In Episode 34 of Too Light Too Dark, I sit down with Dr. Sarah Michaud for a powerful conversation about co-dependency, addiction, recovery, and the impact these patterns have on our relationships.

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in addiction and codependency recovery, Dr. Sarah shares both professional insights and personal lessons from her own journey. We explore why co-dependent behaviours develop, how they can keep us trapped in unhealthy relationships, the connection between addiction and emotional dependency, and what genuine recovery looks like. Together, we discuss boundaries, self-awareness, responsibility, healing, and the path toward healthier, more authentic connections.

Whether you're navigating recovery yourself, supporting a loved one, or simply trying to understand relationship dynamics more deeply, this episode offers practical wisdom and hope for lasting change.

Dr. Sarah Michaud is a clinical psychologist, author, and recovery advocate who has worked in the field of addiction and codependency for over three decades. She is the author of Co-Crazy: One Psychologist's Recovery from Codependency and Addiction and co-hosts the Leaving CrazyTown podcast and YouTube channel, where she explores recovery, relationships, emotional health, and personal growth.

Learn more about Dr. Sarah Michaud:

🌐 Website: Dr Sarah Michaud Official Website

🎥 YouTube: Leaving CrazyTown YouTube Channel

📖 Book: Co-Crazy: One Psychologist's Recovery from Codependency and Addiction

🎙️ Too Light Too Dark explores the stories, struggles, and breakthroughs that shape our lives. If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, rate, and share the episode with someone who might benefit from it.

Retired FBI Agent Eric Robinson joins Too Light Too Dark for a gripping deep dive into the investigations, psychological pressure, and real-life cases that stayed with him long after the files were closed. In Episode 33, we explore the human side of criminal investigations, the pursuit of truth, and the emotional weight carried by those who work in the darkest corners of society.

From haunting memories to hard-earned lessons inside the FBI, this episode uncovers the realities behind true crime, human behavior, and the search for justice.

Feel disconnected from your body? Trauma might be the reason.

Sam Mishra breaks down how trauma shapes body perception and explains how to heal through nervous system regulation, dissociation awareness, and rebuilding self-awareness from the inside out.

In this episode:

• How trauma shapes body perception beyond appearance
• Dissociation as a survival response from childhood into adulthood
• The link between attachment styles and adult relationships
• Why nervous system regulation is key to trauma recovery
• The limits of talk therapy without somatic work
• Rethinking addiction through a trauma-informed lens
• Unlearning conditioned behaviors and rebuilding self-awareness
• The role of lived experience and storytelling in healing

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction: trauma & body perception
02:19 – Trauma’s role in shaping identity
03:09 – Nervous system and stress responses
05:26 – Social conditioning and loss of self
07:00 – Coping mechanisms: dissociation & self-harm
09:17 – Why therapy alone isn’t always enough
12:18 – Fragmentation and protection responses
15:56 – Attachment styles and relationships
20:45 – Emotional regulation challenges
23:41 – Communication, trust, and trauma
27:09 – Lifelong healing and self-work
32:35 – Accountability and self-compassion
38:20 – From victim to survivor mindset
44:05 – The myth of quick fixes
52:15 – Trauma in the body and physical tension
58:45 – Vulnerability and emotional disconnection
63:58 – Self-awareness and relationship patterns
69:20 – A message for those healing

Resources:

• Conscious Loving – Gay & Kathlyn Hendricks
• When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress - Gabor Mate

Takeaway:

Healing from trauma is not a quick fix—it’s a lifelong process of understanding your nervous system, unlearning survival patterns, and reconnecting with your body. A holistic approach that combines mind and body work is essential. Your story matters, and healing is possible.

You can find Sam's work and services in the links below

https://www.themedicalmassagelady.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/stories/themedicalmassagelady/

In this special bonus episode of Too Light Too Dark, we sit down with the unorthodox recovery coach Tony Crowe to explore his unconventional approach to healing, discipline, and personal transformation. Tony shares raw insights from his coaching journey, challenging traditional recovery methods and offering a fresh perspective on mindset, resilience, and rebuilding from adversity.

Check out Tony on socials and his own podcast

https://www.instagram.com/crowetony22/

https://www.tiktok.com/@unorthodox.recove

https://www.youtube.com/@tonycrowe7875

https://open.spotify.com/show/4ggN37cfC1g2wdGHgCKpKC

https://www.theturnaroundproject.org/

Tony Crowe, recovery coach, unorthodox recovery, addiction recovery, mental health recovery, Too Light Too Dark podcast, recovery journey, mindset coaching, relapse prevention, trauma recovery, Northern Ireland recovery, The Turnaround Project, personal development podcast, coaching mindset

#Recovery #MentalHealth #Podcast #TonyCrowe #AddictionRecovery #PersonalDevelopment

In this deeply personal episode of Too Light Too Dark, certified coach Jennifer Chase shares her lived experience as a person in long-term recovery, the child of an alcoholic, and a mother impacted by her son’s addiction. Her story spans addiction, abuse, generational trauma, and ultimately healing.

This is not a surface-level conversation about recovery. It’s an honest look at how addiction affects entire families, how shame and codependency keep cycles alive, and what it actually takes to begin breaking free.

Jennifer opens up about her journey through substance abuse and recovery, surviving childhood trauma and abuse, and how those experiences shaped her mission today: helping individuals and families navigate addiction with clarity, boundaries, and compassion.

In this episode, we explore:

• Addiction as a family system, not just an individual struggle
• Growing up in addiction and the long-term impact of childhood trauma
• The role of shame, denial, and codependency in keeping cycles alive
• What “supporting” a loved one with addiction actually looks like
• Why boundaries are essential in recovery—for both families and individuals
• How Jennifer now helps families move from crisis to healing

Jennifer’s work through Rise Addiction Life Coaching focuses on guiding families impacted by addiction toward understanding, resilience, and recovery support: https://www.riseaddictionlc.com

If you are struggling with addiction, supporting someone who is, or trying to make sense of family trauma, this conversation offers real-world insight and hope not theory.

Recovery is not just about stopping a behavior. It’s about rebuilding a life, and in many cases, rebuilding a family system.

Listen now and start breaking the cycle.

For socials

https://www.tiktok.com/@jenchase

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-chase-704b28243/

This conversation explores how harm reduction frameworks like the Mersey Model challenge traditional approaches to addiction, mental health, and care systems.

In this episode of Too Light Too Dark, Dr Simon Bratt explores harm reduction and The Mersey Model, challenging traditional drug policy and asking why systems built on punishment continue to fail vulnerable people.

If we’re honest, the way we’ve approached drugs for decades hasn’t worked. People are still dying, systems are still failing, and stigma is still driving harm underground.
The Mersey Model tried something different—something grounded in care, not punishment.

Today, we’re breaking down what actually works.

• Academic Profile (Liverpool Hope University): https://profiles.hope.ac.uk/bratts1
• Research Publications: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Simon-Bratt-2
• Professional Profile (LinkedIn): https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simonbrattphd

Dr Simon Bratt is a Senior Lecturer at Liverpool Hope University, Visiting Research Fellow at Staffordshire University, author with Palgrave Macmillan, and founder of Layered Care Consultancy. His work focuses on mental health, substance use, harm reduction, and rethinking systems of care.

• Website: https://www.toolighttoodark.com
• YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL-wGWNul8iEfBvXmdlrB3g
• Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL-wGWNul8iEfBvXmdlrB3g?sub_confirmation=1

In this episode of Too Light Too Dark, we sit down with author J.F. Monroe to dive deep into the world of the Legacy of 4 trilogy. From the origins of the story to the challenges of writing a multi-book fantasy series, this conversation explores what it really takes to bring an epic vision to life.

J.F. Monroe shares insights into worldbuilding, character development, and the realities of being an author in today’s publishing landscape. Whether you're a fan of fantasy, an aspiring writer, or just love hearing the stories behind the stories, this episode delivers.

In this episode:

• The inspiration behind the Legacy of 4 trilogy
• How J.F. Monroe approaches worldbuilding
• Writing and structuring a multi-book series
• Lessons learned from the publishing journey
• Advice for aspiring authors

🎧 Listen to Too Light Too Dark on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, You Tube here > https://www.toolighttoodark.com/

👍 If you enjoy the episode, make sure to like, subscribe, and share to support the podcast.

Keywords: J.F. Monroe interview, Legacy of 4 trilogy, fantasy author interview, writing a fantasy series, author podcast, Too Light Too Dark podcast, indie author journey, worldbuilding, writing tips

Check out J.F. Monroe’s work:

• Legacy of 4 Trilogy: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/15956928.J_F_Monroe
• Author Website: https://www.jfmonroebookshelf.com/
• Talk: https://www.jfmonroebookshelf.com/contact
• Follow J.F. Monroe: https://www.tiktok.com/@jf.monroe

With Executive Coach and Organisational Consultant, Ben Neal - returning to the show for the first time since Episode 8.

The conversation delves into the functionality of envy, its roots in the Biblical Corpus through Shakespeare, contemporary cinema and even toe dipping into the recent Manospehere documentary - looking at dependency, comparison culture, the destructive nature of unacknowledged envy, defences against envy, and the self-eating nature of envy. It also explores the Jungian perspective on envy and interpreting envy without taking it personally.

The takeaways emphasize the role of envy as a signal and gratitude as an antidote.

Takeaways

• Envy is a destructive expression of aggression
• Envy can be subtle and often goes unrecognized
• Envy can lead to unhealthy competition and narcissistic leadership Envy as a Signal
• Gratitude as an Antidote

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Envy in the Workplace
• 09:24 Personal Reflection on Envy
• 16:05 Differentiating Envy and Jealousy
• 25:46 Contemporary Examples of Envy
• 32:12 The Functionality of Envy
• 41:30 Comparison Culture and Envy
• 49:43 Envy as a Self-Eating Black Hole

Further reading and research suggestions

Othello, Cain and Abel, Mark Stein, There Will Be Blood, Melanie Klein on Envy and Gratitude, Meta Bhavna Meditation.

https://www.toolighttoodark.com