My name is Casey Arrillaga. I am a social worker and addiction counselor, but just as importantly, I am a family member like so many of you. My wife Kira and I both come from families with addiction, we were in our addictions together for over 10 years, and we have been in recovery together for almost 20 years. We now both work in the recovery field to try to pay forward what was so generously given to us.
Casey Arrillaga has hosted 58 Episodes.
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Episode 26: Conversations With Counselors #2 - Paige Majko
February 25th, 2022 | 45 mins 50 secs
12 step, acoa, addiction, adult children of alcoholics uplifting, al-anon, alanon, alcoholics anonymous, alcoholism, coda, families anonymous, family, hope, nar-anon, naranon, narcotics anonymous, recovery, self-help, smart recovery, uplifting
In this interview, counselor Paige Majko talks about her personal and professional relationship with addiction and recovery, including her work with families affected by addiction, and what recovery has done for her family.
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Episode 25: Enabling vs. Helping
January 28th, 2022 | 28 mins 18 secs
12 step, acoa, addiction, adult children of alcoholics uplifting, al-anon, alanon, alcoholics anonymous, alcoholism, coda, enabling, families anonymous, family, helping, hope, nar-anon, naranon, narcotics anonymous, recovery, self-help, smart recovery, uplifting
We explore underlying assumptions that lead to unhealthy enabling and how to challenge these, how Shakespeare can help you move from enabling to helping, and provide some questions you can ask yourself in order to see if you are about to enable someone or help them.
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Episode 24: Brian and Tamara: Relationships in Long-Term Recovery
January 1st, 2022 | 52 mins 10 secs
12 step, acoa, addiction, adult children of alcoholics uplifting, al-anon, alanon, alcoholics anonymous, alcoholism, coda, couples, families anonymous, family, hope, nar-anon, naranon, narcotics anonymous, recovery, relationships, self-help, smart recovery, uplifting
In this wide-ranging conversation with Brian and Tamara, Kira and Casey explore the ins and outs of being in recovery while being in long-term relationships. Both couples share their stories, what has worked best for them, and how they have grown together.
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Episode 23: Conversations With Counselors #1 - Merrit Hartblay
November 26th, 2021 | 36 mins 38 secs
12 step, acoa, addiction, adult children of alcoholics uplifting, al-anon, alanon, alcoholics anonymous, alcoholism, coda, families anonymous, family, hope, nar-anon, naranon, narcotics anonymous, recovery, self-help, smart recovery, uplifting
We talk with Merrit Hartblay, social worker and addiction counselor in New York. Merrit and Casey talk about the things they've seen most help families deal with addiction, and their personal stories of how they found healing in their own families.
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Episode 22: Abigail: Addiction, the Family, and the Law
October 29th, 2021 | 42 mins 18 secs
12 step, acoa, addiction, adult children of alcoholics uplifting, al-anon, alanon, alcoholics anonymous, alcoholism, child custody, coda, families anonymous, family, hope, nar-anon, naranon, narcotics anonymous, recovery, self-help, smart recovery, uplifting
We interview Abigail Seymour, who specializes in family law around addiction, especially the tricky waters of child custody. She offers insight for people in recovery, their co-parents, and other family members who find themselves suddenly thrust into these difficult issues.
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Episode 21: Creating Happiness
September 25th, 2021 | 41 mins 20 secs
12 step, acoa, addiction, adult children of alcoholics uplifting, al-anon, alanon, alcoholics anonymous, alcoholism, coda, families anonymous, family, hope, nar-anon, naranon, narcotics anonymous, positive psychology, recovery, self-help, smart recovery, uplifting
In this episode, we look at various ways you can create happiness through the tools of positive recovery, including PERMA, a focus on strengths, resilience, and the power of gratitude.
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Episode 20: Ashley: Letting Go of Codependent Patterns
August 27th, 2021 | 53 mins 20 secs
12 step, acoa, addiction, adult children of alcoholics uplifting, al-anon, alanon, alcoholics anonymous, alcoholism, coda, families anonymous, family, hope, nar-anon, naranon, narcotics anonymous, recovery, self-help, smart recovery, uplifting
We interview Ashley, who traces the roots of her codependent patterns back to childhood, who married someone with addiction, and who learned to let these patterns go. She talks about how she changed and how she now helps others do the same.
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Episode 19: Effective Communication and Boundaries
July 30th, 2021 | 41 mins 44 secs
12 step, acoa, addiction, adult children of alcoholics uplifting, al-anon, alanon, alcoholics anonymous, alcoholism, coda, families anonymous, family, hope, nar-anon, naranon, narcotics anonymous, recovery, self-help, smart recovery, uplifting
In this episode, we look at effective communication and boundaries. We learn about communication styles, what makes an effective boundary,. and how to set some boundaries of your own.
