Recovery: The Whole Enchilada

Peg McDermott & Heather Hagaman
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Weekly

Rising Stronger on the Journey to Wholeness & Healing  Recovery: The Whole Enchilada" is a podcast dedicated to exploring the intricate layers of healing and transformation within the recovery community and among individuals seeking personal growth and fulfillment. Inspired by the metaphor of the enchilada's layers, we delve deep into the journey of recovery, unpacking the complexities, challenges, and triumphs that come with seeking holistic wellness. Join us as we navigate the twists and turns of the recovery process, offering insights, guidance, and inspiration for those craving the "whole enchilada" of healing and transformation.And check out our website at https://www.recoverythewholeenchilada.com/  

  1. 2d ago

    Facing Life's Unfairness: The Journey of Why Me?"

    Send us Fan Mail Why Me? Shifting from Self-Pity to “What Now?” in Recovery  Hosts Peg McDermott and co-host Heather Hagaman discuss the common recovery question “Why me?” and how focusing on life’s unfairness can fuel self-pity, resentment, and avoidance of responsibility.  They explore the difference between honoring real pain and letting it become an identity, and describe how the 12 steps helped them stop blaming external circumstances and start living life on life’s terms.  The conversation reframes “why me?” into “why not me?” and “what now?”, emphasizing gratitude, spiritual fitness, and asking what lessons or service opportunities difficult experiences can offer.  They share personal examples, including health scares and family backgrounds, and address the added challenge of witnessing unfairness happening to others, encouraging presence, acceptance, and action where possible. 00:00 Welcome And Topic 00:54 Life Isnt Fair 03:05 Why Me Mindset 03:56 Steps And Responsibility 07:13 Reframe To What Now 09:46 Why Not Me Practice 14:31 Bring It On Story 19:55 Service And Connection 21:12 Unfairness In World 23:57 Closing Reflections

  2. Oct 28

    Bringing Recovery Into the “Normie” World: Selective Honesty, Boundaries, and Staying Authentic

    Send us Fan Mail Bringing Recovery Into the “Normie” World: Selective Honesty, Boundaries, and Staying Authentic Hosts Peg McDermott and Heather Hageman discuss the critical transition from being deeply immersed in recovery (treatment, therapy, or 12-step rooms) back into ordinary life where people may not be used to intimate, emotionally honest conversation. They explore maintaining anchors and routines, making small environmental changes, and taking baby steps into safer spaces like church and yoga before broader social settings. The episode emphasizes “selective honesty,” distinguishing privacy from secrecy, and choosing who has earned the right to hear your story to avoid oversharing, shame, or shocking others. They share strategies like dropping recovery jargon, redirecting conversations through curious listening, practicing restraint of tongue, and responding simply about not drinking. They also highlight being of service without judging “normies,” and close with a metaphor of treating your story like a rare museum piece shared with care. 00:00 Welcome and Topic Setup 01:05 Reentry Shock After Recovery 01:51 Protect Your Routine First 02:49 Selective Honesty With Normies 03:52 Finding Safe Spaces Church and Yoga 05:19 Peg’s Authenticity Learning Curve 08:12 Small Talk and Being of Service 10:31 Oversharing and Contempt Trap 15:06 Drop the Jargon Share Principles 18:51 Privacy Not Secrecy 20:40 Listening Restraint and Anonymity 25:06 Museum Piece Metaphor Closing

