Finding Freedom from Fear and Destruction – Dr. Lisa Stanton’s Story | Ep. 144

2026-05-08

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What if being brilliant, successful, and disciplined still isn’t enough to save you from fear, obsession, and self-destruction? From the outside, Lisa’s life looked enviable—PhD, postdoctoral research at a leading medical school, and a rising career in behavioral health. But beneath the surface, she was unraveling: anxiety, eating disorders, addiction, and relentless obsessive fear followed her for years. Convinced that intelligent, rational people didn’t need God, Lisa tried everything except faith. It wasn’t until desperation forced her to confront the limits of her own limits th...

What if being brilliant, successful, and disciplined still isn’t enough to save you from fear, obsession, and self-destruction?

From the outside, Lisa’s life looked enviable—PhD, postdoctoral research at a leading medical school, and a rising career in behavioral health. But beneath the surface, she was unraveling: anxiety, eating disorders, addiction, and relentless obsessive fear followed her for years.

Convinced that intelligent, rational people didn’t need God, Lisa tried everything except faith. It wasn’t until desperation forced her to confront the limits of her own limits that she became open, reluctantly, to the possibility she might be wrong.

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Guest Bio:

Dr. Lisa Stanton is a social psychologist, researcher, and writer. With a PhD in social psychology and a career in behavioral health, she brings a rare blend of empirical insight and personal honesty to questions of identity, meaning, and human flourishing. Her recent work centers on her personal experiences in recovery from not only addiction, but also eating disorders, anxiety conditions, ADHD, irritable bowel syndrome, alopecia areata, and more. Lisa writes at drlisastanton.com, shares reflections on Instagram at @drlisastanton.

Resources Mentioned:

Lisa’s Resources:

• Website: drlisastanton.com

• Instagram: @drlisastanton

• Book: 52 Life-Changing Lessons I Learned in Recovery: A Journey Towards Sobriety, Honesty, and Radical Forgiveness

Lisa’s recommended resources:

• Alpha Course – https://www.alpha.org

• OCIA - https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/264519/becoming-catholic-everything-you-need-to-know-about-ocia

• Bible Study Fellowship - https://www.bsfinternational.org

• Wes Huff, Christian Apologist - https://www.wesleyhuff.com

Atheists Finding God: https://exskeptic.org/atheistsfindinggod/

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