The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast

Summary:

Kaela Demerjian’s story begins with chaos. Growing up in Orange County, she never felt like she belonged anywhere. By middle school she was struggling with self harm, depression, and drugs, eventually landing in psych wards and even being tased by police during a suicide crisis. She got sober young, but sobriety alone didn’t fix the pain. For years she searched for belonging everywhere: punk houses in Oakland, activism, yoga, marriage, and even a new life in France. But the emptiness followed her until she finally discovered the one thing she had been missing all along.

In this conversation, Kaela shares how real recovery began when she stopped trying to do it alone and found community in AA and Al-Anon. Through guidance, spirituality, and the support of people who understood her struggle, she slowly learned that recovery isn’t about fixing everything overnight. Sometimes it’s about staying when you want to run. Sometimes it’s about surviving the next five minutes. Today, 14 years sober, Kaela reflects on the long road from self destruction to self acceptance and the power of community, humility, and faith in building a life she never thought was possible.

What listeners will learn:

Why sobriety alone doesn’t always solve the deeper pain behind addiction

The difference between abstinence and real recovery

How community and guidance can change the trajectory of recovery

Why many people feel lost even after they stop drinking or using

How codependency and the need to belong can shape addiction and relationships

The role AA and Al-Anon can play in building healthy support systems

How to survive overwhelming emotional pain one small step at a time

Why recovery sometimes means simply staying for the next five minutes

How spiritual growth and humility can become powerful tools for healing

What it looks like to build a meaningful life after years of chaos

Kaela's Instagram: @KaelaDemerjian

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaelasaez/

In this episode of The Courage to Change, Ashley Loeb Blassingame speaks with author and illustrator Amanda Davis about two deeply connected experiences: growing up in a home impacted by alcohol use disorder and later navigating postpartum OCD as a new mother.

Amanda shares what it was like to lose her father to alcohol-related illness at a young age and how growing up in an unpredictable, high-stress environment shaped her nervous system, anxiety, and sense of responsibility. She explains how those early experiences laid the groundwork for postpartum OCD years later, when multiple major life changes collided at once.

The conversation takes an honest, clear-eyed look at postpartum OCD, including intrusive thoughts, “sticky” thinking, reassurance-seeking cycles, and the fear many mothers feel about admitting what’s happening in their minds. Amanda walks through how her symptoms showed up, why they were so frightening, and how an intensive outpatient program specifically for postpartum OCD helped her recover.

Together, Ashley and Amanda also discuss how we talk to children about hard things, including addiction, loss, anxiety, and recovery, and why silence often does more harm than age-appropriate honesty. Amanda shares how these experiences led her to write Sometimes Stormy, a children’s book that gives families language for talking about emotional storms without shame.

This episode is for mothers, clinicians, educators, and caregivers who want to better understand postpartum OCD, intrusive thoughts, and how recovery can look when the struggle is internal, invisible, and deeply misunderstood.

www.AmandaDavisArt.com

"Sometimes Stormy: A Story About Finding Calm and Staying Safe When Someone You Love Drinks Too Much" by Amanda Davis

#LocalBookStore

#AmandaDavisArt

#PostPartumOCD

#ParentalLoss

Lesley Jones never had the dramatic “rock bottom” people expect. No arrests, no lost job, no catastrophic implosion. Instead, she lived with the quiet, relentless hum of anxiety and the mental gymnastics of someone who intuitively knew alcohol worked a little too well. As a high-achieving oldest daughter, state-champion athlete, and lifelong perfectionist, she learned early how to drink with precision to silence the internal buzz of fear and pressure.

In this conversation, Lesley shares what most people never talk about: the early-stage progression of alcohol use, the mental toll of constantly negotiating with yourself, and the moment she realized she didn’t need to lose everything to decide she was done rolling the dice. She breaks down how she got sober in her late twenties, what actually shifted, how motherhood reshaped her awareness, and the internal “fan noise” that finally pushed her toward change.

We also dig into the difference between abstinence and recovery, parenting with a program, why “mommy wine culture” is a trap, the slow creep from control to obsession, and how she built a sober life she’s proud of — including a beautiful company, Traveling Pendants, dedicated to passing on strength through shared stories.

This episode is a lifeline for anyone who’s ever quietly wondered, “Is this getting a little too loud?” You do not need a spectacular bottom to choose a better life.

What The Listener Will Learn

• How early-stage alcohol use disorder shows up long before obvious consequences

• High-functioning alcoholism and its invisible progression

Cory Suggs grew up in a tiny Oklahoma town where life looked perfect—until it wasn’t. After his parents’ divorce at sixteen, he spiraled into a decade of reckless living, validation-seeking, and self-destruction. At twenty-five, multiple unexplained strokes left him unable to walk, battling depression, and convinced his life was over.