  3. Oct 11

    Sober Intimacy: Learning to Feel Safe, Seen, and Known in Recovery

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Recovery: The Whole Enchilada, host Peg McDermott and co-host Heather Hageman explore sober intimacy and why it can feel terrifying in recovery.  They discuss intimacy as “into me, see,” rebuilding trust with oneself after addiction, learning to sit with uncomfortable emotions, and moving beyond equating intimacy with sex. Heather shares how alcohol fueled transactional relationships, fear of being known, and objectification, while recovery has taught her vulnerability, respect, and connection through friendships and spirituality.  They emphasize safety, therapy with trauma-informed professionals, navigating triggers and past non-consent experiences, avoiding swapping addictions, and delaying romantic relationships in early sobriety. Practical guidance includes sober dating plans, red flags, boundaries, communication, and aligning words with actions, emphasizing that real intimacy doesn’t require “liquid courage,” only authentic presence. 00:00 Welcome and Topic Setup 00:46 Into Me See Meaning 02:32 Sex Versus Intimacy 06:39 Trauma Safety and Consent 09:09 Early Recovery Dating Advice 14:58 Sober Dating Plan 19:27 Marriage Communication and Triggers 21:50 Friendship Higher Power and Self Worth 27:02 Closing Takeaways and Farewell

  4. Sep 28

    Love & Tolerance in Recovery: Compassion With Boundaries

    Send us Fan Mail Host Peg McDermott and co-host Heather Hageman discuss the recovery principle “love and tolerance of others is our code,” clarifying that it doesn’t require approving, agreeing with, or endlessly enduring harmful behavior.  They explore how compassion can coexist with truth-telling, boundaries, and refusing chaos, including Peg’s experience supporting a longtime friend facing prescription pill abuse and withdrawal while turning her over to a Higher Power and protecting her own wellbeing.  Heather reflects on how intolerance shows up as “they should do it my way,” fueling resentment, disconnection, and victim thinking, and how recovery calls for honesty, grace, and accepting reality without taking others’ inventory.  Together they distinguish healthy vs. unhealthy tolerance and emphasize healing the stories we attach to others’ behavior to preserve emotional sobriety and serenity. 00:00 Welcome and Topic 00:30 Love Tolerance Boundaries 02:27 Friend in Crisis 05:40 Defining Intolerance 09:06 Victimhood and Drama 12:04 Spiritual Medicine 14:12 Triggered by Victim Thinking 19:46 Stories Meaning and Healing 24:20 Wisdom of Our Code 27:09 Closing Thanks

  5. Aug 28

    From Self-Doubt to Self-Trust: Transformative Stories

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Recovery: The Whole Enchilada, hosts Peg McDermott and co-host Heather Hageman explore trust as a foundational part of recovery—learning to become trustworthy, rebuilding trust with others, and trusting the process and a higher power.  Heather shares how early sobriety began with “putting a plug in the jug,” showing up one day at a time, and recognizing when people aren’t safe, including a story of a friend pushing alcohol on her after she said she wasn’t drinking.  Peg reflects on coming from a dysregulated home, struggling with self-trust and broken commitments, and rebuilding trust through small promises, honesty, and noticing bodily signals. They discuss evaluating congruence between words and actions, patterns, boundaries, grace, and making amends through changed behavior, ending with the idea that trust isn’t found—it’s practiced daily.   00:00 Welcome and Topic 00:53 Trust Starts Within 02:50 Boundaries and Triggers 05:22 Rebuilding Self Trust 09:09 Redefining Trust 11:04 Body Signals and Safety 13:32 Words Versus Actions 17:45 Amends and Being Trustworthy 18:55 Police Story Breakthrough 24:38 Trust the Process 28:39 Daily Practice and Closing

  6. Jul 6

    25 Years Sober—Finding Purpose Through Compassion, Service, and Contentment

    Send us Fan Mail Host Peg McDermott and co-host Heather Hageman reflect on sobriety anniversaries, including Peg’s 25 years sober since choosing July 4th in a relapse prevention group, and use the milestone to explore purpose in recovery. Heather connects her trauma work to a shift from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” and finally “What are you going to do with this?”, emphasizing nervous-system dysregulation, self-compassion, and embodied healing.    Both describe how alcohol once soothed self-hatred, loneliness, and chameleon-like coping, and how recovery becomes an evolutionary process of subtracting false layers to reveal love and service. Heather shares yoga’s concept of santosha (contentment) and small daily purposes, while Peg discusses compassion for her alcoholic father, forgiveness, and living sober without using alcohol or people to cope.   00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:58 Sobriety Anniversary Story 02:43 From Wrong to What Happened 04:24 Finding Purpose in Recovery 06:49 Peg on Identity and Alcohol 13:54 Self Compassion and Healing 16:07 Embodiment and Contentment 20:32 Living Love and Service 23:38 Forgiveness and Family Patterns 29:12 Purpose Finds Us Closing 29:59 Outro and Subscribe

