Share
![cover art for Let's Talk About Addiction with Heather Ross](https://res.cloudinary.com/pippa/image/fetch/h_750,w_750,f_auto/https://assets.pippa.io/shows/6259cb2bedb25700134ab06d/6259cb308fccf60012c4dafb.jpg)
StephUp Podcast
Let's Talk About Addiction with Heather Ross
Welcome to this week’s episode of the StephUp Podcast! Thank you for your support and for coming back each week to listen. This episode features special guest Heather Ross of Heather Ross Coaching.
Steph and Heather begin their conversation by talking about Heather’s background. She is a life coach who mainly works with parents who have children struggling with addiction. She got into this field because she has a daughter who struggles with addiction. Before life coaching, Heather was unsure of how to help and manage her daughter’s addiction and do what she felt what right for her. She felt like she was doing everything wrong and just suffering in silence. After finally figuring out what worked for her as a mother and what worked best for her daughter, she felt compelled to share this information with others.
“I felt that although I may not be able to help my daughter, I could help other kids by helping their parents.”
Heather initially thought that by being a perfect parent, she could prevent her daughter from being anything but successful (and she always was a good kid), but when addiction took over, Heather blamed herself. And this is how a lot of parents feel. A lot of time is spent trying to figure out what went wrong, which means there is no focus on the solution. Heather was finally able to bridge the gap between her and her daughter when she accepted that she had done the best job she could as a parent. Heather committed to learning as much about addiction as possible and having a good relationship with her daughter, no matter what stage of addiction or recovery she was in. Heather also realized that the more she open she was with others about what she was going through with her daughter, the more help and support she received, which really helped her heal.
Steph and Heather talk about how there are other kinds of addictions besides drugs, such as food and television (which seem to be more acceptable) but regardless, there is still something deep inside us we are searching for which fuels this addiction. We can be very judgmental of other’s addictions without realizing we have one ourselves. We need to stop focusing so much on the addiction and more on what the addiction is trying to show us.
Over the years, certain kinds of addictions have increased, such as opioid addition, which is what her daughter struggled with. In Canada, marijuana is legal, but Heather doesn’t necessarily feel that it will lead to a more serious addiction, any more than alcohol can. It just depends on the person and where they are in their life. Some people can handle substances and others can’t.
Steph talks about how when she was in high school in the 90’s, things like anxiety and depression weren’t as openly discussed as they are today. But kids in the 90’s didn’t have the same struggles and experiences, like with social media for example. Heather thinks that societal pressures today can negatively impact and fuel addictions in kids. Listen in to hear the rest of their great conversation and please remember to rate, subscribe, and share with your friends!
Connect with Heather
· On her website
· On Instagram
· On Facebook
· Listen to her podcast, Living with Addiction
Follow StephUp Podcast on Instagram and check out her website!
More episodes
View all episodes
14. If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes
20:58||Season 3, Ep. 14"If nothing changes, nothing changes" This is a true statement but we must also recognize that it can sometimes be used to pressure us into making decisions that do not align with who we are. Often, people suggest we push through discomfort by changing our mindset, but it’s crucial to discern whether this discomfort comes from fear or if its our intuition signaling that something isn’t right.Change is naturally uncomfortable, and our bodies resist it. However, when we pursue what truly aligns with us, it may feel scary but also undeniably right. The key is to trust our inner knowing and not force ourselves into paths that don’t feel aligned. Meaningful change comes from a place of authenticity, self-awareness, and courage. It’s about embracing change that feels both challenging and deeply right, rather than conforming to others' expectations.We can learn to trust our journey, embrace growth, and make decisions that resonate with our true selves. This may take time and it takes knowing yourself but do not give up hope. It is possible.13. Wanting To Have "Arrived" Already
17:08||Season 3, Ep. 13Last week, I was listening to a live talk on the Noom Vibe app by podcaster and Recovery Mentor, Martin Jon Garcia. He does the "Tao of the Day" and you can pick a number between 1 and 81 to get the Tao of the Day. I went up as a guest on his live and it was such an encouraging talk that challenged me. I picked the number 7 and this is what MartinJon read to me:#7 – The Wisdom of Not Having PreferenceTao is infinite.It doesn’t grow old or tired.Because it has no preference for itself. It can always persist.The master puts her self lastAnd always finds herself first. By being detached from preference.She can give herself to what isAnd find fulfillment there. I broke down crying because this spoke to me as I just want to “arrive” already. Some days I want to forgo the journey and be in a place of complete healing and be like those people who are so eloquent and who are in a much better place. But like they say “the joy is in the journey” and detach yourself from this idea of “arriving”. You can check out MartinJon at his website: www.martinjon.comDownload the Noom Vibe app:Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/noom-vibe-healthy-habits/id1576484544Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.socialaudio.wisdom&hl=en_US&pli=112. This Little Light of Mine
