A BEAUTIFUL REBELLION: Sobriety is a Power Move, Not a Consequence

What if the version of you people see… isn’t who you are anymore?We’re quick to define people by their lowest moment. A season of their life becomes the whole story—and even when they change, the narrative doesn’t always follow.In this episode, I sit down with Frederick “Freddy” Shegog, who went from homelessness and addiction to becoming a nationally recognized speaker. But this conversation isn’t just about where he’s been—it’s about what it actually takes to become someone new.We talk about survival mode, the reality of addiction, the role of environment, and the tension between personal responsibility and systemic challenges.And maybe most importantly… what it costs to be known for a version of yourself you’ve already outgrown.This one is honest, layered, and stayed with me long after we stopped recording.Hosted by Linsey Dara

Now 22 years sober and running hundred mile races, Sober Motivator Troy Thompson is living a balanced, adventurous life he never expected. He says the big decision to get sober is just the first step to a life and a world you never dreamt of, and must explore to be in a happy recovery.We cover the importance of filling your time with new and old hobbies forgotten in addiction, as well as creating tiny wins by challenging your self to grow. Troy tells us how he maintains a balanced life to stave off depression. Hosted by former news anchor and your peer in recovery, Linsey Dara.

What actually makes recovery work?Is it treatment? Willpower? The right program?Or are we overlooking the two things that matter most?In this episode of A Beautiful Rebellion, Linsey Dara sits down with Elizabeth—a nurse practitioner based in Chicago, Illinois, and the voice behind @stayinyourcortex—who brings a rare and powerful dual perspective: both as a clinician working in addiction and as the wife of someone two years into recovery.Together, they break down what she’s witnessed from both sides of the experience—what truly helps, what quietly harms, and what most people misunderstand about the recovery process.At the center of the conversation are two essential (and often misinterpreted) elements: accountability and shame—and how each can either support healing… or keep you stuck in the cycle.They also explore:    •    How PTSD can manifest in unexpected ways during recovery    •    The difference between taking responsibility and staying trapped in shameBlending clinical expertise with deeply personal insight, this conversation offers a grounded, real-world look at what it actually takes to build sustainable recovery. Whether you’re sober curious, actively in recovery, or still struggling—this episode meets you exactly where you are.

“Is this still sobriety?”That’s the question coming up again and again—and it’s dividing the recovery community.In this episode, we unpack ketamine therapy, addiction risk, and the growing gray area in modern recovery.With real listener responses, real research, and real lived experience.No easy answers.No perfect solutions.Just a conversation we can’t afford to avoid.Hosted by Linsey Dara, a former journalist, mom, entrepreneur and podcast host sharing her first year of sobriety in real time—blending lived experience, expert insight, and honest conversations about recovery in a changing world.

Ketamine-assisted therapy is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about developments in mental health. Originally developed as an anesthetic, researchers and clinicians are now studying its potential to help people struggling with depression, trauma, and addiction.But what actually happens in ketamine therapy—and why do some therapists combine it with psychological frameworks like Internal Family Systems?In this episode of A Beautiful Rebellion, Linsey sits down with a therapist who specializes in ketamine-assisted inner child work and parts-based healing.This conversation is also deeply personal. Linsey and her guest grew up together, sharing the adventurous and sometimes chaotic experiences of being teenagers discovering the world. Decades later, their paths have crossed again in a very different way.During Linsey’s first year of sobriety, this guest became one of her strongest supporters—introducing her to the language of Internal Family Systems and helping her understand the different “parts” of the mind that can emerge during addiction and recovery.In this episode they explore:• What ketamine-assisted therapy actually is • How altered states may help interrupt addictive thinking • The basics of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and parts work • Why inner child healing is often central to recovery • How understanding the many parts of the mind can help people approach addiction and healing in a new wayWhether you’re curious about emerging therapies or trying to better understand the mind during recovery, this conversation offers insight into a rapidly evolving area of mental health.As always, this podcast is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for medical or mental health advice.

Hypnotherapy is often surrounded by mystery, skepticism, and curiosity—so what do practitioners and science say?In this episode of A Beautiful Rebellion, we explore hypnotherapy as a potential tool for addiction recovery. Our guest is not only trained in hypnotherapy, but also brings something equally important to the conversation: her own long-term sobriety. That lived experience shapes how she approaches healing, behavior change, and the deeper patterns that keep people stuck.We talk about what hypnosis really is (and isn’t), what the research shows so far, and why some people find it helpful for issues like stress, anxiety, smoking cessation, and addiction.This conversation isn’t about magic cures or silver bullets. It’s about understanding another possible tool—and giving people enough information to decide whether it might support their own recovery.If you’re curious about hypnosis, skeptical of it, or simply looking for more ways to support sobriety, this episode will give you a grounded place to start.