A year later, Cory went into the woods to end his life. What happened next changed everything.

In this powerful conversation, Cory shares:

The hidden cost of seeking approval through recklessness and addiction

What it’s like to lose your body, your identity, and your will to live—and rebuild from zero

The vision that stopped his suicide attempt and started his recovery

How daily gratitude, faith, and movement transformed his mind and body

Losing his mother to suicide and finding peace through forgiveness and purpose

The role of personal development, proximity, and mentors like Tony Robbins in reshaping his life

What true masculinity and emotional strength look like for men today

Cory’s story is raw, redemptive, and deeply human—a reminder that life doesn’t happen to us, it happens for us.

If you or someone you love is struggling, this episode is a lifeline of hope and practical wisdom.

Connect with Cory: CorySuggs.com

Follow Ashley: @ashleyloebblassingame

www.couragetochangepodcast.com

www.ashleyloebblassingame.com

Trigger warning: This episode discusses suicide and depression. If you’re in crisis, call or text 988 in the U.S. for support.

Therapist Neha Kumar opens up about infertility, IVF, endometriosis, and postpartum depression. We talk about cultural expectations in South Asian families, the reality of new motherhood, what “natural” doesn’t mean, and practical ways to support women through fertility treatment and postpartum mental health. It is honest, grounded, and full of hard-won perspective.

This episode is sponsored by Reconstruction Unlimited, a recovery-focused organization that provides coaching, interventions, and holistic support to help people and families thrive in long-term recovery.

Guest

Neha Kumar, LMFT Private practice therapist focusing on women’s mental health, postpartum, and culturally informed care.

Website: https://prosandpsyche.com

Growing up as the youngest of three girls in a South Asian immigrant family and the “son preference” context

Film school to therapy (why service work in India changed her path)

Undiagnosed inattentive ADHD, chronic fatigue, and how symptoms were missed

Endometriosis finally diagnosed after years of severe cycles

IVF at 28, grief around repeated negatives, cost, and stigma

Postpartum depression after baby one, spinal headache after baby two, and what “hopeless” actually feels like

Why “it is natural” does not mean “it is easy” for conception, birth, or breastfeeding

Practical support for friends in fertility treatment (what helps, what hurts)

Advocating for yourself in healthcare and pushing for answers

Building resilience, redefining “enough,” and finding a new normal

Validation matters. Delayed diagnoses of ADHD and endometriosis can fuel years of self-blame.

Support should be operational. Rides to monitoring, meal trains, childcare, and help with logistics beat platitudes every time.

Language counts. Avoid “just relax,” “have you tried…,” or fast fixes. Try “I am so sorry. I am here. What do you need today?”

Postpartum depression often feels like hopelessness more than sadness. Sleep loss and medical complications can intensify risk.

Community reduces harm. Modern parenting often lacks the “village” that many cultures build by design.

Resources:

Neha’s practice: https://proseandpsyche.com

Postpartum Support International (find local help, warmline): https://www.postpartum.net

ADHD information and screening overview (inattentive type): https://chadd.org

Endometriosis basics and patient guides: https://www.endofound.org

If you are in crisis, contact your local emergency number or go to the nearest emergency department.

Postpartum Support International helpline (US): 1-800-944-4773 (call or text “HELP”)

If this episode helped you, share it with a friend who might need to hear it. Rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to help others find these conversations. For speaking, collaborations, or sponsor inquiries, contact us through the podcast website.

#infertility #ivfjourney #ivfsupport #endometriosis #postpartumdepression #postpartumsupport #motherhood #womenshealth #mentalhealth #maternalmentalhealth #southasianwomen #culturalexpectations #newmomlife #postpartumjourney #ivfcommunity #endowarrior #adhdawareness #healingjourney #fertilitysupport #womensupportingwomen #griefandloss #hope #strength #resilience #parentingjourney #mommentalhealth #breakingthestigma #motherhoodunplugged #itsokaynottobeokay #thecouragetochangepodcast

Welcome to the first episode of Season 7!

This episode of The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast is brought to you by our sponsor Reconstruction Unlimited. As our sponsor, Reconstruction brings their mission to life by supporting individuals through personalized coaching, case management, and aftercare programs that foster meaningful transformation and sustained well-being. Learn more at www.reconstructionunlimited.com.

Tides of Grief, Waves of Grace: Ashley Jo on Sobriety, Loss, and Building a Life After Trauma

In this powerful episode of The Courage to Change: A Recovery Podcast, host Ashley Loeb Blassingame welcomes back Ashley Jo — former podcast producer, recovery advocate, and now author of the forthcoming memoir Tides of Grief, Waves of Grace. Ashley Jo shares the unfiltered truth about her journey through addiction recovery, grief, and healing after unimaginable loss.

