The Adversity Advantage with Doug Bopst

DWTS Cheryl Burke on Recovering From Addiction, Body Dysmorphia & Toxic Relationships

Sep 9, 2021

01:00:37

Today’s guest on the show is Cheryl Burke. You might recognize her from reoccurring role as a professional dancer on Dancing With the Stars which she will make her 24th appearance on in just a few weeks.

What really inspires me about Cheryl is her recovery journey and her willingness to share so openly. She has gone through and overcome a lot. The trauma started by witnessing her parents divorce and being molested all before she entered Elementary school. This led to more debauchery as she found herself in and out of toxic relationships, not going to college and developing unhealthy habits around things such as alcohol. With all that said, there has been one constant in her life and that’s been her ability to dance. Her talents in dance led her to landing her spot on Dancing with the Stars roughly 15 years ago. Cheryl has won 2 mirror balls and was the first female professional to win on the show.

Cheryl’s journey with alcohol, unfortunately, stayed with her throughout most of this process which included drinking before going on television. 3 years ago it all changed for her when she decided to get sober after her Father passed away. She was able to strong-arm her way through sobriety until this past summer when she hit a crossroads that led her to join the 12 step community to further her recovery journey.

Today we talk about it all. Cheryl opens up about what happened that made her enter AA after 2 1/2 years of sobriety and how it has helped her. We get into her back story and what led her to use alcohol as a way to numb the pain. Cheryl shares why even reaching the pinnacle of her career as a dancer left her feeling lonely and miserable.

We discuss her comeback journey and what types of things have helped her transform the pain into purpose. Cheryl chats about why it was crucial for her to open up emotionally and how it has led to massive growth for herself and her marriage. She opens up about her struggles with body dysmorphia and of course we also get into Dancing With The Stars including why this season will be different for Cheryl and more!

Connect with Cheryl:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylburke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CherylBurke

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialCherylBurke

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pretty-messed-up/id1531477609

Connect with Doug:

Instagram: www.instagram.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/dougbopst

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dougbopst