and rediscovering faith. This is not a polished, theological discussion. It is a grounded, real exploration of what it looks like when your relationship with God no longer works the way it used to. Together, they unpack spiritual deconstruction and reconstruction in plain language, especially for those in recovery who feel ashamed, numb, or unsure what they believe anymore. They explore how shame-based religion can distort both your view of God and your view of yourself, and why honesty matters more than certainty when you are trying to rebuild. The conversation also touches on the healing role of confession, the difference between a faith crisis and a necessary clearing, and why belonging often comes before believing when someone is starting over. You will also hear practical ways to begin reconnecting, including contemplative practices like silence, breath, gratitude, and simply learning to notice again. Instead of pressure or performance, this episode points toward a slower, more grounded spirituality built on real experience. For anyone who has ever asked, “Where was God in my suffering?”, this conversation holds that question with care and without easy answers. If you feel spiritually lost, you are not alone. And you are not out of options. Download the free guide:  What Do I Turn To When I Feel Spiritually Lost? www.valiantliving.com/episode62 [http://www.valiantliving.com/episode62] If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you don’t have to face it alone. Valiant Living helps men and their families move from crisis to stability through clinically driven care, community, and hope. Learn more about our programs at www.valiantliving.com [https://www.valiantliving.com] or call us confidentially at (720) 796-6885 to speak with someone who can help.

Special Episode: "Loving Leverage", A Live Virtual Clinical Roundtable

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2221303/fan_mail/new] Most people try to love addiction out of someone, and it quietly turns into enabling. We wanted a more honest approach, so we hosted a live roundtable called Loving Leverage with clinicians, family advocates, and people in recovery to talk about the question families live inside every day: when does support help, and when does it keep someone stuck? We dig into what “loving leverage” actually looks like on the ground, from detox realities to long-term recovery. You’ll hear why repeated threats without follow-through backfire, how “relational influence” differs from control, and why the best boundaries are rooted in safety rather than punishment. We also talk about the practical teamwork piece: aligning spouses, parents, employers, and providers so the addicted person can’t split the system, and so treatment has a real chance to work. For clinicians and helpers, we explore the uncomfortable tension of who the client really is when an addicted partner and a betrayed partner want different things. We discuss why outcomes improve when you treat the whole family system, how families can spot relapse risk and inauthenticity after discharge, and what to do when a professional rejects labels like sex addiction by focusing on trauma and attachment patterns. We close with a message for partners and families who feel stuck: fear can be a signal that it’s time to act. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with someone supporting a loved one, and leave a review so more families can find the help they need. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you don’t have to face it alone. Valiant Living helps men and their families move from crisis to stability through clinically driven care, community, and hope. Learn more about our programs at www.valiantliving.com [https://www.valiantliving.com] or call us confidentially at (720) 796-6885 to speak with someone who can help.

Three Perspectives on Sex Addiction: The Addict, The Partner, and The Therapist

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2221303/fan_mail/new] The most dangerous part of process addiction often isn’t what people can see, it’s what shame does in the dark. We sit down as a host, a betrayed partner, and a clinical forensic psychologist to map the real terrain of sex addiction recovery, betrayal trauma, and the moment families realize that weekly therapy and willpower aren’t enough. If inpatient rehab sounds “extreme,” we unpack why treatment can still be life or death when the risk is spiraling secrecy, escalating behavior, and suicidality driven by exposure and self-hatred. We also get practical about the family system. Betrayal trauma can feel like losing your grip on reality because denial and minimization keep rewriting the story. From a clinical perspective, we talk about why partners doubt themselves, what “provisional trust” looks like when everything is on fire, and why specialized support like a CSAT can change the whole trajectory. Healing requires more than stopping behaviors; it requires rebuilding safety, restoring self-trust, and addressing the attachment injuries that addiction creates. Then we go straight at the barrier we hear most: “I can’t leave my job.” We explore how work becomes identity, why control and negotiation are part of the addicted brain, and why the longer treatment is delayed the more relationships and reputations fracture. We end with a legacy question that cuts through the noise: when your life is over, what do you want your family to remember, your title or your presence? If this conversation helps, subscribe, share it with someone who’s stuck, and leave a review so more families can find real support. What’s the biggest fear that keeps people from getting treatment? If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you don’t have to face it alone. Valiant Living helps men and their families move from crisis to stability through clinically driven care, community, and hope. Learn more about our programs at www.valiantliving.com [https://www.valiantliving.com] or call us confidentially at (720) 796-6885 to speak with someone who can help.

Healing from Betrayal: A husband and wife's honest conversation on codependency and rebuilding trust.

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2221303/fan_mail/new] Most recovery podcasts keep a safe distance between interviewer and subject. This episode doesn't. Our host, Drew Powell, sits down with his own wife, Jamie, to talk about what his addiction and betrayal did to her life, her sanity, and their family. It's uncomfortable because it should be. This isn't about redemption arcs or tidy endings. Jamie talks about the moment she stopped protecting him from consequences, stopped managing his recovery, and started asking: "What do I need?" They walk through the chaos of early disclosure, the terrifying decision to pursue therapeutic separation, and what it actually meant to "hold the line" when treatment felt like it might cost them everything. Jamie names what codependency looked like in real time—living by the rule "if you're okay, I'm okay," losing access to her own feelings, and the slow work of reclaiming her voice while married to the person who shattered her trust. They discuss practical tools that mattered: S-Anon, daily emotional regulation practices, communication boundaries with kids, and why detachment isn't abandonment—it's refusing to be someone else's emotional manager. If you're newly betrayed, feeling gaslit, or wondering if you'll ever feel normal again, Jamie offers language for what you're experiencing and permission to prioritize your own healing. If you're the betrayer trying to understand the damage, this is what it sounds like when your partner finally tells the truth. Download the free resource: "Loving Leverage: A Wife's Guide to Boundaries, Clarity, and Hope" at valiantliving.com/episode59 Subscribe for unfiltered recovery conversations. Share this with someone who needs to hear they're not crazy. Leave a review so more people can find help that doesn't sanitize the hard parts. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you don’t have to face it alone. Valiant Living helps men and their families move from crisis to stability through clinically driven care, community, and hope. Learn more about our programs at www.valiantliving.com [https://www.valiantliving.com] or call us confidentially at (720) 796-6885 to speak with someone who can help.