About the show

Addiction and the Family is a podcast by and for family members of anyone with an addiction. We are working to bring experience, strength, and realistic hope so that you and your family can find recovery together. We do this through interviews with family members, people in recovery, and professionals who work with addiction every day. We also bring you research-backed information and practical ideas born of real-life experience.

We are currently publishing on a monthly basis, with new episodes released near the end of each month.

We are excited to present Casey's book "Realistic Hope: The Family Survial Guide for Facing Alcoholism and Other Addictions"

Help us carry the message by supporting Addiction and the Family on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=31010526

Thank you for listening!

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Episodes

  • 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.

  •

    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.

  •

    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.

  •

    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.

  •

    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.

  •

    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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  •

    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.

  • 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.

  •

    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.

  •

    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.

  • 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.

  • 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."