This Wasn’t the Life I Planned: Rebuilding Family After Addiction

In this moving episode of Middle-Class Matters, Renae and Brooke sit down with Janice Johnson Dowd, an author, Licensed Medical Social Worker, mom, and recovering alcoholic to share a story of loss, healing, and hope. Janice grew up around addiction and was determined to create a different life for her own family. But in her 40s, what began as casual social drinking with friends quietly turned into a battle she never expected. She opens up about how addiction affected her children, the heartbreak of losing her family during active addiction, and the slow, humbling work of rebuilding trust in recovery. Through her journey and her book Rebuilding Relationships in Recovery, Janice offers practical tools, honest reflection, and hope for families learning how to heal together. This episode is a reminder that second chances are real, grace is powerful, and no story is beyond redemption. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices