1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: Conversations on life, style, beauty and relationships. It's the Velvet's 2 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: Edge podcast with Kelly Henderson. What's up you guys. It's 3 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: Kelly and no, this is not a solo podcast, right. 4 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: You know I do not like those, even though every 5 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 1: now and again I just feel the need to speak 6 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: to you guys. This is actually an introduction into a 7 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: podcast that I was a guest on, and I just 8 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: wanted to give you guys a little bit of a 9 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: backstory so that it made more sense when you jumped 10 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: into the podcast. So we all have patterns when it 11 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: comes to love, to relationships, to dating, even to self 12 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: love and the ways we attach. I've actually recently been 13 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: listening to Monica and Jess Love Boys. If any of 14 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: you guys listen to Armchair Expert, Hello chip Uh. This 15 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:50,200 Speaker 1: is a little subversion of that podcast where two people 16 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: have experts on and they face their patterns and love 17 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: and hopes to change what's no longer serving them. One 18 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: doesn't date at all and has never been in a 19 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: long term relationship. That's Monica, and then Jess has had 20 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: a few long term relationships, but for the past few 21 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: years has just been having sex with anyone and everyone 22 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: and avoiding dating at all because of a fear of rejection. 23 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: So it's two sides of the same coin, and it's 24 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: a coin that I relate to differently, but also the same. 25 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 1: A few months ago, I was a guest on a 26 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: podcast called Journals of a Love Addict with licensed therapist 27 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: Jody White. Jody has been a guest on this podcast 28 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: twice now, and once I revealed to her that I 29 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: was evaluating my relationship with alcohol, she had a couple 30 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: more questions about why. Yes, for me, the way I 31 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 1: was using alcohol in the past couple of years and 32 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: my patterns in relationships became very connected. That hasn't always 33 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 1: been a connection or something that I've faced, but I 34 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 1: became very aware of it drastically. In my last relationships show, 35 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: Jody Connected the Dots asked me to be a guest 36 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: on her podcast to talk about why I was taking 37 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: a break from alcohol and also to talk about my 38 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 1: own love addiction. As we mentioned in this podcast, the 39 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: word love addict, or even the other side of that 40 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: coin with love avoidance, like I mentioned earlier, are very 41 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: hard words to digest. Mostly for me. That's because these 42 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: descriptions don't always feel like what this stuff actually is 43 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,959 Speaker 1: or looks like. So identifying as a love addict, it 44 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 1: doesn't necessarily mean you're just addicted to love, although for 45 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: some people it could look like that, Like it could 46 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: look like constantly needing to be in a relationship or 47 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: have some version of a love relationship or person in 48 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 1: your life, or just chasing after people for a relationship. 49 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: I'm personally typically single for quite some time between relationships, 50 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 1: so for me, the quote unquote love addiction looks a 51 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: lot like major codependency and self abandonment. It gets really 52 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 1: activated in relationships with unavailable partners. And I've been in 53 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 1: a pattern in my adult life of continuing to choose 54 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 1: unavailable partners, whether they're unavailable because of active addictions, workaholism, 55 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 1: addiction to business, social media, cell phones, other women, or 56 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:09,519 Speaker 1: if they're just emotionally distant, whatever the cause of their 57 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: unavailable unavailability really activates my fear of abandonment every time. 58 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: And that's what all of these patterns are. It's old 59 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: attachment wounding that, if left unaddressed, shows up as a 60 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:26,800 Speaker 1: dysfunction in our most intimate relationships. I'm choosing to share 61 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: this part of my story because, for one the chaos 62 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 1: and unmanageability of my life the last couple of years 63 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,720 Speaker 1: was pretty public. Um, I couldn't show up in my 64 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: life the way I intended to or needed to because 65 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: I just wasn't taking care of myself, which I've been 66 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: very open and talking about on social media and then 67 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: also on this podcast. But the second reason, and the 68 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: most important one to me, is that I always have 69 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: hopes that my vulnerability and sharing my story will help 70 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: even one person. If it helps one person, as uncomfortable 71 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 1: as it may be, it's worth it to me. Well, 72 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: it's Metley. I just don't believe there should be shame 73 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: around looking at or working at changing our patterns in 74 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: our lives that no longer serve us. However, we as 75 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 1: humans want to judge, whether it's to feel better about ourselves, 76 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 1: to stay in denial, to avoid fear or pain, or 77 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: to stay in the one up position. Whatever the reason, 78 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 1: it's a very common human behavior. We all do it. 79 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 1: I'm guilty of it myself. So what I'm asking from 80 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: you guys today is to just listen, no judgment, And 81 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 1: if you do notice yourself judging me, or feeling scared 82 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: by what I'm saying or even if it pisces you 83 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: off and you're just so angry listening to me talk, 84 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: ask your inner knowing what is going on with me 85 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 1: that I feel this way right now, and don't judge 86 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,599 Speaker 1: yourself for whatever that answer may be. In fact, you 87 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 1: can share them with me if you feel so inclined, 88 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 1: and I'll also help you hold a non judgmental space 89 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 1: with you for you all of it. I just know 90 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: for me that whenever I'm judging someone else, it's always 91 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:02,039 Speaker 1: about me. So I'm asking you guys to take that 92 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 1: perspective when you listen to this podcast. One more thing, 93 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 1: I did my best to say on my side of 94 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: the street and not involve other stories in this podcast. 95 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:14,839 Speaker 1: It's a really hard thing to navigate, and though I 96 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: know I don't do it perfectly, I truly am trying 97 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 1: my best. This is my story and I'm sharing from 98 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:24,039 Speaker 1: my experience. Though I am very human and on a 99 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:26,040 Speaker 1: lot of days that is just not how I want 100 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 1: to do things. Ultimately, I do believe it's the right 101 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: thing to do, even if it's not always deserved. That's 102 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: the way I'm going to continue to move forward. So 103 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,239 Speaker 1: I will never use names or publicly bash anyone who's 104 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 1: previously been in my life. So if you're feeling like 105 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 1: some parts of this are broad or vague, that's why 106 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 1: I'm speaking about my life and my experience and my journey. 