Suzette - They Need Love

Healing gets strange when the chaos finally stops and you start missing it.That’s where Valerie and Suzette go in this conversation, tracing recovery beyond “not drinking” and into the deeper work of emotional sobriety, shame, and the patterns that keep us braced for impact even when life is calm.Suzette is a U.S. Army Veteran, transformational leader, and Director of Development at Save A Warrior, where she helps expand access to healing for Veterans, Active Duty Military, Ohio First Responders, and their families. With more than twenty years of sobriety and decades spent mentoring women through recovery and personal transformation, she brings both lived experience and hard-earned wisdom to this conversation.We talk about the breaking point that burns everything down, then the surprisingly powerful basics that rebuild a life: structure, one day at a time, and staying close to people who tell the truth with care.From there, we explore Internal Family Systems (IFS) in plain language, the manager and firefighter parts, and how coping can shift from substances to control, workaholism, gossip, or rumination. Suzette and Valerie unpack the “inside drugstore”—the adrenaline, dopamine, and stress chemistry that can make drama feel normal—and why peace can feel uncomfortable when your nervous system is used to intensity.If you love someone struggling with addiction, are navigating recovery yourself, or simply find yourself repeating the same patterns despite your best intentions, this conversation offers insight into what may be happening beneath the surface. Together, they explore boundaries, shame, witnessing, and the freedom that comes from letting go of what cannot be controlled.They close with a grounding release practice and a simple reminder: when people are suffering, what they often need most is not fixing, advice, or solutions.They need love.Contact Valerie Support the showRemember YOU are loved and worthy of being witnessed!If today’s episode stirred heavy feelings, you are not alone. Please reach out to a trusted friend or a professional if you need support:National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) | rainn.orgSAMHSA Mental Health/Substance Use: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)988 LIFELINE: Call, Text or Chat https://988lifeline.orgVeterans Crisis Line: Dial or text 988, then press 1Help for Veterans suffering with CPTSD https://saveawarrior.org/https://www.scarsfoundation.org/*This podcast is not therapy. If you’re in immediate danger, please call 911 or your local emergency number.Want to tell your story? Send a DM or an emailFind us on IG @defiance_of_silence_podcast    [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/defiance_of_silence_podcast?igsh=MWVxMHI3OXY1cm1paA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr