The Unhooked Podcast

Occam’s Razor & Recovery: Keeping it Simple and Releasing the Stories That Hurt Us Occams Razor = The simplest explanation is usually the best one. Cut the fat, so to speak. It can be applied in relationships - especially regarding giving the benefit of the doubt... Or when wondering "Is this thing I'm about to do right or wrong..." Or when wondering if someone has relapsed...  A...

"Tensile Strength" is strength developed from being taken to our breaking point. Tensile strength is one of the most honest ways to talk about real healing, because it doesn’t romanticize pain—it  redeems  it. Before steel ever becomes a bridge, it’s:    •   Heated to extreme temperatures    •   Stretched and pulled under load    •   Tested to failure points    •   Refined again and agai...

Tools and tips learned in the rooms ... Let's talk "Neurogenesis!" Recovery Is  Literally  Brain Renewal. Neurogenesis means the brain can form new neurons—especially in areas tied to memory, mood, and learning (like the hippocampus). Addiction, trauma, grief, and  chronic  stress change the brain. But healing practices can rebuild it, not just help us cope. Recovery isn’t just for “...

Recovery isn’t cosmetic — it’s structural. Most of us thought recovery would be a fresh coat of paint. Instead, it started tearing out walls we didn’t even know were load-bearing. “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1) Wake-Up Calls & Hugging the Cactus Pain is often the messenger we tried to avoid. Wake-up calls rarely arrive gently. You don’t wake up on...

Synergao: When Harmful dynamics Combine to Produce Something Good   Synergao  is the idea that individual elements—on their own can be painful, difficult, or even seemingly harmful—but as a whole - come together to create something beneficial, strengthening, or transformative.   Our hardest experiences can merge, creating wisdom, resilience, strength and purpose. Synergao reminds us that healing i...

Have you ever been the only one seeing or telling the truth and NO one else sees, or believes you? That is called the Cassandra Complex (named after Cassandra in Greek mythology who was cursed to tell the truth and never be believed.). Whether it relates to addiction, alcoholism, relapse, abuse, etc. This happens and it can be excruciating. Breaking free from the group (family, friend or coworkers...

But... you experience quite the opposite from them and want to roll your eyes every time you hear how AMAZING this person is. What in the world do we do when someone wears a mask that everyone believes, but their treatment of you and behavior around you is vicious, abusive or even demented? To some degree we have all seen or even experienced this maddening situation...so more and in worse ways tha...

In this week's podcast we take a look at what recovery tools we can pick up when someone's complaining and negativity is draining us or wearing us out. (Or...if it's our own negative outlook). Listen in for hope and solutions!

When we are stuck in tough situations due to someone else's behavior (or our own), it can feel like we are paralyzed, sinking in quicksand. Being desperate alongside someone deep in addiction, alcoholism, dysfunction or deception is a painful way of life. It's overwhelming and terrifying. There is no one size fits all answer. But there are solutions. Listen to this short episode to hear what can b...

Quick thoughts along with tools and tips for chaos, conflict and drama... What are your "Panic Rules"? Emotional sobriety and tools for navigating high emotion and high (or repeated!) conflict and drama filled people, places and things. When it comes to conflict, I have to have rules for engagement...here are a few examples!

Good question! After being lied to, talked about, stolen from, stabbed in the back or betrayed...how do we trust again? It's a process. In this week's Unhooked Podcast, tools and tips from recovery... we take a look at shattered trust and how to believe in someone again.

Recording on the anniversary of losing our oldest brother as anguish and grief is fresh on my mind and surging in my memories. A season of deep grief, pain from someone else's choices, the torment of knowing a truth no one believes...whatever it is; you are not alone. When it comes to anguish, I know that road by heart. But I also know even as we carry scars and loss... life can become even be...

