Boy Problems Podcast

Today we discussed social situations and our own use of alcohol since our partners have been in recovery. We shared our experiences figuring out what works for us, finding new hobbies and interests, and coping with the stress and fear of change. We talk about the pressures of alcohol in our culture and how our perspectives have changed from the early days of recovery to now.

In this episode of our podcast, we dive deep into the themes of addiction recovery, mental health, and personal growth. Katie and Shannon reflect on the challenges they've faced and the progress they've made, setting the stage for a candid exploration of the complexities of addiction recovery. Jessica opens up about her struggles in finding a balance between enjoying the good times and navigating...

On today's episode we're thrilled to have Eli Harwood aka @attchmentnerd join us to discuss healthy attachments in relationships with a special focus on relationships that are impacted by addiction. Eli Harwood is a licensed therapist, author, and educator who has more than 17 years of experience helping people process their early traumas and develop secure attachment relationships with th...

Katie, Jessica and Shannon are all very involved in counseling and support groups. Today they chat about how much is too much and were they happier before they knew all of these things about themselves? We chat about sadness, anger and venerability.

Today's episode continues our conversation on mental health with Katie sharing about her journey with depression. Jessica also chimes in to share how she experienced similiar struggles during postpartum. Since so many of our loved ones struggle with a dual diagnosis, we hope sharing our experiences with mental health disorders help you better understand them. And, in turn, better understand and su...

Today's episode features special guest Julia of @juliainvisions . Since her husband's passing from an accidental overdose, Julia has been sharing her grief and healing journey through her online community. Julia joins us to today to share her own story of recovery, her husband's struggles with addiction, what it was like to lose him, her experience as a newly solo parent, and how she and her kids...

Have you ever had a rift with a friend, and you weren't sure how to move past it? This happened to Katie and Jessica, and led them to friendship counseling. They share how they got to that point and how the counselor helped them discuss their feelings. They were able to break down the barrier that had built up between them and get back to being friends, with more self-awareness and a better unders...

Catch up on the latest with Katie, Jessica and Shannon on today's epsiode where they share what's been happening in their lives and relationships lately. Shannon shares about her new job and how her work on this podcast came up on one of her first days! Jessica shares about the holiday season and how she and Casey did throughout that historically difficult time. And, Katie chats about how she's do...

Today's episode features special guest Indiana Drug Czar, Doug Huntsinger. Doug serves as the Executive Director for Drug Prevention, Treatment & Enforcement and Chairman of the Indiana Commission to Combat Substance Use Disorder. Listen in as Doug gives us an overview of the drug crisis in Indiana and the work being done to combat it. We also discuss the stigma surrounding addiction and harm...

Rachel Kaplan joined us for our podcast to talk all things emotions and healing. She started her journey of healing after trauma in her early teen years. She now has a deep desire to help more than just the clients she sees in her office. We talk about the significance of truly feeling your emotions and taking care of yourself.   We also cover: Thinking vs. Feeling Codependency  Boundari...

Jessica’s story of her journey with anxiety continues in today’s episode. We discuss how to help those you care about struggling with anxiety, how to ask for help if you’re struggling and how Jessica managed (or really, avoided) her relationships with Katie and Shannon and how that has impacted things for them. Topics also discussed: Anxiety Mental Health Relationships Addiction Recovery Friendshi...

Jessica shares about her recent battle with generalized anxiety and panic disorder. She reflects on when she first realized she had anxiety as a child, and shares examples of how anxiety and panic manifest for her today throughout her relationship and as a new mother. Topics also discussed: Relationships Drug Use Recovery Marriage Family Kids Follow us at: Instagram: @recoveringtoo Facebook: @reco...

Katie's professional life introduced her to Gina Schaefer, the CEO of A Few Cool Hardware Stores. Katie was already impressed with Gina because of her success in a male-dominated industry, but she became an even bigger fan after learning about her connection to recovery. When Gina opened her first hardware store, she hoped to help revitalize the neighborhood. She had no idea it would become a safe...