From losing her infant son to a rare genetic disease at just 22, to navigating divorce, adoption, and the challenges of raising five children, Ashley Jo’s life has been anything but ordinary. She opens up about surviving a public paternity scandal, her ex-husband’s struggle with substance use disorder and death from a fentanyl overdose, and how sobriety gave her the tools to lead her family through crisis without turning back to alcohol.

In this candid conversation, Ashley and Ashley explore:

How sobriety prepared Ashley Jo to face back-to-back tragedies without relapsing

Parenting through grief, addiction, and family trauma

The roller-coaster pace of life in recovery and learning to accept your unique wiring (hello, ADHD superpowers)

How writing her memoir became a therapeutic tool for processing decades of unprocessed grief

Why honesty with children about addiction and loss can be a bridge to healing

The concept of “two things can be true” — embracing both joy and sorrow

Ashley Jo’s story is one of resilience, radical honesty, and finding grace in the middle of chaos. If you’re navigating sobriety, parenting challenges, or life after loss, this episode offers hope, hard-earned wisdom, and a reminder that the waves that threaten to drown us can also be the ones we learn to ride.

Order Ashley Jo’s memoir: thisisashleyjo.com

Listen now for an inspiring, real-life example of recovery, redemption, and rebuilding after life’s most brutal storms.

Topics: sobriety journey, grief recovery, fentanyl overdose, addiction recovery, memoir, parenting through grief, ADHD and recovery, healing after loss, substance use disorder, family therapy, resilience, emotional healing, The Courage to Change Podcast

I dropped the ball in Season 6. My guests were great but my cadence was not. Season 7 is coming back stronger than ever — Scott is back, we’ve got a sponsor, and I can’t wait to share what’s next.

Sarah Campos was born in Arizona and raised in Southern California. She graduated from ASU with a BS in Business. A hairdresser by trade, she now runs a full time e-commerce business online that supports clean living and wellness. She is the mother to Jaxon, Alesa and Ford.

When tragedy struck her family in the form of the death of her 8 year old son, it sent her drinking into a destructive spiral. Numbing the pain of the loss she eventually ended up in detox and finally found help in AA and Al Anon. 

She is new to the sober community but in 2 short years her sobriety has been completely life changing even in the worst circumstances. Today she gets to live imperfectly but free from addiction. She honors her son’s memory in the love she gives to his siblings.

Episode Resources

Connect with Sarah Campos

• Instagram |  @campos_mama

Connect with The Courage to Change

Lionrock Resources

TV host and author Marci Hopkins joins Ashley to share her deeply personal journey from childhood trauma and decades of functional drinking to hitting rock bottom—and rising again. In this raw and eye-opening conversation, Marci reveals how perimenopause played a critical but overlooked role in her escalating alcohol use, the hidden struggles behind her success in television, and how she finally found peace through sobriety, healing, and spiritual connection.

Marci opens up about growing up in chaos, experiencing abuse, and turning to alcohol at a young age to cope. She talks candidly about her final DUI, how perimenopause and antidepressants intertwined with her drinking, and why so many women suffer silently through this transitional period. Through it all, she found purpose in storytelling, launching Wake Up with Marci, and writing her book Chaos to Clarity to help others find hope.

If you’ve ever wondered how hormones, trauma, and high-functioning addiction intersect—or how healing is possible no matter how far you've fallen—this is a must-listen episode.

Topics Include:

Resources & Links:

📖 Chaos to Clarity: Seeing the Signs and Breaking the Cycle – Available on Amazon

🌐 WakeUpWithMarci.com

📩 Email Marci: [email protected]

📲 Follow Marci on social @wakeupwithmarci

In this powerful episode, Alreen Haeggquist shares her journey of resilience, from surviving childhood abuse in a deeply patriarchal household to becoming a fierce advocate for justice. After decades of silence, Alreen made the brave decision in 2023 to publicly speak out about her experiences—challenging cultural stigmas, confronting family denial, and ultimately transforming her pain into purpose. Now a successful attorney, she dedicates her career to representing survivors of workplace harassment and abuse.

Topics We Cover:

✅ The long-term impact of childhood abuse and silence

✅ How trauma can resurface later in life—even when you think you’ve moved on

✅ The reality of confronting family denial and cultural pressures

✅ The hidden power dynamics of workplace abuse and how perpetrators defend themselves

✅ Essential legal rights women should know before entering the workplace

✅ Why speaking out is both terrifying and liberating

✅ How to recognize red flags in work environments that enable harassment

🔗 Resources & Contact:

Alreen's website: www.alreen.com

Her book: Fired Up: Fueling Triumph from Trauma – Available wherever books are sold.

"Triggers are like echoes from the past—you have to learn to recognize and control them." - Alreen Haeggquist