In this episode of Validate Me, Peter Rosenberg sits down with Jennifer Acker for an honest conversation about sex addiction, sexual compulsivity, validation addiction, and the trauma that betrayal can leave behind.

Jennifer Acker breaks down why these behaviors often go much deeper than sex, how the need to feel seen and validated can develop early in life, and the role social media and modern technology can play in feeding that cycle.

They also get into the other side of addiction: what happens to the person who has been betrayed. From the shock of discovery and the need to know everything, to disclosure, rebuilding trust, and deciding whether a relationship can actually survive infidelity.

Plus, Jennifer Acker explains arousal templates, how unhealthy patterns become wired into the brain, and what it can look like to begin changing them.

A different kind of Validate Me conversation, this time with an expert helping us understand what may actually be happening underneath the behavior.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:19 Meet Jennifer Acker

04:58 What Does “Sex Addiction” Actually Mean?

06:27 Understanding Validation Addiction

08:08 Where Does the Need for Validation Begin?

13:42 Social Media & Modern Validation

17:31 When Does the Behavior Become a Problem?

22:48 Understanding Betrayal Trauma

24:24 Do You Have to Want to Change?

25:32 “Tell Me Everything” — What Happens After Betrayal

27:53 The Disclosure Process

29:33 Lie Detector Tests & Disclosure

31:08 Can a Relationship Survive Betrayal?

32:10 Can You Ever Fully Trust Again?

37:17 How Long Are You “In the Doghouse”?

39:08 What Is an Arousal Template?

41:37 When Sexual Patterns Become Unhealthy

43:14 Can Arousal Patterns Be Rewired?

46:42 Building Healthy Intimacy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recovery isn't just about getting sober. It's about confronting the stories you've been telling yourself, breaking generational cycles, and learning how to be honest with who you are.

In this episode of Validate Me, Peter Rosenberg sits down with General Steele to talk about addiction, trauma, family, faith, recovery, writing his memoir, and the lifelong work of healing. Together, they explore how pain gets passed down, what it takes to break the cycle, and what trauma leaves behind long after the wounds are invisible.

If you enjoy the conversation, leave a comment and subscribe. If you have a question, story, or topic you'd like us to discuss on a future episode, email us at [email protected].

Chapters

0:00 Intro

1:18 Steele’s Early Life

5:02 Growing Up Around Trauma

9:45 The First Drink

14:30 Addiction Takes Hold

19:12 Faith, Recovery & Redemption

24:38 Writing His Memoir

29:45 Breaking Generational Cycles

34:10 Living With Accountability

38:15 The Work Never Ends

42:30 Final Thoughts

[email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part 2 of Peter Rosenberg's conversation with Rory, the discussion shifts from personal validation to what happens when millions of people have an opinion about you. Together, they unpack internet outrage, parasocial relationships, public criticism, platforming controversial voices, Joe Rogan, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and why validation is something no amount of success can permanently satisfy.

If you haven't watched Part 1 yet, start there first for the beginning of the conversation.

Enjoying Validate Me? Subscribe, leave a comment, and join the conversation. If you have a question, story, or topic you'd like us to discuss on a future episode, email us at [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Validate Me Ep. 7:

Rory of Rory & Mal on Fame, Validation & Living in Public (Part 1)

In Part 1 of this conversation, Peter Rosenberg sits down with Rory for an honest discussion about validation, public criticism, podcasting, fame, race, ego, and what it means to build a career while thousands of people have an opinion about your life.

From the pressures of internet culture to learning how to separate your identity from public perception, Rory opens up about the moments that challenged him most, and what he's learned from them. Together, he and Peter unpack why validation can show up in unexpected ways, especially when your life is lived in public.

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation.

Part 2 drops next Thursday.

Send your stories, questions, and experiences with validation addiction to [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Validate Me, Peter Rosenberg sits down with Big E for one of the most open and powerful conversations we've had on the show.

Big E reflects on his lifelong battle with depression, the pressure many men feel to stay silent, and the years he spent believing that asking for help was a sign of weakness. Together, he and Peter explore how shame, identity, family, faith, and vulnerability shape the way men learn to deal with pain, and what can happen when we finally decide to talk about it.

More than a conversation about mental health, this episode is a reminder that opening up doesn't make you weak. Sometimes it's the strongest thing you can do.

Send your stories, questions, and experiences with validation addiction to [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Rosenberg sits down with Dave Manheim, host of the Dopey Podcast, for an honest conversation about addiction, recovery, validation, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

Dave opens up about his own journey, the realities of recovery, and the role that accountability, self-worth, and connection play in living a healthier life. Together, he and Peter explore how validation can show up in unexpected ways and why learning to separate our identity from the approval of others is often one of the hardest parts of personal growth.

At its core, this episode is about honesty, empathy, and the ongoing work of understanding ourselves a little better.

Send your stories, questions, and experiences with validation addiction to [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Episode 4 of Validate Me, Peter Rosenberg kicks things off by reading an email from a listener and answering personal questions submitted by the audience about his own relationship with validation.

Along the way, Peter reflects on his upbringing, his parents, and some of the experiences that helped shape the person he became. The episode also includes a meaningful moment of giving validation to someone, something that sits at the heart of what this show is all about.

As Validate Me continues to grow, so does the role of the audience. This episode is a reminder that the conversation works best when we learn from each other's stories.

Send your stories, questions, and experiences with validation addiction to [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first time, Validate Me turns its attention directly to the audience.

In this episode, Peter Rosenberg reads an email from a listener sharing their personal experience with validation addiction. Later, another listener joins the conversation to tell her story, opening up about the challenges, insecurities, and patterns that have shaped her life.

What follows is an honest conversation about the ways validation can influence our relationships, decisions, self-worth, and sense of identity.

At its best, Validate Me is about creating space for these conversations. This episode is a reminder that none of us are as alone in our struggles as we think.

Send your stories, questions, and experiences with validation addiction to [email protected].

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a deeply personal first episode, Validate Me welcomes its first guest.

Peter Gunz joins Peter Rosenberg for an honest, unfiltered conversation about relationships, fatherhood, mistakes, growth, and the search for validation. Along the way, Gunz shares untold stories, reflects on some of the most public moments of his life, and opens up in ways listeners may not expect.

At its core, this is a heart-to-heart between two men trying to better understand themselves and the choices they've made.

Send your stories, questions, and experiences with validation addiction to mailto: [email protected] .

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.