Our stories - past and present - are scattered across 3 years' worth of episodes. Now we’re taking turns interviewing each other in episodes dedicated to our individual lives. Today we're continuing Shannon's story with part 2. This takes us from the time Kemmon went to rehab to present day. If you want to learn more about some of the things Katie talks about, check out her recent blog series and...

Our stories - past and present - are scattered across 3 year’s worth of episodes. Now we’re taking turns interviewing each other in episodes dedicated to our individual lives. Today is part 1 of Shannon's story, which covers the beginning of her relationship with Jay, the progression of his addiction, the first stint in rehab, and her reasons for staying with him during this time.   If y...

Our stories - past and present - are scattered across 3 years' worth of episodes. Now we’re taking turns interviewing each other in episodes dedicated to our individual lives. Today we're continuing Katie's story with part 2. This takes us from the time Kemmon went to rehab to present day. If you want to learn more about some of the things Katie talks about, check out her recent blog series and th...

Our stories - past and present - are scattered across 3 year’s worth of episodes. Now we’re taking turns interviewing each other in episodes dedicated to our individual lives. Today is part 1 of Katie’s story, which covers from the first time she met Kemmon up to the point where he’s about to enter treatment. During this time, Katie knew things were not good in the relationship, but she did not kn...

Our stories - past and present - are scattered across 3 year’s worth of episodes. Now we’re taking turns interviewing each other in episodes dedicated to our individual lives. First up is Jessica. She gives us an overview of her relationship with Casey, from their first date on NYE 2012, to having a baby in 2020, and everything in between. If you want to learn more about some of the things Jessica...

It's been a year since we decided to really embrace our stories and share them with all of you. (See Episode 52. Why Are We Hiding?! ) It made us feel anxious and uncomfortable at times, but mostly really proud. Best of all, it's allowed us to better connect with so many people in this community, and for that we are extremely grateful. In today’s episode, we’re reflecting on the journey that led u...

When we love someone with addiction, it’s easy to get sucked into their chaos and let our own well-being suffer. The anxiety, fear, shame, and self-doubt take a toll on our mental and physical health. Years of feeling crazy due to lies and manipulation) make it hard to trust not only our loved one, but also ourself. We may feel stuck and out of touch with our wants and needs. That's why we are so...

It's been a while since we've checked in, so today we're catching up on life. Jessica starts off by sharing that she's been under stress at work but things with Casey are going well. However, sometimes this makes her question if things are *really* ok. This leads to a discussion about how normal, everyday things (like sweating, sleeping, irritated eyes) can make us wonder when the other shoe will...

Brandi Bennefield is a tattoo artist from Alberta Canada who has created a following on social media sharing her life stories. Many of these stories stem from the chaos and dysfunction of growing up with parents in active addiction. In today’s episode we discuss: Brandi’s childhood and the ways she coped Choosing sanity over family Holding yourself hostage and letting go of that mindset Becoming a...

Have you ever found yourself planning your loved one’s funeral or imagining your life without them in it? Or maybe you’ve felt a range of emotions around a looming change or impending loss. There’s a term for this, and it’s called anticipatory grief. In this episode of Boy Problems Podcast, Katie and Shannon discuss their own experiences with anticipatory grief. Shannon shares her struggles during...

This is Part 2 of the Parenting & Addiction podcast. Parenting with an addicted loved one is a question we get a lot, so we asked one of our favorite guests, Lizzie, to come back and join us for this conversation.   Katie and Lizzie talk about:  What things we've put in place to protect our kids from our husband's addiction. Lizzie answers if she would have stayed with Drew if she di...

Lizzie is back! We get so many messages and questions about parenting with someone who is in recovery or in active use. While Jessica and Katie’s husbands weren’t in active use when they had their children, that was not the case for Lizzie. Lizzie and Drew have 5 children and have been through the ups and downs of recovery and active use. Lizzie talks about:  Having a newborn and Drew leaving...