The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast Podcast Por Ashley Loeb Blassingame arte de portada

The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast

The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast

De: Ashley Loeb Blassingame
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Welcome to The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast. We are a community of recovering people who have overcome the odds and made monumental life changes. We don't shy away from the nitty gritty - we like to laugh give inspiration and remind you there is hope. Come join us no matter where you are on your recovery journey. Together, we have the courage to change! Subscribe and join our podcast community to hear amazing stories of courage and transformation!The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast Copyright 2021 Desarrollo Personal Higiene y Vida Saludable Psicología Psicología y Salud Mental Éxito Personal
Episodios
  • 248. Postpartum OCD and Growing Up With Alcohol Use Disorder: Intrusive Thoughts, Anxiety, and Recovery

    248. Postpartum OCD and Growing Up With Alcohol Use Disorder: Intrusive Thoughts, Anxiety, and Recovery
    Dec 19 2025
    In this episode of The Courage to Change, Ashley Loeb Blassingame speaks with author and illustrator Amanda Davis about two deeply connected experiences: growing up in a home impacted by alcohol use disorder and later navigating postpartum OCD as a new mother. Amanda shares what it was like to lose her father to alcohol-related illness at a young age and how growing up in an unpredictable, high-stress environment shaped her nervous system, anxiety, and sense of responsibility. She explains how those early experiences laid the groundwork for postpartum OCD years later, when multiple major life changes collided at once. The conversation takes an honest, clear-eyed look at postpartum OCD, including intrusive thoughts, “sticky” thinking, reassurance-seeking cycles, and the fear many mothers feel about admitting what’s happening in their minds. Amanda walks through how her symptoms showed up, why they were so frightening, and how an intensive outpatient program specifically for postpartum OCD helped her recover. Together, Ashley and Amanda also discuss how we talk to children about hard things, including addiction, loss, anxiety, and recovery, and why silence often does more harm than age-appropriate honesty. Amanda shares how these experiences led her to write Sometimes Stormy, a children’s book that gives families language for talking about emotional storms without shame. This episode is for mothers, clinicians, educators, and caregivers who want to better understand postpartum OCD, intrusive thoughts, and how recovery can look when the struggle is internal, invisible, and deeply misunderstood. www.AmandaDavisArt.com "Sometimes Stormy: A Story About Finding Calm and Staying Safe When Someone You Love Drinks Too Much" by Amanda Davis #LocalBookStore #AmandaDavisArt #PostPartumOCD #ParentalLoss
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    53 m
  • 247. The Myth of Rock Bottom: Why “Normal” Drinking Can Be Heavy Enough

    247. The Myth of Rock Bottom: Why “Normal” Drinking Can Be Heavy Enough
    Nov 13 2025
    Lesley Jones never had the dramatic “rock bottom” people expect. No arrests, no lost job, no catastrophic implosion. Instead, she lived with the quiet, relentless hum of anxiety and the mental gymnastics of someone who intuitively knew alcohol worked a little too well. As a high-achieving oldest daughter, state-champion athlete, and lifelong perfectionist, she learned early how to drink with precision to silence the internal buzz of fear and pressure. In this conversation, Lesley shares what most people never talk about: the early-stage progression of alcohol use, the mental toll of constantly negotiating with yourself, and the moment she realized she didn’t need to lose everything to decide she was done rolling the dice. She breaks down how she got sober in her late twenties, what actually shifted, how motherhood reshaped her awareness, and the internal “fan noise” that finally pushed her toward change. We also dig into the difference between abstinence and recovery, parenting with a program, why “mommy wine culture” is a trap, the slow creep from control to obsession, and how she built a sober life she’s proud of — including a beautiful company, Traveling Pendants, dedicated to passing on strength through shared stories. This episode is a lifeline for anyone who’s ever quietly wondered, “Is this getting a little too loud?” You do not need a spectacular bottom to choose a better life. What The Listener Will Learn • How early-stage alcohol use disorder shows up long before obvious consequences • Why anxiety, perfectionism, and “oldest daughter energy” often drive early drinking patterns • How mommy-wine culture quietly normalizes dependency • How the mental load of drinking becomes its own problem • The difference between simply not drinking and actually being in recovery • Why intuition is often the first, most accurate warning sign • How to recognize the internal “fan noise” that signals addiction creeping in • What it looks like to get sober without hitting a dramatic bottom • Practical tools for staying sober in social and family environments • How working a recovery program can shift the way you parent • Why community and accountability are critical in early sobriety • How Lesley’s Traveling Pendants project uses shared storytelling to give people strength • High-functioning alcoholism and its invisible progression • Anxiety, control, and self-medication • The myth of the rock bottom • Early intervention and choosing sobriety before major loss • Motherhood, drinking culture, and social normalization • The psychological burden of planning drinking • Why people quit long before the big consequences • Emotional and spiritual transformation through recovery • Community, sponsorship, and accountability • Repair, amends, and healthier family dynamics • Storytelling as connection • Passing strength forward through shared experience
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    1 h
  • 246. Surviving Strokes, Suicide Loss, and Finding Purpose: A Mental Health Conversation with Cory Suggs

    246. Surviving Strokes, Suicide Loss, and Finding Purpose: A Mental Health Conversation with Cory Suggs
    Oct 30 2025
    Cory Suggs grew up in a tiny Oklahoma town where life looked perfect—until it wasn’t. After his parents’ divorce at sixteen, he spiraled into a decade of reckless living, validation-seeking, and self-destruction. At twenty-five, multiple unexplained strokes left him unable to walk, battling depression, and convinced his life was over. A year later, Cory went into the woods to end his life. What happened next changed everything. In a single blink, he saw two versions of his future—one dark and empty, one bright and full of life—and chose to live. That moment sparked a lifelong practice of gratitude that became his anchor for healing. In this powerful conversation, Cory shares: The hidden cost of seeking approval through recklessness and addiction What it’s like to lose your body, your identity, and your will to live—and rebuild from zero The vision that stopped his suicide attempt and started his recovery How daily gratitude, faith, and movement transformed his mind and body Losing his mother to suicide and finding peace through forgiveness and purpose The role of personal development, proximity, and mentors like Tony Robbins in reshaping his life What true masculinity and emotional strength look like for men today Cory’s story is raw, redemptive, and deeply human—a reminder that life doesn’t happen to us, it happens for us. If you or someone you love is struggling, this episode is a lifeline of hope and practical wisdom. Connect with Cory: CorySuggs.com Follow Ashley: @ashleyloebblassingame www.couragetochangepodcast.com www.ashleyloebblassingame.com Trigger warning: This episode discusses suicide and depression. If you’re in crisis, call or text 988 in the U.S. for support.
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    1 h y 6 m
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