Recovery and Relationships

Episode 5: Listening to Understand | Recovery & Relationships

Are you listening to understand—or just waiting for your turn to respond?

In Episode 5 of Recovery & Relationships, Nick and Gladys explore Stephen Covey's fifth habit from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.”

Through an honest and deeply personal conversation, Nick and Gladys revisit a moment when Gladys discovered that Nick had been married and divorced three times. What began as an ordinary attempt to find a legal document turned into a difficult conversation about honesty, past relationships, shame, defensiveness, and the fear of abandonment.

Nick shares how his feelings of guilt and shame caused him to become defensive rather than listen to what Gladys was actually saying. Instead of seeking to understand her concerns, he found himself trying to redirect the conversation to protect himself emotionally.

Together, they explore what happens when our fears become louder than the person speaking to us—and how learning to listen with empathy can help us build stronger, healthier relationships.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The difference between hearing someone and truly listening

• Why shame and fear can make us defensive

• How past experiences influence present conversations

• The difference between understanding and agreeing

• Taking accountability without getting stuck in shame

• Practical ways to listen with empathy and curiosity

• Why understanding someone should come before trying to be understood

At Recovery & Relationships, Nick and Gladys share real experiences, lessons learned, and the ongoing work of recovery, communication, and personal growth. We don't have all the answers, but we're committed to learning and growing together.

❤️ Sometimes the most loving thing we can do is stop defending ourselves long enough to understand the person in front of us.

Join the conversation: Have you ever been so focused on defending yourself that you missed what someone you love was trying to tell you?

Thank you for listening and being part of our journey!

#RecoveryAndRelationships #ActiveListening #Communication #Recovery #HealthyRelationships

Episode 6: Difficult Conversations | Recovery & Relationships

Why are some conversations so hard to have, especially with the people we love most? Sometimes, fear of hurting someone, being misunderstood, or creating conflict keeps us from saying what truly needs to be said. But avoiding difficult conversations can create distance, resentment, and misunderstandings in our relationships.

In Episode 6 of Recovery & Relationships, Nick and Gladys have an honest conversation about the challenges of discussing sensitive topics, facing uncomfortable truths, and finding the courage to communicate openly, even when it isn't easy.

We explore how the way we approach difficult conversations can make a difference. Choosing the right moment, listening to understand rather than react, acknowledging the feelings beneath the words, and speaking with honesty and compassion can help us navigate even the most uncomfortable discussions.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why difficult conversations are so challenging

• How fear can keep us from communicating honestly

• The importance of choosing the right time and place

• Listening to understand instead of preparing to respond

• Recognizing the emotions behind someone's words

• Speaking honestly while remaining compassionate

• How difficult conversations can create opportunities for deeper understanding and connection

At Recovery & Relationships, we're Nick and Gladys, sharing honest conversations about recovery, relationships, communication, and personal growth. We don't claim to have all the answers. We're learning along the way and sharing our experiences in the hope that our conversations encourage others to reflect, grow, and build healthier relationships.

💬 Join the conversation: What's one thing that makes difficult conversations hard for you? And what have you learned about having them with the people you love?

If this episode resonates with you, please like the video, subscribe to our channel, and share it with someone who might benefit from this conversation.

Sometimes, the conversation we're most afraid to have is the one that brings us closer together.

#RecoveryAndRelationships #DifficultConversations #Communication #HealthyRelationships #PersonalGrowth #EmotionalIntelligence

Episode 4: Personal Accountability | Recovery & Relationships

What does it really mean to take responsibility for ourselves, our choices, and the impact we have on the people we love?

In Episode 4 of Recovery & Relationships, Nick and Gladys explore personal accountability and its importance in recovery, personal growth, and healthy relationships. We talk about the difference between accepting responsibility and making excuses, recognizing our own part in difficult situations, and having the courage to acknowledge when we've made mistakes.

Taking accountability isn't about living in shame or beating ourselves up over the past. It's about being honest with ourselves, learning from our experiences, and making different choices moving forward.

In recovery and relationships, we can't control everyone else's actions, feelings, or decisions. What we can do is examine our own behavior, own our mistakes, and work toward becoming better versions of ourselves.

Join us for an honest conversation about self-awareness, responsibility, growth, and what it takes to create meaningful change.

❤️ Real growth begins when we stop looking only at what's wrong with everyone else and become willing to look at ourselves.

We're Nick and Gladys, and this is Recovery & Relationships—a place for honest conversations about recovery, connection, relationships, and the work of growing together.

We don't have all the answers. We're learning, sharing, and growing right alongside you.

Join the conversation: What has personal accountability taught you about yourself?

#RecoveryAndRelationships #PersonalAccountability #Recovery #PersonalGrowth #HealthyRelationships

What happens when our emotions become stronger than our ability to understand them?

In this episode, Nick and Gladys explore emotional intelligence and its role in recovery, communication, and relationships.

We talk about recognizing emotional triggers, understanding what is happening beneath our reactions, learning to pause before responding, and creating safety and connection when one of us becomes emotionally activated.

Through our own experiences, we explore why recovery isn't only about changing our behaviors—it's also about learning how to feel, communicate, and relate in healthier ways.

Because the goal isn't to never become emotional.

The goal is to become emotionally aware enough to choose what we do next.

🎙️ Recovery & Relationships — Nick & Gladys.

Episode 2 — Connection | Recovery & Relationships

What if recovery isn’t only about what we stop doing—but about what we learn to connect with instead?

In Episode 2 of Recovery & Relationships, Nick and Gladys sit down for an open conversation about connection: connection with ourselves, with the people we love, with a recovery community, and with something larger than ourselves.

We also explore a fascinating piece of recovery history—the correspondence between Carl Jung and Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson, and Jung’s observation about the relationship between spiritus, the Latin word for both “spirit” and alcohol, and the human search for a spiritual experience.

Could addiction sometimes be an attempt to satisfy a very real human longing—but with the wrong “spirit”?

We talk about what connection has looked like in our own lives, how isolation can affect addiction and relationships, and why rebuilding meaningful connections can become such an important part of recovery.

We’re not therapists, doctors, or relationship experts. We’re two people having honest conversations based on our own experiences, mistakes, growth, and what we’re continuing to learn along the way.

If something in this conversation speaks to you, join the conversation in the comments. We’d love to hear what connection means to you.

Subscribe to Recovery & Relationships for new episodes and conversations about recovery, love, trust, intimacy, identity, second chances, and building healthier lives together.

Recovery is a journey. Relationships are part of it. And we’re stronger together.

#RecoveryAndRelationships #Recovery #AddictionRecovery #Relationships #Connection #Sobriety #Healing #CarlJung #AlcoholicsAnonymous #AA #RelationshipRecovery #RecoveryPodcast #MentalHealth #SecondChances

Welcome to the first episode of Recovery and Relationships.

We’re Nick and Gladys, and this podcast is about what recovery really looks like—not just recovery from addiction, but the work of rebuilding trust, relationships, identity, intimacy, purpose, and a healthy life.

In our first conversation, we share why we decided to start this podcast, what recovery means to each of us, and why we’re willing to have these conversations together. We’re not here as experts, and we certainly don’t have everything figured out. We’re here to talk openly about what we’ve experienced, what we’re learning, and what it takes to build and maintain a relationship while navigating recovery and life together.

This is the beginning of Recovery and Relationships. We’re glad you’re here.