Early sobriety can make the nervous system feel louder, not quieter. In this conversation, we unpack what’s actually happening in the body and why regulation—not willpower—is often the missing piece. This episode includes nervous system education and simple, trauma-sensitive breathwork you can use when cravings, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm show up.Our guest Shea Fairbanks shares a few breathing exercises toward the end of the interview. Host Linsey Dara shares her trauma, sensitive techniques at the end of the episode.Links to Linsey’s breath meditations:https://open.spotify.com/episode/0mytRNK4t2lws9dGMa1ekR?si=FjKMxkAZST6eObcL35bwHAhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/4JFVfRaFlsHxgFq0BsSJux?si=wOr0fj5pTo-6qj79Pjtsuwhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/38nAWVUV8jzm1m1Z5MNfqO?si=q0xle19JTn6fopum9GxdQASheafairbanks.com

Marijuana is often framed as harmless. Non-addictive. Even medicinal.But for some people, chronic use can lead to addiction, psychosis, delusions, hallucinations, and suicidal ideation—and those risks are still widely misunderstood.In this episode of A Beautiful Rebellion, Linsey Dara sits down with an MMA fighter and coach who tried to quit marijuana over 100 times before finally getting sober.Together, they talk openly about: • How marijuana addiction actually develops • The link between heavy or prolonged use and psychosis, paranoia, and delusional thinking • Experiencing hallucinations and suicidal ideation • Why “it’s just weed” kept him trapped for years • The mental battle of trying—and failing—to quit repeatedly • What finally made sobriety stick • And why honesty about cannabis matters, especially for young people and high-performersThis conversation isn’t anti-marijuana—and it isn’t fear-based.It’s about telling the full truth, breaking denial, and making space for people whose experience doesn’t match the cultural narrative.If you’ve ever struggled to stop, wondered if weed is affecting your mental health, or felt alone in something no one talks about—this episode is for you.

Sex, love, and intimacy can look very different before and after sobriety. What changes? What challenges remain? And how do you rebuild authentic connection when your life is no longer fueled by addiction?In this episode of A Beautiful Rebellion, Linsey Dara sits down with Luke Ryan, certified life coach specializing in sobriety, self-awareness, and conscious relationships. Luke shares his experience navigating love, intimacy, and parenting while sober, and offers practical insights for anyone stepping into a clean life.Together, they explore: • How romantic and sexual relationships shift after getting sober • The role of self-love and self-awareness • Building trust, honesty, and connection in all types of relationships • How to approach sex, love, and emotional intimacy without shame or secrecyWhether you’re newly sober, supporting someone in recovery, or just curious about life after addiction, this conversation offers honesty, hope, and guidance for building meaningful relationships.

Willow Tree Counseling: “The purpose of this Relapse Autopsy is to help you recognize what issues, patterns, and choices contributed to your relapse so that you can learn from it. After all, the only mistake that is worthless is the one you do not learn from! This Relapse Autopsy will walk you through various aspects of your relapse and current recovery to help you identify what you have minimized that contributed to your relapse, what you have failed to do that allowed your relapse to occur, and what changes you can make in your recovery to avoid repeating these patterns. The ultimate goal of this Relapse Autopsy process is to create sustained and solid sobriety.”Download here:https://www.scribd.com/document/665817345/Relapse-Autopsy#download

You are worthy of boundaries, self forgiveness, self love, a life of happiness! 12 step counselor Tom Swift gifts us with his perspective on this plus negative self talk, guilt and much more. You will leave this episode with a full toolbox to help you live awake to your full potential. Do not miss if you’re sober curious, addicted, or just generally unhappy with life.

Once thinking she was close to dying from addiction, Luzi Tudor is now a thriving example of a long and healthy recovery! Learn how she’s navigated 11 years of recovery, and what tools she’s created to support you.

My friend ABC’s extreme weight loss star Heidi Powell shows us another addiction with the same life lessons as alcoholism. This sometimes silly sometimes tearful interview is sprinkled with more truth and authenticity than you’ve heard in a long time. Definitely worth a listen… The one and only Heidi Powell.00: In today’s episode… 2:33 About the host behind our podcast, what you’re in for now that you’re one of us…11:35 Heidi Powell Interview11:35 Embracing your wild side13:00 Her dad’s addiction21:00 Her own addiction to food, purging and how she became the equivalent of a functioning alcoholic through a massive food addiction39:25 Boyfriend Dave Hollis’s overdose and death48:53 Linsey & Heidi realize they met just one month after Dave’s death. Reminisce about the night at her house full of fun that apparently she had a secret impromptu letting go ceremony upstairs in the bathroom during that no one knew about.58:55 Living joyously & wisdom she has to give to let go of terrible circumstances, and still live the life of your dreams

December 15 we are taking over the podcast charts! Join the mission and enjoy the benefits of this free handholding by Linsey Dara through your journey to sobriety- the best life you could imagine, not even bullshitting you. This is my purpose! To help you get your life back like I got mine. All of my training as a news anchor and all of my experience through alcoholism, near death experiences, jail time and so much rehabilitation work to share with you, I am the perfect vessel to transmute all of the knowledge that you need to pull yourself out of the darkness. Let’s have a weird, fun, weekly hang out learning a shit ton about how to beat this deadly disease: addiction.