#237 - Paige's Perspective: Why Spouses Deserve More Than Addiction Education

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In this episode of Paige’s Perspective, I dig into a powerful comment from one of our listeners: “As the spouse, I’m basically told to become an expert on their addiction, yet they don’t have to become an expert on my trauma.” This one line exposes the imbalance in the recovery world. Spouses are often told to go to Al-Anon, read the Big Book, and learn about addiction, but no one tells them to study their own trauma caused by their partner or expect their partner to understand the harm they’ve caused.

I’ll share why this matters so deeply, how living in chaos rewires your brain and body, and why hyper-vigilance, self-doubt, panic, and physical symptoms are not “character defects”... they’re trauma responses. We’ll also explore different forms of betrayal trauma beyond lying and cheating, from financial secrecy to emotional neglect, broken promises, safety violations, and more.

This episode is about reclaiming the focus: your trauma, your healing, and your right to be understood. Because recovery isn’t just about learning their dopamine pathways; it’s about acknowledging how their choices have impacted you and giving yourself permission to heal.

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