My Mom Saved Me At That Funeral | Episode 479

Episode 479 of the Voices for Voices® podcast, hosted by Founder of Voices for Voices®, Justin Alan Hayes, titled "My Mom Saved Me At That Funeral | Episode 479" was published on April 9, 2026 and runs 36 minutes.

April 9, 2026 ·36m · Voices for Voices®

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Summary

My Mom Saved Me At That Funeral | Episode 479 A funeral can be a strange kind of trigger, even when you think you’re prepared. I share what it felt like to walk into a service with my anxiety running high, why grief-heavy spaces are hard for me, and one simple choice that made it more manageable: I didn’t go alone. If you deal with stress, panic, or emotional overload, this conversation offers something practical and human, not polished advice from a distance. That day also brought me back i...

Episode Description

My Mom Saved Me At That Funeral | Episode 479

A funeral can be a strange kind of trigger, even when you think you’re prepared. I share what it felt like to walk into a service with my anxiety running high, why grief-heavy spaces are hard for me, and one simple choice that made it more manageable: I didn’t go alone. If you deal with stress, panic, or emotional overload, this conversation offers something practical and human, not polished advice from a distance.

That day also brought me back into a church I hadn’t been inside for about 20 years, and it forced a comparison between who I was then and who I’m fighting to become now. I talk about a powerful moment from therapy and a question that reframed the whole experience: can it help to actually see how far you’ve come? We get into self-judgment, shame, and the way old environments can pull up old identities, especially when you’ve lived through addiction patterns, trauma, or seasons of feeling lost.

From there, I connect the personal story to the bigger mission behind Voices for Voices. We’re building a mental health and recovery community grounded in storytelling, books, and upcoming audio, and I explain why sharing the show can be just as meaningful as a donation. I also open up about where some of my confidence cracks started, including sports pressure, baseball tryouts, setbacks after surgery, and how binge drinking became tied to acceptance.

If you need a reminder that you’re unique, you matter, and quitting isn’t your only option, press play. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this with someone who needs support today.

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Chapter Markers

0:00 Welcome And How To Support

3:05 Funeral Anxiety And Stress

5:20 Bring Someone With You

6:55 Returning To A Church After Years

9:15 Therapy Perspective On Progress

11:35 Why Voices For Voices Exists

14:10 Donations Books And The Big Goal

17:15 You Are Unique Do Not Quit

20:10 Self Judgment And Sports Pressure

22:35 Tryouts Politics And Lost Confidence

26:45 Surgery Setbacks And Anxiety Roots

28:55 College Identity And Binge Drinking

31:05 Mortality Health Fears And Anger

33:55 Lucy In The Background And Closing

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