Navigating Trust with Darryl StickelNavigating Trust with Darryl Stickel
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Coach Blu Robinson talks with trust expert Darryl Stickel about what trust really is, how it relates to addiction and connection, and why vulnerability is essential for healing relationships. The conversation breaks trust into practical steps for self-trust, parenting, and rebuilding bonds damaged by addiction.
44:31•1 Jul 2025
Trust, Vulnerability and Recovery with Darryl Stickel
Episode Overview
- Trust can be understood as a mix of uncertainty and vulnerability, and you can reduce risk by lowering one or both.
- Connection acts as a counter to addiction, and building deeper relationships makes people more resilient.
- Self-trust starts with being honest about your real limits instead of making promises you know you cannot keep.
- Parents can protect the relationship by setting boundaries around money or behaviour while clearly expressing love and concern.
- Letting others help you does not make you weak; it gives them the gift of being useful and can strengthen mutual trust.
“"Trust is the willingness to make yourself vulnerable when you can't completely predict how someone else is going to behave."”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? This conversation between Coach Blu Robinson and trust expert Darryl Stickel shines a big light on how trust underpins connection, recovery, and resilience. Aimed at people in recovery, their families, and anyone trying to rebuild fractured relationships, the chat breaks trust down into something practical instead of mysterious.
Darryl shares his definition – "Trust is the willingness to make yourself vulnerable when you can't completely predict how someone else is going to behave" – and shows how uncertainty and vulnerability combine to create risk. From there, he explains how small, specific shifts can change everything. You’ll hear Darryl talk about his own hard road: serious concussions, vision loss, career setbacks, and how those experiences pushed him towards understanding why people open up and how deeper relationships are built.
His line "a hard road can be a good teacher" hits especially hard for anyone who's felt broken and is wondering if anything good can come from it. The episode keeps circling back to recovery themes: why connection is the opposite of addiction, why self-trust is so slippery, and how easy it is to lie to ourselves about "never again".
There’s honest talk about parenting, too – from managing kids' risky behaviour without crushing their independence, to helping them learn from "stepping on rakes" instead of rescuing them from every mistake. Darryl gives practical language you can actually use, like asking someone, "What is success for you? How do I help you get there?" so your support lands as having their back rather than control.
If you're rebuilding trust after addiction, trying to earn back faith from loved ones, or simply feel scared to let anyone close again, this episode offers clear, useable ideas with just enough humour to keep things from feeling heavy. Who in your life needs you to risk being a little vulnerable so trust has a chance to grow again?
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