For Love of Recovery

Is Al-Anon and 12-Step the best approach for families navigating their loved one’s addiction? The pressure to issue ultimatums or cut them off entirely can feel like the only path forward. But what if the advice you've been given is outdated, incomplete, not for you, or just wrong?In this episode, Jane Mackey, CEO and founder of We The Village and certified family coach, challenges what families are told about loving someone through addiction, and how to move beyond the 12-step approach used in Al-Anon and Nar-Anon. Jane found CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) after desperately searching for real tools to help someone she loved, and has since built an accessible family coaching program around it.Together, we get into:Why "tough love" and "rock bottom" became the default, and where they actually fall shortThe enabling myth: how to tell the difference between hurting and helpingHow to respond to their substance use without losing controlWhy cutting someone off makes it harder for them to get help and can reduce your influence over their recoveryWhether CRAFT and 12-step can coexist, or if they're fundamentally at oddsHow families report feeling less anxious and depressed through CRAFT — even when their loved one never gets helpIf you've ever felt like you're choosing between abandoning someone you love and losing yourself entirely, this episode is for you.We The Village is offering listeners 20% off their programs — use code FLOR at wethevillage.co📘Download our FREE, sibling e-book: 6 actions to help navigate a sibling’s substance use journey🤝Join our FREE and PRIVATE sibling-focused community: Siblings For Love of Recovery📲Connect with FLOR: Instagram and TikTok🎙Guest speaker: Jane Macky, founder and CEO of We The Village

This episode is for anyone navigating a sibling's addiction, early sobriety, or the complicated road of family recovery.A year ago, I wasn't sure where my brother Justin would be today — or if he'd make it to his 21st birthday.This episode, releasing in honor of National Sibling Day (April 10th), is one I've been waiting to record for a long time. Justin is 21, one year sober, and six months into a long-term young adult treatment program — and for the first time, he's sharing his story of addiction and early sobriety in his own words.We recorded this together during a family visit upstate, and what came out of it was more honest, more raw, and more hopeful than I could have scripted.We talk about:What the past year of young adult addiction recovery has actually looked like — the hard parts and the proud onesHow drug addiction shaped his relationships, his sense of self, and what friendship even meansThe loneliness and shame in early sobriety that don't get talked about enoughWhat he wishes people understood about addiction before judging someone going through it📘Download our FREE, sibling e-book: 6 actions to help navigate a sibling’s substance use journey🤝Join our FREE and PRIVATE sibling-focused community: Siblings For Love of Recovery📲Connect with FLOR: Instagram and TikTok🎙Guest speaker: Justin DajerRelated content:Episode: My brother’s addiction: Learning how to be his sister—not mom

Addiction is hard. But the stories we tell about it can make it even harder.When someone you love is struggling with substance use, the questions feel endless: Do they deserve my love right now?Am I enabling them?Should I cut them off?In this episode, we unpack one of the most dangerous parts of addiction — the narrative around it. Because sometimes what harms our loved ones isn’t just the substances. It’s the shame. The labels. The fear-driven decisions. The belief that love must be earned.In this episode with Joseph Green, a person in recovery and spoken word artist, we explore 5 powerful mindset shifts that can change how you show up:Moving from “deserving” to inherent worthTreating addiction as a mental health condition — not a moral failueReframing “enabling” vs. compassionate care and harm reductionRethinking cutting someone off vs. being there when they’re readyChoosing people-first language over labels like “junkie” or “addict”If you’ve ever felt torn between protecting yourself and loving someone through addiction, this conversation will challenge you to look at the story you’re telling — about them and about yourself.📘Download our FREE, sibling e-book: 6 actions to help navigate a sibling’s substance use journey🤝Join our FREE and PRIVATE sibling-focused community: Siblings For Love of Recovery📲Connect with FLOR: Instagram and TikTok🎙Guest speaker: Joseph GreenRelated content:About LMS Voice: https://lmsvoice.com/productions/Start WIth Hope stories: https://startwithhope.com/stories-of-hopeTake the Stories of Hope course and own your story: https://ncmwpic.learnupon.com/store/4553158-stories-of-hope-a-value-centered-approach-to-storytelling

