EP 77: How to Support an Addict When Trauma Runs Deep_ Shelley’s Indigenous Wisdom.

NEW Announcement: Australian Family Support Listeners Get 30% off every one-to-one support session with Paul King & Wendy Brewer. Finally get the care & help you need to navigate a loved one's addiction. familyhopesupport.com (Australia Only)

How do you support a loved one struggling with addiction when generations of trauma are silently shaping their path?

Many families grappling with a loved one’s substance use face not just addiction, but also the ripple effects of intergenerational trauma. This episode explores how healing can begin when cultural identity, compassion, and individualized support come together—especially within Indigenous communities impacted by deep historical wounds.

• Discover how Shelly Shadow, a Cree recovery coach, reclaimed her cultural roots and used them to transform her healing journey.
• Learn why conventional ideas about enabling may not apply and how intuition can be a vital guide for families.
• Understand the power of culturally rooted practices like smudging and the wisdom of the medicine wheel in supporting recovery.

Listen now to uncover how Shelly’s story offers hope, tools, and a new lens for families supporting a loved one through addiction and trauma.

🌱 Family Hope Support — Special Offer for Podcast Listeners (Australia Only)

Loving someone with a drug or alcohol problem can feel exhausting — the worry, the guilt, the fear, the sleepless nights. It wears you down.

At Family Hope Support, Wendy Brewer and Paul King offer combined one-to-one support sessions grounded in counselling insight and lived experience. Finally get the care & help you need to navigate a loved one's addiction. 🎉: Family Support Listeners Get 30% off every one-to-one support session — use code FAMILYHOPE at checkout.

👉 Claim your discount at familyhopesupport.com and start feeling less alone. You don’t have to do this by yourself

💛 Support the Podcast (Worldwide)

If our podcast has helped you feel a little less alone, you can now support our work through Ko-fi. Your contribution helps us keep creating this show and reach more families who need hope and guidance.

👉 https://ko-fi.com/familyhopesupport

This podcast provides practical guidance and support for families navigating the challenges of substance abuse disorder, offering insights from addiction recovery experts, family therapy, and support groups like Al-Anon and Family Drug Support, with a focus on understanding how to help and support loved ones dealing with addiction, including heroin addiction, through counselling and treatment options.

DISCLAIMER

Every family is different — if you’re supporting someone through addiction, please make decisions that are right for you, ideally in consultation with qualified professionals and appropriate support networks.