DeepSummary
Samantha Lander shares her remarkable journey from substance abuse to sobriety and healing. Despite an outwardly ideal childhood, she battled emotional trauma and anxious attachments that led her down a dangerous path of drug addiction. Her addiction escalated during college, involving party drugs like GHB and meth, and spiraled into selling drugs and eventual incarceration in federal prison.
After her release, Samantha maintained sobriety for 13 years but relapsed after a toxic marriage and struggles with motherhood. She details the difficulties of recovery with a challenging child and the emotional work required to address her unhealed traumas. Through therapy, support systems, and resilience, Samantha rebuilt her life, became a functional diagnostic nutritionist, and found purpose in helping others heal.
Today, Samantha chairs meetings, works with formerly incarcerated women, and shares her story to inspire others. Her journey underscores the complexities of addiction, the importance of emotional healing, and the power of transformation through recovery.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Unresolved childhood emotional trauma and anxious attachments can contribute to substance abuse and addiction.
- Acceptance and identifying as an addict is a critical step in the recovery process.
- Relapse can occur even after significant periods of sobriety, and ongoing emotional work is essential for maintaining recovery.
- Toxic relationships, unresolved trauma, and external stressors can trigger relapse and undermine recovery efforts.
- Self-love, resilience, and finding purpose through advocacy and helping others can be powerful forces in sustaining sobriety.
- Recovery is a continuous journey that requires addressing underlying issues beyond just abstinence from substances.
- Building a supportive community, attending meetings, and engaging in service work can strengthen recovery.
- Practicing mindfulness, pausing, and reframing thought patterns are valuable tools for managing triggers and maintaining emotional stability.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Like, you know, I had everything I needed, but there was a lot of. I think, like, anxious attachment is the best way I can describe it.“ by Samantha Lander
- “I ended up getting pregnant, and he's smoking weed and drinking. But the issue was, like, he was lying about all of it. There was a lot of compulsive lying.“ by Samantha Lander
- “So I called my parents and told them that I wanted to go to, like, I think it was like Malibu, where you go and you kayak all day. It's not even. And they call back and they go, I think I told them I need $50,000 to put down. It's only $7,000.“ by Samantha Lander
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Episode Information
The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast
Ashley Loeb Blassingame
5/15/24