ABOUT THIS EPISODE
National Recovery Month is an opportunity to recognize that recovery is real and possible, especially for survivors whose substance use may have developed as a way of coping with trauma.
In this solo episode, Jennifer Storm shares her own experience with childhood sexual abuse and long-term recovery while exploring trauma, substance use, healthy coping mechanisms, treatment, and hope.
In this episode, Jennifer discusses:
- The connection between sexual trauma and substance use
- Replacing harmful coping mechanisms with healthy tools for recovery
- Trauma therapy and the work of building long-term recovery
- Breaking stigma and creating hope through connection and support
Key Takeaways:
- [0:03:42] Trauma can shape how survivors cope with overwhelming emotions — Survivors may turn to substances, food, sex, shopping, compulsive exercise, or other behaviors when they lack the tools and resources to process the effects of trauma.
- [0:06:09] Harmful coping mechanisms need healthy replacements — Substance use can become a survival mechanism for managing trauma, making it important to build other ways of coping rather than simply removing the behavior.
- [0:09:18] Healing trauma is part of sustaining long-term recovery — Therapy, writing, meditation, exercise, vulnerability, and learning to process difficult emotions helped Jennifer develop healthier ways to respond to trauma and its triggers.
- [0:16:10] Recovery becomes more possible through connection and support — Asking what support looks like, providing resources, and staying connected can help people move toward recovery without judgment, one step at a time.
"We should welcome progress without deciding that the work is finished because it's not." — Jennifer Storm
Resources Mentioned:
- FindTreatment.gov for substance use treatment and support in the United States
- 988 for immediate emotional crisis support
- Blackout Girl, Jennifer Storm’s memoir about her experience and recovery: https://jenniferstorm.com/book/blackout-girl/
About Jennifer Storm: Jennifer Storm is an international public speaker with over twenty years of experience in non-profit management and governmental relations. Her powerful personal story combines experiences of survival from victimization and addiction, and today, with over twenty-seven years of active recovery, she has spent her life advocating for victims of crime. She has worked on many high-profile cases, including helping victims/survivors of Jerry Sandusky, Bill Cosby, Catholic Clergy victims, and thousands of other cases in her twenty-year-long career as a victim advocate. Ms. Storm is the current Director of Equity & Title IX at Muhlenberg College and is the immediate past Board President of the National Crime Victim Law Institute. Ms. Storm is the author of six critically acclaimed addiction, recovery, and victimization books.
Connect with Jennifer Storm:
Website: https://jenniferstorm.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackoutgirlauthor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferStormAuthor/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXAP8AOfFrlRq-DYCLBSYbA
Connect with Ben Andreozzi:
Website: https://www.victimscivilattorneys.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AndreozziandFoote/videos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/andreozziandfoote/
X/Twitter: https://x.com/AndreozziFoote
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndreozziFoote/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreozziandfoote/
Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
