Your natural instinct is to fix it, but what if your efforts are making the problem worse?

We sit down with Addiction Expert Amber Hollingsworth, founder of the huge "Put the Shovel Down" community, who offers a revolutionary approach to family addiction recovery. Amber specializes in teaching family members how to stop enabling and break the cycle of blame that fuels addiction. This is essential listening for anyone who loves someone struggling with substance abuse.

In this powerful episode, you'll learn:

The "Villain" Role: Why the person with addiction often needs a family member to play the villain—and how to quit that role immediately.

Support vs. Enabling: Amber shares her simple formula to know if you're truly helping or unknowingly enabling your loved one.

The Power of Pre-Contemplation: Learn how to influence change before they hit rock bottom by using empathy to unlock their inner motivation.

Control is a Fallacy: Ryan and Amber discuss how giving up control is the crucial first step for both the addicted individual and their family.

Stop digging a deeper hole. Start building a path to recovery.

Episode Guide

00:00 - Welcome & Guest Intro

20:20 - Amber's Approach

22:00 - The "Villain Role"

25:40 - "Put the Shovel Down" Difference

30:30 - The Rock Bottom Question

34:00 - Reversing Family Dynamics

36:00 - Finding Internal Motivation

41:20 - Giving Up Control to Gain Control 4

8:20 - Support vs. Enabling Line

52:30 - "Put the Shovel Down" Meaning

55:00 - Addiction as Shame Spiral

01:01:20 - Amber's Origin Story

01:14:30 - Future Goals

🎧 Listen now:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Or wherever you get your podcasts

📲 Follow Harder To Breathe:
🎙️ Libsyn: sites.libsyn.com/533902
👍 Facebook: facebook.com/RyanMichaelDusick
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/ryan_michael_dusick
🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@ryandusick
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ryan-dusick-26460894

#TheHarderToBreathePodcast #RyanDusick #AmberHollingsworth #PutTheShovelDown #AddictionRecovery #FamilyAddiction #MentalHealth #Therapy #Counseling #RecoveryJourney #SubstanceAbuse #MotivationalInterviewing #BreakingStigma #YouTubeCommunity #Podcast #MentalWellness #Healing #SupportForFamilies #AddictionHelp #RelapsePrevention #PersonalGrowth #Inspiration

In one of our most powerful episodes yet, actress and mental health advocate Sarah Gilman opens up about her deeply personal journey—self-harm, a suicide attempt in college, and the remarkable path that led her to become a voice for suicide prevention. She explains why suicide isn’t about wanting to die, but about wanting to escape an intolerable
pain.

This is a raw and honest conversation that will leave you feeling seen, understood, and inspired.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

✨ The misunderstood functions of self-harm — Sarah shares the three core reasons people self-harm: as a coping mechanism, for manipulation, and as self-punishment.

✨ Why we fear talking about suicide — We break down the myth that asking about suicide puts the idea in someone’s head, and why opening the door can be lifesaving.

✨ The right way to offer support — What to say (and what not to say) to someone who’s struggling, and why empathy matters more than trying to “fix” things.

✨ Hope in the darkest moments — Sarah shares the incredible story of a sign that changed her life and led her to her advocacy work with Didi Hirsch.

This conversation is a testament to the power of vulnerability and a reminder that—even in your darkest moments—you are not alone.

📌 Episode Guide
00:00 – Intro
13:15 – A Trigger Warning for Today’s Conversation
16:10 – Interview Begins: Meet Sarah Gilman
28:28 – The Path to a Mental Health Decline
35:08 – An Honest Look at Self-Harm
49:10 – HIGHLIGHT: The Stigma and the Cry for Help
1:00:10 – What NOT to Say to Someone Who Is Hurting
1:06:15 – How Understanding Your Brain Can Save Your Life
1:11:30 – The Suicide Attempt: “I Didn’t Want to Die”
1:17:27 – “The Sign”: Finding Didi Hirsch
1:24:40 – The Origin of the First Suicide Prevention Center

⚠️ If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please call or text 988. Help is available 24/7.

🎧 Listen now:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Or wherever you get your podcasts

📲 Follow Harder To Breathe:
🎙️ Libsyn: sites.libsyn.com/533902
👍 Facebook: facebook.com/RyanMichaelDusick
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/ryan_michael_dusick
🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@ryandusick
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ryan-dusick-26460894

#HarderToBreathe #Podcast #MentalHealth #SuicidePrevention #SuicideLoss #MentalHealthAdvocate #SarahGilman #DidiHirsch #Trauma #Grief #SelfHarm #EatingDisorder #Maroon5 #RyanDusick

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt alone in their struggle. We sit down with the incredible Aleksei Archer—comedian, actor, and mental health advocate—who has transformed personal tragedy into a powerful force for healing.

Aleksei shares her deeply personal story of losing her father to suicide, and how she uses humor and radical honesty to create safe spaces for grief, connection, and resilience.

💡 In this raw and vulnerable conversation, you’ll discover:

• The unexpected power of community: Why finding your "tribe" can be the most critical step in overcoming trauma and grief.
• Humor as a coping mechanism: How comedy can make the hardest conversations easier to face.
• The truth about generational trauma: How the past shapes the present—and why breaking cycles matters.
• The importance of language in healing: Why “died by suicide” is different than “committed suicide.”

✨ This conversation is a reminder that you don’t have to choose between being someone who has suffered and someone who shines.

📌 Episode Guide:
00:00 - Intro
10:20 - Therapy Session with Ryan
19:00 - Interview Begins: Meet Aleksei Archer
20:36 - The Day She Lost Her Father to Suicide
25:20 - Finding Her "Superheroes" in a Suicide Loss Support Group
33:20 - The Ripple Effect: Secondary Losses and Family Fallout
41:00 - Why You Shouldn’t Say "Committed Suicide"
42:30 - The Power of Humor in Processing the Darkest Trauma
54:00 - The Pressure of Creating Content and "Necessary Evils"
1:13:00 - Her Dark Comedy Pilot: Venice Beach Scumbags

🎧 Listen now:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Or wherever you get your podcasts

📲 Follow Harder To Breathe:
🎙️ Libsyn: sites.libsyn.com/533902
👍 Facebook: facebook.com/RyanMichaelDusick
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/ryan_michael_dusick
🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@ryandusick
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ryan-dusick-26460894

📲Follow Aleksei Archer:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/alekseiarcher
FB: https://www.facebook.com/thealekseiarcher
YT: https://www.youtube.com/c/alekseiarcher
LinkendIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksei-archer-4200a2


#HarderToBreathe #Podcast #MentalHealth #SuicidePrevention #SuicideLoss #MentalHealthAdvocate #AlekseiArcher #Trauma #Grief #Humor #Comedy #RyanDusick #MentalHealthAwareness #Maroon5