If your sibling is sober, or you’ve finally put those boundaries up, but you still feel on edge, you’re not alone.Many siblings experience lingering anxiety after addiction—even when life finally feels calm. The chaos may be gone, but your body hasn’t caught up.In this episode, Shahem McLaurin digs into what happens after the crisis phase ends: why your nervous system stays on high alert, how years of unpredictability create hypervigilance, and why “nothing happening” can feel unsafe. We also explore boundaries, trust, and learning to feel safe again in recovery—at your own pace.This conversation is for siblings who are tired of waiting for the other shoe to drop and want language for what they’re feeling.📘Download our FREE, sibling e-book: 6 actions to help navigate a sibling’s substance use journey🤝Join our FREE and PRIVATE sibling-focused community: Siblings For Love of Recovery📲Connect with FLOR: Instagram and TikTok🎙Guest speaker: Shahem MclaurinRelated content:Book: “It Didn’t Start With You” by Mark Wolynn 

What does it mean to grieve a parent who is still alive—but was never able to show up the way you needed?In this episode, Marci Hopkins shares how childhood abuse, emotional neglect, and a parent’s addiction quietly shaped her relationship with alcohol—and how drinking became a way to survive grief she didn’t yet have language for.For years, Marci’s drinking didn’t look extreme or chaotic. It looked normal. It looked functional. It looked like coping.As many people enter Dry January questioning their own relationship with alcohol, this conversation offers a deeper lens—one that moves beyond willpower or labels and into the emotional roots of why we drink.We talk about:How alcohol can become a socially acceptable way to numb unresolved traumaGrieving the parent you needed, not just the one you hadWhy addiction often masks deeper grief and unmet childhood needsLetting go of the hope that someone will one day become who you needed them to beFinding peace and sobriety without the closure you thought you’d needThis episode is for anyone who has loved someone struggling with addiction, questioned their own drinking, or felt the quiet, complicated grief of losing someone—while they’re still alive.📘Download our FREE, sibling e-book: 6 actions to help navigate a sibling’s substance use journey🤝Join our FREE and PRIVATE sibling-focused community: Siblings For Love of Recovery📲Connect with FLOR: Instagram and TikTok🎙Guest speaker: Marci HopkinsRelated content:Marci’s book: “Chaos to Clarity: Seeing the Signs and Breaking the Cycles”Family resources: ShatterproofFind a family group: Al-Anon Family Groups

What if everything you’ve been taught about recovery is wrong?What if the thing your family fears —medication—might actually be the one thing that could help save your loved one’s life? You might recognize names like methadone, suboxone, sublocade, buprenorphine, and others.In this episode, we strip away the sugarcoating and talk honestly about how these work, and what exactly medically assisted treatment (MAT) is: what it does, why it works, and why so many families still judge it. We dig into the hard truths—how detox alone sets people up to fail, how shame keeps loved ones stuck, and how MAT creates the chemical stability that recovery literally cannot happen without.We confront the biggest stigma head-on: “Isn’t this just swapping one drug for another?” And we break down, in real language, why that belief is not only outdated—but dangerous.If you’re a sibling or family member watching someone you love fight addiction, this episode gives you the clarity you’ve been craving and the honesty you deserve.You’ll walk away with:The real science behind MAT and why it stabilizes the brain when nothing else doesA breakdown of the biggest stigmas, including why the “one drug for another” myth does more harm than goodWhat recovery actually requires beyond detox, tough love, or willpowerClear ways to support your loved one without shame, judgment, or outdated beliefs📘Download our FREE, sibling e-book: 6 actions to help navigate a sibling’s substance use journey🤝Join our FREE and PRIVATE sibling-focused community: Siblings For Love of Recovery📲Connect with FLOR: Instagram and TikTok🎙Guest speaker: Dr. Sarah Nasir, DORelated content:Watch Dr. Nasir break down “Opioid Addiction & 3 Phases of Treatment”Download her Opioid Recovery Guide

