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What does addiction promise you, and what does it actually steal? This powerful question forms the foundation of our exploration into the deceptive facade of addiction. Numbing feels like safety, but silently robs us of the very things we desperately seek: peace, purpose, and authentic connection.

Throughout this raw and honest conversation, we unpack the dangerous paradox of addiction. While it offers temporary relief from pain, it simultaneously prevents true healing. Though it promises escape from stress, it steals our ability to be present. When it offers control over chaos, it erodes trust. Most destructively, addiction creates a counterfeit comfort that destroys our capacity for deep, meaningful connections.

We dive particularly deep into how addiction impacts emotional resilience—a critical skill many in our society lack. When we continuously avoid difficult emotions through substances or behaviors, we never develop the internal strength to process those feelings in healthy ways. As a result, we remain emotionally stunted, often operating with the same coping mechanisms we developed in our youth.

Whether your struggle is with alcohol, food, social media, or other numbing behaviors, this episode offers a practical pathway forward. The "reclaim challenge" provides specific steps to take back what addiction has stolen: peace, time, connection, clarity, control, self-respect, purpose, and hope. By identifying your specific losses and intentionally working to restore them through prayer, service, and community, you can break free from addiction's empty promises.

Ready to unmask addiction's lies and reclaim what's been stolen from you? This conversation will equip you with the understanding and tools to begin your journey toward authentic healing and freedom.

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What happens when the very thing that seems to bring us comfort is slowly destroying our lives? Today we're pulling back the curtain on a rarely discussed aspect of addiction—not the chaos it creates, but the counterfeit comfort it provides before taking everything else.

Most addictive behaviors aren't primarily about chasing highs; they're about silencing the deafening noise in our heads. That overthinking mind that never stops racing. The perfectionistic pressure to always perform flawlessly. The people-pleaser exhaustion from constantly overgiving. The suppressed anger never allowed expression. The discomfort of stillness when busyness stops. The fear of not knowing who you truly are. The relentless inner critic whispering "you're not enough." The unprocessed grief. The body shame. The paralyzing fear of failure.

When we slow down and the distractions fade, these voices grow louder. Flashbacks of moments we've worked hard to forget resurface. Guilt, loneliness, and grief for everything we never received—love, safety, security—become unbearable. Addiction temporarily hijacks our brain's pain center, telling our nervous system we're safe when we're not. It numbs emotional edges, drowns out shame spirals, and provides counterfeit peace.

But there's a profound truth we must embrace: healing starts where numbing stops. Not when we have everything figured out or feel strong enough—but in that brave moment when we stop reaching for what silences our pain and start listening to what the pain has been trying to tell us all along. The bottle, the binge, the busyness—whatever has comforted you—will never heal you. Only bringing your pain into the light through naming it, sitting with it, journaling about it, and allowing truth to speak to it will bring lasting freedom.

Remember, you're not broken beyond redemption, and you're never walking this road alone. Take courage today to stop numbing, even just for five minutes, long enough to say, "I want real healing; I'm done just surviving."

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What happens when a high-achieving perfectionist discovers that alcohol simultaneously soothes and sabotages her life? Chris Janssen, USA Today bestselling author of "Grace Yourself," takes us on her remarkable journey from teenage drinking to sustained sobriety, an unexpected relapse, and ultimately, profound redemption.

Janssen's story begins at fourteen, when she discovered alcohol's ability to quiet her relentless perfectionism. The temporary relief it provided became a crutch that followed her through college, marriage, and motherhood. "Alcohol made me feel okay," she reveals. "I could relax and not overthink everything." Yet this solution gradually became her primary problem.

The conversation takes a surprising turn as Janssen shares how, after fourteen years of continuous sobriety, a perfect storm of circumstances—pandemic isolation, empty nest syndrome, and relocating to a new state—led her to question her alcoholic identity. Her raw honesty about this relapse offers listeners rare insight into the persistent nature of addiction. "I learned that I had evolved and grown and changed," she explains, "but alcohol had not."

What distinguishes this episode is Janssen's powerful perspective on why sharing recovery stories matters: "Some of us recover loudly in hopes of preventing others from dying quietly." This philosophy infuses her work as an author and life coach, where she helps others trapped by perfectionism and negative thought patterns find freedom.

Perhaps most compelling is Jansen's redefinition of sobriety not as deprivation but as authenticity and joy. "Sobriety is fun because I feel good," she insists. "I can be the life of the party, stay late, and remember everything the next day." Her experience challenges listeners to consider where in their lives the pain of staying the same might have become greater than the pain of changing.

Ready to break free from perfectionism, shame, or addictive patterns? This conversation offers practical wisdom for showing up authentically for the life you truly want.

www.chrisjanssencoaching.com

https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Yourself-Show-Sober-Life/dp/1637633378

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