Society & Culture Episodes

We talk with Christian life coach Susan Larkin about gray area drinking and why so many midlife women feel stuck between “fine” and “rock bottom.” We unpack the faith, neuroscience, and shame-free mindset shifts that help you drink less or go alcohol free without labels or pressure. • Susan’s turning point as wine shifts from social to coping • The “aware stage” and why trying to control drinking feels exhausting • Gray area drinking as a spectrum rather than two camps • How drinking culture an...

A single group chat can expose a whole culture and it can wreck a life. We’re not here to debate every legal detail of the Cornell 7 story; we’re here to talk about the behaviour beneath it: the entitlement, the dehumanising jokes, the silence from bystanders, and the way “boys will be boys” turns into real harm. If you can read those messages and still shrug, we need to have a serious conversation about what we’re normalising. I share why I believe this starts at home long before college. The ...

War stories are only part of a veteran's journey. Marie “Slider Babe” Henriksen joins us to discuss life beyond the uniform, covering the intersection of military trauma, medical discharge, and the reality of navigating chronic pain and addiction. In this episode, we explore: Navigating Disability: How a late diagnosis of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hip dysplasia reshaped Marie’s identity and path to recovery.The Reality of Sobriety: Moving beyond coping myths to sustainable, long-...

We sit with the raw truth of losing someone to addiction and the extra burden of shame that families carry in silence. Katie Rizzo shares how she uses poetry and community to keep Nicholas’ story alive while pushing back on stigma and broken systems. • Nicholas’ anxiety, addiction, and the five to six year family battle • Shame around overdose death and why secrecy protects the problem • Al‑Anon as a tool for families and the idea of being a loving witness • ICU withdrawal, relapse realities, a...

We talk with Dr. Larry Smith about how addiction can start young, hide behind achievement, and keep us trapped through an inner voice that promises relief while stealing our lives. We also lay out the daily practices that keep him sober for 26 years and why purpose and connection matter more than chasing the absence of cravings. • His first experience with alcohol at age 11 and the sudden shift from euphoria to shame. • How prescription drugs and weekend drinking evolved into substance abuse. •...