Steppin' Out Radio

Missy is an emotional addict. Her uncontrollable emotion is anger. Missy says she has been "wired this way" for as long as she can remember. Her temper was short, and her sister used to tease her relentlessly. Her parents were of no help, and often encouraged the sister's behavior. Her anger issues would lead to an extreme dislike of other children, and constant depression. But Missy's mother would not hear of her claims of not feeling emotionally well.

Amy first tried Crystal Meth in San Fransisco, when some friends shared their stash with her one night before heading out to a nightclub. But within months, Amy was using daily before work and often let people cook meth in apartment kitchen. In her own words, meth provided Amy with a "quick euphoria." Meth would make her hypersensitive and hypersexual for far cheaper than cocaine. She brought her pipe with her to work, to smoke in the bathroom.

Howard can remember the day he became sober from gambling. He was prolific sports gambler; Howard didn't mind casinos, but ultimately he bet his money on baseball. He started as a young man making innocuous bets, but soon he lost his control. Tommy would bet more and more money. He's not sure why it appealed to him, but he can remember his father bragging about gambling wins. He even had a secret bank account, hidden from his wife, in which he stashed his gambling money.

Charlotte finds inspiration today by a previous guest, Asia Janina Dyrkacz, who despite her career as a fashion model fought addiction demons and now leads others in the battle against this epidemic. Charlotte knows her own life was not normal; sexually abused at a young age, she grew up feeling shame and unworthiness. That, Charlotte says, began a life of being bullied and being unable to see herself in ways different from how people chose to ostracize her. In her adult life, she now works in advocacy, to end the practice of stigmatizing people in hopes it helps people end cycles of addictions and abuse.

Born in Communist Poland and raised by a dysfunctional, abusive family, Asia Janina Dyrkacz would never think she'd become a high fashion model and actress. She would flee to the United States where such opportunities awaited. But Asia had already been a substance abuser and drinker. She was depressed and riddled with anxiety, but she tried at age 40 to become a professional model. A high-profile agency signed her and soon Asia was walking catwalks in Paris, modeling for Hermès and Donna Karan, posing for Marie Claire and shooting ads for BMW. But during her modeling career Asia began abusing cocaine. Her use of drugs, booze and pills eventually lead her to attempting suicide, but a call to a friend saved her life. Asia would choose recovery and begin a cleaner life – one that would lead her to spearhead a movement to challenge the fashion industry to fight addiction.

Anthony grew up in Pennsylvania in a gambling-free household. One day, while, in college, the family was invited to an Atlantic City casino hotel for a holiday getaway. While there, Anthony met up with other people who took him to the gambling floor. Anthony fronted one of these men a small amount of cash, and when this man finished his gambling for the evening, he handed Anthony two-thousand dollars! He would later return to the casinos in hopes of recreating that same effect; making a bee-line for the high-stakes games. Anthony's luck was unreal; he made enough money in one summer to buy a house. But his luck ran out soon later, leaving him desperate.

While laying in an empty bathtub in a Motel 6 in Vermont, Mike takes a handful of OxyContin and waits for the heart palpitations to kill him. As he starts to fade he reads a text on his phone, "Son, I love you and I need to know that you're OK." Struggling to understand why anyone would care about him because of his years of drug abuse, he responds, "Mom, no one can help me." Then, in a moment of clarity, he decides he wants there to be a tomorrow and to be a part of his family again. He makes the call for help to his mother; the call that saves his life.

Greg has been married three times, to two different women. He married his first wife twice. It seemed to him that all his relationships with women would end the same way; they would leave after he put his heart and soul into trying to make their lives better. He felt the only way he could earn love was to completely devote himself to taking care of "her" – whoever "her" happened to be. It lead to a life of isolation, and not until did he enter recovery could he see that his issues with women stemmed from his unhealthy relationship with his mother.

Like many women, Petra thought love was "taking care of someone". She always picked men who "needed rescuing". Petra's boyfriend was an alcoholic, and she thought he was the only man she could ever love. Yet she could not "fix" him. Hear Petra's unbelievable story how her absorption with "care-taking" almost sent her over the edge, and how she found her way back.

Jim Jensen began his career as a salesman with Encyclopaedia Brittanica in his senior year of college. Within seven years he had become International Sales Manager in charge of worldwide sales. At the age of 28, he became Senior Vice President and CEO of Great Books of the Western World, a division of Encyclopaedia Brittanica. In this same year (1969) Jim and his wife, Jeri, attended a 4 day seminar that would have an incredible impact on his life forever. As is written in the Introduction, Jim became both a voracious student and, ultimately, teacher of many of the principles written in his book, 7 KEYS To Unlock Your Full Potential.