Leaving CrazyTown

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 add...

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...

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 abou...

Is your pet tired of being your emotional support system? In this hilarious and insightful episode, Sarah and Finn read a letter from Frank the Cat, who's fed up with being his owner's emotional bandaid during trauma documentaries. Through Frank's story, they explore how codependent patterns show up even in our relationships with pets and offer practical advice for setting healthy boun...

Do you still carry shame from things you did back then? Finn and Dr. Sarah both hit major sobriety milestones — and they get raw about what's changed in recovery and what still needs work. They share humiliating stories from active addiction, talk about the gift of self-compassion, and remind us that recovery isn't about perfection. It's about not carrying the old you like a life sente...

Do you drink to numb pain you can't name? Nicole Cameron endured six pregnancy losses while her alcoholism spiraled—each miscarriage deepening her denial, her isolation, and her belief that something was fundamentally wrong with her. Her husband begged her to get help. Adoption agencies turned her away. And still, she couldn't stop drinking. Until one phone call changed everything. Now 18...

In this Boozeless Book Club episode of Leaving CrazyTown, Amy Liz Harrison and Dr. Sarah Michaud take a deep, thoughtful dive into Many Roads, One Journey: Moving Beyond the 12 Steps by Charlotte Davis Kasl. Together, they explore how rigidity, fear-based recovery messaging, and one-size-fits-all approaches can unintentionally limit healing—especially for women and people with histories of codepen...

Do you even know who you are anymore? It's Sarah's and Finn's anniversary month — time in recovery — and they're reflecting on three major ways they've changed since the using days. From self-reliance to honesty to actually feeling their feelings, this episode gets real about what shifts when you start doing the work. No perfect recovery stories here — just two people noticing...

Can you imagine having sex without booze… or does that thought make you want to crawl out of your skin? In this episode, Finn and Dr. Sarah get honest about sober sex — what it looked like in addiction versus what it requires in recovery. From detachment, low standards, and seeking validation to body image fears, rejection anxiety, and learning discernment, they unpack the uncomfortable shift from...

In this Boozeless Book Club episode, Dr. Sarah Michaud and Amy Liz Harrison dive deep into Wake Up by Jen Hatmaker—a book that challenges rigid belief systems, recovery dogma, and fear-based spirituality. Together, they unpack what happens when programs meant to heal start replacing one form of control with another, especially for women navigating sobriety, faith, and codependency. This is an hone...

Is it love… or is it codependency dressed up as romance? In this Valentine’s Day episode, Finn and Dr. Sarah break down the real differences between healthy love and codependent attachment. Drawing from their own relationships (yes, they’re both in love right now), they unpack the subtle ways we confuse control, people-pleasing, emotional blame, and conflict avoidance with “being loving.” From emo...

What does subtle codependency actually look like in real life? In this kickoff episode of CrazyTown Confessions , Finn and Dr. Sarah pull back the curtain on their own sneaky patterns—manipulation disguised as care, irritation masked as concern, and the quiet control tactics that slip in when we’re trying to soothe ourselves. From storm anxiety and “helpful suggestions” to shoulder injuries, insur...

Episode Description What happens when you’ve done “everything right” in recovery — and it still isn’t enough? In this deeply honest conversation,  Dr. Sarah sits down with author Patti Clark to explore long-term sobriety, relapse after 13 years, emotional bottoms, motherhood shame, loneliness, and the quiet moments that can pull us back into addiction. Patti shares the raw truth behind her relapse...

How often do you say “I’m fine” when you’re anything but? In this episode of Leaving CrazyTown , Finn and Dr. Sarah unpack the many meanings behind those two deceptively simple words—and why asking for help can feel harder than suffering in silence. With humor, honesty, and lived recovery wisdom, they explore what makes some requests easy, others terrifying, and how emotional pain often hides behi...

The holidays have a way of turning up the volume on codependency — expectations, guilt, fear of disappointing others, and the pressure to “just make it work.” In this honest holiday wrap-up, Finn and Dr. Sarah Michaud review what actually helped, what didn’t, and how clear communication became the difference between resentment and relief. From navigating COVID plans to managing adult kids’ expecta...

Episode Description What happens when peak physical endurance collides with life-altering diagnosis? In this powerful episode of Leaving CrazyTown, Dr. Sarah Michaud sits down with Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds—nonprofit CEO, Ironman triathlete, and two-time cancer survivor—to unpack what it really means to do hard things. Jeffrey shares how endurance training prepared him for cancer treatment, how vulnera...

What if the fastest way out of resentment, anxiety, and emotional spirals was the one thing most of us avoid? In this episode, Finn and Dr. Sarah break down why speaking directly to the person who upset you is one of the most powerful tools in codependency recovery. With real-life stories, humor, and practical guidance, they show how confronting discomfort leads to clarity, intimacy, and emotional...

Episode Description If you’ve ever rushed in with advice when someone you love was hurting—or felt shut down when you just wanted to be heard—this episode is for you. Finn and Dr. Sarah break down one of the most common (and damaging) traits of codependency: the need to fix other people’s feelings. Through real-life stories, honest reflection, and practical tools, they explain why fixing kills int...

What happens when you quit drinking—but life still feels unbearable? In this raw, deeply validating conversation, Dr. Sarah Michaud sits down with sobriety coach, author, and creator of the Soberful podcast with Veronica Valli, to unpack the missing link in recovery: emotional sobriety. From early addiction and fear-driven coping to codependent relationships and subconscious attachment wounds, Ver...

In this episode of Leaving CrazyTown , Finn and Dr. Sarah break down a deceptively simple but life-changing concept: there is nothing to defend . Through humor, real-life role-play, and honest reflection, they explore how defensiveness, ghosting, and emotional shutdown sabotage connection—and how validation, curiosity, and clarity create safety instead. If you’ve ever felt misunderstood, reactive,...

In this raw, relatable episode, Finn and Dr. Sarah unpack two deceptively simple moments that sent them spiraling onto the “crazy train.” What begins as a casual invite — coffee or walk? — becomes a full-blown internal crisis about likability, expectations, and imagined judgments. Together, they reveal how codependency sneaks into everyday interactions, why old fears get activated, and how to paus...

In this powerful, unfiltered conversation, Dr. Sarah sits down with The Mental Illness Happy Hour host Paul Gilmartin for an honest look at trauma, recovery, intimacy, and the long-term impact of childhood wounds. Paul shares how early emotional experiences shaped his patterns in adulthood—and how compassion, boundaries, and accountability became the tools that changed everything. Together, Paul a...

The holidays can feel like a warm hug… or a codependent meltdown waiting to happen. In this episode, Finn and Dr. Sarah break down the five biggest shifts that help codependents survive (and seriously enjoy) the holiday season. From asking for what you actually want, to ditching rituals that don’t serve you anymore, to saying “no” without the spiral — these tools help you stop overgiving, overspen...

In this Leaving CrazyTown x Eternally Amy crossover, Dr. Sarah Michaud joins Amy Liz Harrison for a Boozeless Book Club deep dive into Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Eat, Pray, Love” aftermath and the complex layers of love addiction, codependency, and emotional recovery. Together, they unpack how relationships can become the new addiction — and how self-awareness, radical honesty, and recovery tools can pu...

This week, Finn and Dr. Sarah welcome writer and recovery advocate Jason Mayo, author of In Case of Emergency: Break Childhood and founder of Sober Not Subtle. In this honest and often hilarious conversation, Jason opens up about the hidden trauma of childhood divorce, the messy intersection of mental health and sobriety, and the art of starting over without self-destructing. Together they unpack...