“How’s your brother? How are your parents?” Sound familiar?If you’ve ever felt like people are quick to ask about the loved one struggling with substance use—but rarely ask how you’re doing—you’re not alone. Or maybe they jump straight into offering advice.I know that feeling well. In this episode, I’m answering the questions I get asked most about my brother’s addiction—and the ones I wish people asked instead.The ones I hear all the time sound like:“Do you think he’s ready for treatment this time?”“What caused him to use?”“Is your family doing better now?”But those aren’t the questions I wish people asked.Because it’s not about blame—it’s about being seen.This episode is for every sibling who’s tired of being the messenger, the fixer, or the spokesperson. It’s for the ones who want to talk about their relationship with their sibling as they see it—not through the lens of addiction, but through love, boundaries, and truth.📘Download our FREE, sibling e-book: 6 actions to help navigate a sibling’s substance use journey🤝Join our FREE and PRIVATE sibling-focused community: Siblings For Love of Recovery📲Connect with FLOR: Instagram and TikTok

What does it really mean to love someone through addiction — and how do we move beyond the idea that rehab is the only way forward?The answer is rarely simple. We want to show up, to help, to protect — but sometimes our love feels heavy, confusing, or not enough.Joanna and I talk about the complicated love of siblings — the guilt, the hope, the heartbreak — and how stories like hers and mine can remind us that none of us are alone in this.In The Opioid Trilogy, Joanna brings these stories to life with unflinching honesty: Brother captures her intimate phone calls with her brother as he navigates the fragile cycle of recovery; Do No Harm follows Raina McMahan’s 17-year struggle with heroin and the healing power of connection over punishment; and Coming Home traces Tahira Malik’s journey of rebuilding after addiction and incarceration, and her creation of a safe space for women reentering society.Together we dig into:The complicated love of siblings — the guilt, the hope, the heartbreakPaths to recovery beyond rehab The failures of the rehab industryHow to help and support a loved one in early recovery, or sober curiousAnd what it means to love someone through addiction, even when you don’t have the answersIf you’ve ever wrestled with the idea of tough love, or questioned, “Am I loving them the right way?” this conversation is for you.📘Download our FREE, sibling e-book: 6 actions to help navigate a sibling’s substance use journey🤝Join our FREE and PRIVATE sibling-focused community: Siblings For Love of Recovery📲Connect with FLOR: Instagram and TikTok🎙Guest speaker: Joanna RudnickWatch The Opioid Trilogy’s short films:Ep 1: BrotherEp 2:  Do No HarmEp 3: Coming Home“Rat Park,” explained:TED Talk: “Everything you know about addiction is wrong” by Johann Hari

What happens to the child who’s always told to “be good” while all the attention goes to their sibling? They grow up invisible. They become the Glass Child.In the third and final episode of our Parentification Series, I talk with TEDx speaker Alicia Meneses Maples, who coined the term glass child, about what it’s really like to be the sibling who carries the burden quietly. We go deep into:The crushing pressure of being “the good kid”Parents leaning on you like their therapistThe silence and shame of having no space for your own emotionsHow it all shows up later in toxic relationships and burnoutAnd what healing, boundaries, and acceptance actually look likeIf you’ve ever felt unseen in your own family, this one will hit home.📘Download our FREE, sibling e-book: 6 actions to help navigate a sibling’s substance use journey🤝Join our FREE and PRIVATE sibling-focused community: Siblings For Love of Recovery📲Connect with FLOR: Instagram and TikTok🎙Guest speaker: Alicia Meneses MaplesRelated content:Alicia’s TEDx on recognizing the “Glass Child”“The parentified child: Why they’re often the eldest daughter”