107 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: Take what you like and leave the rest. Here's my 108 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:59,160 Speaker 1: conversation with Jodie. Hello, this is Jody White, and you're 109 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 1: listening to of a Love Addict. I love hearing from 110 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 1: those of you who listen to the podcast and follow 111 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: me on Instagram. I can't always respond to everyone, even 112 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: though I really want to, because I learned the hard 113 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: way that I've got to have boundaries around how much 114 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: time I spend emailing and how much time I spend 115 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: on social media because it takes a lot of my energy, 116 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:35,800 Speaker 1: and I need my energy in order to work with 117 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 1: my clients and also take care of myself. And I 118 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 1: actually read something not too long ago that helped me 119 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: feel a little better about this boundary that I have 120 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 1: to have around communication when I finally read Quit Like 121 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: a Woman by Holly Whittaker. In her book, which is 122 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:04,280 Speaker 1: about how to address your relationship with alcohol while living 123 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:08,839 Speaker 1: in a culture that's obsessed with drinking, Holly discusses the 124 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: importance of boundaries especially when it comes to how we 125 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: work and how she realized that she was overworking at 126 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 1: making sure she responded to every single email, every text, 127 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 1: every d M and it was wearing her out and 128 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 1: leading to anxiety. So she had to make a choice 129 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: between operating like that or focusing on her actual work, 130 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: which is writing and research, etcetera. And it's not an 131 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 1: easy boundary to uphold, especially because I and I think 132 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: lots of us possibly were raised to believe that not 133 00:07:56,720 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 1: responding is just plain old rude. But in an age 134 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 1: of constant contact, we've got to have those boundaries, right. 135 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: But a couple of years ago, I received a particular 136 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: email from Kelly of the Velvet's Edge podcast who said 137 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: she wanted me to come on her podcast and talk 138 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: about love addiction. And y'all, I get so excited when 139 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 1: I find out that other people want to discuss the 140 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: topic of love addiction like this, because my goal is 141 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: to spread the word and let others know this is 142 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: a real thing and that if you are struggling, you're 143 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: not alone. So this email led to me being on 144 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 1: Kelly's podcast, and then I was on a second time, 145 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: and I thought, mm hmmm, I have a feeling she 146 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 1: as a story to tell, and then recently she shared 147 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:13,079 Speaker 1: an Instagram post about books and a photo of herself 148 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: holding guess what quit like a woman, and I knew 149 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:21,199 Speaker 1: it was time to invite Kelly to visit with me 150 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: on Journals of a Love Addict. Please welcome Kelly from 151 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:30,440 Speaker 1: the Velvet's Edge podcast, who, by the way, is also 152 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 1: a celebrity here and makeup artist in Nashville who has 153 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: worked with some of country music's finest. We get started 154 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:43,440 Speaker 1: as I've just let Kelly know that my instincts have 155 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: been telling me she has a story to tell. It's 156 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 1: so interesting that you picked up when the topic interest 157 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: and I do think I kind of mentioned that when 158 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 1: we were talking like that I've been doing some of 159 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: this work and just the recovery work I've been in 160 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: for I don't know about a decade now, but yeah, 161 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 1: I have guests on my podcast that I'm interested in 162 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: learning the information. It's kind of like this selfish way 163 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 1: that I get to talk to these really amazing experts 164 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:16,200 Speaker 1: on certain topics. And so the topic of love, addiction 165 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:19,079 Speaker 1: and codependency, all of those things have been in my 166 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 1: life for so long, but I'm diving a lot deeper 167 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: into that now, and so having you guys one was 168 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 1: like my investigation into do I need to really be 169 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:30,719 Speaker 1: doing this or like, you know, just trying to find 170 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: out more information because my therapist has been telling me 171 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:36,680 Speaker 1: about it for years. But I definitely was like, are 172 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 1: you sure about that? I mean maybe, but do I 173 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,120 Speaker 1: have to go that far? You know that kind of stuff. Oh, 174 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:44,839 Speaker 1: I get it because I think you know, when I 175 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 1: first while I was in therapy for a long time, 176 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 1: but then no one you know, really understood codependence love 177 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: addiction so much back then. And then when it was 178 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:55,559 Speaker 1: first mentioned to me, love addiction was first mentioned to 179 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:59,320 Speaker 1: me twelve years ago, and I remember going, yeah, I 180 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 1: don't know, that sounds pretty terrible. Let's just like I 181 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:03,959 Speaker 1: just want to come in and complain about my boyfriend. 182 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:07,920 Speaker 1: Can we talk about terrible? Is It's not? It's not me, 183 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: It's right, I mean, that really is the you know, 184 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:15,440 Speaker 1: you can have awareness and even if your instincts are 185 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: like hello, uh, we just have this external focus that 186 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 1: gets in the way because it's like i'd much rather folks, 187 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 1: you know, I'm conditioned to focus out here versus here. 188 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I mean that was when I first started recovery, 189 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:35,599 Speaker 1: or just I call it my recovery journey because it 190 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: involved a lot of therapy intensives. I do twelve stop 191 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:43,840 Speaker 1: work as well, but I got into that because of 192 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 1: a relationship that I was in with a sex addict, 193 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 1: and so it would have been very easy for me 194 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 1: to be like, oh, he cheated on me a bunch 195 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 1: and like make him the bad guy. But my life 196 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 1: had become so unmanageable and I saw myself doing things 197 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 1: that we're so out of character for me, and just 198 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:07,080 Speaker 1: complete self abandonment that there was this awareness of like 199 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 1: he's not the only one. Like I knew that, but 200 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:13,960 Speaker 1: I just didn't really fully understand what my part was, 201 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 1: and so uncovering that, you know, it was like the 202 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 1: most painful, uncomfortable journey. But like, thank God for the 203 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: help and the tools that I've received through that. But 204 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:28,200 Speaker 1: this has been something I think I've tried to put 205 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:31,840 Speaker 1: off because I did start into that work a decade ago, 206 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: and so I was like, am I not done yet? 207 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:37,400 Speaker 1: Like right, you're telling me there's more. And that was 208 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: super defeating at first, you know, and I just tried 209 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:42,959 Speaker 1: to avoid at all costs, and you're talking about the 210 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 1: love addiction work. Correct, Yeah, because I started um in 211 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 1: actually started my codependency work before that, because I grew 212 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:53,320 Speaker 1: up in a family where both my parents are in 213 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 1: recovery and um they've been on their own journeys for 214 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:58,120 Speaker 1: a long time, and so you know, I always knew 215 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 1: about it, and I thank God for at now because 216 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: when my life started to fall apart, like I knew 217 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:05,839 Speaker 1: where to go. That's the part of the work that 218 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:07,560 Speaker 1: I want to do with my podcast is kind of 219 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:11,720 Speaker 1: helping people understand that what they're experiencing is actually really 220 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 1: normal or you know, it's not so isolated to just you, 221 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 1: and here's where you can go to find the help 222 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 1: you need, because I think a lot of people just 223 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:22,560 Speaker 1: don't know where to start. So I was really lucky 224 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: that I knew where to start. But the work that 225 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 1: I had been doing before it was kind of hitting ish, 226 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: you know. I mean obviously, like there's some childhood stories 227 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:34,599 Speaker 1: that I was getting into and kind of understanding a 228 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 1: little bit about why I did certain things or why 229 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:39,160 Speaker 1: I was maybe a people