Advertise on podcast: Tell Me Something True with Laura McKowen

Rollercoasters are a fun diversion, but they’re no way to live. That’s why the whipsaw experience of being on an emotional rollercoaster is one of the things folks are most happy to see leave their life. Those radical highs and lows aren’t confined to the times when people are using - they often extend well into sobriety. Usually driven by hyper-sensitivity and, to be honest, a lot of self-absorption. And that’s where today’s guest comes in…. As we mark the beginning of Year Two for Tell Me Something True, we’re revisiting a conversation with Veronica Valli on emotional sobriety. We get into how emotional sobriety does, and doesn’t, relate to abstinence from substance or process addictions. What emotional sobriety actually means, why it’s something everyone has to do (not just people in recovery) if they want healthy relationships, because no matter what, “the hardest thing any human being has to do is deal with other people.” In addition to being a dear friend, Veronica is a woman in long-term recovery, a therapist, a sobriety coach, founder of the Soberful program, a co-host of the Soberful podcast, and the author of three books, the most recent of which, Soberful: Uncover a Sustainable, Fulfilling Life Free of Alcohol. Veronica has genuine encouragement to share about the comfort and relief that comes from living an integrated life. As happens every time we talk, after this conversation, we felt more grounded, clear, and hopeful and hope this has the same effect for you, too. Veronica’s site: https://www.veronicavalli.com/ The Soberful podcast: https://soberful.com/ Episode link: Spotify playlist for this episode: Tell Me Something True is a 100% independent podcast. There are no corporations or advertisers backing this community. We are 100% funded by the TMST community. Support TMST today so you can hear the uncut interviews, attend private events with Laura and help keep TMST ad-free: https://tmst.supercast.com/

Brianna Madia’s journey as a vagabond lifestyle influencer was extraordinary. It was her, her van, her dogs and, for a time, her husband. And according to her it was really good. Until it wasn’t. And then, it got really scary. Brianna takes us behind the curtain of the IG influencer life - and then we go 100 levels deeper. While the world was fixed on her very attractive-appearing life, she was living with a slow, gnawing truth that was killing her. When she came clean, the geyser of vitriol was horrific. The extreme shaming she received after admitting that she made some, admittedly, desperate life choices - was topped only by the brutality she inflicted on herself. A brutality that had her considering some irrevocable actions. Brianna is able to talk about some big truths and hard things - and yet it never feels like trauma porn. There’s no voyeuristic charge to her story, so you’re left being able to see where we’ve all made choices we wouldn’t want to repeat - and where we go from there. Brianna’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/briannamadia/ Brianna’s site: https://www.briannamadia.com/ Her book, Nowhere For Very Long: https://www.briannamadia.com/nowhereforverylong Episode link: https://www.tmstpod.com/episodes/52-brianna-madia-on-surviving-the-lie-that-was-killing-her Spotify playlist for this episode: Tell Me Something True is a 100% independent podcast. There are no corporations or advertisers backing this community. We are 100% funded by the TMST community. Support TMST today so you can hear the uncut interviews, attend private events with Laura and help keep TMST ad-free: https://tmst.supercast.com/

An insatiable need for romantic attention and love. Periods of overeating or starving. Using alcohol, food, or over-working to numb out. A pattern of unstable and painful relationships. Does this sound painfully familiar? Kelly McDaniel is a trauma therapist who saw these traits over and over in clients who felt trapped in cycles of harmful behaviors and were unable to stop. In 2008, she coined the term Mother Hunger as a way to describe this pattern and has since helped countless women. In this conversation, Kelly and Laura talk about: – What Mother Hunger is – How Mother Hunger shows up in our relationship to food – The three critical elements of mothering and what happens when those needs aren’t met – What Mother Hunger looks like in other relationships, like friendships and at work – The link between food and unstable relationship patterns – The concept of “frozen grief” – The double-bind women face when it comes to sexual expression – How to begin to heal Episode link: https://www.tmstpod.com/episodes/51-kelly-mcdaniel-on-mother-hunger Show notes: Ready to Heal book Mother Hunger book Kelly’s website: https://kellymcdanieltherapy.com/ Kelly’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellymcdanieltherapy/ Spotify playlist for this episode: Tell Me Something True is a 100% independent podcast. There are no corporations or advertisers backing this community. We are 100% funded by the TMST community. Become a TMST member today so you can hear the uncut interviews, attend private events with Laura and help keep TMST ad-free. ==== TMST is hosted by Laura McKowen, the bestselling author of We Are The Luckiest and founder of The Luckiest Club. Follow the show and Laura on Instagram.

