Finding Strength: The Journey to Sobriety and Self-Worth Se…

In this episode of Absolutely Focused Radio Podcast, Daniel Thabudd Nelson dives deep into the realities of feeling unsupported, unheard, and disrespected in relationships. Together with guest Jane Marie, they explore the com...

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January 23, 2025

Finding Strength: The Journey to Sobriety and Self-Worth Season 3 - Episode 4

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In this episode of Absolutely Focused Radio Podcast, Daniel Thabudd Nelson dives deep into the realities of feeling unsupported, unheard, and disrespected in relationships. Together with guest Jane Marie, they explore the complex emotion of guilt—how it can either hold us back or propel us forward. The discussion also uncovers the reasons people turn to drinking, the challenges they face when choosing sobriety, and how the need to feel heard is often at the root of it all. Packed with actionable insights, powerful affirmations, and hope, this episode offers a path to reclaim your worth and embrace a life of clarity, strength, and self-love. Listen now to start your journey toward growth and transformation.

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Transcript

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Old Time Bad, Episode four, Season three, The Weight of Love,

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self worth and the Journey to sobriety.

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Welcome to season three, Episode four of Absolutely Focused Radio,

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your space for raw truth, reflection and empowerment. I'm your host,

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Daniel Nelson, aka your sobriety Buddy. Today we're diving deep.

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We'll talk about the painful realities of feeling unsupported, unheard,

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and disrespected in relationships. Will break down the complex emotion

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of guilt, how it can either hold us back or

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help us move forward. And most importantly, we'll get into

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the journey to sobriety, the reasons people start drinking, the

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struggles they face when trying to stop, and how at

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the heart of it all there's often just the need

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to feel heard and understood. Joining me today is Jane Marie,

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who will help us navigate the stats and insights. Together

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will uncover the power of reclaiming your worth and finding

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strength in your voice. Let's get into it.

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The weight of love and the reality of feeling unheard.

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Life has a way of testing us in ways we

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never expect. Imagine. Being in a relationship, whether romantic, familial,

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or professional, where you give your all, offering love, support,

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and presence, yet feel unseen and unappreciated. For example, you

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might find yourself constantly showing up for someone, only to

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realize the effort is one sided, leaving you feeling isolated

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and unheard. Or perhaps you're navigating a situation where expectations

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weigh heavily on you, even when there's no one explicitly

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placing them there. No matter the type of relationship or circumstance,

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at the core, we're all human and we all need

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to feel heard and valued. For so many, drinking becomes

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a response to that silence. It's not about complaining, it's

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about expressing a pain that no one else is willing

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to listen to. People drink for different reasons, to have fun,

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to escape, or to mass the feeling of being unheard

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or unsupported. But what people fail to understand is that

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for many, drinking isn't the root problem. It's a symptom

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of something deeper.

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Spotlight on strength.

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Before we go further, I want to introduce Jane Marie. Jane,

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welcome back to the show. Can you share some insights

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on the reasons people turn to drinking and the challenges

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of choosing sobriety.

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Thank you, Daniel it's great to be here. You're absolutely right.

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Drinking often starts because of an unmet need. Research shows

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that twenty five percent of people who drink heavily do

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so as a way to cope with stress, including relationship

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challenges or work pressures. Fifty percent of those with drinking

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problems report using alcohol to self medicate feelings of anxiety, loneliness,

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or depression. A significant portion of people in abusive or

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toxic relationships turn to drinking because it feels like the

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only escape when they aren't being heard or supported. But

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when someone chooses sobriety, they're not just giving up drinking.

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They're committing to facing everything they tried to run from.

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It's a journey of transformation, but it's.

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Not easy understanding the challenges of sobriety.

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Choosing sobriety means confronting the reasons you started drinking in

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the first place. For many, it's about breaking generational cycles,

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addressing trauma, or simply finding their voice. Let's break down

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some of the key.

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Challenges feeling isolated in relationships.

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Imagine being in a relationship where the connection feels one sided,

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where your presence is met with indifference and your words

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are met with resistance. It's like standing in a room

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with someone yet feeling utterly alone. Sobriety forces a hard,

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unflinching look at these dynamics. It demands clarity, pushing you

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to confront the truth about what's healthy, what's draining, and

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what needs to change to reclaim your peace and strength.

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Running away from pain.

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For some, drinking can feel like the easiest escape, a

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way to number stress, bury the pain of loss, or

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dodge the crushing weight of expectations. But relying on alcohol

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can lead to further damage, both emotionally and physically. Studies

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show that nearly twenty percent of people who drink to

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cope with stress develop more severe mental health issues, such

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as anxiety or depression. Choosing sobriety means stepping into the discomfort,

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confronting those emotions head on, and discovering healthier, more empowering

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ways to heal and move.

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Forward, breaking free from toxic cycles.

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It's common to be in relationships where your feelings are dismissed.

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You're not complaining, you're trying to be heard, but when

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no one listens, it's easy to turn to alcohol as

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the one thing that doesn't argue back sobriety shines a

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light on these toxic patterns.

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The need for fun and connection.

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For some, drinking starts as a way to have fun

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and connect with others, but when it becomes a crutch,

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sobriety means learning how to enjoy life and build connections

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without alcohol.

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Daniel, those are also true, and the statistics back it up.

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People in toxic or unsupportive relationships are thirty percent more

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likely to develop drinking problems. Seventy percent of those who

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start their sobriety journey say the hardest part isn't giving

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up alcohol, it's addressing the emotional wounds they tried to hide.

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And here's a hopeful stat sobriety improves relationship satisfaction for

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sixty five percent of individuals who commit to personal growth

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and honest communication.

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That's powerful, Jane. It shows that sobriety isn't just about

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stopping a habit, It's about rebuilding yourself and your life.

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Guilt barrier or catalyst.

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And that's where guilt often comes in. When you choose sobriety,

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guilt can either hold you back or push you forward.

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Let's revisit the two types of guilt. Constructive guilt a

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guide that helps you grow and make amends. Destructive guilt

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a weight that keeps you stuck in the past.

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And what's so important is recognizing that guilt often stems

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from feeling unheard. People blame themselves for their pain or

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the reactions of others, but that's not fair. It's okay

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to feel guilty, but it's what you do with that

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guilt that matters.

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Personal reflection.

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I've been there feeling like no one wanted to listen.

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But let me remind you of something you deserve to

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be heard. It's not complaining, it's asking for what every

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human deserves, understanding, love, and support. If you're struggling in

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a relationship, at work, or with your own self worth,

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you're not alone. Sobriety is a journey, but it's also

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a statement that you refuse to let the silence or

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pain define you. I know how hard it is to

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show up every day when the person closest to you

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tears you down. But it's not your job to carry

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the weight of someone else's bitterness. You deserve to be loved, respected,

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and value for who you are.

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Take away affirmation.

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Your worth is not determined by someone else's failure to

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recognize it. You are enough exactly as you are. You

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hold the power to create a life that mirrors the

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love and respect you truly deserve. Thank you for joining

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me and Jane Marie for this powerful conversation about sobriety,

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guilt worth, and the reasons we turn to alcohol. To

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everyone listening, remember this, it's not about complaining, it's about

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being heard, and you deserve to be heard. This is

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Daniel Nelson, your sobriety buddy. Stay amazing, stay blessed, and

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never forget to smile on purpose because you are the purpose.

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Until next time, be well and take care.

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And we're life.

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This is a journey and we're stand at all to jiggle.

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We rise, but conquer it all with every step, the

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returning through the fire, heap besperce