pleaser, but it felt a 230 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:42,680 Speaker 1: little more like surface. And so then when my world 231 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:46,560 Speaker 1: fell apart with that relationship that I just mentioned, we 232 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: were engaged, and I found out three months before the wedding, 233 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 1: like there was just a full he was cheating the 234 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:54,320 Speaker 1: whole time because of his own stuff. And when I 235 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:57,079 Speaker 1: found that out, it wasn't like all of my friends 236 00:13:57,080 --> 00:13:58,840 Speaker 1: wanted to just be like, well, he's just an asshole, 237 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:02,240 Speaker 1: but like, because I had started to dip my toe 238 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:03,840 Speaker 1: in and because of what I had seen my parents 239 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:05,680 Speaker 1: going through, like I just knew. I was like, there's 240 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:09,600 Speaker 1: just something more here. Yeah, So but you told me 241 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 1: you were since October, right, you have been addressing your 242 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 1: relationship with alcohol. That's what I call it. Yes, Um, 243 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:22,360 Speaker 1: October is the last time I've had a drink. So 244 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: for me, that's a really time. What is this four 245 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: and a half months later. I don't know when this 246 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:30,120 Speaker 1: podcast is coming out, but when we're recording it, yeah, 247 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 1: it's now it's March. So yeah. You know what's so 248 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 1: interesting is I feel like I've had this intuition that 249 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:41,440 Speaker 1: at some point in my life alcohol was not going 250 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:44,760 Speaker 1: to be there anymore. I've known it like in my body, 251 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: and I used to have these visions of me as 252 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 1: an older woman and just like living my life, and 253 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,360 Speaker 1: I just knew, like I was in these visions, I'm 254 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: always like gardening or like, I don't know, taking care 255 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 1: of plants of some sort. I have no idea why, 256 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 1: because I kill every plan. So I'm not too um. 257 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: But alcohol, like my life in that vision is very 258 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 1: much like me drinking a tea. You know. It's like 259 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 1: alcohol just isn't present. And I've always had this weird like, huh, 260 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: I wonder why. Because I work in the music industry. 261 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 1: Alcohol is everywhere. It's it's a part of every activity 262 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 1: we do. I grew up in Louisiana, like that is 263 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 1: also part of the culture, and so it's just been 264 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:29,040 Speaker 1: around my life for so long and so much so 265 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: that like, I don't really think. I think like when 266 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 1: I first started therapy, you know, we discussed it and 267 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: she put parameters on me. But I actually remember she said, 268 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 1: you know, when I first started working with people in 269 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,240 Speaker 1: my therapist is awesome, by the way, but she she said, 270 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 1: when I first started working with people, we I like 271 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:47,040 Speaker 1: to remove alcohol for the first six months. And I 272 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 1: was like what, And she said, Okay, we can talk 273 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:52,480 Speaker 1: about parameters, but I would like to invite you to 274 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 1: notice your reaction to that. Immediately, my first thought when 275 00:15:57,080 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: she said that was what will I do when I 276 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 1: go on the road with my artists, because like we 277 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:03,720 Speaker 1: go to these big dinners, or I'm at parties or 278 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:05,880 Speaker 1: just at the show, you just drink, you know, And 279 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 1: I thought, oh my gosh, they're gonna all think I'm crazy, 280 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: Like I'm already doing all this work. I'm gonna feel 281 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 1: so isolated, like how will I ever have fun in 282 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:15,840 Speaker 1: my life? You know. It was just kind of that reaction, 283 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: and so we ended up putting this to Drink maximum 284 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: on my first six months of working with her, and 285 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:26,520 Speaker 1: it was great for me in that it helped me 286 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 1: to understand a kind of like a crutch like alcohols, 287 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: a crutch like how I was using it, and so 288 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: I did develop a different relationship with it at that point. 289 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:39,640 Speaker 1: Um I would say, over the next decade, it probably 290 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:42,440 Speaker 1: just like, I don't know, normalized a little bit where 291 00:16:42,440 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 1: I was like not so hardcore on just two drinks 292 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:46,800 Speaker 1: or you know, and then I would go back to 293 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: partying with my friends on the road and in my 294 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: industry and just in general the same way that I 295 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:56,800 Speaker 1: used to. But what happened the past couple of years 296 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 1: was that, you know, with the pandemic hit, um I 297 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 1: got in a relationship where alcohol was like just a 298 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:09,400 Speaker 1: fixture of daily life, and I personally was facing so 299 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:12,920 Speaker 1: many big betrayals I had. I was on this TV 300 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,199 Speaker 1: show for a while, and I had like a major 301 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:18,880 Speaker 1: public humiliation about in lies being told about me that 302 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:21,960 Speaker 1: hit in a different way that I've ever experienced, because 303 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 1: I was getting like death threats and crazy stuff reality 304 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:27,480 Speaker 1: TV fans are really into. I had no idea about this. 305 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:32,879 Speaker 1: It sounds terrible. This was happening to me while this 306 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: was right This hit in my life right before the 307 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 1: pandemic hit. And so then once the pandemic hit, you know, 308 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:41,439 Speaker 1: the music industry went away, and so all of my 309 00:17:41,520 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 1: work went away. It was very, very stressful, and then 310 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:48,879 Speaker 1: my relationship we were kind of tumultuous. And what I 311 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 1: realized was that because I was searching so desperately for 312 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:59,159 Speaker 1: some sort of consistency, foundation, normalcy, less anxiety, all of it, 313 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:01,119 Speaker 1: I was using our acohol to kind of just like 314 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:04,639 Speaker 1: medicaid and push all those feelings that I was actually 315 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:07,159 Speaker 1: feeling down because it was too much and it was 316 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:10,000 Speaker 1: like I couldn't I couldn't go there yet, Like I couldn't. 317 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 1: Even with all of the work I've done, all of 318 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 1: the tools I have, all of the support systems I have, 319 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:18,560 Speaker 1: I was just not prepared to feel that much pain 320 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:21,119 Speaker 1: all at once, And so I was using alcohol to 321 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 1: not have to do that. Yeah, I mean it, and 322 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,600 Speaker 1: it can quote unquote work for a little while like that. 323 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 1: Yeah rarely. I mean I think there was definitely that 324 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:33,879 Speaker 1: piece still for me too, of like searching for normalcy. 325 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:36,920 Speaker 1: Like when I look at other people, I have a 326 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 1: comparison is like kind of one of my character defects, 327 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:43,400 Speaker 1: and so I can look at other people and I'm like, well, 328 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:46,439 Speaker 1: they do it. So like even though my body, in 329 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: my mind and my soul or telling me this isn't 330 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,080 Speaker 1: the way to go, look at the people around me, 331 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 1: they're doing it. So surely it's fine, you know, or 332 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:56,879 Speaker 1: it's fine, Like I just kind of will do that 333 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 1: kind of stuff. And so it was in my energy field, 334 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 1: like I knew. I think my body always knows before 335 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:09,040 Speaker 1: my mom will accept things. But I really wasn't willing 336 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:11,400 Speaker 1: to accept it until I got into a really bad 337 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:15,879 Speaker 1: place in that relationship and saw how much it was 338 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 1: keeping me in the relationship and and in my addiction 339 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:23,280 Speaker 1: stuff to keep drinking. And I don't identify as an 340 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:25,399 Speaker 1: alcoholic as much as I just said all the stuff 341 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:30,200 Speaker 1: I said, like or identify an alcoholic, but it ties 342 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:35,640 Speaker 1: into all of my other stuff. And that's what I've realized. Yes, 343 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: I agree with that, and I actually gotten to the 344 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 1: point and even over the last few years, where I 345 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:44,040 Speaker 1: just I don't think the term alcoholic is just outdated. 