What if the version of you that kept your family functioning — the fixer, the peacemaker, the one who never asked for anything — isn't the version you want to be anymore?Psychotherapist Kate Nichols joins Dominique to unpack what it really means to be a cycle breaker when you grew up in a family shaped by addiction. They dig into the guilt that comes with changing, the grief of leaving old roles behind, and the specific challenges siblings face when they decide to stop absorbing everyone else's pain.If you've ever felt responsible for your family's peace — this episode is for you.Topics: breaking generational trauma, cycle breaker, family addiction patterns, people pleasing and addiction, setting boundaries with family, healing from a dysfunctional family.🎯 This episode will help you:Identify the role you played in your family—and how it’s still shaping youDetermine whether you’re ready to get comfortable with making uncomfortable changes Practical ways to start tuning into what you want and need (instead of what others expect)Discover what free or low-cost mental health tools are available to you📘 Download our FREE, sibling e-book: 6 actions to help navigate a sibling’s substance use journey🤝 Join our FREE and PRIVATE sibling-focused community: Siblings For Love of Recovery📲 Connect with FLOR: Instagram and TikTok🎙 Guest speaker: Kate Nichols, LCSWRelated content:“Beyond Blame: Family dynamics 101”“The parentified child: Why they’re often the eldest daughter”Find affordable therapy through OpenPath CollectiveHow to identify if you’re a cyclebreaker

If you were the kid who held it all together—the one who comforted your parent, kept your sibling safe, made things feel normal when they absolutely weren’t—this episode is for you.In the first episode of our Parentification 101 mini-series, I sit down with therapist and author Whitney Goodman to talk about what it really means to be a parentified child—and why it so often falls on the eldest daughter.We talk about the invisible labor kids take on in families affected by addiction and dysfunction. The emotional weight. The unspoken expectations. The way that "being the responsible one" can follow us into adulthood—shaping our relationships, our sense of self, and our deepest fears.I share what it felt like to be the second mom in my family: the pressure to fix, to manage, to make everything okay—even when I was barely holding it together myself.This conversation might stir up things you’ve kept buried for a long time. But naming it is how we start to loosen its grip.Because once we see the role we were never meant to play, we can finally choose a different one.🎯 This episode will help you understand:What parentification actually is—and how to spot it in your storyThe difference between emotional and logistical parentificationWhy eldest daughters so often carry this invisible burdenHow it shows up in adulthood as perfectionism, anxiety, people-pleasingAnd how to begin setting boundaries, letting go of guilt, and honoring the child in you who never got to just be a kid📘 Free sibling e-book: 6 actions to help you navigate a sibling’s substance use journey. Download here: https://www.forloveofrecovery.com/e-book🤝 Join our sibling support community: A private group for siblings navigating a loved one’s addiction.Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1001711494318102⁠Share your storyConnect with siblings who get itAccess tools, support, and ongoing conversationFollow us on social for more sibling stories and tools:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forloveofrecovery/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forloveofrecoveryFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561542956095🎙 More from this episodeListen to our Family Dynamics 101 episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5dVDA080Dx8SjrDR0Wx5GKDownload Whitney’s parentification workbook: https://callinghome.co/topics/the-parentified-child-workbook More from Whitney's work:Calling Home podcast: https://callinghome.co/blog/listen-to-the-calling-home-podcast About Whitney: https://sitwithwhit.com

