When Your Partner Has A Problem | Dana Killion on Loving & Leaving an Addict

Are you ready to break the silence surrounding addiction and find solace in shared experiences? In this episode, Dana Killion shares her experience of how alcoholism impacted her relationship, the guilt and regret that came with it, and how writing helped her find her voice and heal from the trauma. She speaks about the importance of finding one's voice to help other women struggling with similar issues feel heard and seen. Tune in now for an honest conversation about addiction, healing from trauma through journaling, and finding the courage to speak up!

[00:01 - 08:17] Opening Segment

• Get a copy of Where the Shadows Dance

• Dana shares when she found herself in an emotionally empty state

• She started journaling as a supplement to therapy and realized she had a story to tell

• Writing her memoir was healing and allowed her to help other women find their voice

[08:18 - 16:48] The Reality of Long-Term Chronic Trauma

• How to navigate the complexities of addiction in a relationship

• Deception and lying in relationships can damage both parties

• Compartmentalizing behavior is necessary for the loved ones of addicts

• Ultimatums may not be effective unless the addict wants to change

[16:49 - 25:25] A Scary Wake-Up Call

• How journaling helped Dana find clarity in the midst of trauma

• Journaling became a tool to pour out pain and emotions

• The instinctive process of shredding pages that were too painful to keep

• How Dana saw patterns and connections in the marriage and self through journaling

[25:26 - 34:16] Finding Healing Through Writing a Memoir

• How journaling can be a tool to help release pain and trauma

• Writing a memoir as a way of helping others and ending personal silence

• The importance of stepping into vulnerability despite fear

• Moving forward with publishing the book despite the potential judgment

[34:17 - 45:01] Closing Segment

• Writing is an opportunity to be vulnerable and brave

• Memoir is not about pointing fingers at someone but about healing

• We all have traumas in our lives, but we have the choice to let it break us or build us up

Want to connect with Dana? Follow her on Instagram & Facebook. Head to her website and explore what lies beyond the shadows!

Key Quotes:

"What journaling did and continues to do is it gave me a tool to step myself back and see things more clearly." - Dana Killion

"Silence is so damaging. We have to find ways to talk about what we're going through." - Dana Killion

"Whatever difficult thing you've had in your life, find a way to turn it into something that you grow from rather than something that diminishes you." - Dana Killion

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