346 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:46,920 Speaker 1: And we used it a long time ago to help 347 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:52,040 Speaker 1: us understand something, but now it's just you know, the 348 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:57,320 Speaker 1: spectrum of like gray area drinking. You know, it's there's 349 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:02,680 Speaker 1: it's such a broad topic and everyone's relationship with alcohol 350 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:05,640 Speaker 1: can look unique, can be for unique reasons, and um, 351 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 1: you know, the term alcoholic is just it doesn't fit anymore. 352 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:12,200 Speaker 1: I think I totally agree with that. And if we're 353 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:14,720 Speaker 1: if we were still using this term alcoholic, I'm like, Okay, 354 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:17,119 Speaker 1: well then every single person in my life is an alcoholic, 355 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:20,160 Speaker 1: you know. I mean, it's just so that's what that 356 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:22,919 Speaker 1: book that I posted about quit like a woman. She 357 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:27,240 Speaker 1: talks about that, like it's just so normalized to drink alcohol, 358 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:29,600 Speaker 1: to be a binge drinker, to do all the things 359 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 1: that our society just like praises as to what to 360 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 1: do after a long day, or it's like the only 361 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 1: way we learned how to to cope with life, and um, 362 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 1: if you really look at the behaviors and then you 363 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:44,960 Speaker 1: know anything about alcoholism, it's like, wait a second, these 364 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:48,239 Speaker 1: things look a lot alife, right, Yeah, And you know 365 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:52,360 Speaker 1: you were just saying about comparison, and that was me too. 366 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 1: It's like, well, I don't drink as much as they do, 367 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:58,240 Speaker 1: so I must be that bad, you know. And I 368 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 1: think that's also though, when we do have childhood wounding 369 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:07,159 Speaker 1: or mother hunger or codependence and you know symptoms, we 370 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:10,199 Speaker 1: as again that external focus, and so we're just looking 371 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:13,480 Speaker 1: for something to kind of make sense to us or 372 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:16,399 Speaker 1: some sort of guidance on something, versus being able to 373 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:19,240 Speaker 1: know ourselves. That's one of the issues, is we you're 374 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:22,200 Speaker 1: saying you felt it in your body, you knew instinctually, 375 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,240 Speaker 1: intuitively that alcohol wasn't good for you, wasn't a fit. 376 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 1: But but you know, it is so normalized. There's that 377 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: part too, So our brain is telling us no big deal, 378 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:34,359 Speaker 1: what's the big deal, But then also looking around us, 379 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 1: well they're doing it, and so but still we're ignoring 380 00:21:38,119 --> 00:21:40,360 Speaker 1: that inner voice that's saying it's just not a fit 381 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 1: for us. It's just doesn't work. And as silly as 382 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,560 Speaker 1: it sounds, it's like that feeling maybe we all had 383 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:47,199 Speaker 1: in junior high in high school, where you're like, I 384 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:49,679 Speaker 1: just want to fit in, you know. Like, as silly 385 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:52,719 Speaker 1: as that is, as an almost forty something year old woman, 386 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 1: there's definitely a part of me. I mean, I experienced 387 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 1: it this last week and I was in Vegas for 388 00:21:57,320 --> 00:21:59,040 Speaker 1: a work trip and I'm the only one not drinking 389 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:02,879 Speaker 1: in Vegas obvious, and so it's isolating, you know. And 390 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 1: I'm finally like sturdy enough in my own self almost 391 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 1: forty to say like, okay, well I can be different 392 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 1: and that's okay. But it's it's hard, and I think 393 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 1: it's like the one thing that a lot of us 394 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:20,440 Speaker 1: really have. You have to be really secure in who 395 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:24,399 Speaker 1: you are and your relationship with yourself and your higher 396 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: power or whatever it is, to not want to just 397 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 1: be like everyone else and not stick out, you know, 398 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: like because you're doing something different, right, because you're you're 399 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:36,840 Speaker 1: taking care of yourself and doing things different, You're right, yeah, 400 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 1: And it's to me, it's not doesn't sound silly at 401 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 1: all because we we need slash want to belong. We 402 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:47,200 Speaker 1: want to you know, so of course we want to 403 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 1: do things that help us fit in and get that 404 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:53,159 Speaker 1: approval you know, from others. And so I think it 405 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,119 Speaker 1: totally makes sense. And for people who are starting it 406 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 1: at almost forty, for almost fifty, almost sixty, I mean 407 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 1: I work with people who are looking at this for 408 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:05,040 Speaker 1: the first time in their fifties sixties, and I think 409 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 1: it's so amazing, and and they also feel silly, you know, 410 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:11,919 Speaker 1: like here I am at sixty five still wanting this, 411 00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:14,879 Speaker 1: or here I am, you know, still wanting to fit in, 412 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:18,880 Speaker 1: and it's like it's just we're human, and so takes 413 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 1: a lot of courage. Thank you. I I that's interesting 414 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:24,800 Speaker 1: because that's been some of the feedback I've gotten, or 415 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:27,119 Speaker 1: actually it's what everyone says to me is like, wow, 416 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:28,800 Speaker 1: that is so impressive, you know, while they take a 417 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: sip of their drink. Um. So a part of what 418 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:37,639 Speaker 1: I think I'm trying to talk about publicly with it 419 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:42,480 Speaker 1: is just just normalizing not drinking too. Like actually, I'm 420 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:44,760 Speaker 1: not trying to tell anyone not to drink, Like your 421 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 1: relationship with alcohol is completely yours to discover and think 422 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:52,400 Speaker 1: about and figure out. But I just think it's interesting 423 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 1: that the norm is to drink and then the abnormal 424 00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:59,360 Speaker 1: thing is to not drink, Like why where do how 425 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 1: do we get the air? Why is that the thing? 426 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:05,080 Speaker 1: Why is it so crazy when someone says I just want, 427 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:08,359 Speaker 1: you know, a water. I love that your therapist had 428 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 1: initially said I like to have boundaries around drinking the 429 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 1: first six months that we worked together, and that really 430 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:17,360 Speaker 1: goes with you p a Melodies way of doing things too, 431 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:21,440 Speaker 1: when she she really talks about, okay, when we're starting 432 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:27,440 Speaker 1: work on codependence U symptoms and love addiction to remove 433 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 1: any other what she calls addictions or addicted behaviors, because 434 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:33,719 Speaker 1: that's going to distract you from doing the work. And 435 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:39,480 Speaker 1: one of those is alcohol and alcohol and love addiction. 