Secret Life

Is Video Game Addiction Real? It’s great to do things you enjoy. But can you go too far with a hobby? And at what point does it become an addiction? That’s the question experts are trying to answer about playing video games. The World Health Organization added “gaming disorder” to the 2018 version of its medical reference book, International Classification of Diseases . But the American Psychiatry...

Dee’s parents were victims of generational trauma and abuse that shut them off emotionally and held them back from living their truth. Dee’s is a story of forgiveness, her willingness to allow her son to be who he is, and the sadness for her father, who never allowed himself that freedom. _____ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling over...

The more Joe looked at porn and the more deeply he got into those fantasies, the fantasy of porn became his reality, and the reality of having sex with another person became fantasy. There is so much to unpack in this episode. You’ll hear how through therapy, Joe discovered the hidden reasons for his sexual anorexia and how he overcame those fears and found himself with a sex surrogate.  Surrogate...

While still deep in her addiction, Susan married a sociopath and was trauma bonded with him for the first four years of her sober journey; he continued to drink daily while she focused on staying sober even through the abuse. Once she finally found the strength to walk away, her husband continued to stalk and harass her up until the day he decided to end his life. She shares her story today to hel...

Another acronym for FEAR... F*ck Everything And Run. I think we can all relate to Jeff's story about his youth, unrequited love, anger, forgiveness, and transformation. _____ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse, depression or just feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at secretlifepodcast.com. ______ To share your secre...

HEY SINGLE MEN - If you live near West LA and you're between 33 and 45 and you don't smoke and you don't have a cat and you're actually single and you're not going to send me a D*** pic and you're vaccinated... FIND ME! — Jen Levin Jen is back for a follow-up episode ( Ep #83 The Horrors of Online Dating—D*ck Pics, Married Men & Ghosting ) with even more outrageous dati...

We all do it, don't we? Someone does something terrible to us, and we spend hours, days, months, sometimes even a lifetime thinking about this person; what they did, how they wronged us, what we would do when we see them again and let it taint our perception of our life.  _____ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we&#...

Trigger Warning:  This episode contains discussions of graphic sex, molestation, and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised.  Over-sexualized at a young age, Will was exposed to sexual content from his sister and had a grandmother that was sexually inappropriate with him in kindergarten. All of this, combined with parents and a community rooted in Christian beliefs and a solid church-going...

Regardless of the situation, Rivkah's compulsive urge to lie about matters big and small started as early as first grade, from lying about a birthday to starring in the touring company of Les Misérables, and even sexual orientation.  _____ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at s...

Trigger Warning:  This episode touches on the subjects of molestation, sexual assault, and trauma.  Rick was 8 or 9 when he was betrayed by his best friend. He didn't feel he could tell his parents, and the friend he did share it with threatened to tell everyone. How much of that affected his relationships moving forward? Did you know one in six males are sexually assaulted before their 18th b...

In this episode, our past guest Jen Levin ( Ep #27 Living With Binge Eating Disorder ), pulls back the curtain on the nine online dating apps she frequents. Hint... Bumble is her favorite. You're in for a treat; these stories are almost unbelievable!  If you've used a dating app, you   know the odds of having an ideal date are pretty slim. In fact, there's a pretty good chance that you...

Studies have shown that the majority of New Year's resolutions focus on  weight loss  and getting into shape, which can be triggering for those individuals who are struggling with an eating disorder or who are at risk of developing an eating disorder. Brianne and Katie look at social media's power on women, their bodies, and the drive to be sexually desirable. Katie shares how her eating d...

It's that time again, where we look at the past year and make New Year's Resolutions for the year ahead. Many of which we often can't or don't keep.  Something that surfaced as a result of Covid-19 was the opportunity to take stock of our lives, our habits and make some changes if possible and desirable. Some people have changed their lives dramatically, sought help with addictions...

Follow Up to Episode #77 - [ Trigger Warning: This episode touches on the subjects of sexual assault and trauma.]   Suppose you’re a long-time listener of the show. In that case, you know that often the initial secret the guest shares is just the tip of the iceberg. Many times, as Brianne asks the next question, more secrets (some buried for decades or thought would never be shared) are revealed....

Famed actor/director Stanislavski's "Magic If" describes an ability to imagine oneself in a set of fictional circumstances and to envision the consequences of finding oneself facing that situation in terms of action. In a way, that's what Anna David did when she wrote an article for Playboy magazine about sex and dating—because she didn't have much advice to give. Anna bravely...

How willing are we to change? And even when we become willing, is it possible to uncover those deep wounds that we've suppressed for sometimes an entire lifetime? Jason bravely shares some of the discoveries he's had regarding his first drink, sex and love addiction, and the challenges of becoming your authentic self. ______ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depressio...

It started with a credit card from Victoria's Secret, and before she knew it, Lindsay found herself with several credit cards, thousands of dollars in debt, and desperate to hide it all from her husband. The purchases weren’t extravagant or luxurious, just a coffee here, a lunch out here, a couple of tops at Target, and then, BAMM! Living a life of vagueness and fantasy comes at a price. Linds...

It’s never easy to cut someone out of your life. And when it comes to family, it’s especially hard to accept that a family member is creating so much stress, anxiety, and pain that you cant continue to have a relationship with them. Liz Svatek has had a toxic relationship with her sister for over 40 years and she finally realized she was hurting herself by not setting boundaries. People can change...

Sometimes called The G-String Scholarship : College Students Strip to Pay Tuition Costs. College students say they make more than enough money to graduate debt-free. Young women in pursuit of a higher education use their stripper earnings to pay for tuition. Stripping to pay for school may sound like a cliché to some, but it was the fastest and easiest way for Celeste to pay for her teaching crede...

We all know a friend or family member who is single—but for the life of you, you can't understand why. They say they want to be in a relationship; they're attractive, fun to be around, passionate, loving, giving, and yet you can't figure out why they're still single. Guess what? They might not know either. So is there something deeper going on? What blocks might they have? You prob...

Secret Life was born out of the desire to help people realize that you are not alone. Jill dealt with a learning disability from an early age, that combined with the death of her friend’s mother and a teacher who told her she was stupid, she found comfort in cutting and burning herself. Decades later, she still battles the crippling voices and self-harm. Need help? Looking for some answers? Self-H...

You’d never know that actor and TikTok star Adam Rose would be scared of dying. But ever since he can remember, he’s always had a hard time falling asleep at night without thinking of the endless ways he could die. This episode is another can’t-miss episode as Adam share’s some genuinely hilarious stories.  If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or...

Trigger Warning - This episode briefly touches on sexual abuse. Teresa’s step-dad showered her with gifts from a young age, all of it to keep her quiet about the sexual abuse that went on for years. As she grew up and married, she found herself in a pattern of unhealthy relationships, resentments. Eventually, she would use money to punish the men for their behavior. With the help of Debtors Anonym...

Growing up with parents who were household names in celebrity news, Meg followed in their footsteps and worked for some of the biggest celebrity news and gossip outlets in Hollywood for over a decade and secretly hated it. ______ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at secretlifepodca...

When you restrict on one type of addiction, you must watch for another addiction to take its place. It's a widespread occurrence that most addicts can identify with. Taking away the drink, drug or relationship isn't the solution; it only stops the destructive behavior. It's what's underneath the addiction and addressing the "why" that we start to heal. Like many people, the...