Most women think it will never happen to them, yet the scary stats are out there; sex trafficking is a genuine and dangerous reality for a beautiful young woman anywhere, especially in Los Angeles. Sarah never even thought that could happen to her, but when she came to, drugged and bruised with no way to escape, the reality came crashing down. In this harrowing story, convincing her family was much more challenging than she thought it would be. ______ 1 (888) 373-7888 National Human Trafficking ...
Aug 29, 2022•35 min•Ep. 116
From an early age, Erin never received the tools to deal with her emotions, so she used food to do that. Raised in a culture that celebrated food but shamed her for being overweight at eight years old, she constantly worked on food restrictions and diets while her weight continually went up and down. She recently lost 130 pounds, but not by dieting by working on the issues that caused her to eat from the start. _____ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sex...
Aug 22, 2022•36 min•Ep. 115
Hannah’s mom struggled with depression and drug addiction. The two were completely enmeshed; they were more like best friends than mother and daughter. Because of that, Hannah had very little supervision or rules. It wasn’t long after Hannah’s mother was sent to jail for having an affair with Hannah’s 17-year-old boyfriend that she took her life. At the funeral, Hannah met her father for the first time. The following two years were the darkest she’d ever experienced. *Trigger Warning: Please not...
Aug 15, 2022•44 min•Ep. 114
Roy was raised by a conservative religious family and has kept this secret from them for over two decades. What have you been afraid to tell your parents? ______ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at secretlifepodcast.com. ______ To share your secret and be a guest on the show email secretlifepodcast@icloud.com _____ SECRET LIFE’S TOPICS INCLUDE: addiction recovery, mental health, alc...
Aug 08, 2022•21 min•Ep. 113
As a child, Ashley saw how alcoholism affected her uncle and father, who got sober when she was two. But she heard the stories and swore she’d never be an alcoholic. Many of us have similar thoughts when we’re young, but the disease is still in us, and even though she started later in life, it was as if she had always been drinking. Within just two years, Ashley was a heavy drinker, getting DUIs, getting arrested, losing jobs, and ending up in jail for four months. ______ If you or anyone you kn...
Aug 01, 2022•40 min•Ep. 112
Trigger Warning - This episode contains discussions about child abuse; listener discretion is advised. When Melody was 16, she found out her father, a respected teacher in the community, had molested a friend of hers. It wouldn't be until 2012 that he was finally arrested and convicted of sexual assault on a minor. If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse, or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at https://secretlifepodcast.com _...
Jul 25, 2022•33 min•Ep. 111
After losing his mother at a young age, Zachary was forced to live with his rage-filled father and his home life became a secret. _____ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at secretlifepodcast.com. ______ To share your secret and be a guest on the show email secretlifepodcast@icloud.com _____ Zachary is a writer, a coach, and a heart-centered entrepreneur who loves helping others. His ...
Jul 18, 2022•22 min•Ep. 110
Mamina’s idealistic parents were drawn to Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon’s Moonies. Her parents were part of a 2000-person arranged marriage ceremony and she spent two years at a performing artists boarding school in Seoul Korea. Fearing for his life, Mamina’s father after reporting back that Reverend Moon’s daughter was cheating on her husband. ______ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of...
Jul 11, 2022•31 min•Ep. 109
The first three years of Samantha's relationship with her boyfriend were great; they had sex all the time, and they were in love, it was a great relationship. But the last three years became stagnant and they were becoming just roommates. Top that all off with her dissatisfaction with her life, a bout of depression, and a trip to Las Vegas, anything was possible. _______ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we've compile...
Jul 04, 2022•27 min•Ep. 108
When Elizabeth Joy (Liz Sandoz) began her recovery from an eating disorder, she found herself at first using cigarettes as a way to deal with the compulsion, but soon found herself using sex in the same way. ______ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at secretlifepodcast.com. ______ To share your secret and be a guest on the show email secretlifepodcast@icloud.com ______ Elizabeth Joy ...
Jun 27, 2022•27 min•Ep. 107
Lupe’s family immigrated from Mexico to Washington State in the early 50s. He battled internal homophobia because the way his culture regarded being a macho man and the negative connotation connected to being gay. He also struggled with his dark skin and the desire to find an older white man like he saw on television, as his partner and to fulfill his daddy issues. This episode is jam-packed with old beliefs that Lupe stripped away while he discovered more about himself and his behaviors in SLAA...
Jun 20, 2022•24 min•Ep. 106
Targeted, manipulated, and love-bombed by her boyfriend, Chelsea was groomed into prostitution at one of the lowest points in her life. Losing the only person that cared for her was unfathomable, and she found herself trapped as a prostitute for over five years. Fortunately, she escaped, found recovery, and shares her story to help raise awareness. Her story is heartbreaking and very similar to the countless victims of sex trafficking worldwide. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger,...
Jun 13, 2022•47 min•Ep. 105
Dopey Podcast host, Dave Manheim, shares his journey to kick heroin and pot and finally get sober for himself. It wasn't enough to do it for the beautiful woman he was in love with or the daughter about to be born, it would take five years of darkness before he found recovery. _____ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse, or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at secretlifepodcast.com. ______ To share your secret and be a gues...
Jun 06, 2022•31 min•Ep. 104
Whether you're in the Pro-Choice or the Pro-Life camp, we at Secret Life believe that everyone has the right to their own beliefs, but no one has the right to tell a woman what she can or can not do with her body. Julie shares her honest and vulnerable story about her abortions, giving up her oldest son for adoption, and releasing the shame and guilt about those choices. On the road from addiction to recovery, we confront our past and take responsibility for our actions; Julie shares her journey...
May 30, 2022•36 min•Ep. 103
Since recording the first episode (Ep #91), Joe stopped working with his sex surrogate, began dating, and joined a Tantra sex group. He's been developing a deeper level of intimacy with himself by being vulnerable with others and feeling an incredible sense of unconditional love for everyone on the planet. This episode is not only eye-opening, but a true testament, that change is possible and self-love is at the heart of it all. This is a follow-up episode to Ep #91 Joe: I Was a 36-Year-Old Virg...
May 23, 2022•33 min•Ep. 102
Blinded by what she thought was love (she later discovered it was her Sex & Love Addiction), Morgan fell for a patient, broke the code of conduct, and ultimately lost her job when he threatened to sue the company. _____ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at secretlifepodcast.com. ______ To share your secret and be a guest on the show email secretlifepodcast@icloud.com _____ Secret...
May 16, 2022•30 min•Ep. 101
Brianne has struggled with debilitating physical pain and cramps so bad she's laid up in bed three days a month since she was 13 and cannot function normally, accompanied by intense mood swings that often lead to incredibly dark thoughts. During this time of the month, Mark, a recovering co-dependent (Al-Anon), does his best to try and make things better, only to fail time and time again. In the episode, he reveals secrets about how he ties his self-worth to being Brianne's (and his mom's as a k...
May 09, 2022•33 min•Ep. 100
When should parents stop kissing their kids on the lips? A quick Google search shows there are people on both sides of the aisle. It wasn't what society said for Nicholas but how it made him feel when his mother still kissed him on the mouth as an adult. _____ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at secretlifepodcast.com. ______ To share your secret and be a guest on the show email secr...
May 02, 2022•34 min•Ep. 99
Liz has been keeping her cigarette smoking a secret from friends, family, and co-workers for decades. Throughout the episode, Liz shares how the smoking (and the hiding of it) keep her unavailable in every area of her life, especially intimate relationships. ______ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at secretlifepodcast.com. ______ To share your secret and be a guest on the show email...
Apr 25, 2022•34 min•Ep. 98
Growing up, Courtney's mother was often working two to three jobs and had to focus on her sister, who often acted out. So Courtney did her best to stay out of the way and not be a problem. The only problem was that they assumed she was fine and didn't receive the love and validation she truly needed. ______ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at secretlifepodcast.com. ______ To share y...