436 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:43,399 Speaker 1: You know, self medicating with alcohol and even disordered eating 437 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:46,000 Speaker 1: gets in there very often too. But I just based 438 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,920 Speaker 1: on my own experience, it was the alcohol helped me 439 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:53,840 Speaker 1: stay in my love addiction. Really yeah, because yeah, because 440 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 1: also it led to so much shame. I was self 441 00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 1: medicating all the all the anxiety, which then caused me 442 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:01,800 Speaker 1: to fee shameful because I would end up doing or 443 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:05,000 Speaker 1: saying something I didn't mean to do or say, and 444 00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:08,639 Speaker 1: then I'd be stuck in this spiral of shame, you know, 445 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:12,639 Speaker 1: inside my spiral of low addiction. It's so true and 446 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:16,640 Speaker 1: like for me specifically in my last relationship, I would 447 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:19,520 Speaker 1: get in a terrible shame spiral just like you described, 448 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:22,760 Speaker 1: because I would try to make my feeling like it 449 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 1: was like I would have a new awareness or I 450 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:26,640 Speaker 1: would recognize a red flag. I would try to discuss 451 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:29,560 Speaker 1: it it wasn't there, what that wasn't happening in the 452 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:33,359 Speaker 1: relationship I was in. But instead of saying, hey, like 453 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:35,960 Speaker 1: this isn't gonna work for me, or this this kind 454 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 1: of dynamic is not healthy for me, this is what 455 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:40,600 Speaker 1: I would need to stay all of these things, I 456 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:43,200 Speaker 1: would just get so scared of oh my god, the 457 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:46,439 Speaker 1: relationship is going to end. And I could not process that, 458 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:48,320 Speaker 1: especially because I had all that other stuff going on 459 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:52,280 Speaker 1: in my life, and so to stay, I would have 460 00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:54,560 Speaker 1: to make the feelings go away, because it's like you 461 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:57,560 Speaker 1: know that statement, It's like once you know, you can't know. Well, 462 00:25:57,600 --> 00:25:59,920 Speaker 1: I know a lot, Like I've done a lot of work, 463 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:05,720 Speaker 1: have a lot of knowledge about addiction, especially like toxic relationships, trauma, bonding, 464 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:09,719 Speaker 1: how about the head knowledge, but actually like doing it 465 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:13,560 Speaker 1: in my own life, I still have these attachment fears 466 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:16,520 Speaker 1: and like abandonment fears that come up. And so it's like, oh, 467 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:19,080 Speaker 1: I gotta make that go away, because I, as much 468 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 1: as I know this might not be a healthy dynamic, 469 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:25,359 Speaker 1: I cannot leave right now, Like I physically, mentally emotionally 470 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:27,879 Speaker 1: can't handle that. Like that sounds like too much pain. 471 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:31,399 Speaker 1: And so I would drink. But the problem was is 472 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:34,240 Speaker 1: then I would drink, and then eventually it still comes out. 473 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:37,119 Speaker 1: And and when alcohol is involved, like you said, you 474 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:39,000 Speaker 1: say it in a way that you wouldn't have said it, 475 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:43,000 Speaker 1: or I would yell instead of speak, And it's like 476 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 1: then you wake up the next day and the only 477 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:48,440 Speaker 1: thing that's discussed is the meltdown that you had the 478 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:51,439 Speaker 1: night before, and it becomes about that and not the 479 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:54,840 Speaker 1: actual real issue, Like the real issues were never actually 480 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:58,880 Speaker 1: addressed or discussed. And because I would feel so guilty 481 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:01,800 Speaker 1: about my own behavior, you're a shameful about my own behavior, 482 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:05,120 Speaker 1: I would just take all the blame and like take 483 00:27:05,119 --> 00:27:07,360 Speaker 1: the over responsibility because then it's like, okay, well I'll 484 00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:09,280 Speaker 1: just I'll just do better next time I'll go get 485 00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:12,440 Speaker 1: more help, and I'll you know, go to another intensive 486 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:14,720 Speaker 1: or whatever. None of the things I actually probably needed 487 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:17,600 Speaker 1: to be doing. But I just got so stuck in 488 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:20,760 Speaker 1: my own shame and I knew that I wasn't proud 489 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:22,680 Speaker 1: of my own behavior, and that was the only thing 490 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:26,560 Speaker 1: that I would focus on to fix. Yeah, we become 491 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:29,600 Speaker 1: the problem. It's like there's a problem. I always like 492 00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:33,120 Speaker 1: to talk about the dynamic of and I. I don't 493 00:27:33,119 --> 00:27:35,360 Speaker 1: love the terms love addict, love avoid, and I continue 494 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:37,920 Speaker 1: to use them because they worked for me in my recovery. 495 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:39,560 Speaker 1: But let's just do it for the sake of this 496 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:42,359 Speaker 1: uh little diagram I'm drawing here. But it's like a 497 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:45,160 Speaker 1: love addict, the love avoid and come together. Everything's just 498 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:48,400 Speaker 1: hot and heavy. Initially it seems so great, and then 499 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:50,840 Speaker 1: it's it's almost like I would go into a new 500 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 1: relationship and really be in a fairly secure place because 501 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 1: between relationships, I would get my ship together. I'm amazing 502 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:04,840 Speaker 1: between relationships I have on top of it. Yes, then 503 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:07,280 Speaker 1: this guy comes along and would seem I'd be like, 504 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:10,160 Speaker 1: I don't know and then do all the quote unquote 505 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,720 Speaker 1: right things. And as soon as I turned to face 506 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:15,960 Speaker 1: him and say, Okay, you seem cool, let's do it. 507 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:19,679 Speaker 1: Let's go for this. There'd be a tiny shift in 508 00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 1: his behavior or his energy, and that would trigger my insecure, 509 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 1: my anxious attachment, and then that's his avoidance, starting to 510 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:29,200 Speaker 1: move away, and I immediately get off my center to 511 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 1: run after him and try to catch him. And then 512 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:35,600 Speaker 1: I'm wobble because I'm not on my center anymore, and 513 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,160 Speaker 1: I'm drinking to medicate all this discomfort and what you 514 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:41,320 Speaker 1: can't unsee or un no because your your instincts are like, girl, 515 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:44,000 Speaker 1: go run, get away from this guy. But you're like no, no, no, 516 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:48,960 Speaker 1: And so then I regress, say terrible things, become this 517 00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 1: oversized toddler. And then all of a sudden, it's my problem. 518 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 1: It's not him, it's not for good. Did he have 519 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:57,840 Speaker 1: an issue? Like it's like that, right, what was I 520 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:00,040 Speaker 1: out about? Oh that's right? No, no, no, you're a 521 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: real problem, Kelly. Like and they're always happy to make 522 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:06,400 Speaker 1: you to go along with that story because you're such 523 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:10,240 Speaker 1: a good salesperson with that story. Oh if I'm sorry 524 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:13,280 Speaker 1: I did that. It's I'm just so insecure. I promise 525 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:15,800 Speaker 1: I'll be better, I'll do And they're like yeah, because 526 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:20,479 Speaker 1: you right, and look at that. What's your therapist say 527 00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 1: about that? You know? Right, it was all of those things, 528 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:25,920 Speaker 1: and I'm just happy to Like, I don't know if 529 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:28,480 Speaker 1: I'm happy to do it, but it seems logical to 530 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:31,480 Speaker 1: me in the shame spiral, like it's just seems like 531 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:34,920 Speaker 1: the easy way out of the shame and out of 532 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 1: the possible abandonment. And so to me, when I'm triggered 533 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:43,120 Speaker 1: into you know, we'll call it, we call it love, addiction, attachment, trauma, 534 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:45,840 Speaker 1: whatever it is. When I'm triggered into that, the only 535 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:49,080 Speaker 1: thing that I care about is not being abandoned, right, 536 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 1: And it it takes, I'll do what it takes. I'll 537 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:54,960 Speaker 1: do as much work as possible. And like we said, 538 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,840 Speaker 1: like in between relationship, I'm a hard worker, so you know, 539 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:01,360 Speaker 1: I'm not and I'm not scared to do the deep dive. 540 00:30:01,160 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 1: I enjoy learning more about myself and I've had enough 541 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:08,720 Speaker 1: of the healing pieces of recovery work that I see 542 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:11,120 Speaker 1: the benefit and so like I'm like, Okay, well it's 543 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:13,200 Speaker 1: really painful now, but I'll go look at that and whatever, 544 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:16,120 Speaker 1: do the work and get to the other side, which 545 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:17,880 Speaker 1: is great. And I think I'll be doing that for 546 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 1: the rest of my life. And I'm learning that, like, 547 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:23,640 Speaker 1: I can't be the only one in a relationship doing that, 548 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:26,360 Speaker 1: that's right, or else I'm gonna keep being triggered back 549 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 1: into the same old stuff. Like I think. I thought 550 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:31,760 Speaker 1: that if I just got healthy enough, I could hold 551 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:34,480 Speaker 1: it together for both of us, and like I can't. 552 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:38,720 Speaker 1: That is where I'm completely powerless, exactly and exactly and 553 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 1: I you, we're just trying about I'll do whatever it 554 