

Adult Child
Andrea Ashley
Adult Child dives deep into the lasting effects of growing up in dysfunctional families—unpacking complex and relational trauma, codependency, toxic shame, and addiction patterns with raw vulnerability and unapologetic authenticity.Hosted by Andrea Ashley, a recovering shitshow with 17 years sober, each episode shares unfiltered insights, expert conversations, and practical tools to heal your nervous system and break free from the cycles that hold you back.Whether you’re an adult child of alcoholics or from a dysfunctional family, navigating toxic relationships, or healing your inner child, this is your no-BS space for healing. New episodes every Wednesday & Saturday.And damn the join The Shitshow Healing Community for live support groups and connection with fellow cycle breakers.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 19, 2025 • 49min
SHITSHOW SATURDAY #162 - Deb Y.
⬇️DAMN THE JOIN SHITSHOW - ADULT CHILD HEALING COMMUNITY⬇️https://theshitshow.mn.co6 weekly zoom support groups (see the full schedule here!)Support community at your fingertips with discussion boards and chat📰SIGN UP FOR SHITSHOW NATION - ADULT CHILD NEWSLETTER👩HELP A GIRL & CAT EAT🐱 www.buymeacoffee.com/adultchild🛍️SHITSHOW MERCH🛍️www.adultchildpodcast.com/shop🎙️NEW TO THE POD🎙️How I learned I was an Adult Child - The Tale of 2 BriansTHE LAUNDRY LIST - Common Characteristics of an Adult ChildFollow Andrea on socialwww.instagram.com/adultchildpodwww.tiktok.com/@adultchildpodhttps://www.youtube.com/@adultchildpodOur Sponsors:* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jul 16, 2025 • 1h 5min
When Recovery Isn’t Linear: Relapse, Shame & Telling the Whole Truth w/ William C Moyers
Recovery isn’t always a clean, upward trajectory — and most people don’t talk about what happens when it isn’t. This episode cracks open the shame, stigma, and complexity that surface when long-term sobriety takes a detour.William C. Moyers is the Vice President of Public Affairs at Hazelden Betty Ford and the author of Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption. In this conversation, he opens up about a rarely shared chapter of his recovery — one that tested his identity, sparked unexpected shame, and forced him to reexamine what long-term sobriety really looks like.Key Takeaways...🔹 Redefining Relapse: Why recovery isn’t linear — and how we can reframe slips without erasing progress, identity, or self-worth.🔹 The Weight of Perfectionism: How the pressure to be a “model” of healing can silence honesty and deepen internalized shame.🔹 When Shame Returns: What happens when long-term recovery collides with stigma, secrecy, and unmet expectations.🔹 The Evolution of Sobriety: Why what once worked may stop working — and how true recovery means learning to adapt, not perform.🔹 Family Systems & Codependency: How generational roles and emotional entanglements can follow us into adulthood — and what it takes to break free.⬇️DAMN THE JOIN SHITSHOW - ADULT CHILD HEALING COMMUNITY⬇️https://theshitshow.mn.co6 weekly zoom support groups (see the full schedule here!)Support community at your fingertips with discussion boards and chat📰SIGN UP FOR SHITSHOW NATION - ADULT CHILD NEWSLETTER👩HELP A GIRL & CAT EAT🐱 www.buymeacoffee.com/adultchild🛍️SHITSHOW MERCH🛍️www.adultchildpodcast.com/shop🎙️NEW TO THE POD🎙️How I learned I was an Adult Child - The Tale of 2 BriansTHE LAUNDRY LIST - Common Characteristics of an Adult ChildFollow Andrea on socialwww.instagram.com/adultchildpodwww.tiktok.com/@adultchildpodhttps://www.youtube.com/@adultchildpodOur Sponsors:* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jul 12, 2025 • 43min
