Holding Onto Hope Amidst Depression, Anxiety, and Uncertainty: Tanner Olson on Getting Through What You're Going Through

“Hope does not know how to leave. It just stays and quietly whispers, 'everything’s going to be okay. I know everything isn’t okay right now. Everything’s going be okay.'” That's from Tanner Olson, an absolutely incredible poet who has a lot to say about the things that plunge us into addiction in…

He Wrote CeCe Winans' 'Come Jesus Come.' Stephen McWhirter Now Reveals His Past Struggles with Addiction and Forgiveness.

“Forgiveness isn’t condoning what happened. It’s choosing not to let it destroy you anymore. … I forgave my dad more times than I can count, and I’ll probably keep forgiving him forever.” Those are the beautiful words from Stephen McWhirter. You might not know McWhirter's name, but you do know his…

Addiction, Trauma, and Rewiring Your Brain: Dr. Lee Warren Explains the Art of Self-Brain Surgery

“You are not stuck because of what happened. You’re stuck because your brain keeps running the same play. And your brain is always ready to run a new one the moment you tell it to.” That's just one of the incredible insights from practicing neurosurgeon Dr. Lee Warren, who joins us today to talk a…

Addiction as Spiritual Warfare? Joel Muddamalle on Why Our Struggles Are Bigger Than We Think

“Addiction promises control, comfort, and rescue—but it actually strips all of those things away. It intoxicates you so you can no longer discern what’s really happening.” Is addiction merely a personal struggle—or is it part of a much larger spiritual battle? In this episode, Joel Muddamallehelps…

The 'Good Christian' Missionary Who Still Struggled with Alcohol: Ali Kennedy's Story of Obedience and Letting Go

“It wasn’t about how much I drank—it was about how much mental and heart space it occupied. I loved it more than I wanted to admit.” That realization for Ali Kennedy didn’t come during a dramatic rock bottom. Instead, it came after years of managing, moderating, and justifying a relationship with …

He Relapsed After 5 Years of Sobriety: Jeramy Houghton on Obedience, Pride, and Honest Surrender

“I got prideful. I was like, ‘I’m never going to drink again.’ And then all of a sudden… it looked really good.” This conversation with Jeramy Houghton is a reminder that recovery is rarely clean or linear. Jeramy shares how growing up in an unsafe home shaped his sense of stability long before al…

A Poison Disguised as a Remedy: Ericka Andersen on Christian Drinking Culture and How It Harms Women

“Alcohol is a poison disguised as a remedy.” That’s the wisdom Ericka Andersen brings to this conversation—wisdom that developed after years of a quiet struggle that slowly took ahold of her and wouldn't let go. Like many evangelicals nowadays, she assumed drinking was neutral, normal, and largely…

High-Functioning Anxiety and the Hidden Cost of Numbing Pain: Ericka Graham on OCD, Scrupulosity, and What Addictions Really Cost Us

“When I numbed anxiety and uncertainty, I also numbed beauty and joy.” That moment of clarity from Ericka Graham came after years of abusing prescription drugs, when God met her in a beautiful way involving a bumble bee and a flower. The point? Substances numb the bad, sure, but they also numb the…

Special Needs Parenting and the Hidden Alcohol Struggle of a Christian Mom: Carol McCracken's Honest Story

“If you think you have an issue, you probably do.” That sentence from Carol McCracken gets to the heart of this week's episode. Carol didn’t fit the picture she had in her mind of what an alcoholic looked like. She was a Christian. A Bible study teacher. A ministry leader. A good mom. And for year…

The One Question You're Not Asking Yourself: Nicole Zasowski on Learning to Hope Again

“We can think and act our way to a new feeling. We cannot feel our way to a new way of thinking and acting.” That line from therapist and author Nicole Zasowski cuts to the heart of anxiety, addiction, and the stories we tell ourselves when life feels uncertain. Nicole is the author of What If It’…