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Episode 18: Arnold: Reflections on a Lifetime in Recovery
June 25th, 2021 | 37 mins 18 secs
12 step, acoa, addiction, adult children of alcoholics uplifting, al-anon, alanon, alcoholics anonymous, alcoholism, coda, families anonymous, family, hope, nar-anon, naranon, narcotics anonymous, recovery, self-help, smart recovery, uplifting
Arnold shares what he has learned during his 50 years in AA, how his family was affected before and after his wife found her own recovery, and what family members can do when faced with addiction.
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Episode 17: Amy G: Young, Gay, and Sober
May 28th, 2021 | 40 mins 47 secs
12 step, acoa, addiction, adult children of alcoholics uplifting, al-anon, alanon, alcoholics anonymous, alcoholism, coda, families anonymous, family, hope, nar-anon, naranon, narcotics anonymous, recovery, self-help, smart recovery, uplifting, young people
Amy grew up in a small Scottish town where she didn't fit the image of addiction or LGBTQ. At 1 year sober, she opens up about her journey, how she is helping others, and what she wants to tell young people and families about addiction.
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Episode 16: Emotional Sobriety
April 23rd, 2021 | 43 mins 54 secs
12 step, acoa, addiction, adult children of alcoholics uplifting, al-anon, alanon, alcoholics anonymous, alcoholism, coda, emotional sobriety, families anonymous, family, hope, nar-anon, naranon, narcotics anonymous, recovery, self-help, smart recovery, uplifting
We look at the idea of emotional sobriety, how it applies for family members as well as those with addictions, why it's important for everyone, and how to enhance it in your life. We feature an interview with Teresa, who has over 30 years in recovery and was one of our first role models for emotional sobriety.
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Episode 15: Al M: 60 Years of Recovery as a Family Member
March 26th, 2021 | 57 mins 38 secs
12 step, acoa, addiction, adult children of alcoholics uplifting, al-anon, alanon, alcoholics anonymous, alcoholism, coda, families anonymous, family, hope, nar-anon, naranon, narcotics anonymous, recovery, self-help, smart recovery, uplifting
Dr. Al Mooney entered family recovery at age 10, when his parents got sober. Sixty years later, he reflects on how this experience shaped him and led to a lifetime of helping others to recover.
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Episode 14: Anniversaries and Milestones
February 26th, 2021 | 40 mins 2 secs
12 step, acoa, addiction, adult children of alcoholics uplifting, al-anon, alanon, alcoholics anonymous, alcoholism, coda, families anonymous, family, hope, nar-anon, naranon, narcotics anonymous, recovery, self-help, smart recovery, uplifting
This episode mark the 1st anniversary of our podcast, so we discuss why anniversaries and milestones are such a big deal in recovery, and hear two great interviews with people in recovery around this topic.
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Episode 13: A. S.: A Story of Finding Freedom
January 29th, 2021 | 49 mins 42 secs
12 step, acoa, addiction, adult children of alcoholics uplifting, al-anon, alanon, alcoholics anonymous, alcoholism, coda, families anonymous, family, family patterns, hope, marriage, nar-anon, naranon, narcotics anonymous, recovery, self-help, smart recovery, uplifting
Having grown up in a household devastated by alcoholism, she never thought she would marry someone with an addiction. In this in-depth interview, she talks about her journey through all this, and how she is finding her own recovery.
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Episode 12: Gratitude
December 22nd, 2020 | 32 mins 5 secs
12 step, acoa, addiction, adult children of alcoholics uplifting, al-anon, alanon, alcoholics anonymous, alcoholism, coda, families anonymous, family, gratitude, hope, nar-anon, naranon, narcotics anonymous, recovery, self-help, smart recovery, uplifting
All about gratitude: We look at benefits of gratitude, where it's hard around active addiction, how to have more of it, its place in recovery, and then Kira leads a gratitude meditation.
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Episode 11: Jack D: Overcoming Loss
November 27th, 2020 | 44 mins 40 secs
12 step, acoa, addiction, adult children of alcoholics uplifting, al-anon, alanon, alcoholics anonymous, alcoholism, coda, families anonymous, family, hope, loss, nar-anon, naranon, narcotics anonymous, overdose, parenting, recovery, self-help, smart recovery, uplifting
For most people, death is the end of a relationship. In a moving interview, author Jack Dison talks about continuing his relationship to his son by writing him letters after his son overdosed. He discusses his recovery journey and how the letters became his book "Overdose: Letters from Dad."