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When Recovery Isn’t Linear: Relapse, Shame & Telling the Whole Truth w/ William C Moyers
Manage episode 494758043 series 2984077
💨Breathe to Heal: A Somatic Journey to Reclaim Your Inner Child: 6-week course combining breathwork, somatic practices & part work
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Recovery isn’t always a clean, upward trajectory — and most people don’t talk about what happens when it isn’t. This episode cracks open the shame, stigma, and complexity that surface when long-term sobriety takes a detour.
William C. Moyers is the Vice President of Public Affairs at Hazelden Betty Ford and the author of Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption. In this conversation, he opens up about a rarely shared chapter of his recovery — one that tested his identity, sparked unexpected shame, and forced him to reexamine what long-term sobriety really looks like.
Key Takeaways...
🔹 Redefining Relapse: Why recovery isn’t linear — and how we can reframe slips without erasing progress, identity, or self-worth.
🔹 The Weight of Perfectionism: How the pressure to be a “model” of healing can silence honesty and deepen internalized shame.
🔹 When Shame Returns: What happens when long-term recovery collides with stigma, secrecy, and unmet expectations.
🔹 The Evolution of Sobriety: Why what once worked may stop working — and how true recovery means learning to adapt, not perform.
🔹 Family Systems & Codependency: How generational roles and emotional entanglements can follow us into adulthood — and what it takes to break free.
⬇️DAMN THE JOIN SHITSHOW - ADULT CHILD HEALING COMMUNITY⬇️
- 6 weekly zoom support groups (see the full schedule here!)
- Support community at your fingertips with discussion boards and chat
📰SIGN UP FOR SHITSHOW NATION - ADULT CHILD NEWSLETTER
👩HELP A GIRL & CAT EAT🐱
www.buymeacoffee.com/adultchild
www.adultchildpodcast.com/shop
🎙️NEW TO THE POD🎙️
How I learned I was an Adult Child - The Tale of 2 Brians
THE LAUNDRY LIST - Common Characteristics of an Adult Child
Follow Andrea on social
www.instagram.com/adultchildpod
https://www.youtube.com/@adultchildpod
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
390 episodes
Manage episode 494758043 series 2984077
💨Breathe to Heal: A Somatic Journey to Reclaim Your Inner Child: 6-week course combining breathwork, somatic practices & part work
---
Recovery isn’t always a clean, upward trajectory — and most people don’t talk about what happens when it isn’t. This episode cracks open the shame, stigma, and complexity that surface when long-term sobriety takes a detour.
William C. Moyers is the Vice President of Public Affairs at Hazelden Betty Ford and the author of Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption. In this conversation, he opens up about a rarely shared chapter of his recovery — one that tested his identity, sparked unexpected shame, and forced him to reexamine what long-term sobriety really looks like.
Key Takeaways...
🔹 Redefining Relapse: Why recovery isn’t linear — and how we can reframe slips without erasing progress, identity, or self-worth.
🔹 The Weight of Perfectionism: How the pressure to be a “model” of healing can silence honesty and deepen internalized shame.
🔹 When Shame Returns: What happens when long-term recovery collides with stigma, secrecy, and unmet expectations.
🔹 The Evolution of Sobriety: Why what once worked may stop working — and how true recovery means learning to adapt, not perform.
🔹 Family Systems & Codependency: How generational roles and emotional entanglements can follow us into adulthood — and what it takes to break free.
⬇️DAMN THE JOIN SHITSHOW - ADULT CHILD HEALING COMMUNITY⬇️
- 6 weekly zoom support groups (see the full schedule here!)
- Support community at your fingertips with discussion boards and chat
📰SIGN UP FOR SHITSHOW NATION - ADULT CHILD NEWSLETTER
👩HELP A GIRL & CAT EAT🐱
www.buymeacoffee.com/adultchild
www.adultchildpodcast.com/shop
🎙️NEW TO THE POD🎙️
How I learned I was an Adult Child - The Tale of 2 Brians
THE LAUNDRY LIST - Common Characteristics of an Adult Child
Follow Andrea on social
www.instagram.com/adultchildpod
https://www.youtube.com/@adultchildpod
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
390 episodes
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