Brock Bevell spent years as an undercover cop — then became the person he used to arrest. After a career-ending injury led to opioid addiction, he lost everything before finding his way to recovery.In this episode, Brock shares what the fentanyl crisis looks like from the inside, what families of people struggling with opioid addiction need to understand, and how recovery advocacy is creating real change in communities hit hardest by the overdose epidemic.If you're trying to understand how a loved one got here — and what recovery can actually look like — this is a story worth hearing.Topics: fentanyl addiction, opioid addiction and family, recovery from opioids, how to help someone with opioid addiction, fentanyl crisis, addiction recovery story.This episode may help you:See the connection between identity loss, pain and substance useUnderstand why fentanyl is so hard to walk away fromLearn what actually helps people changeDiscover four key areas that support long-term recoveryDownload our FREE, sibling e-book: ⁠6 actions to help navigate a sibling’s substance use journey⁠Join our sibling-focused community: ⁠Siblings For Love of Recovery⁠Connect with FLOR: ⁠Instagram ⁠and ⁠TikTok⁠Episode resources:⁠The Fentanyl ProjectAbout Brock Bevell: https://brockbevell.org/ ⁠

You've probably heard the myths: that offering housing, food, or money to someone struggling with addiction just “enables” them. That people using suboxone or methadone aren’t ready to make a “real change.” But what if those ideas are not only wrong—but harmful?In this episode, harm reduction advocate and person in recovery Sarah Laurel dismantles the most persistent misconceptions about harm reduction and addiction, and what it means to truly show up for someone you love. She helps us rethink how harm reduction can not only save lives—but relationships too.Sarah shares her journey through substance use and recovery, the unwavering support of her mother, and the complicated but evolving bond she shares with her siblings. She speaks candidly about choosing abstinence (recognizing it's not for everyone), why practicing harm reduction still requires boundaries, and how the most compassionate path forward often begins with meeting people exactly where they are.Sarah also shares how she and the Savage Sisters are saving lives every day in Philadelphia—supporting people who’ve survived overdose and helping families take meaningful action, whether or not their loved ones live with them.If you’ve ever wrestled with questions like “Am I enabling?”, wondered what harm reduction really looks like in practice, or struggled to balance love with boundaries—this episode is for you. Sarah’s story will help you unpack the nuance, explore the many forms harm reduction can take, and empower you to make choices rooted in compassion, clarity, and your own values.This episode may help you:Understand how providing housing, MAT, food and compassion helps save livesDiscover the spectrum of harm reduction practices families can practiceBalance love and boundaries while staying true to your valuesDownload our FREE, sibling e-book: 6 actions to help navigate a sibling’s substance use journeyJoin our sibling-focused community: Siblings For Love of RecoveryConnect with FLOR: Instagram and TikTokEpisode resources:Savage SistersWhat is Harm Reduction?Safe Use Hotlines: Safe Spot and Never Use Alone

I used to think stepping up for my brother meant taking control — managing his choices, absorbing his consequences, and being available every time things fell apart. What I didn't realize was that playing "mom" wasn't protecting him. It was protecting me from the uncertainty of letting go.In this episode, I open up about the fear, shame, and exhaustion of loving a sibling through active addiction — and the slow, hard shift toward boundaries, acceptance, and learning to be a sister instead of a caretaker.If you've ever felt like loving your sibling means losing yourself, this episode was made for you.Topics: sibling addiction, how to support a brother with addiction, enabling vs. loving, boundaries with addicted sibling, parentified child, letting go of control.Download our FREE, sibling e-book: 6 actions to help navigate a sibling’s substance use journeyJoin our sibling-focused community: Siblings For Love of RecoveryConnect with FLOR: Instagram and TikTokEpisode resources:The Double Bind of Siblings in Adolescent Substance Abuse TreatmentTED Talk: “Everything you know about addiction is wrong” Start With Hope campaignImage credit: True Connections: Rat Park

