The Bite Size Podcast with Lorayne Michaels

Finding Strength Beyond Addiction

• Lorayne • Season 2 • Episode 67

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Recovery isn't just a journey—it's a revolution of the heart, mind, and spirit. Having witnessed addiction devastate relationships and create cycles of pain, I've also seen the breathtaking transformation that occurs when people embrace the difficult but rewarding path to healing.

The science of addiction reveals how our brains become hijacked through dopamine release when we turn to substances or behaviors that temporarily relieve pain. Whether it's alcohol, drugs, pornography, shopping, or even social media overconsumption, these coping mechanisms create powerful neural pathways that strengthen with repetition. But here's the beautiful truth I've witnessed firsthand: these same neural pathways can be rewired. Through programs like Celebrate Recovery, countless individuals—including my current husband who overcame severe addiction—have found freedom by addressing root causes rather than just managing symptoms.

My own healing journey began unexpectedly. While initially attending Celebrate Recovery to support my then-partner, I discovered patterns of unhealthy coping in my own life that needed addressing. This National Recovery Month, I'm extending an invitation to anyone struggling with addiction or unhealthy patterns: you don't have to walk this road alone. Whether through faith-based programs, 12-step communities, or professional help, healing is possible when we bring our pain into the light. Remember that vulnerability isn't weakness—it's the first courageous step toward the freedom you were divinely created to experience. Reach out today, whether to me directly or to a recovery program in your area, and begin writing your own redemption story.

Where you can find me:
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Email Me: LorayneMichaels22@gmail.com

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Bite Size Podcast. I'm your host, lorraine Michaels, former EMT and nursing assistant, now business owner and wild entrepreneur. I walked away from over 15 years in medicine to pursue my passion and my God-given talents. Now I get the honor of helping other women discover their passions and purpose. If you're feeling stuck in life, unsure where to go or what to do, welcome. If you're exactly where you want to be great, you're welcome here too. If you have faced any kind of hardship or setback, you have found a safe place here. In other words, no matter who you are or what you've been through or what you're going through, this is the space for you. On the Bite Size podcast, we'll discuss life, business and faith. There's something for everyone, so grab a cup of coffee and something to take notes with, because there will definitely be things you won't want to forget. Welcome back to the Bite Size Podcast. I'm your host, lorraine Michaels. I hope you are having a fantastic week.

Speaker 1:

I'm not sure when you are listening to this, but I am recording it in September, and September, as you may or may not know, every month has a National Awareness Month. There's National Donut Day, national this, that whatever. September is National Recovery Month. There's also other national awarenesses that happen in September. But today I'm talking about recovery and you may or may not know, depending on how long you've known me or have been following my journey, but recovery is a very, very big part of my story and my journey, not because I have personally dealt with addiction, but because addiction has touched quite a few key, important people in my story from actually all many of my relationships have involved someone addicted to something. So recovery and addiction is a very hard topic topic it's not fun, but it can be a beautiful story, it can be a redemptive story and in my situation there was redemption and healing and it is possible.

Speaker 1:

So at one point in time I was in a relationship and my partner was addicted to pornography. I didn't know it, I didn't realize that it was an addiction, I knew it was a problem, but I did not know enough about recovery and addiction to even support this individual. And you know, because of my own choices and because my immaturity and my lack of faith and whatever, I can tell you all the reasons why it didn't work out. But that relationship, that marriage did not work out and I at the time was not aware of my own issues of lack of self-worth, and I was already abusing alcohol. I was turning to things that were not Jesus and that were not healthy, and instead of addressing the root issue and what was going on in me, I was just knowing that this didn't feel good. I didn't feel good and I was turning to things that seemingly, I thought in the moment, made me feel good. And so, to touch on addiction, what that was developing was a draw to. I'll just use alcohol as an example.