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:43,680 Speaker 1: takes to not be abandoned. And it's not our thinking brain, 555 00:30:43,840 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 1: our rational brain that says that. It's our wounded part. 556 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:50,240 Speaker 1: You know, it's much deeper than that. And so it's 557 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 1: you know, I'll do whatever it takes. I'll be the project, 558 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 1: I'll go to therapy. And it's control too, So you know, 559 00:30:57,400 --> 00:31:00,640 Speaker 1: if I take the blame, if it's my fault, then 560 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:04,240 Speaker 1: I can control it, that's right. Yeah, So it helps 561 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: us feel you know, like, Okay, I can control this. 562 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:09,560 Speaker 1: It's not as out of control as it was feeling 563 00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:12,840 Speaker 1: ago when that abandonment was flaring it. If I can 564 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:15,160 Speaker 1: control it, if I'm just gonna do all the work, 565 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:18,600 Speaker 1: then I can make it work. It's more just like, Okay, 566 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:21,680 Speaker 1: I'm the problem. Okay, let's get to work. Then like here, 567 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 1: let's add something else to the list. And what happened 568 00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:26,000 Speaker 1: to me the last time was like I added so 569 00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 1: much to my list that I couldn't function. You know, 570 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:34,080 Speaker 1: I'm like trying to quote unquote figure it out. I 571 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:35,840 Speaker 1: have a mentor that always has figured it out is 572 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:37,480 Speaker 1: not one of our slogans, and I think that's the 573 00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:40,120 Speaker 1: most brilliant thing ever, because the more I stay in 574 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 1: my mind, the more I'm in all of that stuff 575 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:45,560 Speaker 1: that like the wounding piece of it, because I'm just 576 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:49,000 Speaker 1: trying to figure out how to like I said, stay 577 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:51,480 Speaker 1: um or not face the pain, Like I just want 578 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:53,360 Speaker 1: to avoid more of that pain because I've had that 579 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 1: pain before and it's terrible, and you know, I think 580 00:31:56,560 --> 00:31:58,680 Speaker 1: somewhere in me will be like, oh, you can't survive 581 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:02,600 Speaker 1: it again. You just can't. And it literally can feel 582 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:06,960 Speaker 1: like you're going to die, which people would think. I 583 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:09,200 Speaker 1: think some people who don't feel this way might be 584 00:32:09,280 --> 00:32:12,280 Speaker 1: like that feels dramatic, But that is how it feels, 585 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:15,600 Speaker 1: which is why the insanity comes in of trying to 586 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:19,760 Speaker 1: maintain or stay or not feel those feelings because it 587 00:32:19,800 --> 00:32:22,560 Speaker 1: feels like you're going to die if you feel I 588 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:25,480 Speaker 1: always felt that way, like it feels like death. It 589 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:27,480 Speaker 1: feels like I'm going to die, like the world just 590 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:30,600 Speaker 1: a big hole just opened up and I'm free falling 591 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:34,800 Speaker 1: into the dark depths of the earth or something. And 592 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: when Kelly McDaniel came along with Mother Hunger and in 593 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:43,040 Speaker 1: working with her, I can I mean, she yes, it 594 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:46,120 Speaker 1: is like death, because we're talking about pre verbal stuff, 595 00:32:46,320 --> 00:32:50,480 Speaker 1: you know, for us, and so even though our brain 596 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:53,600 Speaker 1: is like, what's the big deal, I'll be okay, you know, 597 00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:56,720 Speaker 1: the wounded part, our little, tiny, little nervous system part 598 00:32:56,760 --> 00:33:00,840 Speaker 1: that from way pre verbal, is somatically experience variancing this 599 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:04,720 Speaker 1: moment as I'm going to die if this person does 600 00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:07,240 Speaker 1: not come toward me and validate me and love me, 601 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:10,840 Speaker 1: you know. And so there's this I think she even 602 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 1: says in the book and in her book Mother Hunger, 603 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:16,640 Speaker 1: and I think or I translated it this way. It's 604 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:20,080 Speaker 1: almost like there are two parts to us. There's a little, tiny, baby, 605 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:23,960 Speaker 1: wounded part of us, you know, and then there's this very, 606 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:26,080 Speaker 1: for lack of a better way of putting it, high 607 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:29,440 Speaker 1: functioning adult part, you know, who can really like we 608 00:33:29,480 --> 00:33:32,840 Speaker 1: said pull our ship together between relationships, and so they 609 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:37,640 Speaker 1: live inside the same boy and it's very confusing because 610 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:40,040 Speaker 1: they it's so confusing when they're both trying trying to 611 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:46,280 Speaker 1: drop the bus. Yeah, so you talked about this most 612 00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:51,400 Speaker 1: recent tumultuous relationship and do you can you elaborate on 613 00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:57,920 Speaker 1: what happened? I know that it was several years on correct, Okay? Yeah, 614 00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:02,320 Speaker 1: So for me, I was in this relationship for three years. 615 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:06,760 Speaker 1: I would say when I look back, I'm like, oh, 616 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:10,479 Speaker 1: I tried to break up six months in the first time, 617 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:13,560 Speaker 1: and then I continued on for two and a half years. 618 00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:16,799 Speaker 1: So if that tells you what my stuff looks like, 619 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:22,400 Speaker 1: I don't know. We have very similar stuff. I um. 620 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:26,360 Speaker 1: I you know, it's like when you emailed me about 621 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:28,839 Speaker 1: doing this, I was like, you said something like, what 622 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:30,839 Speaker 1: is your love addiction look like? And it's been so 623 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:33,640 Speaker 1: interesting because I'm, you know, I'm still uncovering that, which 624 00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:35,280 Speaker 1: is sort of why I think I was nervous getting 625 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:36,880 Speaker 1: on this podcast day too, because it's not like I 626 00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:39,799 Speaker 1: have this figured out right, and it's like every day 627 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:42,600 Speaker 1: I'm learning new stuff and I'm still going through withdrawal 628 00:34:42,640 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 1: phases of this relationship and so some days are really 629 00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:49,239 Speaker 1: ugly for me still, and so it can be very 630 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:52,960 Speaker 1: like intimidating to talk to you while you're navigating that. 631 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:56,239 Speaker 1: And actually, I'm starting to really see the importance of 632 00:34:56,280 --> 00:35:00,840 Speaker 1: that because I just think that we I slate ourselves 633 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:03,239 Speaker 1: so much and so you only are seeing the good 634 00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:05,880 Speaker 1: sides of everybody, and especially with social media, you know, 635 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:08,759 Speaker 1: like we all show up with this presentation of us, 636 00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:10,800 Speaker 1: and I'm like, wait a second, this is why I 637 00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:14,040 Speaker 1: get so stuck in comparison, because I'm comparing my insides 638 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:16,880 Speaker 1: to that person's outsides and it makes me crazy and 639 00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:19,520 Speaker 1: I don't want to live my life that way, or 640 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:22,160 Speaker 1: I don't want to project that onto other people that 641 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:24,160 Speaker 1: I have it all figured out, because as sure as 642 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:27,480 Speaker 1: hell don't and it's just day to day. But so anyway, 643 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:30,359 Speaker 1: with part of what I'm figuring out and my love 644 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:34,319 Speaker 1: addiction stuff is and I think this got exacerbated when 645 00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:37,600 Speaker 1: I went through the canceling of a wedding and all 646 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:41,200 Speaker 1: of the pain of what that relationship loss was so 647 00:35:41,280 --> 00:35:45,399 Speaker 1: traumatic for me, and I've done a lot of work 648 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:48,120 Speaker 1: around it, and it's still you know, can come up 649 00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:52,319 Speaker 1: in different scenarios and so what has happened since in 650 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:55,920 Speaker 1: my relationships is that once I allow myself to love someone, 651 00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:59,160 Speaker 1: it is so scary for me to think about losing 652 00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:03,319 Speaker 1: that person pure it. And so in like this last relationship, 653 00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:08,200 Speaker 1: I fell in love and although the flags were there 654 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:12,120 Speaker 1: and showing themselves of like you are not this is 655 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:15,160 Speaker 1: not a healthy dynamic for you, or you know, I 656 00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:18,840 Speaker 1: would see certain things of avoidance that I've experienced before. 