Apr 18, 2022•28 min•Ep. 97
There's so much stigma around herpes that it's not surprising that Bianca didn't want to share that information with her partners. What is shocking is the number of people that ACTUALLY have herpes—An estimated 491 million people aged 15–49 (13%) worldwide have HSV-2 infection (HSV-2 is a sexually transmitted infection that causes genital herpes.) Like Brianne and Mark, Bianca has created multiple platforms to help others break barriers and bust through stigmas! In this episode, she courageously...
Apr 11, 2022•26 min•Ep. 96
Chris was born in China but grew up in the states in a primarily white community and was encouraged to be American and leave his Chinese culture behind. The only real exception was his Tiger Mom’s continuous control over him and his future. _____ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at secretlifepodcast.com. ______ To share your secret and be a guest on the show email secretlifepodcast@...
Apr 04, 2022•28 min•Ep. 95
Searching for attention and a means to support her daughter as a single mother, Kat put herself in situations that were not only dangerous, they prolonged and fed her alcohol and drug addiction. _____ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at secretlifepodcast.com. ______ To share your secret and be a guest on the show email secretlifepodcast@icloud.com _____ SECRET LIFE’S TOPICS INCLUDE:...
Mar 28, 2022•40 min•Ep. 94
Is Video Game Addiction Real? It’s great to do things you enjoy. But can you go too far with a hobby? And at what point does it become an addiction? That’s the question experts are trying to answer about playing video games. The World Health Organization added “gaming disorder” to the 2018 version of its medical reference book, International Classification of Diseases . But the American Psychiatry Association’s manual, the DSM-5, didn’t. (So far, gambling is the only “activity” listed as a possi...
Mar 21, 2022•26 min•Ep. 93
Dee’s parents were victims of generational trauma and abuse that shut them off emotionally and held them back from living their truth. Dee’s is a story of forgiveness, her willingness to allow her son to be who he is, and the sadness for her father, who never allowed himself that freedom. _____ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at secretlifepodcast.com. ______ To share your secret an...
Mar 14, 2022•30 min•Ep. 92
The more Joe looked at porn and the more deeply he got into those fantasies, the fantasy of porn became his reality, and the reality of having sex with another person became fantasy. There is so much to unpack in this episode. You’ll hear how through therapy, Joe discovered the hidden reasons for his sexual anorexia and how he overcame those fears and found himself with a sex surrogate. Surrogate Partner Therapy is a form of therapy based on the successful methods of Masters and Johnson. In this...
Mar 07, 2022•47 min•Ep. 91
While still deep in her addiction, Susan married a sociopath and was trauma bonded with him for the first four years of her sober journey; he continued to drink daily while she focused on staying sober even through the abuse. Once she finally found the strength to walk away, her husband continued to stalk and harass her up until the day he decided to end his life. She shares her story today to help others that may be trapped in an abusive relationship or suffer from alcoholism. Her's is a messag...
Feb 28, 2022•32 min•Ep. 90
Another acronym for FEAR... F*ck Everything And Run. I think we can all relate to Jeff's story about his youth, unrequited love, anger, forgiveness, and transformation. _____ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse, depression or just feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at secretlifepodcast.com. ______ To share your secret and be a guest on the show email secretlifepodcast@icloud.com _____ TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE INCLUDE fear, r...
Feb 21, 2022•32 min•Ep. 89
HEY SINGLE MEN - If you live near West LA and you're between 33 and 45 and you don't smoke and you don't have a cat and you're actually single and you're not going to send me a D*** pic and you're vaccinated... FIND ME! — Jen Levin Jen is back for a follow-up episode ( Ep #83 The Horrors of Online Dating—D*ck Pics, Married Men & Ghosting ) with even more outrageous dating stories and a beautiful vulnerability to share her truth. _____ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, d...
Feb 14, 2022•29 min•Ep. 88
We all do it, don't we? Someone does something terrible to us, and we spend hours, days, months, sometimes even a lifetime thinking about this person; what they did, how they wronged us, what we would do when we see them again and let it taint our perception of our life. _____ If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, depression, trauma, sexual abuse or feeling overwhelmed, we've compiled a list of resources at secretlifepodcast.com. ______ To share your secret and be a guest on th...
Feb 07, 2022•27 min•Ep. 87
