Addiction in the Family with Best Selling Author Dr Louise Stanger.

Addiction in the Family with Best Selling Author Dr Louise Stanger.

How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober when addiction runs through the family? This conversation between Ellen Stewart and bestselling author and interventionist Dr Louise Stanger looks squarely at that question, with a strong focus on what families can actually do. You’ll hear Dr Stanger share how her own childhood on a "fault line of trauma" shaped her work: a father who died by suicide, a mother with a substance use disorder, and repeated sudden losses.

That lived experience sits behind her book *Addiction in the Family: Helping Families Navigate Challenges, Emotions and Recovery* and her decades as a licensed clinical social worker. The episode breaks down common myths in plain language.

The idea that addiction is just a lack of willpower gets firmly challenged as Dr Stanger states, "Addiction, as we know it, is a brain disease." She and Ellen talk about separating the person from the disease, why waiting for "rock bottom" is so risky, and how an intervention can be framed as a "positive crisis"—an invitation to change rather than punishment. Families are front and centre here.

Dr Stanger explains how every member plays a role in the household dynamic, why "nothing changes till something changes", and how adjusting parental behaviour and boundaries can shift the whole system.

There’s practical language for parents who are stuck in cycles of nagging, rescuing or over-functioning, along with the simple mantra: "I love you and I care about you, and I’m only going to support you in health and wellness." Ellen and Dr Stanger also talk about self-care, gratitude lists, and random acts of kindness as ways families can look after their own wellbeing while supporting a loved one.

If you’re dealing with addiction in your family or supporting someone who is, this episode offers grounded examples, gentle humour, and plenty of "you’re not alone" moments—what might be the first small change you’re ready to make today?