Addiction, Recovery and Healing Across Generations

“I was a broken child in an adult body trying to be a parent, which wasn’t a good combination.”​

-Andrea Arlington

Andrea Arlington on Addiction, Recovery and Healing Across Generations

Andrea Arlington: Addiction, Recovery and Healing Across Generations

 

All families are dysfunctional in one manner or another. What were the quirks of yours?

Modern life can be overwhelming and we usually don’t pause to reflect on our habits or family dynamics until something breaks. In this episode, Andrea Arlington talks about her path to recognizing the patterns that were working, those that weren’t and demonstrating the power to change her family’s trajectory.

In this episode, Andrea Arlington talks about facing the reality of her daughter’s opioid addiction and her own crumbling life, Andrea began to peel back the layers of generational trauma and emotional neglect that had shaped her existence. This conversation is a raw and honest exploration of the depths to which addiction can take a person and the heights one can reach through genuine self-reflection and therapeutic work.

Andrea’s journey is not one for the faint of heart. It involves the tumultuous world of celebrity, the unforgiving glare of the media, and the personal battles that come with addiction. Her daughter, once on the front page of the LA Times for burglarizing Orlando Bloom’s home, became the catalyst for Andrea’s awakening.

Andrea’s story is interwoven with powerful insights into the nature of shame, trauma, and the illusion of control. She shares her understanding of how setting boundaries, practicing nonviolent communication, and fostering empathy can transform relationships and aid in recovery.

Andrea’s experience as a model, actress, and mother brings a unique perspective to the discussion of self-worth and the societal pressures that can lead to substance use and addiction. Listeners will find themselves moved by Andrea’s courage to confront her past, change her narrative, and use her experiences to help others. Her work with families and individuals struggling with addiction shows that it is possible to break the cycle of generational trauma and build a life filled with purpose and connection.

Andrea Arlington on Changing Your Family’s Dynamics

“My daughter said to me, ‘Mom, you’re the one with the problem.’ That was a huge wake-up call for me.”

“I was living out of my fight-flight-freeze mechanism for my entire life until I started working with this woman.”

“We teach people how to treat us by setting boundaries.”

“When we change the language we use with other people to a more empathetic, compassionate, and kind way of communicating, we create connection.”

“I was a broken child in an adult body trying to be a parent, which wasn’t a good combination.”

About
Bump in the Road

Everyone hits a bump in the road. The question becomes: What do you do with it?

I share stories about how people experience, manage and navigate life's bumps, hopefully using them as a pivot into a more conscious and meaningful life.