Send us Fan Mail

Most recovery podcasts keep a safe distance between interviewer and subject. This episode doesn't. Our host, Drew Powell, sits down with his own wife, Jamie, to talk about what his addiction and betrayal did to her life, her sanity, and their family. It's uncomfortable because it should be.

This isn't about redemption arcs or tidy endings. Jamie talks about the moment she stopped protecting him from consequences, stopped managing his recovery, and started asking: "What do I need?" They walk through the chaos of early disclosure, the terrifying decision to pursue therapeutic separation, and what it actually meant to "hold the line" when treatment felt like it might cost them everything.

Jamie names what codependency looked like in real time—living by the rule "if you're okay, I'm okay," losing access to her own feelings, and the slow work of reclaiming her voice while married to the person who shattered her trust. They discuss practical tools that mattered: S-Anon, daily emotional regulation practices, communication boundaries with kids, and why detachment isn't abandonment—it's refusing to be someone else's emotional manager.

If you're newly betrayed, feeling gaslit, or wondering if you'll ever feel normal again, Jamie offers language for what you're experiencing and permission to prioritize your own healing. If you're the betrayer trying to understand the damage, this is what it sounds like when your partner finally tells the truth.

Download the free resource: "Loving Leverage: A Wife's Guide to Boundaries, Clarity, and Hope" at valiantliving.com/episode59

Subscribe for unfiltered recovery conversations. Share this with someone who needs to hear they're not crazy. Leave a review so more people can find help that doesn't sanitize the hard parts.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, you don’t have to face it alone.

Valiant Living helps men and their families move from crisis to stability through clinically driven care, community, and hope.

Learn more about our programs at www.valiantliving.com
or call us confidentially at (720) 796-6885 to speak with someone who can help.