Have you ever felt like you're regressing when life is supposed to be moving forward?

In this episode of Diary Detours, I’m sharing a diary entry and poem I wrote after I turned 30. It’s a journey into the emotions of feeling stuck, scared, and regressing—but also an opportunity to heal old wounds. Maybe you’ve felt this way, too.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Reflecting on turning 30 and feeling like I'm regressing emotionally
• Recounting a difficult year with big life changes and suppressed emotions
• Living in a situation that echoes childhood fears of criticism and invisibility
• Understanding how childhood survival instincts still affect me as an adult
• Finding blessings within life’s challenges

RESOURCES:

• Journals to help you day to day

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

• Please leave a review or rating so others can find the show!
• Grab a journal from my shop!
• Want to make a small donation? (Buy me a tea!)

CONNECT WITH THE HOST:

• Let's connect on LinkedIn!
• Let's connect on Instagram!

Ever had your heart race, but not from excitement, love, or adrenaline?

What if it’s more like being in survival mode, constantly on edge, waiting for the next shoe to drop? In this episode of Diary Detours, I read a personal diary entry that captures the raw, physical sensation of fear and hypervigilance. This is for anyone who has ever felt like prey in their own life.

MEMORABLE QUOTES:

• "It’s crazy how I still walk on eggshells around you. How I’m afraid to breathe around you."
• "This is the heartbeat of an animal in the wild…an animal who is scared for their life."
• "I live in survival mode. Not knowing when you’re going to attack."

RESOURCES:

• Journals to help you day to day

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

• Please leave a review or rating so others can find the show!
• Grab a journal from my shop!
• Want to make a small donation? (Buy me a tea!)

CONNECT WITH THE HOST:

• Let's connect on LinkedIn!
• Let's connect on Instagram!

Have you ever wished for an apology that might never come?

In this episode of Apology Avenue, we hear a powerful letter from a father to his daughter, where he confronts his deepest regrets about failing to protect his children. Through his words, we explore the devastating consequences of his silence and cowardice.

(*Remember: In this series, we are reading apology letters we have written to ourselves from the person who has hurt us. This is a journaling practice.)

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• A father’s heartfelt apology to his daughter for allowing abuse in their home.
• The father's admission of fearing failure and judgment, leading to poor decisions.
• How his silence and inaction allowed his wife’s abusive behavior to go unchecked.
• The father’s realization of the long-term impact on his children’s lives.
• His deep guilt over his son’s death and his belief that he is to blame.
• The father's acknowledgment of his hypocrisy as a church elder versus his failures at home.
• His plea for his daughter to not lose faith in Christ despite his own failures.
• The father’s expression of love and sorrow, understanding if his daughter can never forgive him.

RESOURCES:

• Journals to help you day to day
• Apology Avenue journal (letter-writing journal)
• Want to submit your own letter to the show?

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

• Please leave a review or rating so others can find the show!
• Grab a journal from my shop!
• Want to make a small donation? (Buy me a Coffee link)

CONNECT WITH THE HOST:

• Let's connect on LinkedIn!
• Let's connect on Instagram!

Have you ever considered that your career can become part of your identity? What would happen if you decided to leave that career? Would it be like losing a part of yourself? Today's guest, Michelle, explains what it was like when her husband dealt with depression after retiring from the Army. She also describes what it's like to be a military spouse.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Being denied health care by the Veterans Affairs
• What the Transition Assistance Program is REALLY like for retiring servicemembers
• Her husband's first therapy experience - it didn't go well
• Finding out she was pregnant with their second child
• Living like two strangers under the same roof
• Why Michelle decided to put herself into therapy
• How things started to improve for their marriage
• Trauma bonding in the military
• The struggles of being a military spouse
• The importance of personal development
• Michelle's nonprofit and how they help veterans
• The importance of being a part of a supportive community

GUEST INFO:

Veteran Help Point website

Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn

Connect with Michelle on Instagram

MENTIONED RESOURCES:

More stories about VA failures

More info about the Veterans Health Care Freedom Act

Sign the form to pass the Veterans Health Care Freedom Act

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

• Please leave a review or rating so others can find the show!
• Grab a journal from my shop!
• Make a small donation (Buy me a Coffee link)

CONNECT WITH THE HOST:

Let's connect on LinkedIn!

Let's connect on Instagram!