When someone "gets sober" or begins their recovery journey, we want to believe everything will fall back into place. But the truth? Recovery is M E S S Y.Relationships don’t magically heal overnight. Trust isn’t instantly restored. And for families, the real work is just beginning.In this episode, Janice Johnson Dowd—author, social worker, and person in recovery—gets real about what it takes to rebuild trust and connection after addiction and the stories shared in her new book, Rebuilding Relationships in Recovery. She opens up about the lies she told herself, the shame she carried, and the gut-wrenching moment she knew she had to stop drinking. Janice also shares what she wishes her kids had known about addiction, how shame and stigma affect families, the crucial role siblings and loved ones play in healing, why recovery is never a straight line, and the hardest part about facing yourself without substances.This is a conversation about love, making uncomfortable changes, boundaries, and second chances. If you're trying to reconnect with a sibling, parent, or partner in recovery—or if you're the one picking up the pieces—this episode is for you.This episode may help you: Understand why addiction should be treated like any other disease See how addiction isolates not just the addict, but the whole family Learn how to support a loved one in early recovery without losing yourself Set boundaries without shutting someone out Improve communication and practice open-ended conversations Join our sibling-focused community: Siblings For Love of RecoveryConnect with FLOR: Instagramand TikTokAbout our guest: Janice Johnson Dowd, author and social workerBuy Janice’s books here: www.janicejohnsondowd.com/my-mission  Rebuilding Relationships in Recovery

Sibling estrangement can create grief like no other, especially when addiction is part of the equation. In this episode, Fern Schumer Chapman, journalist and author of Brothers, Sisters, Strangers and The Sibling Estrangement Journal, opens up about her 40-year estrangement from her brother and the profound emotional toll it took on her. Fern’s story offers a raw look at the pain and complexities of sibling relationships affected by addiction. She shares how setting boundaries, in the face of addiction, sometimes means cutting ties—and the unique grief that comes with that decision. Whether you’re navigating your own estrangement or just seeking to understand the dynamics at play, Fern provides practical advice for coping with the heartache, finding healing, and ultimately, reclaiming peace. If you’ve ever struggled with family dynamics shaped by addiction or the loss of a sibling relationship, this episode is for you. This episode may help you: Gain practical tips for understanding and coping with the grief and emotional toll of sibling estrangement, particularly when addiction is a factor Learn how to set healthy boundaries in difficult family dynamics while prioritizing your own emotional well-being. Discover ways to find acceptance, healing and from estrangement Identify if reconnecting is an option, and how to do so in a way that works for you Join our sibling-focused community: Siblings For Love of Recovery Connect with FLOR: Instagram and TikTok About our guest: Fern Schumer Chapman, author and journalist Buy Fern’s books here: The Sibling Estrangement Journal Brothers, Sisters, Strangers: SIbling Estrangement and the Road to Reconciliation

Feeling torn between “tough love” and showing support? What if the answer is not choosing between helping or detaching, but finding a balance? In this episode, Molly Sinclair, takes us through her journey of navigating her mom’s, her brother’s, and her own addiction with empathy and boundaries. Molly explains evidence-based tools like the Invitation to Change approach, whether you should let someone hit “rock-bottom” and other insights to help you start the new year with clarity and compassion. This episode may help you: Decide whether Al-Anon/Nar-Anon, CRAFT, or the Invitation to Change is right for you Understand how to support a loved one through their addiction or recovery Identify what’s a true emergency, and how to respond (not react) to it Join our sibling-focused community: Siblings For Love of Recovery Connect with FLOR: Instagram  TikTok Our guest speaker: Molly Sinclair

Family addiction can bring holiday stress, uncertainty, heartbreak, and tension to what’s supposed to be a joyful season. If gatherings feel overwhelming as you're navigating a loved one’s substance use (especially a sibling's), you're not alone. Minaa B., licensed social worker, mental health educator, and author of Owning Our Struggles, shares how to set boundaries, prioritize self-care, and protect your peace amidst the chaos. Because even in difficult times, you deserve a peaceful holiday season celebrated in a way that works best for you. This episode may help you: Navigate complex sibling and family relationships during family gatherings Discover strategies to build boundaries and create your own peace during holidays Feel empowered to start your own holiday traditions that work for you Join our sibling-focused community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1001711494318102  Connect with FLOR: Instagram: ⁠⁠@forloveofrecovery⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠@forloveofrecovery⁠⁠ Our guest speaker, Minaa B: About Minaa B: https://www.minaab.com/

What happens to a family when a loved one's addiction leads to homelessness? And what does it take to reach someone who seems completely unreachable?Kevin F. Adler lost his uncle to decades of homelessness and addiction — and turned that grief into a movement. In this episode, he shares what families misunderstand about loved ones experiencing homelessness, why isolation is the real driver of addiction, and why connection — not tough love — is what actually creates change.If you've ever felt like your loved one is beyond reach, this episode will challenge everything you thought you knew.Topics: addiction and homelessness, how to help a loved one with addiction, isolation and substance use, family and addiction recovery, tough love vs. connection.This episode may help you: Understand how using person-first language can shift perspectives and reduce the stigma around addiction. Recognize the barriers—societal, health, and systemic—that make finding housing so tough. Find ways to strengthen and sustain healthy connections with loved ones facing these challenges. See the impact of timely support and genuine connection in helping someone move toward recovery and stable housing.Join our sibling-focused community Connect with other siblings Share your own story in a safe space Support for navigating the journey Join here:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Siblings for Love of Recovery⁠⁠Connect with FLOR Instagram: ⁠⁠@forloveofrecovery⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠For Love of Recovery⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠@forloveofrecovery⁠⁠Our guest speaker About: Kevin Adler Kevin’s book: When We Walk By

Teen drinking or drug use may start off with curiosity or peer pressure, but it often goes beyond that. In this episode, we uncover the connection between undiagnosed ADHD and substance use—a surprising link that’s often missed but affects nearly half of adolescents in drug and alcohol treatment. Learn how to spot the signs of both conditions, and discover how families can support loved ones struggling with these challenges. We'll also provide practical tips for treatment, management and building strong support systems. This episode may help you: Bring clarity to why substance use is often a side effect of untreated ADHD  Help listeners learn how to recognize the signs of SUD and ADHD Provide tips for treating each disorder and things to look for when managing both OUR SIBLING-FOCUSED COMMUNITY Connect with other siblings Share your own story in a safe space Support for navigating the journey Join here:⁠ ⁠⁠Siblings for Love of Recovery⁠ CONNECT WITH FLOR Instagram: ⁠@forloveofrecovery⁠ Facebook: ⁠For Love of Recovery⁠ TikTok: ⁠@forloveofrecovery⁠ OUR GUEST SPEAKER About: ⁠Shelby Robbins⁠

If you've watched The Bear and felt something crack open in your chest during the "Fishes" episode — you're not alone.Season 2 of The Bear portrays sibling grief, family dysfunction, and the long shadow of addiction in a way that most TV never does. In this episode, therapist Asha Hunter unpacks what the Berzatto family gets right about sibling bonds, unspoken trauma, and the way addiction reshapes every relationship in a family.Whether you're a fan of the show or not, this episode will help you see your own family dynamic more clearly.Topics: addiction and family trauma, sibling grief, family dysfunction, The Bear TV show addiction, sibling bonds and mental health.This episode may help you: Understand the disruption addiction brings to family dynamics Recognize the power and fragility of sibling bonds in dysfunctional environments Learn how guilt affects both those struggling with addiction and their family members Empathize with people who are fearful of disappointing their loved onesFYI: This episode is full of spoiler alerts if you haven’t yet watched The Bear’s “Fishes” episode.FACEBOOK GROUP: Siblings For Love of Recovery* Connect with other siblings* Share your own story in a safe space* Support for navigating the journey> Join here: Siblings for Love of RecoveryCONNECT WITH FOR LOVE OF RECOVERY* Instagram: @forloveofrecovery* Facebook: For Love of Recovery* TikTok: @forloveofrecovery✅ SUBSCRIBE SO YOU DON’T MISS ANY EPISODES> Subscribe: For Love of Recovery WATCH "FISHES" EPISODE & HIGHLIGHTS:> Watch ‘Fishes’ on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/series/the-bear-05eb6a8e-90ed-4947-8c0b-e6536cbddd5f > Watch Carmy and Mikey’s emotional conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNDrlgmS3z8&t=7s > Watch the fork-throwing scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nxQ9TZ0ZtI&t=34s > Watch Carmy open up at the NA meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fjITOkFnnE&t=22s 