What could be heavier than the secrets we carry? The constant vigilance and concealment can be exhausting. But can you tell the difference between what’s a secret and what’s being kept private? Michael Slepian does and he can back it up with research. Slepian studies the psychology of secrets and, as he’s discovered, the real problem with keeping a secret is not that you have to hide it, but that you have to live with it, and think about it. But here’s the trick - we confuse secrets, lies and privacy all the time! And we hurt ourselves in the process. Slepian helps us figure out where we’re hurting ourselves -and where we can give ourselves a break, drop the guilt and free up some mental space! Episode link: https://www.tmstpod.com/episodes/50-michael-slepian-knowing-difference-between-secrets-lies-privacy Spotify playlist for this episode: Tell Me Something True is a 100% independent podcast. There are no corporations or advertisers backing this community. We are 100% funded by the TMST community. Support TMST today so you can hear the uncut interviews, attend private events with Laura and help keep TMST ad-free: https://tmst.supercast.com/

Every day, every hour, every minute, there’s a request. More time. More attention. More engagement. More space in our brains and our lives. Laura feels the pinch like everyone and she frequently fields questions on how she allocates her time, attention and life passion. In this solo episode, Laura shares how she found inspiration in the way the comic Whitney Cummings thinks about it - ENERGY DOLLARS. We aren’t infinite people (no matter what society and our conditioning tells us.) For all the things that energize us and fill our tank, we also have to come to terms with how much each demand, activity, and engagement asks us to spend our energy dollars. Laura brings her experiences as a mom with an increasingly independent kid, who is facing a new summer rhythm. A creative person who has to feed that glorious beast. And as… a human, who values her sobriety relationships and sense of peace and is making choices every day, every hour, every minute, just like you, to make it work as well as she can. Whitney Cummings on Energy Dollars: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CdvxYFuFbZY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Episode link: https://www.tmstpod.com/episodes/49-laura-mckowen-protecting-your-energy-using-energy-dollars Spotify playlist for this episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6jmNE9jae75RGE48ClC6tb?si=676137eadeac4017 Tell Me Something True is a 100% independent podcast. There are no corporations or advertisers backing this community. We are 100% funded by the TMST community. Support TMST today so you can hear the uncut interviews, attend private events with Laura and help keep TMST ad-free: https://tmst.supercast.com/

Everyone has a day, or week, go sideways. What happens when life hits the blender - and it goes on for years? Shauna Niequist has a lot to offer because she’s lived it. Her latest book, I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet, covers a time in her life when Every. Single. Thing. was, as she says, tossed in the blender. Family. Vocation. Faith. Sense of belonging. And then, also… menopause. Shanua has the rare gift of being able to inspire while never getting saccharine, to be honest without overexposing, to impart wisdom without being preachy. She came ready to talk and even if you feel like you know her through her previous books, Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet, Bread & Wine, Savor, and Present Over Perfect, we promise you - you are going to discover a whole new side to the amazing Shauna Niequist Shauna’s site: https://www.shaunaniequist.com/ Shauna’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/sniequist/ Episode link: https://www.tmstpod.com/episodes/48-shauna-niequist-thriving-after-life-goes-in-the-blender Spotify playlist for this episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6uFlQPrp0NvBiJkmw6DpXl Tell Me Something True is a 100% independent podcast. There are no corporations or advertisers backing this community. We are 100% funded by the TMST community. Support TMST today so you can hear the uncut interviews, attend private events with Laura and help keep TMST ad-free: https://tmst.supercast.com/