  7. Jun 21

    Am I an Alcoholic? Habit vs. Addiction, Denial, and the Questions That Matter

    Send us Fan Mail Host Peg McDermott and co-host Heather Hagaman discuss the question “Are you an alcoholic?” prompted by a listener who doesn’t identify as having an addiction but wonders if the podcast applies to them.  They explore how “habit” and “addiction” differ, how stereotypes and denial can hide problem drinking, and share personal timelines of escalating consequences, cravings, blackouts, DUIs, and minimizing behavior. They describe addiction as a chronic brain disease marked by psychological and physical compulsion, continued use despite negative consequences, and “alcohol noise,” and note that labels must be self-identified.  They offer self-check questions about control, failed attempts to cut back, time and money spent, impacts on relationships and responsibilities, and emphasize that recovery involves addressing underlying emotional pain, boundaries, and broader life challenges beyond drinking. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:22 Am I an Alcoholic 02:40 Peg’s Drinking Wake Up Call 05:00 Heather’s Realization Story 08:50 Alcoholic Stereotypes and Family 11:58 Habits vs Addiction Explained 13:52 DUI and Legal Consequences 17:28 Denial Rules and Cravings 21:37 Addiction as Nervous System Strategy 22:34 Self Check Questions and Alcohol Noise 29:08 Beyond Substances Whole Enchilada Recovery 31:46 Closing and Subscribe

  8. Jun 1

    Experiencing Death in Sobriety: Grief, Relapse Risk, and Staying Connected

    Send us Fan Mail Hosts Peg McDermott and Heather Hagaman discuss experiencing death in sobriety, contrasting sudden losses with expected deaths and how both can dysregulate the body and trigger fear.  Heather shares the shock of a close friend dying soon after retirement and how she leaned on support, service, and self-care even when attending a celebration of life at a bar.  Peg recounts losing her mother early in sobriety, restarting smoking but not drinking, and relying on sober community, therapy, and a parent-loss grief group; she also describes being present and making clear decisions during funerals and end-of-life care for both parents.  They address relapse statistics, the fatal risks of relapse, suicide in recovery, and the need to reach out, watch isolation, plan for milestones, feel feelings, and seek professional help when needed, emphasizing that no one has to grieve alone.   00:00 Welcome and Topic 02:15 Sudden Loss Story 05:12 Peg on Losing Mom 09:07 Support and Closure 13:01 Relapse and Suicide Risk 16:44 Grief and Nervous System 21:17 Hidden Trauma Unpacked 25:14 Milestones and Planning 29:56 Relationship Grief Too 31:00 Final Takeaways and Goodbye

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Rising Stronger on the Journey to Wholeness & Healing  Recovery: The Whole Enchilada" is a podcast dedicated to exploring the intricate layers of healing and transformation within the recovery community and among individuals seeking personal growth and fulfillment. Inspired by the metaphor of the enchilada's layers, we delve deep into the journey of recovery, unpacking the complexities, challenges, and triumphs that come with seeking holistic wellness. Join us as we navigate the twists and turns of the recovery process, offering insights, guidance, and inspiration for those craving the "whole enchilada" of healing and transformation.And check out our website at https://www.recoverythewholeenchilada.com/  

Information

  • Creator
    Peg McDermott & Heather Hagaman
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Recovery: The Whole Enchilada
  • Show Website
    Recovery: The Whole Enchilada