Speaker 1:

Alcohol was my choice of my outlet and that pain that I was feeling, or that hurt or whatever negative emotion that I was feeling, rather than diving a little deeper into it and figuring it out and healing it, I was turning to my vice, and at that time it was alcohol or attention from men. And so when I sought that and when I got that, dopamine was released. And so dopamine is a chemical. It's a neurotransmitter in your brain. It's a chemical that is released. It's your pleasure hormone, and so that's how addiction is developed when you do something and it gives you pleasure, dopamine is released, and so your brain associates that thing that you did as something good, and then your brain is going to crave that and want that and pull you back to that. And as it pertains to drugs, I never have had an addiction to drugs so I can't really go deep into that. But addictive substances they cause that surge in dopamine levels and so that starts to lead to intense feelings of pleasure when that drug or alcohol, when that is present, right, and so that creates the cycle and your brain actually changes. So when you have chronic exposure to that, those dopamine levels, those high dopamine levels that is released when you use drugs, the structure of your brain actually changes. Thus it intensifies and it causes the addiction. So that's how that addiction is created.

Speaker 1:

I was drawn to that certain person who had addictions and, unfortunately, my second marriage. He was addicted to many things and, lo and behold, it was because there was a ton of trauma that was never addressed and healed. There was a lot underneath that caused him to turn to other things that were unhealthy for him and that eventually led to a divorce and that was a very toxic and abusive relationship. And I tried to help him through recovery and, as you know, I have talked about Celebrate Recovery a lot and it has helped many people and it helped myself because I went there to honestly, I started going to make sure that he was going, but that is where I found the healing and that is where I found the hope and that's where I started to dig into the reason behind my patterns. And so that's what I want to encourage you, whoever you are listening, if you are in a cycle of unhealthy choices or you're in some sort of addiction, celebrate recovery. There's many, many programs out there, but celebrate recovery is something that I definitely encourage people to check out. It's everywhere, it's national, it's in every state, there's tons of them all over the world, and it is a program, it's a faith-based program, but it helps you walk through the why behind it and it helps point you to healing and hope in Jesus.

Speaker 1:

And what leads me to my now relationship? I met my husband through my ex-husband, to be completely transparent, and he was walking his recovery out, and so I'm not going to tell his story because that's not my place, but let me just tell you that he was addicted to pretty much the worst that you can think of and living a very scary, dark life, and it took him getting out of that, removing himself from people, places, things that were leading him down that path of destruction. He didn't know he was going to find Celebrate Recovery right. He left the state he was in with his son, came to California and I don't even know how he found Celebrate Recovery. Nonetheless he did and started the program and he was able to find freedom and healing from his addiction. And it is possible I've seen it many, many times through lots of friends that I've met in Celebrate Recovery and still continue to meet in recovery.

Speaker 1:

Unhealthy relationships, alcohol, shopping, whatever it is that you're turning to to give you that reprieve, to give you that relief to escape whatever pain that you're feeling. There is hope and there is healing and recovery is possible. It might not look like Celebrate Recovery. It might look like a 12-step program, it might look like a rehab facility or an inpatient program. There's lots of things, places, people to help point you in the right direction.

Speaker 1:

I understand that addiction is a disease, but it is not a disease that you will die from or with, if you turn to the right thing and healing is very possible. You can 100% rewire your brain. Some people get stuck on the fact of well, this is a disease and it's an addiction and my brain is broken. My brain has been wired this way you can rewire your brain through the power of prayer, the power of Jesus. You can rewire your brain through subconscious healing. There's so many things, naturally, that you can do, that can help you, and these programs especially Celebrate Recovery.

Speaker 1:

This program is designed for that to get to the bottom of it, to figure out what it is that is causing you, that caused you this pain or this hurt, whether it's something that was done to you or something that you did. And this program walks you through the healing process. But you have to be able to get honest and vulnerable with yourself, and forgiveness is one of the key ingredients in it is forgiving yourself of what you have done, forgiving who did something to you or maybe it was a facility or a place where that trauma had happened and you walk through this, and it's backed by scripture and steps to help you go through this healing. But recovery is possible, and so for September, this National Recovery Month, I want to encourage you to seek out help, even if it's something that is so minor. It's man, you know, when I have a really bad day, I shop, I just I scroll on social media, and then you end up staying up way too late and you know you're tired and I'm saying you're running out, like these things. It seemingly might sound insignificant, but it's damaging to your health, although I mean, we're talking from something as quote minor as staying up too late on social media to binge drinking and blacking out.

Speaker 1:

Right there's, these are two very different ends of the spectrum. However, they're similar in the root of it is is you're turning to something to seek release, reprieve, to seek pleasure, to escape whatever difficult situation that you're in. But I just want to remind you that there is a God that loves you more than you can imagine. And you might be hearing this right now and you might be thinking, no, there's not, there is no God, because I wouldn't be feeling this if there was a God. But I also want to gently remind you that we have free will and we make the choice to pick up the drink, we make the choice to pick up the phone, to spend the money, whatever it may be. We're making that choice.

Speaker 1:

God is giving you a way out. God is giving you another choice. God is inviting you to the freedom, to the healing, to the peace. It is available for you and you can't do it alone. That's the other part of it is. You cannot walk this road alone and if you have no one, you have my email, you can reach out to me, you can reach out to me on social media. I would be more than happy to help you walk through this, whatever it is. I mean, even if you have questions of like where do I go, where do I find it, what do I like? I, no matter what. There is, there is healing, there's options and recovery is possible. Healing is possible and um and I just there's so many stories of the redemption and the healing that I know that I've seen, that, I've witnessed that, I've walked with through, even with myself.

Speaker 1:

You know, with the drinking. I did the program, I did the work, I figured out what was going on, and it's a constant, it's a daily thing that I have to do. I have to surrender my wants, my will to God and I ask God for the strength to get me through, to not turn to these other unhealthy coping mechanisms. You know, if I have a bad day and my thought is, oh my God, I just want to drink, I just want a glass of wine, I know that is not the time for me to drink, because there's something negative that is happening and I'm seeking something that is not Jesus, for my comfort.

Speaker 1:

Now do I drink Occasionally? Yeah, at a wedding, whatever, like a glass whatever. But I do not drink for a release if that makes sense. I do not drink If there's something negative going on. I don't drink If it's just whatever a glass of wine with dinner or, like I said, at a wedding, whatever it is, it's one and my situation, the feeling, whatever is going on, it's not negative and it's not to release or to escape. So there's a difference there and there's some people and there was a season of my life where that was not an option. It does not matter if I'm happy, angry, sad, what, it does not matter.

Speaker 1:

There has been a season where I completely abstained from drinking because I was going through that healing, because I was still doing the work on myself and trying to get to the bottom of whatever it was. My husband, for instance, absolutely not. No drugs, no alcohol, nothing, and that is because he knows where that leads. But it is possible. I'm telling you it is so possible. So I just want to wrap this up.

Speaker 1:

If you are seeking help, look up, celebrate, recovery they're everywhere, there's programs everywhere. If you are employed, there's parts of your insurance that they offer help for addiction and recovery, and raising your hand and asking for help is not a bad thing. There are so many people who are scared to do that because of the look, because it might seem weak. But I also want to gently remind you that falling into that addiction is I don't want to say that is the weakness, because it's not just willpower that helps you get sober and remain sober you need the strength of Jesus. You cannot do it on your own. You need the strength of community. You cannot do it on your own Because when we are alone we are weak, because then we fall into the lies that the enemy is telling us.

Speaker 1:

We don't have that accountability. So alone we are weak. Right? It says it in the Bible A cord of three strands is not easily broken, right? Think about one strand, one string. You can break that. Think about a cord, and how difficult that is. It is much stronger when you have multiples. It is much harder, right. So I'm not saying that you are weak. I'm saying you are strong with others. You are strong with Jesus and he can give you the strength.

Speaker 1:

And so I just pray right now, whoever you are listening to this. Whatever it is that you're dealing with, I pray that God gives you the strength to ask for help. I pray that God gives you that person in your life that you can go to, that you can say, hey, I'm struggling with this. Whatever it may be be vulnerable, take that step. I'm struggling with this. Whatever it may be be vulnerable, take that step. You are strong, you are able to do this, you are able to ask for help and there is help out there for you. So, friend, happy National Recovery Month. It's possible, healing is possible, recovery is possible. I have witnessed it, I have been a part of it and I just pray that this finds you, wherever you are at, in the most beautiful way. Just remember you were divinely created for a divine purpose and there was no mistake in you.