657 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:21,520 Speaker 1: When I would ask for hard conversations, we could never 658 00:36:21,560 --> 00:36:25,000 Speaker 1: have them. You know, the intermittent reinforcement kind of thing 659 00:36:25,080 --> 00:36:27,640 Speaker 1: that you were talked about where it's like you're so 660 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:29,920 Speaker 1: so so in love and then you feel them kind 661 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:33,440 Speaker 1: of pulling away, and so like I would get hooked 662 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:36,000 Speaker 1: to that dynamic because it would it would be there 663 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:39,080 Speaker 1: if I would start to panic and then have to 664 00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:41,400 Speaker 1: say like try to try to own my recovery and 665 00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:43,279 Speaker 1: my knowledge and stuff and be like this is not good, 666 00:36:43,280 --> 00:36:45,200 Speaker 1: Like I'm not gonna be able to stay. If this happens, 667 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:47,400 Speaker 1: it would all turn. Or if I would set a boundary, 668 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:49,920 Speaker 1: it would turn, and the avoidance that I was feeling, 669 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:52,600 Speaker 1: he would come back strong, stronger, And so it was 670 00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:56,759 Speaker 1: so confused in my head. I just think that that 671 00:36:57,080 --> 00:37:01,880 Speaker 1: really amplified all of my wounding, and before I knew it, 672 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:05,440 Speaker 1: I was just so desperate to keep the relationship and 673 00:37:05,520 --> 00:37:07,839 Speaker 1: not have to feel the pain of losing someone else. 674 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:12,359 Speaker 1: I loved that I completely kept abandoning myself over and 675 00:37:12,440 --> 00:37:16,040 Speaker 1: over and over and over. And that could look like drinking. 676 00:37:16,239 --> 00:37:18,160 Speaker 1: That could look like trying to pretend like I wasn't 677 00:37:18,200 --> 00:37:21,879 Speaker 1: having those fearful feelings I was having. Um that would 678 00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:25,279 Speaker 1: look like abandoning parts of my life, not showing up 679 00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:28,120 Speaker 1: in my job and the way I needed to. My 680 00:37:28,200 --> 00:37:30,280 Speaker 1: house was a mess. Like I said that to Kelly 681 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:32,600 Speaker 1: when I talked to her. One of the main indications 682 00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:35,960 Speaker 1: for me of where I am is like is my 683 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:39,360 Speaker 1: house a disaster? And is stuff just everywhere? And like 684 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:42,640 Speaker 1: I'm not the most organized person. But when I'm functioning 685 00:37:43,480 --> 00:37:45,960 Speaker 1: well in my life and I'm sober and I'm like 686 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:48,560 Speaker 1: in a good headspace, I can keep on track of 687 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:51,359 Speaker 1: things and like things have a place. When I'm not, 688 00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:55,160 Speaker 1: it is just chaos everywhere. Um, and that's because I'm 689 00:37:55,160 --> 00:37:57,680 Speaker 1: trying to do too much or you know, like jump 690 00:37:57,719 --> 00:38:01,319 Speaker 1: into someone else's life. That's like the over functioning in 691 00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:03,920 Speaker 1: the relationship and functioning in you like, what do you 692 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:06,239 Speaker 1: guys need? And there were children in this relationship, and 693 00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:09,799 Speaker 1: so that just amplified things like I didn't have good 694 00:38:09,840 --> 00:38:13,960 Speaker 1: boundaries at all around that, and so it mostly like 695 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:16,520 Speaker 1: what it looks like for me is just self abandonment 696 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:21,560 Speaker 1: and doing anything that I need to do that might 697 00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:25,200 Speaker 1: involve me leaving myself, but to be able to stay 698 00:38:25,320 --> 00:38:27,960 Speaker 1: with this person that I love or this you know, 699 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:32,359 Speaker 1: relationship that I'm just I'm not willing to lose. Yeah, 700 00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:35,239 Speaker 1: I like the way you just refrain that that I 701 00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:38,120 Speaker 1: love and or is it a relationship that I'm just 702 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:41,359 Speaker 1: not willing to lose? Right? Well, And that's also something 703 00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:45,840 Speaker 1: I've been thinking about lately. Love. You know, we believe 704 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:49,040 Speaker 1: that if we love someone, we should work hard at 705 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:52,080 Speaker 1: it and make it work. But then how much well 706 00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:54,520 Speaker 1: it's all this romantic idea, which is a whole another 707 00:38:54,560 --> 00:38:56,960 Speaker 1: podcast episode, but you know, it's also how much my 708 00:38:57,040 --> 00:39:01,120 Speaker 1: loving myself if I am staying in this and trying 709 00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:03,960 Speaker 1: to make it work. So and then the other thing 710 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:09,600 Speaker 1: I do is like, well they said this, so you know, 711 00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:14,840 Speaker 1: I'll like latch onto certain words and I'll forget about actions, 712 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:18,839 Speaker 1: and so my body is like freaking out because it's 713 00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:20,680 Speaker 1: like their actions are not lining up up with their 714 00:39:20,680 --> 00:39:25,000 Speaker 1: words here sister, like hello or attention, and so internally 715 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:28,000 Speaker 1: I'm like panic, panic, panic, which again is where alcohol 716 00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:30,839 Speaker 1: would come into play of like nobody said this, so 717 00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:34,200 Speaker 1: like yeah, yeah, yeah he did that, but like whatever 718 00:39:34,239 --> 00:39:36,239 Speaker 1: he said this, that's not what it is. It's what 719 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:38,239 Speaker 1: he said because that's what I want to believe. So 720 00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:42,280 Speaker 1: I can stay right literally, they can be like spell 721 00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:44,919 Speaker 1: it out for me. This is who I am. Look 722 00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:48,239 Speaker 1: at my actions. I'm showing you. And it's like my 723 00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:50,560 Speaker 1: Angelou has that quote that says like when someone shows 724 00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:54,480 Speaker 1: you believe them, that is my love addiction. It's like 725 00:39:54,800 --> 00:39:56,680 Speaker 1: they're showing me who that it is. But we can 726 00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:59,680 Speaker 1: change them because I don't want to heal too and 727 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:02,040 Speaker 1: know they've had trauma to like I'll go through all 728 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:04,279 Speaker 1: these It's not like I'm trying to in my head, 729 00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:06,520 Speaker 1: I'm not trying to change the person from who they are. 730 00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:09,080 Speaker 1: I just want the healed version of them. And so 731 00:40:09,160 --> 00:40:13,560 Speaker 1: it seems kind of loving. It's the potential. It's the 732 00:40:13,719 --> 00:40:16,440 Speaker 1: I can see the potential, you know, I see this 733 00:40:16,480 --> 00:40:19,440 Speaker 1: person's potential. I'm just gonna hang in there. Yeah, I 734 00:40:19,640 --> 00:40:22,279 Speaker 1: have it. They're a good person at their heart, you 735 00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:25,920 Speaker 1: know that, And I don't think that that's not true. 736 00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:29,319 Speaker 1: But I have to look at what they're able to 737 00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:32,879 Speaker 1: give me in the moment. And usually if I'm having 738 00:40:32,880 --> 00:40:35,440 Speaker 1: those thoughts, I'm not getting what I need, or the 739 00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:39,399 Speaker 1: relationship is not a functioning relationship for me or one 740 00:40:39,440 --> 00:40:42,520 Speaker 1: that I can stay out of my own stuff. Well. 741 00:40:42,520 --> 00:40:44,600 Speaker 1: And I also think, and I've also been thinking about 742 00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:47,040 Speaker 1: this lately, is that just because someone's a good person 743 00:40:47,120 --> 00:40:49,719 Speaker 1: doesn't mean they're going to be a good partner for us, 744 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:52,799 Speaker 1: you know, just like if someone is sober, it doesn't 745 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:54,560 Speaker 1: mean they're going to be a good partner for us. 746 00:40:54,680 --> 00:40:57,000 Speaker 1: Or just because someone's in therapy doesn't mean they're going 747 00:40:57,040 --> 00:40:58,960 Speaker 1: to be a good partner for us, you know. But 748 00:40:59,120 --> 00:41:01,000 Speaker 1: when we're in our of addiction, it's like, but he's 749 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:03,120 Speaker 1: in therapy and he's really working on this stuff, but 750 00:41:03,160 --> 00:41:05,080 Speaker 1: he just quit drinking and it's gonna get so much better. 751 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:07,719 Speaker 1: Or you know, there's all these things and that those 752 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:10,160 Speaker 1: are great. Those are great, but we have to look 753 00:41:10,200 --> 00:41:14,120 Speaker 1: at what's going on for me right now. How much 754 00:41:14,160 --> 00:41:17,560 Speaker 1: am I able to respect and love myself in this 755 00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:20,880 Speaker 1: particular situation? Right, And if you would have asked me 756 00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:23,600 Speaker 1: that about my last relationship, there was definitely not a 757 00:41:23,640 --> 00:41:27,080 Speaker 1: whole lot of love or respect for myself happening. I 758 00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:29,480 Speaker 1: actually think it was probably down to zero by the 759 00:41:29,560 --> 00:41:32,160 Speaker 1: end of it because exactly what we were talking about, 760 00:41:32,160 --> 00:41:35,600 Speaker 1: like the way I was behaving. I was so ashamed 761 00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:38,560 Speaker 1: of just who I had become, Like I didn't even 762 00:41:38,680 --> 00:41:42,440 Speaker 1: recognize myself, nor did I like the person that I was. 763 00:41:43,320 --> 00:41:47,319 Speaker 1: But again, there were these pieces that I just was 764 00:41:47,440 --> 00:41:51,280 Speaker 1: so hooked to and did not it was so scared 765 00:41:51,320 --> 00:41:53,239 Speaker 1: of losing. And I mean I would be lying if 766 00:41:53,280 --> 00:41:55,879 Speaker 1: I said that that wasn't a really hard thing to leave, 767 00:41:56,080 --> 00:41:58,160 Speaker 1: you know, and it's still hard on a lot of days. 768 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:02,719 Speaker 1: But ultimately I know that I wouldn't be able to 769 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:06,759 Speaker 1: grow or thrive in that situation because I was just 770 00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:09,440 Speaker 1: completely abandoning myself over and over and over and it 771 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:14,560 Speaker 1: wasn't going to get better. Yeah eventually, Oh yeah, Oh yes, 772 00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:17,800 Speaker 1: everything you're saying, I'm not only tracking, I am relating 773 00:42:17,840 --> 00:42:21,440 Speaker 1: to all