Recovering From Reality

Katie Willcox is an author, public speaker and CEO of two companies. One of which is her blog, Healthy is the New Skinny and the other is her agency for curve models, Natural Models LA. Katie is coming on the podcast today to talk about the science behind why we are always so focused on our bodies, how corporations take advantage of us in order to sell their products, eating disorders, the body positivity movement and how we can start to navigate this space in a more thought provoking way.

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Produced by Dear Media

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In the last episode I briefly opened up about the struggles that I was facing in my marriage. At the time I wasn't ready to disclose the details about what had transpired or how Evan and I would be moving forward. As always, I feel that it is necessary for me to live authentically and vulnerably, even if it comes with an immense amount of temporary discomfort. I ask that before you listen to this episode you go into it with an open heart and mind. As always, I am sending you all so much love and appreciate your kind messages during this major transition in my life.

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If you or someone you know needs addiction treatment please visit www.ororecovery.com

Follow Alexis (@itsalexishaines), join our Facebook group, and follow @recoveringfromreality on Instagram to stay up to date on all things RFR! You can also enroll in Alexis’ Life Reset Course at liferesetcourse.com to learn the exact, tools to recover from limiting and self- sabotaging beliefs, thoughts, emotions, feelings and behaviors and replace them with new ones that will set you up for the life you deserve and are fully capable of as you integrate the learnings and tools in your life.

Produced by Dear Media

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This episode is a bit different because we are doing a call-in show with my friend Bob Forrest! If you haven’t heard my previous episode with Bob, the co-founder of Alo House Recovery Center, be sure to check that out next.

So, we gave out a number and had you guys phone in with all your questions regarding sobriety, addiction, codependency, recovery, and my supposed debt to Orlando Bloom. It gets real on this episode, so I hope you enjoy! I look forward to more connection with you guys in the future. It is really great to connect and interact beyond Instagram comments and DMs.

Some stand-out questions were:

• Our opinion on needle exchange systems and clean injection sites
• How to recover from being a “weekend warrior”
• Enabling and its destructive outcomes
• Finding mental health care and support in difficult financial circumstances
• Overcoming insecurity and anxiety

And that just scratches the surface. We get deep into each topic, and Bob offered some stellar advice. Many questions were about being a loved one to an addict. My heart truly goes out to those in this situation. I see your pain, and I believe acknowledging your own pain is really important to the healing process. You can’t bring negative energy and shame to your loved one, and you definitely can’t force them to recover. But you can heal yourself first.

We are all on this earth to process something on a spiritual level. Sometimes, addiction and healing are part of this process. Don’t let negative feelings and energy have power over you. Reach out and get help, no matter the scale. Just start with the next indicative action, and take baby steps from there.

Hearing my listeners’ stories is why I do this work. All I do is for the collective. And the message I share is that you can recover, despite the trauma and pain. Trust me, you can do this thing.

If I can make a living amends, pay off my court fees 8 years later, and thank Orlando Bloom for kind of saving my life, then you can recover too! You’ll just have to listen to the episode to understand!

#ANDSOITIS

If you or someone you love needs help, go to alorecovery.com

Resources we discussed in this episode:

• Families United for Recovery
• Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA)
• Brené Brown
• Alo House

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This week, I had a profound conversation with activist Ashlee Marie Preston. Ashlee is a proud black, transgender woman who is constantly advocating for LGBTQ+ youth and those who are struggling. She is now 8 years sober, and has the humility and kindness to share her story of recovery from childhood abuse, meth, prostitution and homelessness with us. Ashlee is now the messenger she has been waiting for her entire life, and I believe she is a messenger for all of us too. Ashlee grew up unsure of her gender identity in the conservative state of Kentucky. She shares her harrowing story of sexual abuse, being institutionalized as a child, and how her drug addiction began. She moved to California at 19, and found herself struggling to fit in. She was fired from her retail job for being trans and became homeless, without a shelter that would accept her and her trans identity.

On the streets, Ashlee resorted to sex work as a means of survival. She turned to substances to numb out and survive. It was finally Ashlee’s understanding of her relationship with God/universe, that brought her to the breaking point. She began recovery, and found her voice in activism through working with nonprofit organizations, and seeing how poorly people like her were being treated.

Everything that Ashlee thought made her broken and unworthy are now symbols of strength and beauty in her life. Without the work she’s done (in spirituality, sobriety, and service), she would not be helping people like she is today.

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What happens when you have depression, but don't respond to drugs? What if the side effects are intolerable? What if they actually make your depression worse?

That was my experience. For the last 6 years I have battled with depression and I have finally won.

In todays episode I am diving into my personal experience with depression and anxiety. I am sharing the steps that I took that made a remarkable difference in my mental health and healed my depression. And also sharing my experience with TMS.

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