Andrea Ashley, host of The Adult Child Podcast, joins Dr. Sarah Michaud for a no-filter conversation about the messy middle of recovery—the part where you’re learning to stop saving everyone else and finally start saving yourself. From unraveling childhood patterns to setting adult boundaries that stick, Andrea shares how she turned her pain into purpose and built a platform for fellow Adult Children ready to get real about healing. Expect laughter, raw truth, and practical tools for leaving CrazyTown behind.

Takeaways

• Healing starts with awareness—and the courage to see your story differently.

• Codependency recovery is about identity reclamation, not perfection.

• Boundaries are an act of self-love, not punishment.

• • The inner child needs validation, not discipline.
  • Humor and honesty are recovery tools, too.

• Key Timestamps

  • [00:03:20] Andrea shares her journey from dysfunction to discovery.

  • [00:10:45] The moment she realized codependency was running her life.

  • [00:18:00] Breaking the shame spiral: reparenting the inner child.

  • [00:27:15] The truth about boundaries and backlash.

• • [00:36:50] Building The Adult Child Podcast as a recovery resource.

  Notable Resources / Guest Links

  • Andrea Ashley: @adultchildpod | The Adult Child Podcast

  • Dr. Sarah Michaud: Author of Co Crazy

  • Follow Finn & Sarah: @leavingcrazytown

  CTA

  Subscribe and leave a review! Share this episode with someone ready to ditch codependency and find freedom.

  Codependency Recovery: Leaving CrazyTown is hosted by Finn and Dr. Sarah Michaud—two recovering addicts turned relatable guides on the wild ride of codependency healing. Tune in each week for truth bombs, laughter, and tools for emotional freedom.

Finn and Sarah get real (and really funny) about health anxiety—the mental habit of turning every ache into catastrophe—and share how recovery tools like reality-checking, perspective, and self-compassion can break the spiral. You’ll hear outrageous mind-movies, why our brains escalate to “late-stage everything,” and simple practices to build a looser, friendlier relationship with your thoughts.

Takeaways

• Thoughts are not facts; feelings are not emergencies—build space before reacting.

• The mind loves worst-case stories (“late stage everything”); humor shrinks their power.

• Reality-check: get clarity with a call or simple test before catastrophizing.

• Past losses/trauma can prime health anxiety; name the trigger to lower intensity.

• Self-permission helps: if you do overreact (ER calls, extra vet visits), meet it with compassion and learn.

Key Timestamps

• 00:00 — Welcome & “I thought it was an aneurysm” opener.

• 02:00 — Why the brain jumps to late-stage diagnoses.

• 04:05 — The dog-at-the-vet spiral (and the bill).

• 05:10 — The “black spot” baby story: a washcloth cure.

• 08:00 — Panic calls after family loss—when trauma fuels alarms.

• 11:10 — Tools: clarity calls, humor, and perspective practice.

If this episode resonated, share it with a friend who might be stuck in their own CrazyTown—and don’t forget to subscribe for more raw recovery talk.

Come for the truth bombs, stay for the laughter, and leave with a renewed sense of agency. Subscribe and review the podcast, watch on YouTube @leavingcrazytown, and share episodes with a friend who’s ready to leave CrazyTown.

In this candid episode of Codependency Recovery: Leaving CrazyTown, Finn and Dr. Sarah dig into one powerful question: Are you happy? Together, they explore how denial, fear, and codependency often keep us stuck in jobs, marriages, and patterns that quietly drain our joy. Through raw personal stories and clinical insights, they reveal why acknowledging unhappiness is the first step toward change—and how to take small, courageous steps toward true freedom.

Takeaways

• Why denial is one of the biggest roadblocks to happiness

• How to evaluate different “arenas” of your life with honesty

• The cost of staying silent in jobs and relationships

• Why acknowledging unhappiness is powerful—even without immediate change

• How fear and codependency keep us stuck, and how to begin breaking free

Key Timestamps

• [00:01:00] The big question: Are you happy?

• [00:03:00] The “life pie” tool for evaluating different areas of happiness

• [00:06:00] Finn’s story: hating his job—and finding a way to thrive

• [00:09:00] Marriage, denial, and the cost of staying stuck

• [00:12:00] The freedom in honesty: why awareness is the turning point

Notable Resources

• Dr. Sarah Michaud, author of Co Crazy
  Watch full episodes on YouTube: @leavingcrazytown

  If this episode resonated, share it with a friend who might be stuck in their own CrazyTown—and don’t forget to subscribe for more raw recovery talk.

  Come for the truth bombs, stay for the laughter, and leave with a renewed sense of agency. Subscribe and review the podcast, watch on YouTube @leavingcrazytown, and share episodes with a friend who’s ready to leave CrazyTown.