Why Addiction and Unhealthy Relationships Often Go Together

Carrie and Michelle talk openly about how addiction, trauma, and unhealthy relationships often go hand in hand. They share lived experiences with abusive relationships, codependency, and emotional manipulation — and how recovery became the foundation for learning self-love, boundaries, and healthy connections. From leaving toxic partners to rebuilding trust in themselves, this episode explores what healing relationships actually look like in sobriety, why community matters, and how spaces like The Phoenix helped them rediscover who they are beyond addiction. 00:00 – Introductions & Recovery Backgrounds 01:00 – Why Unhealthy Relationships Are Common in Addiction 02:00 – Addiction, Insecurity, and Chasing Validation 03:15 – Substances Amplifying Relationship Chaos 04:16 – Knowing a Relationship Is Unhealthy but Staying 05:24 – Trauma Bonds and Why It’s Hard to Leave 06:20 – Self-Love, Boundaries, and Codependency 08:09 – Escalation, Gaslighting, and Emotional Abuse 08:40 – How Each Person Finally Got Out 10:19 – What Self-Love Looks Like in Recovery 11:43 – Healthy Friendships vs. Old “Using” Relationships 13:47 – Finding Support and Community in Recovery 15:00 – Hitting Bottom and Choosing Something Different 16:08 – Therapy, Boundaries, and Learning Red Flags 18:25 – Seeing People for Their Actions, Not Words 20:41 – Choosing Peace and the Cost of Chronic Stress 22:04 – Building Healthy Relationships in Recovery 23:25 – Confidence, Community, and Personal Growth 26:16 – Healing, Self-Respect, and Facing the Past 29:22 – What The Phoenix Is and Why It Matters 31:18 – Recovery Events, Connection, and Belonging 36:16 – Recovery Is About Discovering Who You Are 39:38 – Advice for Someone in Their First 24 Hours ----Across the Web---- 🌎 CCAR Website https://www.ccar.us ✉️ Donate: https://ccar.us/donate/ 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Apple Music): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 🎙Recovery Matters Podcast (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/show/1wGUMMO... 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recoverymatterspodcast? 🗣Recovery Matters Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recoverymatterspodcast/ 🗣CCAR Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCAR4Recovery 📸CCAR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccar4recovery 🐦CCAR Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccar4recovery