Let’s be real. The words “Love Addiction” can trigger a massive eye roll. Jodi White gets it and she’s here to show us that it’s real and a lot more common than we think. Jodi draws on the groundbreaking work of Pia Mellody and builds on it in a way that is comforting, clarifying and hopeful. Jodi is open about the ways SHE’s struggled in this area and we talk about what it’s like to be love anorexic (yes, that’s a thing). We dig into Mother Hunger and some of the other behaviors that prime us for love addiction. Wondering if this is for you? The three primary symptoms of love addiction are: assigning too much time and value to another person, neglecting ourselves while in relationships, and expecting unconditional positive regarding from partners. This is one of those you may need to listen to a few times. There’s a lot in it and it’s packed with goodness from Jodi. Don’t forget…there’s a Spotify playlist that accompanies this episode and if you haven’t become a paid subscriber, we hope you’ll do that. The support of all of you who get something out of these conversations keeps them going. It matters. Jodi’s site: https://www.jodiwhitelpc.com/ Jodi’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/jodiwhite_/ Episode link: https://www.tmstpod.com/episodes/47-jodi-white-love-addiction-mother-hunger-codependency Spotify playlist for this episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3extzRzZ2Xvy5rAq9aZAvt Tell Me Something True is a 100% independent podcast. There are no corporations or advertisers backing this community. We are 100% funded by the TMST community. Support TMST today so you can hear the uncut interviews, attend private events with Laura and help keep TMST ad-free: https://tmst.supercast.com/

When Ana Marie Cox said, “I can’t wring self-worth out of the universe,” we felt that hit like a mountain. Ana spent the better part of two decades as a political columnist and culture critic. She started the political blog Wonkette in 2004, and worked at outlets like The New York Times, Time magazine, GQ, Air America, and The Guardian. After living behind a professional persona for a long time, Ana started to talk about more personal parts of her life publicly, like being bi-polar and struggling with alcohol addiction. She moved away from politics and we talk about why, as well as what getting sober was like for her, but not just from alcohol. We talk about breaking the addiction to productivity, busy-ness, approval, and co-dependency. Ana has some VERY poignant things to share about mother / daughter relationships, forgiveness, and real recovery. As you’ll hear, Ana is willing to get very real and we get an inside view into her Sober Questioning column in The Cut, where she answers readers’ questions about drinking — and not drinking — every other week. Sober Questioning: https://www.thecut.com/tags/sober-questioning/ Ana’s site: https://www.anamariecox.com/ Episode link: https://www.tmstpod.com/episodes/46-ana-marie-cox-trusting-the-process Spotify playlist for this episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6XvGaYQMoLmVZLmsUGOhh2 Tell Me Something True is a 100% independent podcast. There are no corporations or advertisers backing this community. We are 100% funded by the TMST community. Support TMST today so you can hear the uncut interviews, attend private events with Laura and help keep TMST ad-free: https://tmst.supercast.com/

