Addiction and the Family

We explore the importance and power of positive self-talk to help people in recovery from addiction, including how it can help family members in their own recovery.

Jules returns to the podcast to talk about her family's history of unhealthy enabling, how it impacted her addiction and recovery, and then how she is helping to change the pattern in her family and the families of the clients she helps every day at Windmill. Special Guest: Jules Santiago.

Emily Redondo talks about how she has dealt with years of addiction, how this impacted her self-image as a wife, mother, and person in recovery, and her new book, "Wife, Mother, Drunk." Special Guest: Emily Redondo.

We take a dive into the nature of trauma and how it impacts us, especially in relation to addiction. We look at how we can recover from both trauma and addiction.

A dynamic conversation with Donna Marston, who helps family members find their own recovery in the face of a loved one's addiction, drawing on years of experience and her own journey as a mother of someone with an addiction. Special Guest: Donna Marston.

We interview acclaimed minister and author John Ortberg in a wonderful conversation about the 12 Steps, the nature of faith, and how spirituality plays such a vital part in so many people's recovery. Special Guest: John Ortberg.

We look at some of the highlights of recovery in 2025, as well as some of the challenges of the holiday season for ourselves and some of our previous guests. Special Guest: Robyn Scott.

Sarah K and her two teenagers talk about their experience of Sarah's addiction and recovery, exploring how both the active addiction and recovery have affected them.

We talk with the amazing Dr. Nicki Monti, whose indomitable spirit shines through in this wide-ranging conversation about all things recovery. Special Guest: Dr. Nicki Monti.

7OH is a new drug that has showed itself to be highly addictive for many people, yet it's perfectly legal in most places, there's no regulation for it, and many people start on it with no idea of what they are getting into. We are seeing more and more clients show up at Windmill Wellness Ranch struggling with this, so we need to get the word out. Kira and Casey discuss all the ins and outs of 7OH...

We talk with Sally McQuillen, therapist and author of "Reaching for Beautiful," about how she not only survived, but learned and grew from losing her "wild child" son when he was 19.

We talk with Amanda and Tommy from F Fentanyl, their organization that works tirelessly to bring free naloxone, best known under the brand name Narcan, and education to everywhere from elementary schools to raves. Their efforts are saving lives, part of the reason the opioid overdose rate has been going down in the United States. If you want to watch the video of this episode, check out our YouTub...

We talk with Robyn Scott about how she draws on her career in comedy to help people recover from addiction using improv techniques, and how people can not only heal, but soar after trauma as they recognize their strength and creativity. Special Guest: Robyn Scott.

This episode looks at the role of negative emotions in our lives, how to recognize and ride through them, how to learn from them, and how these things show up in recovery from addiction (and other mental health disorders) for both the person with the disease and those who love them. This episode is based on the "Biology of Mental Health" series that I teach at Windmill Wellness Ranch. Our podcast...

When Jessica's young adult son JB overdosed on fentanyl, he had a massive brain injury, and Jessica was told to abandon all hope. Instead, she fought for him and found the care he needed. In this moving interview, we hear her story of heartbreak and hope. We also hear from Dr. Ivanhoe of TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, who has been working with the family for years. Video edition of thi...

In this episode, we talk to Jami Carlacio, a recovery coach and podcaster who grew up around addiction all her life, fell into the disease herself, and was the first in her family to find recovery. She talks about how she not only transformed her life, but also started changing the family lineage of addiction through her own parenting and work as a recovery professional. We discuss how important i...

We look at different aspects of the illusion of control. We talk about what it is, how it affects family dynamics, how it affects recovery, how to recognize it in your life, and how to start diminishing its impact in your life and relationships.

In this episode, we talk with one of my colleagues at Windmill Wellness Ranch, Sara, who has several years of recovery under her belt, and Lera, her teen daughter who grew up mostly apart from Sara until a few years ago. They talk about the impact of addiction in their lives, their ongoing struggles, how they have come together more as each finds her own growth, and what they feel has worked best...

We catch up with guests from previous episodes to see how 2024 has been for them. We find out how they have been experiencing and dealing with some of the victories and challenges that come with this life in recovery. In each case, we hear stories of experience, strength, and hope that can help inspire all of us as we wrap up 2024 and look forward to another year of recovery in 2025.

We talk with Dr. Judith Smith, who has researched and written about the difficulties of parenting adult children with addiction and other mental health challenges. We talk about what she has learned, how this interfaces with what we know about addiction in families, and how to find your way through these challenges. Special Guest: Judith Smith, PhD.

We look at what to expect when you or someone you love leaves treatment. We talk about what you should do to prepare before discharge, what to do immediately after, and how to prepare for long term recovery.

Amanda and Marissa share their story of going from people suffering from addiction and homelessness to people living the gifts of recovery, including buying their first house as a place to raise their kids.

We look at many aspects of forgiveness: what it is, how it connects to recovery, and how to do it. We include a guided forgiveness meditation.

Matt F explores his family history, which includes generational patterns of addiction and the distress it creates, tracing this back through as far as he can find in his family tree. He talks about his recovery from multiple addictions and how recovery is positively impacting his kids.

Margaret shares her courageous story of a life impacted by addiction, first through her marriage and then in uncovering her own addiction. We explore the recovery journey she lives today and the work she does to help families navigate addiction in a loved one. Special Guest: Margaret Swift Thompson.