Nothing Changes if nothing changes. So why not change something! How about starting with your morning routine!? This was a tool that changed my life when I found myself in a terrible era of crisis, conflict, chaos and no solid plan or structure to handle it much less make ANYTHING better. This is what I did...try your own version of this for 30 days and no matter what you’re going through - things...

How it feels to have a loved one in a struggle with addiction or alcoholism... Living in a state of chronic stress, panic and worry is destabilizing. This can extend to include how it feels when it’s other loved ones as well… a spouse or relationship partner, a parent, sibling, a best friend, etc. This realm of fear and anguish is so incredibly painful and will cause afflictions as well, impacting...

If you didn't listen to the first part of the conversation with Ben just before this 2nd half, you can go back and hear it now! OR jump right in to this episode for an interesting conversation about healing your life, why it takes some people longer to wake up to becoming healthy (and why some may never)... how to be real with what you face and how people may trigger you. Social trauma is real...

Bringing back a favorite, "My brother's friend Ben" is back with us today as we discuss experiences, strength and hope from some of the most trying times of life! Listen to Part 1 and email your thoughts to: Annieunhooked@gmail.com

“You work on your side of the street… and I’ll tend to mine.” I say it often in more than one of my family relationships. It’s a way of shaking loose from old patterns of enmeshment.  I have learned if I don’t guard my time, energy, and peace, no one else will either. Bear one another’s burdens—that’s support, kindness, empathy, safety…that’s showing up, being there. And we don’t have to do any of...

A person struggling with an addiction, contrary to what many in a faith-based belief system may think… is not the same as a prodigal son, or an evil person. Though their behavior may align with dishonesty or wickedness at times.  They’re being tormented by evil, as much as their behavior is causing pain and torment, sorrow and damage in the lives around them. The cycles of addiction are rarely (as...

There are times when we need space and separation. It’s not abandonment.  It isn’t necessarily permanent, and it’s not selfish…it’s healthy. I tend to default to “all or nothing” thinking when it comes to thoughts around family members close to my heart.  Especially if there’s any type of risk involved.  Conflict, relapse, health, death…etc.  My mind goes immediately to the scariest, most fatalist...

Can the Bible effect addiction and recovery? Does faith play a role? What if your community of faith has been a painful, abusive, condemning and outcasting experience and you've been damaged? How can faith then apply and parlay into helping relationships surging with conflict, addiction, alcohol or dysfunction? These are some painful, deep questions I have struggled with in my own life. I don&...

A review of my personal recovery journey and some of what's to come! The “Unhooked Podcast” can also be heard on Itunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, Stitcher and wherever most podcasts can be found.   Check it out! 👇

In this new episode of The Unhooked Podcast we meet KL Wells! KL is a community leader, influential speak and a Mother.  For more than 20 years she collaborated with hundreds of non-profit organizations, effectively leading iniatives with CEOs, senior executives, board directors, trustees, and philanthropists that have attracted hundreds of millions of dollars to ignite organizational and communit...

This episode of “The Unhooked Podcast” 🥊 takes a look at: “Feelings of Jealousy and envy.”  Just to keep it real...it can sometimes be hard to see others living their BEST lives, seeing pictures of holidays, weddings, graduations, social media perfection (or running into them in the grocery store as we are dying on the inside), when we are going through one of our WORST seasons of life. What...

“The Unhooked Podcast” 🥊 In this episode of the Unhooked Podcast, the topic is: “Shadow Beliefs, Patterns and Schemas.”  Those inner, hidden, underlying belief patterns that lead us back to the same old behaviors, and the same old pain. Can we heal them?  Listen in to hear knowledge shared from the experts and the rooms of recovery!  The Unhooked Podcast can also be heard on Itunes...

The Unhooked Podcast 🥊  “Why you should never give up!”  These last 18 months have been some of the most brutal days for my family, to be honest I thought about throwing in the towel more than a few times.  Listen in as I share why it was important that I not give up - and why it matters that you don't either!  The Unhooked Podcast can also be heard on Itunes, Spotify, Google...