Forgiveness, Trust, and Moving Forward (Episode 1 - Archive)Forgiveness, Trust, and Moving Forward (Episode 1 - Archive)
Relational Recovery
Wes Thompson and Austin Hill talk about how ageing, betrayal and personal failure shape forgiveness and trust. They connect these themes to addiction, comfort-seeking and the emotional cost of staying guarded in relationships.
6:31•27 May 2026
Forgiveness, Trust and the Cost of Staying Guarded
Episode Overview
- Growing older and experiencing pain can lead to increased caution and a tendency to withdraw from relationships.
- Forgiveness is described as powerful but very hard, especially after betrayal and disappointment.
- Past wounds and broken trust can strongly influence relational health and how people relate to others.
- Unforgiveness and mistrust may shape what people turn to for comfort, including drugs and alcohol.
- Holding back from relational risks can feel safe in the short term but may come at a significant emotional cost.
“"As I become less naive... it's easier to be overly protective and to not put yourself out there."”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation from Relational Recovery sits right in that tension between wanting to stay safe and needing to stay open. Host Wes Thompson chats with co-host Austin Hill about what happens to forgiveness and trust as people grow older and collect scars.
Wes talks honestly about becoming "less naive" with age, remembering a time when he was "much more trusting of people" and full of energy to invest in lots of relationships. As life brings betrayal, disappointment and personal failure, that wide-open trust can shrink into self-protection and suspicion. Wes reflects on his own story, sharing that while he’s "never been in a situation...
where I've intentionally tried to cause someone harm", he knows he has still hurt others in anger and "really messed up". He puts that alongside the hurt of being betrayed himself, and wrestles with how forgiveness can feel both "powerful" and incredibly hard. Coming from a context that blends Christian spirituality and psychology, the conversation looks at how unforgiveness, wounded trust and isolation can shape relational health and connect with addictive patterns, including drugs and alcohol.
Wes suggests that what people run to for comfort is tied up with old hurts, fear of being hurt again and the struggle to stay vulnerable. The tone is relaxed and unpolished, with Wes admitting "none of this is prepped" and simply sharing what’s been on his mind.
If you’re wrestling with forgiveness, feeling jaded about trust, or wondering how these issues might affect your sobriety, this chat offers a calm space to recognise your own story and think about what moving forward could look like. It leaves a gentle question hanging in the air: where might holding back from forgiveness or trust be costing you more than you realise?
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