Real Lives Touched By Addiction Podcast

The prominent point of this podcast episode with our special guest, Rhonda Sawchuk, is the pressing necessity to address the systemic failures surrounding addiction and rehabilitation, particularly for individuals with violent offence histories. In our dialogue with Rhonda Sawchuck, a survivor strategist and program architect, we explore her profound insights derived from personal trauma and exten...

This episode is shared with heartfelt concern, as we hold space for our dear brother Luke, who is facing sentencing, and we acknowledge the emotional weight borne by families navigating similar challenges. Through our shared experiences and insights, we aim to illuminate the often overlooked realities of addiction, fostering understanding and connection within our community. Our discussion today c...

In this episode, we lean into the conversations that are usually whispered, the emotional toll, the isolation, the shame and we bring them into the light. We reflect on insights from our recent live events and the powerful reminder that when one person shares their story, others feel less alone. We explore why families are not the problem to be removed from recovery, they are the Heart of Healing...

This episode dives into addiction, trauma, and recovery through a powerful round-table with author and speaker Marsha Vanwynsberghe. Each host brings a personal question, creating a raw and honest conversation rooted in lived experience. Together, they explore addiction as more than an individual struggle, it’s a family and community journey. Marsha shares deep insights on radical responsibility,...

In this solo episode, Jen breaks down the myth that addiction is just an individual issue. It’s not. Addiction touches families, communities, and generations. Healing doesn’t happen in isolation — it happens in relationship. It happens when we stop blaming families and start recognizing them as the Heart of Healing and the Root System of Recovery. We reflect on a recent community event and the pow...

"Purpose is the ultimate catalyst for sustained recovery and family healing." We’ve reached the final chapter of The Catalyst Series. After deconstructing the disease model, setting boundaries, breaking enabling cycles, and understanding family patterns, we arrive at the most important question of all: What is the purpose of all this pain? In this series finale, Jen, Lainne, Luke, and Sandra share...

"The question isn't 'Why did this happen to me?' but 'What am I going to do now that it has?'" In Part 5 of The Catalyst Series, we look at the heavy emotional weight of the "Why me?" stage. It is easy to get stuck in the resentment and the "unfairness" of addiction, but staying there prevents healing. Jen, Lainne, Luke, and Sandra get vulnerable about their own shifts in perspective. We aren't he...

"We don't recover in a vacuum. We recover within a system." In Part 4 of The Catalyst Series, we look at the invisible threads that tie a family together during a crisis. Why do we keep playing the same roles? Why does the same argument happen every Sunday? Jen, Lainne, Luke, and Sandra strip away the clinical jargon to talk about the "Family System" as people who have actually lived through it. B...

"When does 'helping' start to stand in the way of someone's recovery?" In Part 3 of The Catalyst Series, we have a raw conversation about the most painful trap a family can fall into: Enabling. It starts with love, but it often ends in a cycle that keeps the crisis alive. We aren't here to lecture you with clinical terms. Jennifer, Lainne, Luke, and Sandra sit down to discuss what enabling actuall...

"A boundary is not a wall; it’s the truth of where you begin and the chaos ends." In Part 2 of The Catalyst Series, we move past the clinical definitions of boundaries and get into the raw reality. Why is it so hard to set them? Why do we feel like "the bad guy" for protecting our peace? Instead of giving you a textbook answer, our panel—Jennifer, Lainne, Luke, and Sandra each share their honest m...

WELCOME TO THE CATALYST SERIES: A 6-Part Deep Dive into Ending Denial and Restoring Responsibility. In Part 1, we tackle the biggest question in the room: Is addiction a disease? You won’t find textbook answers here. We aren't interested in being "experts" in a boardroom; we are practitioners and advocates who have lived this, breathed this, and worked in the trenches of the addiction crisis. In o...

In this episode, the panel gets incredibly real about a topic often ignored in the recovery space: Burnout. Whether you are a professional advocate, a parent in the thick of the crisis, or a survivor, the "cost of caring" is real. With our co-host Lainne Love away taking necessary space for herself, Jennifer, Luke, and Sandra discuss how to recognize when your tank is empty, the importance of step...

What do you do when the "Window of Help" opens? In Episode 4, our panel explores those critical moments of clarity when an individual or family is finally ready for change. These windows don't stay open forever. Jennifer, Lainne, Luke, and Sandra discuss how to recognize these opportunities and, more importantly, how to take responsible action before the window closes. Tap the “Follow” button neve...

In this episode, our panel, Jennifer, Lainne, Luke, and Sandra, engages in a candid conversation about the challenges of maintaining commitment to personal change amidst life’s unpredictability. Setbacks, triggers, and emotional turmoil can make it easy to abandon the path to healing. We emphasize the importance of practical tools and mindset shifts that help navigate daily adversities. Through pe...

In this episode wedive deeper into our individual stories. We've walked through the fire and were here to share it all with you. This episode explores the pivotal moments that transformed our personal pain into our professional and soul missions. Tap the “Follow” button never to miss a show, and if you love the show, please feel free to tag us on social media, share it with a friend or leave a rat...

Ending Denial. Restoring Responsibility. Reclaiming Hope. In this premiere episode of Real Lives: Touched by Addiction, we pull back the curtain on the addiction crisis. We move past the surface to share the raw, unfiltered stories of our hosts, Jennifer, Lainne, Sandra, and Luke. This is the foundation of our movement: why we started, who we are, and how we are committed to systemic change. WORK...