Send us Fan Mail

Quitting the substance is only the first wave. The true reckoning begins when the silence sets in, forcing you to face the quiet lie you’ve carried for years—that you don't matter, that you're impossible to love, and that staying numb is the only way to survive.

In this deeply vulnerable episode, we sit down with Paul Drayton, author of Ride or Die Trying: A Life Before, During, and After the Laughter. Paul opens up about the crushing weight of living as "the invisible one" in rooms dripping with fame and attention, the desperate attempts to drown out undiagnosed ADHD with alcohol, and the profound, agonizing loss of self that happens when you disappear into someone else’s shadow. He walks us through the painful shift from carrying decades of toxic shame to finally finding grace through a late-in-life diagnosis.

We bridge Paul’s journey with the unspoken grief so many women veterans carry: the quiet agony of losing your identity, being rendered invisible, and suffering in silence because asking for help feels like an invitation to break.

This isn't just a story about hitting rock bottom; it’s about the terrifying, beautiful work of pulling yourself out. It’s an honest, raw look at public judgment, the quiet daily effort of sobriety, and the gentle resilience it takes to rebuild a life from the ashes.

If you have ever felt completely unseen, if you are exhausted from just trying to survive, or if you're terrified that it’s too late to start over—this episode was made for you.

Listen through to the end. Subscribe, send this to a friend who is fighting a quiet battle, and leave a review sharing the moment that cracked your heart open.

You can find Paul's book on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Ride-Die-Trying-Before-Laughter/dp/B0HDR233Q9/

Support the show

Help Moral Injury Support Network for Servicewomen, Inc. provide the support it needs to women veterans by donating to our cause at: https://misns.org/donation or send a check or money order to Moral Injury Support Network, 136 Sunset Drive, Robbins, NC 27325. Every amount helps and we are so grateful for your loving support. Thanks!

Follow us on your favorite social channels: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moral-injury-support-network-for-servicewomen/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dr.danielroberts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misnsconsult/