of so yeah, I mean it's all very similar, 774 00:42:21,480 --> 00:42:25,600 Speaker 1: and really, you know, it's not that we're unique in this. 775 00:42:25,840 --> 00:42:29,279 Speaker 1: I think that in love addiction, there is a even 776 00:42:29,320 --> 00:42:33,000 Speaker 1: though everyone's love addiction looks different, or attachment trauma looks different, 777 00:42:33,080 --> 00:42:38,200 Speaker 1: or behavior in relationships, there is a almost a script 778 00:42:38,920 --> 00:42:41,960 Speaker 1: that takes place with a lot of gray in between 779 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:44,480 Speaker 1: the lines. But you know, all of our cases can 780 00:42:44,560 --> 00:42:48,720 Speaker 1: look very very similar but but also very very different. Yeah, 781 00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:50,680 Speaker 1: I was just thinking as you were saying that. One 782 00:42:50,719 --> 00:42:54,040 Speaker 1: of my biggest challenges with I think getting hooked on 783 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:56,839 Speaker 1: the potential is, you know, my parents, as I grew 784 00:42:56,920 --> 00:43:00,960 Speaker 1: up how to dysfunctional relationship when I was younger, and 785 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:04,239 Speaker 1: then they got in recovery, and so it's been in 786 00:43:04,239 --> 00:43:08,360 Speaker 1: a really confusing journey because I've watched my parents change 787 00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:11,040 Speaker 1: and like heal a lot of their stuff. I mean, 788 00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:12,880 Speaker 1: of course they're not perfect, and they would be the 789 00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:16,600 Speaker 1: first ones to tell you that, But because of that, 790 00:43:16,760 --> 00:43:20,040 Speaker 1: it's almost like I have this real attachment to know 791 00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:23,920 Speaker 1: everyone can change because I've seen it happen. You know, 792 00:43:24,200 --> 00:43:28,640 Speaker 1: it's really challenging for me to accept that. One some 793 00:43:28,719 --> 00:43:31,840 Speaker 1: people just don't want to, Like, I don't understand that 794 00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:34,799 Speaker 1: for some reason, it's not how my brain works. And 795 00:43:34,840 --> 00:43:36,680 Speaker 1: if you told me I was hurting you in some 796 00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:39,640 Speaker 1: capacity or I wasn't showing up in a way that 797 00:43:39,760 --> 00:43:42,839 Speaker 1: was helpful to the relationship. I would constantly want to 798 00:43:42,920 --> 00:43:46,399 Speaker 1: like dig deeper and and work on myself or try 799 00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:49,640 Speaker 1: to grow or change things. So there's that piece of it. 800 00:43:49,719 --> 00:43:52,359 Speaker 1: And then that they might not want to or that 801 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:55,239 Speaker 1: they're just like not willing to do the work, you know, 802 00:43:55,400 --> 00:43:58,080 Speaker 1: And so both of the because I just not I'm 803 00:43:58,080 --> 00:43:59,920 Speaker 1: not trying to put myself on like oh to my 804 00:44:00,160 --> 00:44:02,480 Speaker 1: horn here, that's just not how my brain works. And 805 00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:05,480 Speaker 1: so it's very hard for me to grasp and especially 806 00:44:05,560 --> 00:44:08,799 Speaker 1: after seeing what my parents did and the work that 807 00:44:08,880 --> 00:44:12,160 Speaker 1: they put in and how they did change and evolve. Um, 808 00:44:12,160 --> 00:44:14,880 Speaker 1: that that's just not how everyone works. And so accepting 809 00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:17,680 Speaker 1: people at face value and for actually who they are 810 00:44:17,719 --> 00:44:20,560 Speaker 1: saying they are and showing you who they are is 811 00:44:20,600 --> 00:44:24,640 Speaker 1: like times ten for me because of all the dynamics. Yeah, 812 00:44:24,719 --> 00:44:29,440 Speaker 1: because what I'm hearing that is that, um it's which 813 00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:33,960 Speaker 1: goes with our love addiction pattern? Is it? Once this changes, Yeah, 814 00:44:34,200 --> 00:44:37,120 Speaker 1: then this person right, then it will be what I 815 00:44:37,160 --> 00:44:39,480 Speaker 1: needed or want it to be. Right, it'll be great, 816 00:44:40,040 --> 00:44:42,799 Speaker 1: But it's but see what that says, it's right now, 817 00:44:44,280 --> 00:44:48,160 Speaker 1: it's not working. Right. I wouldn't choose this relationship, but 818 00:44:48,200 --> 00:44:51,239 Speaker 1: I know it's going to change. So once it changes, right, 819 00:44:51,320 --> 00:44:54,200 Speaker 1: and so ass me. Someone said to me, if the 820 00:44:54,320 --> 00:44:57,840 Speaker 1: relationship stays like it is today for the rest of 821 00:44:58,160 --> 00:45:00,279 Speaker 1: your life, would you want it? And I was, oh, 822 00:45:00,440 --> 00:45:04,160 Speaker 1: hell no, Like it was like a hard no answer, 823 00:45:04,280 --> 00:45:07,400 Speaker 1: like I knew I could not exist in this relationship 824 00:45:07,440 --> 00:45:09,080 Speaker 1: for the rest of my life in the way that 825 00:45:09,120 --> 00:45:11,840 Speaker 1: it was going. And she said, well, that's your answer. 826 00:45:12,400 --> 00:45:15,000 Speaker 1: It's not about what it could be or if you 827 00:45:15,040 --> 00:45:18,000 Speaker 1: guys got into recovery together or did all this therapy 828 00:45:18,040 --> 00:45:22,040 Speaker 1: work together, what the potential is. It's what it is 829 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:26,000 Speaker 1: today if nothing changes, because we can't change another person, 830 00:45:26,080 --> 00:45:29,520 Speaker 1: and we can't control what kind of work or not 831 00:45:29,600 --> 00:45:31,960 Speaker 1: work they do, you know, none of that, And so 832 00:45:32,160 --> 00:45:34,680 Speaker 1: like the willingness piece that they would have, and so 833 00:45:34,760 --> 00:45:37,560 Speaker 1: it's just like accepting it as it is today. And 834 00:45:37,560 --> 00:45:39,000 Speaker 1: that was when I knew, like I had to make 835 00:45:39,040 --> 00:45:42,080 Speaker 1: a different decision. For anyone who's listening thinking, Okay, yeah, 836 00:45:42,120 --> 00:45:43,920 Speaker 1: this this sounds like me. That sounds like something I 837 00:45:43,960 --> 00:45:45,959 Speaker 1: need to work on, want to work on. What would 838 00:45:45,960 --> 00:45:48,239 Speaker 1: you recommend for anyone who's just getting started in their 839 00:45:48,760 --> 00:45:52,279 Speaker 1: journey love addiction recovery. Well, one I would say be 840 00:45:52,400 --> 00:45:57,000 Speaker 1: gentle with yourself, because I think the idea of accepting 841 00:45:57,560 --> 00:46:00,560 Speaker 1: this stuff is is more difficult, or it was more 842 00:46:00,560 --> 00:46:03,200 Speaker 1: difficult for me than I ever anticipated that it would be. 843 00:46:03,840 --> 00:46:07,200 Speaker 1: Um and because of that, it can get overwhelming if 844 00:46:07,200 --> 00:46:10,120 Speaker 1: you start to just you know, try to digest everything 845 00:46:10,160 --> 00:46:13,279 Speaker 1: all at once, which as a love addict is one 846 00:46:13,320 --> 00:46:16,040 Speaker 1: of my tendencies as well, is just to be like, Okay, 847 00:46:16,120 --> 00:46:18,120 Speaker 1: what book do I need to read, what therapy like, 848 00:46:18,160 --> 00:46:20,520 Speaker 1: what breath work session, what the strology like it. I'll 849 00:46:20,520 --> 00:46:22,320 Speaker 1: go do all of it, thinking that that's going to 850 00:46:22,400 --> 00:46:26,640 Speaker 1: fix me. And for me now, the thing I've realized 851 00:46:26,719 --> 00:46:29,319 Speaker 1: is it is literally the reason they say, you know, 852 00:46:29,360 --> 00:46:32,359 Speaker 1: one day at a time, next right step, those kind 853 00:46:32,360 --> 00:46:35,640 Speaker 1: of things, is because that's all that really I can 854 00:46:35,680 --> 00:46:38,880 Speaker 1: tolerate as I go through this healing process, because it 855 00:46:38,920 --> 00:46:42,080 Speaker 1: can just be really overwhelming. And these wounds didn't get 856 00:46:42,080 --> 00:46:46,000 Speaker 1: here overnight. You know, most of them are some relationship 857 00:46:46,080 --> 00:46:49,359 Speaker 1: dynamic from your childhood, which is so old that it's 858 00:46:49,400 --> 00:46:52,120 Speaker 1: so unconscious because it's been a part of your life forever. 859 00:46:52,320 --> 00:46:54,920 Speaker 1: So one I would just say, be gentle with yourself, 860 00:46:55,160 --> 00:46:57,799 Speaker 1: and um no, it's a process, like it's not gonna 861 00:46:57,800 --> 00:47:00,239 Speaker 1: get fixed. Overnight and that's okay, Like that doesn't mean 862 00:47:00,840 --> 00:47:03,840 Speaker 1: that you're not okay. The p of Melody book Facing 863 00:47:03,840 --> 00:47:07,840 Speaker 1: Love Addiction was my first toe tip. You know. My 864 00:47:07,920 --> 00:47:12,080 Speaker 1: therapist gave it to me five or six years ago. Yeah, 865 00:47:13,040 --> 00:47:15,920 Speaker 1: and I was like reading it like when she first 866 00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:17,879 Speaker 1: she pulled the book out of the bookshelf and she said, 867 00:47:17,920 --> 00:47:20,120 Speaker 1: this is what this sounds like. This was my relationship 868 00:47:20,160 --> 00:47:22,480 Speaker 1: before this last one, and it was the same dynamic 869 00:47:22,520 --> 00:47:27,120 Speaker 1: where it was completely tumultuous and dysfunctional and not good 870 00:47:27,160 --> 00:47:29,480 Speaker 1: for me, but I could not leave like I would 871 00:47:29,480 --> 00:47:32,239 Speaker 1: try and I just kept going back or whatever. She said, 872 00:47:32,239 --> 00:47:34,439 Speaker 1: this sounds like love addiction, and she pulled the book 873 00:47:34,480 --> 00:47:36,399 Speaker 1: off her shelf and I was like, no, no, no, 874 00:47:36,400 --> 00:47:41,439 Speaker 1: no no, I'm already in recovery for codependency and all 875 00:47:41,520 --> 00:47:45,160 Speaker 1: these and non issues like I've got this, you know, 876 00:47:45,360 --> 00:47:47,239 Speaker 1: there's not gonna be another thing you're going to add 877 00:47:47,280 --> 00:47:50,120 Speaker 1: to my list. But she was like, just go home 878 00:47:50,160 --> 00:47:52,120 Speaker 1: and like start reading this and see what comes up. 879 00:47:52,200 --> 00:47:55,520 Speaker 1: And I did, and it was just like one thing 880 00:47:55,560 --> 00:47:59,239 Speaker 1: after another, like yep, yep, yep yep. So that hit me, 881 00:47:59,280 --> 00:48:02,000 Speaker 1: but I wasn't ready, Like I still wasn't ready to 882 00:48:02,120 --> 00:48:04,759 Speaker 1: fully like do the work or dive in or take 883 00:48:04,800 --> 00:48:07,000 Speaker 1: on a new twelve step program or work the steps 884 00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:09,359 Speaker 1: again or whatever it looked like. And so I just 885 00:48:09,440 --> 00:48:13,400 Speaker 1: decided I would make some different decisions and get another relationship, 886 00:48:13,440 --> 00:48:16,000 Speaker 1: and sure enough, it was the same thing. And so 887 00:48:16,560 --> 00:48:20,239 Speaker 1: I think it's more just like knowing that you have 888 00:48:20,360 --> 00:48:22,960 Speaker 1: the choice. You don't have to do this work, but like, 889 00:48:23,080 --> 00:48:26,359 Speaker 1: if you're finding yourself in a pattern that's just not 890 00:48:26,440 --> 00:48:29,960 Speaker 1: serving you anymore, or you want something different from your relationships, 891 00:48:30,480 --> 00:48:32,759 Speaker 1: that option is out there and you just have to 892 00:48:32,840 --> 00:48:35,600 Speaker 1: like do the work and it works if you work it. 893 00:48:35,719 --> 00:48:37,359 Speaker 1: You know, they say that for a reason too, And 894 00:48:37,400 --> 00:48:42,239 Speaker 1: so I'm just kind of diving into all of that myself. 895 00:48:42,400 --> 00:48:45,160 Speaker 1: But it's it's just about taking it one step at 896 00:48:45,200 --> 00:48:48,120 Speaker 1: a time and knowing that the option for something different 897 00:48:48,239 --> 00:48:50,680 Speaker 1: is there and it doesn't have to always be like 898 00:48:51,080 --> 00:48:54,080 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to The Velvet's Edge podcast with Kelly Henderson, 899 00:48:54,239 --> 00:48:56,719 Speaker 1: where we believe everyone has a little velvet and a 900 00:48:56,760 --> 00:49:00,960 Speaker 1: little edge. Subscribe for more conversations on life, style, beauty, 901 00:49:01,000 --> 00:49:04,680 Speaker 1: and relationships. Search Velvet's Edge wherever you get your podcasts. 902 00:49:15,200 --> 00:49:15,600 Speaker 1: M HM