12:27||Season 3, Ep. 12This little light of mine...I'm going to let it shine. In spite of what others think or say and especially in spite of ourselves. Sometimes we feel like we are being that best version of ourselves and other times we feel like the little kid who isn't allowed to sit at the adult table. Or maybe that's just me.I was given advice to not be selfish with what I have to offer. To shine my light, even when it seems I don't have any or when I have just a tiny little flame. You never know when what you have to offer could help someone else.11. No Limits/Know Your Limits
01:15:39||Season 3, Ep. 11This is a live I did on the Noom Vibe app (check it out in your Apple Store or Google Play!)There are no limits to how far we can go and who we can be and what we want to be. There is really no ceiling above us that can stop how high we go even though there is a belief in society that you can only do so much. Once we overcome our limiting beliefs and we focus on finding our “why” instead of worrying about the “how”, things will start moving forward. And yet, it is important to know your limits. This might seem contradictory but there are limits to who we are because we are not meant to do everything. We are each uniquely who we are and all of us are here to do different things. We find what works for us by trying and failing. And understanding how to listen to our intuition and figure out what fully aligns with us and what doesn’t. You can listen anywhere you listen to podcasts. 🎙10. Being Vulnerable: Who Am I To Do Anything?
31:18||Season 3, Ep. 10You know when you are going through a hard time and want to hide away? This episode is about that. And about the fear of putting ourselves out there and comparing to others who seem to have it all figured out. I can only be me. My experiences and perspectives and skills make me, me. The comparisons on social media can freeze us. But it doesn’t mean anything. We can look to our own path and believe in ourselves and know that we have something to give.9. The Strong Women You Know
15:47||Season 3, Ep. 9My Oma passed away today. She was 97. I didn’t get to know her that well due to distance and language barriers but when I think of strong women, she comes to mind. She went through a lot in her life and took on many responsibilities, that of marrying a man who already had 4 kids. A strong woman is someone who knows herself and is not afraid of it. She knows her boundaries and doesn’t just fall in line because that’s what you are “supposed to do”. If you don’t believe that you can be strong, know that you are. You have the power within you. It just has to be cultivated so you can bloom.8. The Layers of Procrastination
25:34||Season 3, Ep. 8Procrastination has generally been labeled as a “bad” thing. But sometimes there are layers to it. And does it even help to label things as good or bad? Does it help to assign negative emotions to things? Sure, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring and yes, it is important to do things now instead of constantly putting it off. But understanding the reasons behind can be very helpful. It’s helpful for us to know so we can figure it out and so we can encourage instead of shame others as well. We want to be understood and we long for people to meet us where we are. Some of the reasons for procrastination can be overwhelm, fear of failure, fear of success, perfectionism and sometimes we need to have discernment on whether we even should take action. It doesn’t mean that we allow these reasons to keep us stuck and not moving forward. But as always, there are layers to being human and the complexities of everything we experience. There are layers to procrastination. It’s important to understand where these emotions and blockages come from. But we don’t need to add shame to these thingsEncourage. Empower. Love.7. Thank You For The Pain; I Wish You Well
29:54||Season 3, Ep. 7I am thankful for the painful things. It taught me so much about myself and who I am and who I want to be. It taught me about understanding others who are in pain too. When you put others down, it makes you feel superior so you can feel better about yourself. Except it doesn't and that’s where you can see what’s truly within you. This all shaped me into the person I am today. It’s easier to empathise with others when you understand pain. It’s amazing how sending love to others can change you. We are sending out what we have within us. When I allowed my ego and anger to take over, I know I made things worse. Thank you for the experiences and the lessons. Thank you for the pain. The hardest person in your life is your greatest teacher. Loving that one person who seems to be the hardest to love changes you. And it changes them too.6. That Was 100 Stephanies Ago
21:39||Season 3, Ep. 6“I said that?! I did that?! I believed that?! I thought that?!”We are all in different places at various times in our lives. If we look back at 5, 20, 40 years ago, we can see how many changes have taken place within us. It can be hard to look back and acknowledge that was you and that was embarrassing what you said or did, but it was also a previous version of you.That was you and that was where you were at in that moment during that time. We are all human and we all know what that feels like. Give yourself grace and recognize how far you’ve come.