Make Some Noise with Andrea Owen

Warning, this episode contains talk of attempted suicide and harm to children. The Lindsay Clancy story may not have made national news, but you’ve probably seen it if you live in the eastern U.S. Lindsay was a mother of three, who allegedly killed her three young children while suffering from postpartum psychosis. This is an absolutely unimaginable and tragic case, and one that opens up a bigger conversation about women’s mental health. As well as a personal one for me, as I struggled greatly with postpartum anxiety and some psychosis after the birth of my son in 2007. Lindsay was being treated for her mental illness, and allegedly was on several medications. A recent article quotes an OB/GYN nurse and perinatal mental health advocate by the name of Melissa Anne DuBois, where she explains, “The rhetoric coming from the prosecution and other people in authority hazardously distort the medical complexity of this disorder. When they paint Lindsay as a monster who carried out an elaborate, premeditated murder, instead of as someone suffering from a serious mental illness that wasn’t properly treated and who subsequently had a psychotic break, it sends a message to all the struggling parents out there [that] nothing can help me.”This episode shares Linday’s tragic story, my own personal journey here, touches on how privilege is operating here, as well as what we can do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Laura Cathcart Robbins returns to the podcast to share her story of addiction and recovery from prescription pills. Her forthcoming Atria/Simon & Schuster memoir, STASH, comes out next month, and I am thrilled to have her back to talk about her journey. The episode continues our current podcast theme on recovery, which features guests who have struggled with addiction in different areas of their lives. Even if you don't identify as an addict, Laura’s journey (and memoir) is a great story. I hope you tune in!In this episode, you’ll hear: Laura recounts her addiction to prescription pills and how it impacted her life (7:20) What Laura means when she says addiction is a disease of “not enough” (7:56) The effects of hiding your addiction from loved ones (13:33) Laura’s experience with “doctor shopping” as a means to satisfy her addiction to benzos (28:02) The point of no return; what happened when the pills ran out (43:28) Some of the hard truths of recovery, including the fact that “You can’t take everyone with you.”(51:08) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Laura McKowen returns to the show! Laura opens up about the turning point that led her to sobriety and the underlying issues she had to confront. She also shares some insights and teachings from her latest book, Push Off From Here: Nine Essential Truths to Get You Through Sobriety (and Everything Else). She is also the Founder of The Luckiest Club, an international sobriety support community. We also discuss how drinking is often just one symptom of deeper issues and the importance of honesty and vulnerability in the healing journey. Whether you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, this episode offers insight and hope for anyone seeking a life in recovery and offers a compassionate perspective for understanding and overcoming these challenges.Some of the topics we discussed include: Laura's sobriety and the turning point that made her realize she had to get sober (5:24) How alcohol can be a red flag for underlying issues (7:03) Substance addictions are only a small part of a bigger issue of addiction that is almost always rooted in trauma (21:16) Honesty as the foundation for developing healthier coping mechanisms and relationships (23:51) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’ve talked about what I refer to as “the point of no return” many times in my books and on the podcast, and I’m talking about it again today. This is a point in our lives that we reach many different times, and everyone does to varying degrees. Today I’m referring to when you’re in transition. You decided you’re done with your ultra-stressful job and you have to quit– but you’re not sure what’s next. You can’t go back to feeling like you can just trudge through, but you’re not ready yet to take the next step. Or maybe that’s happened in a relationship. You leave a partner (or make the decision to leave) and you can’t go back, but are nervous for what’s next. This is such an important time in our lives and one that doesn’t get talked about enough. So, I'm talking about it today! Even if this isn't where you are right now, make sure you save this episode in case you need to listen to it again, or share it with someone who you know who's going through a transition in their life.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have another thrilling and exciting interview for you today around recovery. Melissa Bond joins me to discuss her story of addiction and recovery from benzodiazepines, more specifically, Ativan. Melissa is a narrative journalist and poet. In the years of her dependence on benzodiazepines, she has blogged and become a regular contributor for Mad in America. She is also the author of the memoir Blood Orange Night where she writes about becoming dependent upon and then withdrawing from benzodiazepines.  