Brilliant at Everything, Invisible Inside | Hannah Dalby on 15 Years of Achievement as Avoidance

Hannah Dalby was a professional Muay Thai fighter. She got sober. She built a business. From the outside that all looked impressive.   But that's not the story.   The real story is that she spent fifteen years being brilliant at everything she tried. Fighting. Training. Achieving. Building. Getting sober. And not once in any of it did she stop long enough to find out who she actually was underneath all of it.   In this conversation Hannah traces the full arc from the little girl selling bracelets door to door at eight years old, through the addiction years, the abusive relationships, the training that replaced the drugs, the ayahuasca ceremony that cracked something open, and the year that followed where she had to gain weight, stop competing and sit with herself for the very first time.   Hannah now works with people on human integration. Helping them feel what's underneath rather than keep finding new ways to avoid it.   This is one of the most honest conversations about high achievement as a coping mechanism I've had on this podcast. I think it's going to reach a lot of people who recognise themselves in it. Even if their life looks nothing like hers.   Content note: this episode contains references to drug addiction, alcohol, domestic abuse and plant medicine ceremonies. TIMESTAMPS 00:00  Opening  |  Brilliant at everything and invisible inside 00:46  Welcome to Hannah Dalby 01:03  Who Hannah was growing up  |  the eight-year-old entrepreneur 01:39  How fighting came into her life at 20 02:52  Surrounded by people but not letting anyone in 04:07  How she presented to the world versus what was happening underneath 05:33  Was she processing any of it 06:48  The addiction years  |  what they actually looked like from the inside 09:38  The grief and the rage and nowhere to put it 10:53  Getting sober  |  what she thought would change and what actually did 13:19  Still high-functioning through all of it 14:45  Why she needed the achievement so badly 15:23  Getting sober and realising she was still an addict  |  just with a different vice 17:03  The toxic gym and the codependent trainer 20:09  The mushrooms in the Daintree rainforest 21:41  The ayahuasca ceremony 25:52  The year after  |  grief, weight gain and losing an identity 28:33  The discomfort of stopping 32:29  Avoiding herself for 15 years  |  what she found when she finally turned around 34:25  Speaking from the heart for the first time 35:47  Can people actually see her now 38:36  Human integration  |  what she sees in her clients 40:03  What she would want the invisible woman to hear 40:52  The unspoken emotion  |  grief 41:01  Rachel's closing reflection HELPLINES  |   UK - Cruse Bereavement Support: 0808 808 1677 or ⁠cruse.org.uk⁠ UK - Samaritans: 116 123 US - GriefShare: ⁠griefshare.org⁠ US - 988 Lifeline: call or text 988 My Free Guide:  ⁠https://unspokenemotions.co.uk/free-guide⁠ CONNECT WITH THE GUEST https://www.youtube.com/@IntoTheJungle-HannahDalby https://thejungle.net.au/https://www.instagram.com/recoveryjungle To connect with your host, follow Me HERE:  Insta:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/rachel_unspokenemotions/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠www.tiktok.com/@rachel.unspoken.em⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/rachel.elimelech⁠⁠⁠⁠   To Buy Rachel a Coffee:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/unspokenemotions⁠⁠⁠⁠  LinkedIn:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-elimelech-a07a1a46/⁠⁠⁠⁠  HOST BIO   Rachel Elimelech is the warm, courageous voice behind Unspoken Emotions - a podcast that gives voice to the feelings we so often keep buried. A qualified Solicitor and Higher Court Advocate, Rachel combines professional insight with deeply personal lived experience - from surviving sexual abuse, loss, and single parenthood to rebuilding her life with quiet strength and unwavering resilience. Her journey from teenage single mum to respected legal professional has shaped her gift for deep connection. With empathy and authenticity, Rachel creates a safe, judgment-free space where guests are invited to speak the unspoken - grief, guilt, shame, anger, fear - and begin to let go of what no longer serves them. Through honest, unfiltered conversations, Unspoken Emotions explores how real people have turned pain into purpose and silence into healing. Rachel believes that healing begins the moment we speak the truth of our experiences - and that none of us should carry our emotions alone.