How To Support A Loved One Through Addiction (Without Losing Yourself) With Amber Hollingsworth Stop Drinking And Start Living- The Feminine Way podcast

Content provided by Mary Wagstaff. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Mary Wagstaff or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

Stop Drinking and Start Living- The Feminine Way »
How to Support a Loved One Through Addiction (Without Losing Yourself) with Amber Hollingsworth

7d ago 58:27

MP3•Episode home

What happens when your sobriety collides with a loved one’s addiction? In this episode, I talk with addiction specialist Amber Hollingsworth about how to support someone struggling without enabling, the truth about boundaries, and how to protect your own wellbeing in the process.

What happens when I’m navigating my own sobriety while someone I love is still caught in addiction’s grip?

In this episode, I sit down with addiction specialist Amber Hollingsworth, founder of Put the Shovel Down, to talk about what it really looks like to support a loved one through addiction without losing yourself in the process.

Amber shares why the belief that “you can’t help until they want it” keeps families stuck, the powerful difference between boundaries and rules, and how anger and control can actually fuel addiction. With 20+ years of experience, she brings a compassionate, strength-based approach that focuses on what is working instead of only on the problems.

I also open up about my own experience discovering a partner’s hidden addiction—the betrayal, confusion, and self-doubt it created—and Amber breaks down the psychology behind denial and delusion so you can finally understand what’s really happening in your loved one’s mind.

✨ You’ll hear:

How to support loved ones without enabling
Why boundaries protect you (and why they’re not rules)
The sneaky ways anger and control can actually backfire
Why women in over-functioning roles often turn to substances as an escape valve
How reclaiming your feminine energy shifts the entire dynamic

If you’ve ever felt responsible for carrying the weight of someone else’s addiction, this conversation will give you the clarity and tools to protect your own wellbeing.

✨ Don’t miss the free resource in the show notes: 60 Seconds to Calm — the same quick practice I use to ground myself in moments of overwhelm.

About Amber Hollingsworth

Amber Hollingsworth is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Master Addiction Counselor, and the founder of the popular YouTube channel Put the Shovel Down. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in helping families understand addiction, create effective boundaries, and support recovery without falling into enabling patterns. Her strength-based, practical approach empowers families to stop feeling helpless and start creating meaningful change.

Connect with Amber:

🌐 Website: hopeforefamiliesrecoverycenter.com
📺 YouTube: Put the Shovel Down
📘 Free Resources: puttheshoveldown.com

DISCLAIMER: This podcast and its contents are not a substitute for rehabilitation, medical treatment or advice. It is for educational and inspirational purposes. I am not a therapist or doctor. The views here are expressed a personal opinion and based on first hand experience. Please consult a doctor if your mental or physical health is at risk.

Chapters

1. Introduction to Amber Hollingsworth (00:00:00)

2. Supporting Loved Ones in Addiction (00:05:13)

3. Dealing with Denial and Delusion (00:12:17)

4. Boundaries vs Rules in Relationships (00:17:49)

5. Self-Care While Supporting Others (00:22:28)

6. Positive Reinforcement Strategies (00:32:05)

7. Enabling vs Compassion (00:48:44)

8. Reclaiming Feminine Energy (00:54:11)

9. Put the Shovel Down Philosophy (00:58:31)

326 episodes