SHITSHOW SATURDAY #161 - Anger Isn't The Enemy
⬇️DAMN THE JOIN SHITSHOW - ADULT CHILD HEALING COMMUNITY⬇️https://theshitshow.mn.co6 weekly zoom support groups (see the full schedule here!)Support community at your fingertips with discussion boards and chat📰SIGN UP FOR SHITSHOW NATION - ADULT CHILD NEWSLETTER👩HELP A GIRL & CAT EAT🐱 www.buymeacoffee.com/adultchild🛍️SHITSHOW MERCH🛍️www.adultchildpodcast.com/shop🎙️NEW TO THE POD🎙️How I learned I was an Adult Child - The Tale of 2 BriansTHE LAUNDRY LIST - Common Characteristics of an Adult ChildFollow Andrea on socialwww.instagram.com/adultchildpodwww.tiktok.com/@adultchildpodhttps://www.youtube.com/@adultchildpodOur Sponsors:* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jul 9, 2025 • 1h 4min
The Cost of Playing the Good Daughter: Emotional Neglect, Self-Abandonment & Parental Estrangement w/ Laura K Connell
You ever find yourself wondering, “Was it really that bad?” even while your life still carries the scars of a childhood you can’t fully name? That’s the fog of emotional neglect — the kind of trauma that doesn’t leave bruises, just a lifelong ache of being unseen.Laura K. Connell is a trauma-informed author, coach, and the creator of The Self-Parenting Solution.She grew up in a deeply chaotic and emotionally neglectful home, spent decades trying to earn her parents’ love, and eventually went no contact after one final, brutal conversation with her father.In this episode, we explore:🔹 How emotional neglect warps your sense of self — and why it’s so often overlooked as “real” trauma🔹 The connection between self-abandonment, people-pleasing, and feeling invisible in relationships🔹 What it actually means to reparent yourself (and why it’s not just an Instagram trend)🔹 How inner child work can transform self-sabotage into self-trust🔹 Why healing often requires stepping away from the very people you’ve spent your life trying to save⬇️DAMN THE JOIN SHITSHOW - ADULT CHILD HEALING COMMUNITY⬇️https://theshitshow.mn.co4 weekly zoom support groups (Sun 3: 30 pm EST, Mon 8:30 pm EST, Tues 1 pm EST, & Thurs 8:30 pm EST)Support community at your fingertips with discussion boards and chatSIGN UP FOR SHITSHOW NATION - ADULT CHILD NEWSLETTER👩HELP A GIRL & CAT EAT🐱 www.buymeacoffee.com/adultchild🛍️SHITSHOW MERCH🛍️www.adultchildpodcast.com/shop🎙️NEW TO THE POD🎙️How I learned I was an Adult Child - The Tale of 2 BriansTHE LAUNDRY LIST - Common Characteristics of an Adult ChildFollow Andrea on socialwww.instagram.com/adultchildpodwww.tiktok.com/@adultchildpodhttps://www.youtube.com/@adultchildpodOur Sponsors:* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jul 2, 2025 • 1h 3min
Unlearning Worthlessness: Spiritual Trauma, Repressed Identity & Inner Child Work w/ Nate Postlethwait
Nate Postlethwait, a trauma educator and writer who survived childhood sexual abuse and conversion therapy, guides the conversation. He explores repressed identity and the grief and rage that come with reclaiming yourself. He discusses religious trauma and spiritual bypassing. He talks about nervous system collapse, somatic recovery, and the role of community in healing.