It's easy to criticize those who become addicted to drugs and alcohol when you have never been in a similar situation yourself. However, using these substances is just one of the many different coping strategies we humans use to numb the pain we feel inside. Today's guest, Craig, explains why he started using drugs and alcohol to numb his feelings. He also shares how his addiction became part of his identity, and how it ruined his relationships and almost took his life.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How his parents' divorce affected him
• Witnessing abusive behavior as a kid & mimicking it
• Becoming addicted to drugs at 18 years old
• Aggression, IV drug use, and jail
• How our environment affects the subconscious mind
• Ruining every relationship he ever had
• Hitting rock bottom
• What finally made Craig seek sobriety
• The deep inner work he finally had to do
• Why the healing process is messy
• Implementing practical and simple habit changes
• How he now helps others transform their lives

GUEST INFO:

Connect with Craig on Instagram

Schedule a call with Craig

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

• Please leave a review or rating so others can find the show!
• Grab a journal from my shop!
• Make a small donation (Buy me a Coffee link)

CONNECT WITH THE HOST:

Let's connect on LinkedIn!

Let's connect on Instagram!

When it comes to relationship problems, it is easy to find blame in the other person. Not only do we easily blame our partner, but we often don't make the effort to even understand them in the first place. Today's guest, Matt, explains how his anxiety, drinking dependency, and overall trauma prevented him from being the husband and father his family needed him to be.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Relocating his family every year for a decade
• Dealing with intense social anxiety - even with loved ones
• Drinking everyday since adolescence
• Finding success in his career, but not at home
• Feeling completely lost after a personality collapse
• How his wife felt like she was doing everything alone
• The darkest time in his life
• How he arrived at his big moment of clarity
• How Matt's marriage turned into a beautiful relationship
• The connection between the mind and the heart
• Differences between the male and female brain
• Helping other men become stronger versions of themselves

Connect:

Connect with Matt on Instagram

More about Matt's Coaching

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

• Please leave a review or rating so others can find the show!
• Grab a journal from my shop!
• Make a small donation (Buy me a Coffee link)

CONNECT WITH THE HOST:

Let's connect on LinkedIn!

Let's connect on Instagram!

When we are young, we often trust others very easily because we haven’t had enough life experiences yet to help us develop a discerning mind. We may think that being in a certain environment will be good for us and we may think that certain people have our back. Today’s guest, Jenna, explains that she joined the military for structure, stability, and a safe environment. Unfortunately, this is not what came out of her time in the service.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Joining the military right after high school instead of going to college
• How it's cheaper to buy alcohol on military bases
• Being assaulted by someone she trusted
• Drinking to cope with feelings of shame
• What it was like to see the person who assaulted her years later
• Finding out a friend went through a similar experience
• Being cheated on and contracting an STD
• Retiring from the Navy and starting a family
• Isolation and self-loathing
• Seeking out help for her trauma and helping others with similar issues
• Supporting the veteran community and advocating for mental health awareness

Connect:

Connect with Jenna on IG

Check out Jenna’s podcast

The Veteran Workbook on Amazon

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

• Please leave a review or rating so others can find the show!
• Grab a journal from my shop!
• Make a small donation (Buy me a Coffee link)

CONNECT WITH THE HOST:

Let's connect on LinkedIn!

Let's connect on Instagram!

Many of us hear stories of people who have addictions or dependencies to things like alcohol or smoking and think, “why would someone want to be dependent on things like that?” Well, before we jump to judging them, we should realize that many of us rely on certain things to help us cope with our emotional problems. There are all kinds of coping strategies that people use. Today's guest, Becky, shares her story of what it was like to struggle with an eating disorder and how she was able to finally stop engaging in this type of coping strategy.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Wanting to attain perfection and being the golden child
• How her family discovered her eating disorder
• Using her eating disorder as a way of controlling her weight
• Coping strategies - what they are and examples
• Positive ways to “self-medicate”
• Finding supportive people and ignoring the judgemental people
• Hypnotherapy - benefits and misconceptions
• Showing ourselves compassion
• Feeling a void inside and not knowing why
• Finally finding the root cause to her struggles
• How Becky helps her clients along their healing journey

Connect:

Check out Becky’s Website for more information on the work she does.

Connect with Becky on Instagram

Other resources mentioned:

APA Dictionary - Coping Strategy

Positive Psychology Coping Strategies

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

• Please leave a review or rating so others can find the show!
• Grab a journal from my shop!
• Make a small donation (Buy me a Coffee link)

CONNECT WITH THE HOST:

Let's connect on LinkedIn!

Let's connect on Instagram!