444 Healing After Addiction and Assault with Tracy Viola

2026-08-20

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If you've been listening to the podcast for any length of time, you know that I love to support sober authors.When I got sober 32 years ago, there were exactly zero memoirs about recovering from alcoholism and addiction. I'm so grateful that nowadays, so many people are sharing their stories, so the people who are thinking about quitting can see that it's possible for them too. Today I sit down with Tracy Viola, author of Pretty Wrecked: Confessions of a Teen Addict, who got sober at 19, over 30 years ago, after a childhood shaped by her parents' divorce, an abusive stepfather, and an ...

Today I sit down with Tracy Viola, author of Pretty Wrecked: Confessions of a Teen Addict, who got sober at 19, over 30 years ago, after a childhood shaped by her parents' divorce, an abusive stepfather, and an absent, alcoholic father.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How Tracy's NERD mantra keeps her making the next right decision, one day at a time

• The trash can metaphor she uses to describe carrying (and finally unpacking) trauma

• How she made peace with her father by separating fault from responsibility

• Why she teaches teenagers about the "red zone" and a "yellow light" approach to risk

• How surviving a college sexual assault shaped the work she does with teens today

There are a lot of insightful nuggets in this conversation, especially if you're early in recovery. If you need a basic breakdown of how to stay sober for your first 30 days, there's a free guide at odatchat.com. There's also links in the show notes for all the action steps and resources mentioned there, including Tracy's new book!

So without further delay, please enjoy this episode with Tracy.

SHOW NOTES:

Guest Website: https://www.tracyviolaauthor.com/

👊🏼Need help applying this information to your own life?

Here are 3 ways to get started:

🎁Free Guide: 30 Tips for Your First 30 Days - With a printable PDF checklist

Grab your copy here: https://www.soberlifeschool.com

☎️Private Coaching: Make Sobriety Stick

https://www.makesobrietystick.com

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Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music, or you can stream it from my website HERE.

You can also watch the interview on YouTube: