Becca’s step-sister Mindy left home when Becca was just 8 years old. Despite Mindy’s annual appearances and promises to get sober, she always left again. Now, Becca is in her early 20’s and isn’t sure what to do about her anger towards Mindy. Another listener, Katie, had a parent that enabled her brother’s substance use for over 40 years. Now that her parent has passed, Katie is left wondering how to move forward with her brother and let go of her anger towards her codependent parent. This episode Nzinga talks about how we can still hold space for those in our lives who’s addiction’s have caused pain, resentment, and hurt.

When Nicole showed up for a routine colonoscopy, she was shocked when the anesthesiologist planned to give her fentanyl. She reflects on how close she felt to losing the sobriety she fought so hard for. Can you refuse opioids as a patient in recovery? What other options are out there for treating chronic pain? And does “all-natural” really mean “all-safe?” Nzinga answers these questions and more about pain, alternative medicine, and the rights you have as a patient.

After years of relapses, Brent thought his partner was sober…until he found his meth pipe. Nzinga talks one-on-one with Brent to strategize how to be supportive while also working through his fears for his partner’s life. Another listener says, “The only infidelity I fear is heroin and fentanyl” and hopes to set healthy boundaries between her and her partner as they both go through recovery. And what about codependency? Can you be addicted to bad relationships? This week, we’re answering all your questions on love (spoiler alert: everyone’s getting a therapist)

When someone in your family is dealing with an addiction disorder, it’s hard not to feel every painful emotion all at once — anger, guilt, rage, sadness, helplessness. Today we hear from a father who is trying to get his son to accept therapy and a mom who is at the end of her rope trying to break the cycle of her daughter’s alcoholism. So, what can a family do? This week, Nzinga answers questions about how to help those in your family and how to help yourself. 

Is alcoholism less serious than other addictions? Is my husband’s drinking out of control or am I just being a nag? What should I expect when my fiance leaves a faith-based treatment program? This week, Nzinga answers listener questions on alcohol and offers tips on how to define an alcohol use disorder, how to talk about it with your partner and how to take care of yourself during a time when drinking feels like a necessary escape. 

Something happens when you’re under a tight deadline, or serving during the dinner rush, or studying for a big exam. Your thoughts and emotions quiet down, and before you know it, hours have passed. The distraction that work, errands, to-do lists, and projects provide can be such a respite for our busy brains. We use it like a drug to resolve discomfort. So, this week Nzinga dives into the reasons so many of us can’t stop working and helps listeners identify whether or not they have a work addiction.