Jun 28, 2025 • 45min
SHITSHOW SATURDAY #159 - The Return of Nancy
⬇️DAMN THE JOIN SHITSHOW - ADULT CHILD HEALING COMMUNITY⬇️https://theshitshow.mn.co6 weekly zoom support groups (see the full schedule here!)Support community at your fingertips with discussion boards and chat📰SIGN UP FOR SHITSHOW NATION - ADULT CHILD NEWSLETTER👩HELP A GIRL & CAT EAT🐱 www.buymeacoffee.com/adultchild🛍️SHITSHOW MERCH🛍️www.adultchildpodcast.com/shop🎙️NEW TO THE POD🎙️How I learned I was an Adult Child - The Tale of 2 BriansTHE LAUNDRY LIST - Common Characteristics of an Adult ChildFollow Andrea on socialwww.instagram.com/adultchildpodwww.tiktok.com/@adultchildpodhttps://www.youtube.com/@adultchildpod⚠️Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code ADULTCHILD for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comRead lessOur Sponsors:* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

5 snips
Jun 25, 2025 • 1h 13min
When Healing Feels Like Falling Apart: EMDR, Dissociation & Disordered Eating w/ Cory Scott
Cory Scott, a trauma-integration coach and EMDR-certified therapist, shares her journey from battling an eating disorder and dissociation to empowering others in their healing. She discusses how healing often feels chaotic at first, emphasizing the importance of groundwork before diving into EMDR therapy. Cory reveals that disordered eating stems more from control and shame than food itself. She introduces somatic tools for nervous system regulation, advocating for healing as expanding joy and connection rather than enduring pain.

Jun 21, 2025 • 36min
SHITSHOW SATURDAY #158 - How Logic Blocks Your Healing
⬇️DAMN THE JOIN SHITSHOW - ADULT CHILD HEALING COMMUNITY⬇️https://theshitshow.mn.co4 weekly zoom support groups (Sun 3: 30 pm EST, Mon 8:30 pm EST, Tues 1 pm EST, & Thurs 8:30 pm EST)Support community at your fingertips with discussion boards and chat📰SIGN UP FOR SHITSHOW NATION - ADULT CHILD NEWSLETTER👩HELP A GIRL & CAT EAT🐱 www.buymeacoffee.com/adultchild🛍️SHITSHOW MERCH🛍️www.adultchildpodcast.com/shop🎙️NEW TO THE POD🎙️How I learned I was an Adult Child - The Tale of 2 BriansTHE LAUNDRY LIST - Common Characteristics of an Adult ChildFollow Andrea on socialwww.instagram.com/adultchildpodwww.tiktok.com/@adultchildpodhttps://www.youtube.com/@adultchildpod⚠️Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code ADULTCHILD for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comOur Sponsors:* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jun 18, 2025 • 1h 17min
The Truth About Codependency: Why It’s Not Empathy, It’s Survival w/ Dr. Sarah Michaud
Dr. Sarah Michaud, psychologist and author of "Co-Crazy," shares her journey of overcoming codependency and addiction. She discusses how codependency is often misunderstood as selflessness, revealing it to be a survival mechanism rooted in trauma. The conversation highlights the myth of high-functioning individuals who seem fine while avoiding deeper pain. Sarah emphasizes the grief of healing, letting go of unfulfilling relationships, and the need for personal accountability in recovery. She also explores the transformative power of body awareness in healing trauma.

Jun 14, 2025 • 40min
SHITSHOW SATURDAY #157 - Kristen
TRIGGER WARNING - This episode discusses childhood sexual and physical abuse.⬇️DAMN THE JOIN SHITSHOW - ADULT CHILD HEALING COMMUNITY⬇️https://theshitshow.mn.co4 weekly zoom support groups (Sun 3: 30 pm EST, Mon 8:30 pm EST, Tues 1 pm EST, & Thurs 8:30 pm EST)Support community at your fingertips with discussion boards and chat📰SIGN UP FOR SHITSHOW NATION - ADULT CHILD NEWSLETTER👩HELP A GIRL & CAT EAT🐱 www.buymeacoffee.com/adultchild🛍️SHITSHOW MERCH🛍️www.adultchildpodcast.com/shop🎙️NEW TO THE POD🎙️How I learned I was an Adult Child - The Tale of 2 BriansTHE LAUNDRY LIST - Common Characteristics of an Adult ChildFollow Andrea on socialwww.instagram.com/adultchildpodwww.tiktok.com/@adultchildpodhttps://www.youtube.com/@adultchildpod⚠️Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code ADULTCHILD for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comOur Sponsors:* Check out Time4Learning: https://www.time4learning.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy


