In this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery, we sit down with Caroline Beidler, author of When You Love Someone in Recovery: A Hopeful Guide to Understanding Addiction.

Caroline shares her deeply personal recovery journey, beginning in her teenage years, and how her lived experience shaped her work supporting families impacted by substance use disorder. Together, we explore what recovery really looks like beyond sobriety, and why families often feel lost in outdated narratives about addiction.

This conversation challenges long-held ideas like “enabling” and reframes how we understand support, boundaries, and connection. Caroline emphasizes that recovery is not an individual process—it is relational, communal, and ongoing.

We also dive into:

• Why families need education and accurate recovery information
• The emotional impact of grief and loss in addiction
• How neuroscience and lived experience reshape recovery understanding
• Practical ways families can show up without shame or judgment
• Why hope is not passive—it’s an active recovery strategy

This episode is for anyone supporting a loved one, working in behavioral health, or seeking a more compassionate and informed understanding of addiction and recovery.

About the Guest:

Caroline Beidler, MSW, is an author, speaker, and managing editor of Recovery.com, where she combines research and expert insight on addiction and mental health. Drawing from her own recovery journey, she is the founder of the Women’s Recovery Leadership Foundation and helps others find healing through her newsletter and podcast, Circle of Chairs, which reaches thousands weekly. Carline’s next book, When You Love Someone in Recovery, is a compassionate and practical guide to understanding addiction and supporting loved ones through recovery.

Links:

• https://www.carolinebeidler.com/
• https://www.amazon.com/When-Love-Someone-Recovery-Understanding/dp/1400253977

Support the show

Thank you for listening to this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast.

To learn more about the podcast visit www.andrewjschreier.com

To inquire being a guest on the podcast or sponsorship opportunities you can e-mail talkingaddictionandrecovery@gmail.com

Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.

In this episode of the Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast, we sit down with Ranae Van Roekel — a former federal inmate turned advocate for criminal justice reform and trauma-informed care.

Ranae shares her powerful journey from committing a federal crime to finding healing and purpose during incarceration. She speaks candidly about how trauma, addiction, and unaddressed pain shaped her decisions — and how prison became the unexpected space where she began confronting her past and rebuilding her future.

Now the founder of Connecting to COPE, Ranae works to raise awareness about the deeper factors that lead to incarceration and the critical need for trauma-informed education both inside and outside correctional settings.

This conversation explores:

• Why understanding the “why” matters more than focusing only on the “what”
• The role of education in reducing recidivism
• Gaps in reentry coordination and support
• Trauma treatment in incarceration settings
• Why compassion and second chances are essential

This episode is a reminder that people are more than their worst decision — and that meaningful reform begins with understanding.

About Ranae Van Roekel

A mother, grandmother, wife, and advocate, Ranae served 36 months in federal prison – an experience that became her turning point. In confronting decades of buried trauma, she found clarity and purpose. Through Connecting to Cope, she now shares healing tools and education to help others break cycles of pain, rediscover their worth, and lead with compassion.

Ranae’s message resonates deeply with audiences seeking growth, wellness, second chances, and authentic leadership. Her story reminds us that true influence starts with empathy – and that healing isn’t linear, but always possible.

Links:

• Website: https://connectingtocope.com/#about
• Social Media:https://www.linkedin.com/company/connecting-to-cope/posts/?feedView=all

Support the show

Thank you for listening to this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast.

To learn more about the podcast visit www.andrewjschreier.com

To inquire being a guest on the podcast or sponsorship opportunities you can e-mail talkingaddictionandrecovery@gmail.com

Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.

What does it mean to grow up loving a parent whose mind is at war with reality?

In this powerful episode, Pamela Waggoner shares the deeply personal story behind her book, He Never Let Go: Overcoming the Trauma of Mental Illness with God's Love. Pamela opens up about her childhood with a mother living with paranoid schizophrenia and a father overwhelmed by exhaustion and responsibility.

She reflects on the survival strategies she developed — perfectionism, achievement, relentless activity — and how those coping mechanisms eventually led to emotional collapse. What looked like strength on the outside was masking unaddressed trauma and deep self-blame.

This conversation explores:

• The hidden impact of parental mental illness on children
• What happens when treatment separates families
• Perfectionism and productivity as trauma responses
• The unexpected people who become lifelines
• Writing as a path toward sibling healing
• Releasing blame and embracing compassion
• Faith, surrender, and discovering that you were never alone

Pamela’s message is clear: you do not have to carry burdens that were never yours. Freedom is possible. Healing is possible. And love — even in the darkest seasons — never lets go.

About the Guest:

In this gripping and heartfelt memoir, "He Never Let Go", Pamela, always trying to survive and had no time to dream takes you on an emotional journey through the depths of childhood trauma and the healing power of faith. From a young age, Pamela faced unimaginable challenges, enduring a childhood marked by neglect, rejection and emotional pain. Yet, amidst the darkness, a glimmer of hope emerged - a relationship with Jesus Christ. As Pamela shares her story of resilience and redemption, she vividly recounts the harrowing moments that shaped her early years, painting a raw and honest portrait of the impact of emotional trauma.

Links:

• Website: https://www.pamelawaggonergood.com/
• Book:
  • https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=Bs2zQkmAhxcHn7xi9o7pnOninhM7VjSRYc2y7Zl9rV7
  • https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DQ9N19Z8?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_ZCWFXJWMHGCHPPJHKGNM&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_ZCWFXJWMHGCHPPJHKGNM&s

Support the show

Thank you for listening to this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast.

To learn more about the podcast visit www.andrewjschreier.com

To inquire being a guest on the podcast or sponsorship opportunities you can e-mail talkingaddictionandrecovery@gmail.com

Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier. This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery. Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field. Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery. Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.