Stage 6 of 7 Loving someone in addictionStage 6 of 7 Loving someone in addiction
The Recovery Pastor Podcast
Shannon outlines Stage 6 of loving someone in addiction, focusing on stepping off the "crazy train" through self-care, wound healing, and long-term recovery. He explains why family members and friends need their own support, stressing that there is no shame in seeking help and ongoing care.
20:30•12 Jun 2026
Getting Off the Crazy Train: Self-Care in Loving Someone in Addiction
Episode Overview
- Loving someone in addiction often leads to a personal breaking point where self-care and stepping off the "crazy train" become essential.
- Unaddressed wounds such as abuse, abandonment, and depression grow over time and can lead to hurting oneself and others.
- There is no shame in seeking help through recovery meetings, professional or pastoral counselling, and other support.
- Recovery is long-term care, not a one-time fix, and relapse starts with changing behaviours and attitudes long before substance use returns.
- It's acceptable to change groups or sponsors and even have different sponsors for different wounds, as long as recovery remains active.
“"There is absolutely 100% no shame in seeking help."”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This instalment of *The Recovery Pastor Podcast* turns the spotlight onto those loving someone in addiction, especially at the point where they finally say, "I'm getting off this crazy train." Shannon, the recovery pastor, walks through Stage 6 of his seven-part series on loving someone in addiction, focusing on self-care and personal recovery for family and friends.
He reminds the "forever family" that these stages came straight from real-life responses to a Facebook post, not from clinical studies. That honesty gives the whole conversation a raw, relatable feel. A big question gets tackled head-on: why should someone who isn't the one using substances need recovery themselves?
One person even asks, "Why should I sit through meetings so they can just blame me for everything that's ever gone wrong in their life?" From there, Shannon breaks things into three parts: the wound, the wound treatment, and long-term care.
You'll hear him list the many forms a wound can take – abuse, abandonment, depression, domestic violence, low self-esteem, and more – and explain how, if it's ignored, "hurting people hurt people." He uses powerful examples of domestic violence, including cases where men are the victims, to show how unhealed pain gets repackaged and passed on.
Shannon makes it crystal clear: "There is absolutely 100% no shame in seeking help." He talks about meetings, counselling, sponsors (even having different sponsors for different wounds), and why recovery is a lifestyle, not a one-off event. Relapse, he says, starts long before any substance is picked up again. For anyone exhausted from loving someone in addiction and ready to step off that crazy train, this episode offers language, validation, and a gentle push towards healing.
Are you ready to believe that you deserve healthy, happy tomorrows too?
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