JOIN THE UNSPOKEN: https://patreon.com/SoberlySpeaking

What happens when a party boy struggling with addiction goes on reality TV?

Davey Lloyd was on Season One of The Bachelorette with Sam Frost — and in true Davey style, he showed up straight off a bender, going on to become one of the biggest kooks in Australia.

Always feeling like he was living in his late brother’s shadow, Davey found his place in the party scene, where he finally received the love and adoration he’d been chasing his whole life.

I really enjoyed this chat with Davey. His origin story felt eerily close to my own. So much so, I even shared a little secret I never thought I’d give oxygen to…

Trigger warning: This episode contains themes of substance abuse and descriptions of an overdose.

Ready to share your story? Email [email protected]

Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised.

The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015

https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline

Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea

Image & Logo- Jasmine Rule

In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

This is the final part of Shelley’s story. You'll need to go back and listen to Parts 1 and 2 of "Shelley Was Brutally Attacked by a Stranger."

We pick up where we left off, back to when Shelley first met her ex. As her relationship with a narcissistic partner unravels, she’s left raising two young sons, one of whom is severely autistic.

In this episode, Shelley grapples with the decision to let her estranged mother back into her life. She’s just starting to rebuild, until one night in the emergency room changes everything. Then, child protection shows up at her door.

Trigger warning: This episode discusses substance abuse, domestic violence, and child sexual abuse.

Ready to share your story? Email: [email protected]

Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised.

The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015

https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline

Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea

Image & Logo- Jasmine Rule

In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Tracey-Lee was only four years old when a male family member abused her. Throughout her childhood, the trauma was compounded by denial: She was told a version of events that didn’t match the truth she felt in her body. This rewriting of her reality left a deep and lasting fracture in her sense of self.

By the time she reached adulthood, this broken trust in herself made her vulnerable, almost a target. She met a man on an internet forum who would become the father of her child. What followed was a devastating chapter marked by relentless abuse. He set her on fire, ripped out her hair, and forced her to inhale Glen 20 disinfectant spray while she was pregnant.

and in more recent years, Tracey-Lee met someone new and became addicted to ice. Despite the addiction, she and her partner managed to parent, take family holidays, and appear to function normally, a myth she’s determined to bust, shedding light on the hidden realities of addiction and family life.

Trigger warning: we discuss substance abuse, domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and coercive control.

Ready to share your story? Email [email protected]

Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised.

The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015

https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline

Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea

Image & Logo- Jasmine Rule

In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

JOIN THE UNSPOKEN: https://patreon.com/SoberlySpeaking

I don’t say this lightly, but this is one of those stories that stays with you for days, maybe even weeks.

We begin with Shelley as a child, witnessing her older brother accidentally take his own life while they were playing. But somehow, that’s not the most traumatic part of her story.

Shelley grew up in Housing Commission while both her parents battled addiction. She was exposed to, and a victim of, domestic violence. She started running away from home — and it was during one of those nights, when she was just in Year 9, that her life changed forever. She was assaulted by multiple boys.

Over In part two, we hear what happens after Shelly runs for her life — and the huge, chaotic night that follows.

But it unfortunately it dosen't end there, Shelley is still a teenager when she’s attacked by a complete stranger during a walk and dragged under a house to be sexually assaulted.

Part two of Shelley’s story is up now over on The Unspoken. It’s free to join for the first 7 days, and you can cancel anytime. I’ll pop the link in the show notes — or you can join directly through your Apple Podcasts or Spotify app now.

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, domestic violence, violence and substance abuse. 

Ready to share your story? Email [email protected]

Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised.

The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015

https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline

Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea

Image & Logo- Jasmine Rule

In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

All Zac ever wanted was to be his dad’s best friend.

As a kid, he longed for the kind of closeness he saw between his friends and their own fathers, but his own reality couldn’t have been more different.

Zac was known as the outgoing, loveable party boy — traits that gave his addiction a nod of approval to continue. After eight overdoses, toxic relationships, and a moment of deep embarrassment in front of his new partner, he knew he was heading down the exact same path as his father…

In this episode, we talk about father wounds, healing, and what it means to be a man when yours never showed you how.

Trigger Warning: we discuss themes of substance abuse in this episode.