Some of the topics we discussed include:  Melissa shares her story of addiction to benzodiazepines and how it affected her life with her family (5:53)  “Benzos are the thieves that take everything.” (21:29)  How Melissa decided to withdraw from benzos and took it upon herself to do it (24:19)  Identifying as an addict and why as a culture we must ask, “What is addiction?” (38:12) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we explore how to stop overdrinking with special guest Sherry Price. Sherry helps women moderate their drinking and as someone who identifies as an addict, I was a bit skeptical of her work. However, after our conversation, I have new insight into her expertise and her thoughts on alcohol and addiction. We also discussed the stigma around addiction, different paths to recovery, and the importance of having the right support network during your journey. Sherry is a certified life coach, pharmacist, and creator of the Drink Less Lifestyle podcast and EpicYOU program. Using empowerment-based tools, she helps women to stop overdrinking, lose weight, improve relationships, and live as their most epic self.Some of the topics we discussed include: Drinking for the experience versus self-medication (12:09) The joy of saying, “No.” (14:28) Overdrinking: what it is and some reasons women may do it (18:24) We explore the question, “Is alcoholism a disease or not?” (29:01) Why “you can’t punish addiction out of somebody.” (32:49) The importance of figuring out the “why” for your overdrinking or addiction (34:40) http://andreaowen.com/506  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’m going back to my roots today and giving you a pep talk of sorts around following your dreams. I know, I know, follow my dreams? In this economy!? Stay with me…So, a dear friend of mine is turning 50 at the end of this year, and she posted on Facebook about bucket list items she wants to do before she turns 50. She wants to have 50 things to do and needed more ideas to fill her list. As I was reading through all her comments, things like skydiving, volunteering at a shelter, and traveling to Europe, it got me thinking about all of you. Listen to this episode as I give you some coaching questions to ask yourself as you think about your own bucket list, small action steps to take, obstacles to look for, as well as giving you a good old fashioned motivational speech about going after your dreams. You may want to listen to this one more than once and send it to your friends!http://andreaowen.com/505  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode marks the introduction to the recovery theme of the podcast. Betsy Byler, LPC-SAS, ICS, LPCC, joins me to talk about substance addiction, love addiction, and the difference between the two. We also discuss addiction from the perspective of brain science and how the brain actually changes the addicted person. It’s a fascinating and insightful conversation. Before you turn the episode off or think this theme might not be applicable to you - there's a saying in recovery, “Everyone's recovering from something.” So even if you don’t have a dysfunctional relationship with alcohol or another substance, throughout this series we'll be talking about recovery in general. If you are interested in personal development, I really do think that you will walk away with some nuggets of wisdom. If nothing else, you will understand what it's like to be a person in recovery. I hope you do tune in. For those of you new to Betsy, she is a mental health therapist, substance abuse counselor, clinical supervisor, and host of the All Things Substance podcast.Some of the topics we discussed include: The signs that substance use is moving from recreational to problematic and what it means to be an addict (6:16) Why addicts do the things they do based on how the brain changes the addicted person (14:24) Trauma is highly correlated with substance (32:01) How love addiction is biologically different than substance addiction (37:48) http://andreaowen.com/504  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Dr. Teralyn joins me to discuss what she believes is the missing link for improving mental health. Together we also explore brain health and talk about topics related to health autonomy, including taking a functional medicine approach to your health and more. Dr. Teralyn has been practicing as a therapist for almost 2 decades. It wasn't until she went into private practice that she noticed clients (primarily women) were getting sicker and sicker despite therapy and medication. Listen as she helps us to think about our health in a broader way and encourages us to uncover the root of the issues to help us feel better.Some of the topics we discussed include: Some of the things women have been told about their health when they try to seek help (5:50) What is stress? What is emotional stress versus physiological stress? (9:49) Staggering statistics about women's prescriptions for depression/anxiety and even menopause that we may not know about (10:46) What is brain health and how we can maintain it (29:40) Four of the most helpful things a person can do to take charge of their mental well-being: eat, sleep, move, and meditate (40:19) http://andreaowen.com/503  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Several days ago I came across THIS TikTok video by creator The Black Shea. She was commenting on the docuseries Harry and Meghan, saying that in her opinion, Harry is trying to do for Meghan what he could not do for his mother, Princess Diana. I agree with this opinion, and not only that, but it got me thinking about people trying to heal generational “curses” in their families and lives. While I don’t love the term “generational curse”-- maybe we can call it “generational dysfunction” – I do think many of you are doing this type of work, whether you know it or not. Seeing patterns in your families and trying to heal them by digging into your own personal work and stopping those patterns. This minisode talks about a few things you can do while you’re on that journey.http://andreaowen.com/502  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices