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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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What if your path to sobriety revealed something much deeper than freedom from addiction? Rich Shellnutt knows this journey intimately. With 34 years of sobriety under his belt, he sits down with his wife Tonya to unpack how alcohol gradually infiltrated his life, one drink at a time, and the profound awakening that followed his recovery.

Behind Rich's addiction lay a complex web of pain – abandonment issues from an absent father, the early loss of his grandfather, learning disabilities that set him apart from peers, and the profound insecurity these experiences created. When the Navy mandated treatment after a night of trouble, what began as Rich's "vacation" from military duties became the gateway to confronting these buried wounds. His candid reflections reveal how alcohol merely masked his inability to process rejection, insecurity, and a deep-seated anger that frequently erupted in violence.

The conversation tackles the particular challenge men face in seeking help – the pressure to "have it all together" that keeps many trapped in silent suffering. Rich's powerful testimony cuts through this misconception: "Once you surrender that you have to do it on your own, the healing truly starts." Through his experience with AA, counseling, and ultimately a transformative faith journey, Rich discovered that changing his environment, thinking patterns, and social circles were essential components of lasting sobriety.

Perhaps most stirring is Rich's reflection on what 34 years sober has taught him: "Sobriety has taught me how much love matters in this world... all I really wanted was to be loved." His profound insight that "people disappoint but God never does" speaks to anyone seeking lasting healing from addiction or emotional wounds. Whether you're struggling yourself or supporting someone who is, Rich's journey offers both practical wisdom and spiritual hope for the path forward.

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Freedom is possible—I'm living proof of it. After three decades of sobriety, I've discovered that the journey isn't simply about putting down the bottle. It's about confronting the pain we've been desperately trying to numb.

My relationship with alcohol began as an escape route. I drank because I couldn't sit with my reality and pain. I drank because I didn't feel safe or seen. I drank because, deep down, I believed I had no worth. What looked like a drinking problem on the surface was actually a symptom of deeper wounds that I hadn't faced. This is the harsh truth about addiction—it doesn't care about your status or background. It comes for you one drink at a time, one lie at a time.

The turning point in my recovery wasn't stopping drinking; it was starting to face everything I'd been running from. Through treatment, twelve-step programs, church community, and painfully honest self-inventory, I began dismantling what I call "the Great Wall of Tonya"—a fortress built of fear, control, and isolation that I thought protected me but actually imprisoned me. True sobriety required more than just abstinence. It demanded that I stop hiding, start connecting, lean into faith, and transform my self-perception from victim to overcomer.

Are you using alcohol to avoid facing your pain? Do you recognize the warning signs—blackouts, hidden bottles, reckless behavior, broken promises? If any of this resonates, please hear this: you're not a bad person. You're not weak. You're in pain, and that pain will always come out sideways if not addressed directly. You don't have to stay trapped in this cycle. You don't need to figure out how to stay sober for 30 years—just focus on today. Reach out to someone you trust. Take one small step toward healing. Remember that your story, even the painful chapters, can become purpose when used to help others on their own journey to freedom.

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Ever wondered what makes a podcast host who regularly dives into trauma and healing tick when they're off-mic? This week, Courageous Overcomers takes a refreshing detour as Tonya Shellnutt pulls back the curtain on her personal life at the urging of her Producer and Children.

Through rapid-fire questions and candid answers, Tonya reveals herself as an early-to-bed morning person who cherishes her quiet coffee time, hates slow drivers in the left lane, and admits to being "the worst backseat driver." She shares her unexpected talent for dominating at Scrabble (having only lost once), her dream of vacationing on a Lake of the Ozarks houseboat with family, and her wish to spend a day as the Savannah Bananas' enthusiastic owner Jesse Cole.

The lighthearted conversation takes meaningful turns as Tonya addresses misconceptions about her personality. While many see her strong, driven exterior—shaped by losing her mother and realizing how precious time truly is—she reveals an incredibly tender heart that cries easily at church baptisms and meaningful moments. Her superpower? Perseverance, especially when it comes to protecting vulnerable people. Her faith struggle? Wrestling with why God allows suffering, even as she clings to the promise that His ways are higher. Her most practical advice? "Nobody cares how much you know, but how much you care," and her humorous but genuine warning to never pray for patience unless you're truly ready for the challenge.

Share this episode with someone who might need encouragement from our previous conversations about hope, depression, or putting purpose to pain. Your support through five-star reviews and sharing helps spread the message that no one is alone in their struggles. Join us next Wednesday as we return to our regular programming and continue our journey of courageous overcoming.

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Your pain does not get the final say. Keep walking, keep believing, keep fighting."

Too often, we let pain define us, but what if we let purposeshape our story instead? This episode will challenge you to move from victimhood to victory using the P.A.I.N. framework:

🔹 P – Process the Pain – Face it, don’t bury it.
🔹 A – Ask What the Pain is Teaching You – Strength comes from struggle.
🔹 I – Identify Who Needs Your Story – Your survival is someone’s roadmap.
🔹 N – Nurture the Purpose – Turn trials into testimonies.

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In Hope Beyond the Walls, we dive deep into the hard stuff—trauma, fear, and pain—but we don’t stop there. This podcast is for those who refuse to let suffering have the final say. Through powerful stories, biblical truth, and practical steps, we uncover how hope becomes the bridge from pain to purpose. No matter how long you've felt stuck, God is not finished with you. Keep walking, keep believing, and keep fighting—because we are not victims. We are Courageous Overcomers.

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