Follow Zac on Instagram

Ready to share your story? Email [email protected]

Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised.

The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015

https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline

Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea

Image & Logo- Jasmine Rule

In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

JOIN THE UNSPOKEN: https://patreon.com/SoberlySpeaking

Skye tried P, also known as methamphetamine, once — out of spite, to get back at her partner who was already using. She had no idea it would cost her everything.

Skye and her partner enabled each other in their addiction. They isolated themselves and went from living in the hood, as Skye called it, to emergency housing, and eventually to living in their car, spending the little money they had from benefits solely on drugs.

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of substance use and domestic violence.

Ready to share your story? Email [email protected]

Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised.

The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015

https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline

Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea

Image & Logo- Jasmine Rule

In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Amber Luke is known as Australia’s most tattooed woman, 98% of her body is covered in ink. But that’s not why she’s sitting down with me today.

Amber is 10 months clean from meth. And she’s walking away from the longest job she’s ever held: sex work.

She’s felt lost for as long as she can remember. As a teenager, she spiraled into addiction, deep depression, and even turned to Satanism in a desperate attempt to escape her reality.

Today, in our chat, she’s doing something she’s never done before: opening up about a moment from her childhood that still lives with her. Something she’s never spoken about publicly. And she’s asking the question that haunts so many of us: If that one thing hadn’t happened, how different could my life have been?

Trigger Warning: we discuss themes of sexual assault, child sexual abuse and substance abuse. Please take care while listening.

Follow Amber Luke on Instagram

Ready to share your story? Email [email protected]

Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised.

The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015

https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline

Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea

Image & Logo- Jasmine Rule

In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

JOIN THE UNSPOKEN: https://patreon.com/SoberlySpeaking

Child sexual abuse has been touched on in a few of my past episodes, but in Manda’s story, it stretches across generations.

For Manda, she was sexually abused at just five years old, at the hands of someone known to the family. Years later, she would face the unimaginable: walking in on her own daughter being violated. And in a cruel twist, Manda unknowingly fell in love with a pedophile.

The trauma Manda experienced as a child shaped so much of her adult life. She found herself in violent relationships and When we spoke, Manda was calling me from a hotel room, where she had been living with her children after being homeless.

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of child sexual abuse, substance use, pedophilia and domestic violence.

Ready to share your story? Email [email protected]

Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised.

The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015

https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline

Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea

Image & Logo- Jasmine Rule

In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

When I sit across from my guests, they often share the darkest chapters of their past. But for Tegan, she’s living through it right now — in real time.

Tegan and Jax are widely known for their hilarious, comedic videos that have earned them hundreds of thousands of followers across social media. So when Tegan posted a raw, emotional video — alone and visibly shaken — revealing that Jax had relapsed, my heart sank.

In our chat, Tegan opens up about the heartbreaking realities of loving someone who is struggling with addiction, while trying to protect her own wellbeing. It’s a layered, deeply human story of love and the hard lines we sometimes have to draw.

Before we get into it, I want to acknowledge how delicate it is to speak about someone who is still in the midst of their struggle. Jax dropped Tegan off and picked her up from this interview, and I shared the full audio with both of them before release. This conversation wasn’t taken lightly. It was approached with care, respect, and a deep belief that stories like Tegan’s — those living through the ripple effects — deserve to be heard too.

Trigger Warning: This content discusses themes of substance abuse, including graphic details of an overdose. Please take care while listening.

Follow Tegan on Instagram

Ready to share your story? Email [email protected]

Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised.

The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015

https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline

Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea

Image & Logo- Jasmine Rule

In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Drink driving is one of the biggest regrets for nearly every guest I’ve had, but for Chris, the consequences were brutal and lasting.

Blacked out and riding on the back of a dirt bike with another intoxicated friend, they slammed head-on into traffic at 90km/h. Chris’s mate went to jail. The woman in the other car, simply driving to her next destination, will carry the trauma of that night forever. And Chris? He still lives with the physical pain.

Trigger warning: we discuss themes of substance abuse and drink driving in this episode. 

Ready to share your story? Email [email protected]

Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised.

The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015

https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline

Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea

Image & Logo- Jasmine Rule

In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.