Recovering Out Loud with Laurie DhueRecovering Out Loud with Laurie Dhue
Recovery Recharged with Ellen Stewart Pushy Broad from the Bronx
Veteran CNN, MSNBC, and FOX News...
55:21•26 Apr 2023
Laurie Dhue’s Sweet 16: From Double Life to Recovering Out Loud
Episode Overview
- Substance misuse can begin at any age, and the “functioning alcoholic” label often hides serious risk and harm.
- Keeping secrets and leading a double life in addiction creates intense shame and exhaustion.
- Publicly sharing a recovery story, even when it feels forced, can open doors to advocacy and connection with others who are struggling.
- Effective parent–child talks about drugs and alcohol start early, are planned, and focus on open-ended questions rather than blame.
- Community support, whether through 12-step groups or dedicated education platforms, is vital because no one needs to face addiction alone.
“You are not alone. You don’t have to do it alone. You shouldn’t do it alone. And now you don’t have to.”
Get ready to be moved by real-life accounts of addiction and recovery as veteran news anchor Laurie Dhue sits down with host Ellen Stewart to talk about what she calls her “sweet 16” years sober. You’ll hear how a former CNN, MSNBC and FOX News star went from binging through college and a “work hard, play hard” media career to facing the reality of being a so‑called functioning alcoholic.
Laurie shares vivid moments from her past, including turning up to meet President George W. Bush after vodka and cocaine, and laughing to herself as she cleaned up vomit on her bedroom carpet before heading on air. She describes the exhausting double life of looking polished on television while secretly struggling, and how that shame eventually pushed her towards change.
A pivotal scene comes at a private faith dinner before a national prayer breakfast, where Laurie spoke about the role of faith in her recovery, believing it was off the record. A gossip reporter leaked the story, and she thought her life was over—until major shows called, and she decided to speak openly about alcoholism on national television.
That media whirlwind became the start of her advocacy, putting a different face on addiction and showing that people in recovery “are everywhere.” The conversation then shifts to her work with REAL (Recovery Education and Applied Learning), created by a team of experts to support parents dealing with a child’s substance use.
The platform offers doctor-led video lessons, short workbooks, quizzes, and an Anonymous community, all aimed at helping parents start calmer, more effective conversations with their children and avoid shaming or blaming. Throughout, Laurie stresses the power of community and 12‑step support, repeating that “you are not alone” and that recovery is a one‑day‑at‑a‑time journey.
If you’re juggling your own sobriety or worried about a child, could this honest story be the push you need to reach out and talk about it?
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