What if the behaviours you were punished for…labelled for…or shamed about…were never the problem at all? In this deeply honest and confronting episode of Suddenly Different, Leigh-Anne Sharland is joined by Jason Blyth, a youth advocate and speaker whose life was shaped by extreme childhood trauma, violence, neglect, and systemic failure. Together, Leigh-Anne and Jason explore what happens when children grow up in environments where safety is unpredictable, adults are carrying unhealed wounds, and survival becomes the first language the nervous system learns. Jason shares his lived experience of growing up in a violent home, being misunderstood and misdiagnosed by the systems meant to protect him, turning to addiction as a survival strategy, and eventually reaching a “suddenly different” moment where choice became the way out. This is not a story about blame.It’s a conversation about truth.About how behaviour is often communication.About how addiction is often an attempt to cope.And about how rewriting the story begins when we stop asking, “What’s wrong with you?” and start asking, “What happened to you?” Together, Leigh-Anne and Jason also turn their attention to youth advocacy and systemic change — questioning how child protection, education, and mental health systems continue to fail vulnerable children, and what must change if we want a safer future for the next generation. This episode is for: anyone who grew up in chaos and learned to adapt to survive parents and educators wanting to understand behaviour through a trauma-aware lens leaders and policymakers willing to confront uncomfortable truths and young people who need to hear this clearly: You were never the problem. 📝 Show NotesIn this episode, we explore: What it feels like to grow up without consistent safety or emotional protection How childhood trauma shapes identity, behaviour, and nervous system responses Why so many children are mislabelled instead of supported Addiction as a survival strategy, not a moral failure Jason’s “suddenly different” moment and the power of daily choice The role of one safe adult in changing a child’s trajectory Why systems focused on symptoms continue to fail vulnerable children The urgent need for trauma-literate education, parenting, and policy How rewriting the story begins with reclaiming agency and authorship Key TakeawayBehaviour is not the problem.Pain is not the problem.Survival strategies are not the problem. The problem is systems that don’t listen, environments that aren’t safe, and a culture that mistakes adaptation for defiance. And the solution begins with one brave truth:You are not broken. You were adapting. Support NoteThis episode includes discussion of childhood trauma, violence, abuse, addiction, and mental health challenges. Please listen with care. If this conversation brings up difficult emotions, consider reaching out to someone you trust or a professional support service in your area. In Australia, Lifeline is available 24/7 on 13 11 14. About the PodcastSuddenly Different is a podcast about the moments that change everything — and what we choose to become next.Hosted by Leigh-Anne Sharland, the show explores lived experience, nervous system truth, identity shifts, and the second-order consequences of life upheavals.