In families affected by addiction, everyone plays a role — whether they realize it or not. The hero who keeps everything together. The scapegoat who takes the blame. The lost child who goes quiet. The rescuer who can't stop fixing.Licensed therapist and sibling John Varsam breaks down the most common family roles in addiction, how they develop, and how they follow us into adulthood — affecting our relationships, our boundaries, and our sense of self.If you've ever wondered why your family responds to addiction the way it does, this episode will give you a framework that finally makes sense.Topics: family roles in addiction, enabler vs. supporter, family dysfunction, sibling of an addict, how addiction affects the whole family.This episode will help you: Understand what the roles in a dysfunctional family often are Identify the roles in your family  Feel empowered to make a change FACEBOOK GROUP: Siblings For Love of Recovery* Connect with other siblings* Share your own story in a safe space* Support for navigating the journey> Join here: Siblings for Love of RecoveryCONNECT WITH FOR LOVE OF RECOVERY* Instagram: @forloveofrecovery* Facebook: For Love of Recovery* TikTok: @forloveofrecoveryJOHN VARSAMAbout: https://jvpsychotherapy.com/about/ KARPMAN’S DRAMA TRIANGLE, EXPLAINED:https://www.bringthedonuts.com/essays/the-drama-triangle/⁠*This essay breaks down the Drama Triangle in a super digestible way, and is designed for business coaching, but the analysis still applies* 

Recognizing when helping is actually doing more harm than good can be confusing when a loved one is misusing drugs or alcohol. Sibling relationships can be even more complicated depending on age differences and whether there’s a natural desire to support one another. This episode dives into what those raw and complex emotions look like for one sister, Gillian. She opens up about her journey with a younger sister battling alcohol dependence, how their childhood dynamic evolved into adulthood, the challenges of setting boundaries, and ultimately, how she found a way to support her sister while prioritizing her own well-being. Hear how Gillian rediscovered how to help her sister and learned the power of building boundaries to prioritize her own wellbeing.  This episode can help you: Understand the shift in how a sibling relationship can change with drug or alcohol dependence Build boundaries to set healthy limits to support your loved one without enabling Protect your peace with practical strategies for showing up for your sibling in a healthy way - FACEBOOK GROUP: Siblings For Love of Recovery * Connect with other siblings * Share your own story in a safe space * Support for navigating the journey > Join here:⁠ Siblings for Love of Recovery⁠ 🤳CONNECT WITH FOR LOVE OF RECOVERY * Instagram: ⁠@forloveofrecovery⁠ * Facebook: ⁠For Love of Recovery⁠ * TikTok: ⁠@forloveofrecovery⁠

If you have a sibling struggling with addiction, you know how isolating it feels — like no one around you truly understands what you're going through.For Love of Recovery is a podcast for siblings and families navigating a loved one's substance use. Host and founder Dominique Dajer shares why she started this show, what her brother's addiction taught her about boundaries, enabling, and unconditional love — and what you can expect from every episode.Whether you're in the thick of it or learning to rebuild — this is your starting point.Topics: sibling addiction, family recovery, substance use, how to help a brother or sister with addiction.-FACEBOOK GROUP: Siblings For Love of Recovery* Connect with other siblings* Share your own story in a safe space* Support for navigating the journey> Join here: Siblings for Love of Recovery🤳CONNECT WITH FOR LOVE OF RECOVERY* Instagram: @forloveofrecovery* Facebook: For Love of Recovery* TikTok: @forloveofrecoveryDOWNLOAD OUR FREE SIBLING E-BOOK:* 6 actions to help navigate your sibling's substance use journey