New Book Alert! The Ultimate Comeback by Paige HuskeyNew Book Alert! The Ultimate Comeback by Paige Huskey
The Broke Girl Society
Christina talks with author Paige Huskey about her memoir *The Ultimate Comeback*, sharing Paige’s journey through gambling addiction, recovery and writing. Their conversation touches on military life, stigma, the emotional cost of reliving harm and the slow, hard-won return of real joy.
54:39•19 Oct 2026
The Ultimate Comeback: Paige Huskey on Gambling, Shame and Finding Joy Again
Episode Overview
- Gambling can start as harmless-seeming social fun, especially in isolating situations like military life, and gradually slide into addiction.
- There are very few memoirs by women about gambling addiction, and Paige wrote her book to help families, friends and professionals finally “get it.”
- Writing about addiction can trigger dark memories and even nightmares, so building in rest, support and structure is vital.
- Joy and genuine laughter may take a long time to return after stopping gambling, but others’ stories show that this flat, grey phase is common and temporary.
- If one therapist, group or programme isn’t a good fit, Paige urges people to keep searching, fight for their recovery and remember they are worth the effort.
“It feels like a dark, twisting, large greased tunnel slide and nowhere else to go, but down.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation brings that question to life through the story behind Paige Huskey’s memoir, *The Ultimate Comeback*. Across the episode, you’ll hear Paige talk candidly about how gambling crept into her life as a military spouse, starting with low‑stakes Texas hold’em nights on base that felt more like a lifeline than a risk.
What began as “a very social activity” slowly shifted into something far darker, echoed in one of her most striking lines: “It feels like a dark, twisting, large greased tunnel slide and nowhere else to go, but down.” The chat is warm, emotional and often tearful, with Paige openly thanking host Christina and saying how few women she saw speaking up about gambling harm.
Their discussion is aimed squarely at women dealing with gambling addiction, their families, and professionals in the problem gambling field who want to better understand what’s really going on beneath the surface. A big chunk of the episode walks through Paige’s writing process: three different manuscripts, a book coach with almost no gambling background asking, “Nobody’s going to understand what you mean here,” and the choice to publish under her real name rather than a pen name.
You’ll hear how revisiting old scenes triggered nightmares and dark days, and how she had to build in weekly breaks just to pull herself back to the present. They also talk about stigma, clueless reactions from others (“It’s just for fun”), and the lack of early education about gambling harm compared with alcohol or cigarettes.
Paige shares how long it took—nearly two years—before joy felt real again, and why peer support, groups like Gamblers Anonymous, and sheer stubborn “fight” mattered so much. By the end, the message is clear: you’re not dramatic, you’re not alone, and as Paige puts it, “You will find joy and peace on the other side… just take one step at a time.” So what step could you take today, however small, towards your own comeback?
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