When Laura got the call to host a SXSW panel called “Front Lines of Addiction: Supporting Recovery in America,” we said, “you have our attention.” When they told us the panel included Jason Isbell, Jan Rader and Wes Hurt, we said, “HELL YES!” Everyone brought so much insight, wisdom and inspiration. There were lots of feels and that very dark humor that is soooo goood. We could’ve gone on for twice as long and still barely scratched the surface. Wes Hurt is the founder of Sparkling Yerba Mate CLEAN Cause, a beverage company donating 50% of its net profits to funding sober living scholarships; Jason Isbell is a Grammy Award-Winning singer/songwriter; and Jan Rader, Director of the Mayor’s Council on Public Health & Drug Control Policy for Huntington, WV, who was also named to TIME Magazine’s 2018 Top 100 Most Influential List, star of the Emmy Award winning film Heroin(e), first female fire chief, and lead witness in the Landmark Opioid Trial. Jason’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/jasonisbell/ Jason’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/JasonIsbell Wes’ IG: https://www.instagram.com/wes_hurt/ Jan’ IG: https://www.instagram.com/blazinwv/ Official site for Heroin(e), featuring Jan Rader: https://www.netflix.com/title/80192445 Episode link: https://www.tmstpod.com/episodes/45-tmst-at-sxsw-jason-isbell-jan-rader-wes-hurt Spotify playlist for this episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4jJF9HVEZO5w2GydAgafKy Tell Me Something True is a 100% independent podcast. There are no corporations or advertisers backing this community. We are 100% funded by the TMST community. Support TMST today so you can hear the uncut interviews, attend private events with Laura and help keep TMST ad-free: https://tmst.supercast.com/

Laura mines more gold from the TMST community this week with a MUCH requested topic: Imposter Syndrome. Hands up - who doesn’t face some version of this, and would we want to hang with someone who doesn’t??? In this episode, Laura leaves us with three key ideas to help us deal with Imposter Syndrome and we close the show with a note for people who are looking for more recovery support. Tell Me Something True is a 100% independent podcast. There are no corporations or advertisers backing this community. We are 100% funded by the TMST community. Support TMST today so you can hear the uncut interviews, attend private events with Laura and help keep TMST ad-free: https://tmst.supercast.com/

What do you do when a friend tells you he’s just gone through his worst year? Well, when he’s a brave and bright light in the world, and he’s Mishka Shubaly, you invite him on the podcast! Seriously, Mishka Shubaly is a brilliant writer, a profound soul and the owner of one of the darkest senses of humor EVER. As he says early in our conversation, “I'm here to bring you the inspirational message that there's always a fresh hell available to you.” And…somehow, it’s a laugh line! Alternating between raw, courageous vulnerability and pungent insight, this conversation with Mishka reminds us that getting clean, looking inward, and being committed to the well being of others doesn’t make you exempt from the pain - but it does give you a place to stand when the world goes upside down. Mishka’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/mishkashubaly/ Mishka’s linktree: https://linktr.ee/mishkashubaly Spotify playlist for this episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4r1RHnqkMeTri5FbZVTXwB Episode link: https://www.tmstpod.com/episodes/43-mishka-shubaly-on-getting-through-your-worst-year Tell Me Something True is a 100% independent podcast. There are no corporations or advertisers backing this community. We are 100% funded by the TMST community. Support TMST today so you can hear the uncut interviews, attend private events with Laura and help keep TMST ad-free: https://tmst.supercast.com/

Peter Rollins is back! Our first return guest to TMST, we asked Peter back to talk about how we contend with uncertainty (e.g. life). If you don’t know Peter, he’s an Irish theologian, philosopher, author, and speaker who got an international reputation for turning traditional ideas of religion on their head. As is typical with Peter, the conversation went down many useful tangents. We started by talking about the role of liturgical structures in our lives, what they mean and why we need them (they’ve got nothing to do with religion, by the way) and then wove our way into talking about anxiety, trauma, and so much more. Peter is one of those people who makes us feel hopeful, inspired, and challenged by life at the same time. He’s a joy to talk with and listen to and we’re so happy to have him back on the show. Peter’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/peter_rollins Peter’s website: https://peterrollins.com/ Episode link: https://www.tmstpod.com/episodes/42-peter-rollins-on-grappling-with-uncertainty Spotify playlist for this episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3SmmkLmuNLi0FGSay6Mt5r?si=d2a3a4e44ce44723 Tell Me Something True is a 100% independent podcast. There are no corporations or advertisers backing this community. We are 100% funded by the TMST community. Support TMST today so you can hear the uncut interviews, attend private events with Laura and help keep TMST ad-free: https://tmst.supercast.com/