249. Five More Minutes: Kaela Demerjian on Why Recovery Sometimes Means Just Staying

Summary:

Kaela Demerjian’s story begins with chaos. Growing up in Orange County, she never felt like she belonged anywhere. By middle school she was struggling with self harm, depression, and drugs, eventually landing in psych wards and even being tased by police during a suicide crisis. She got sober young, but sobriety alone didn’t fix the pain. For years she searched for belonging everywhere: punk houses in Oakland, activism, yoga, marriage, and even a new life in France. But the emptiness followed her until she finally discovered the one thing she had been missing all along.

In this conversation, Kaela shares how real recovery began when she stopped trying to do it alone and found community in AA and Al-Anon. Through guidance, spirituality, and the support of people who understood her struggle, she slowly learned that recovery isn’t about fixing everything overnight. Sometimes it’s about staying when you want to run. Sometimes it’s about surviving the next five minutes. Today, 14 years sober, Kaela reflects on the long road from self destruction to self acceptance and the power of community, humility, and faith in building a life she never thought was possible.

What listeners will learn:

• Why sobriety alone doesn’t always solve the deeper pain behind addiction

• The difference between abstinence and real recovery

• How community and guidance can change the trajectory of recovery

• Why many people feel lost even after they stop drinking or using

• How codependency and the need to belong can shape addiction and relationships

• The role AA and Al-Anon can play in building healthy support systems

• How to survive overwhelming emotional pain one small step at a time

• Why recovery sometimes means simply staying for the next five minutes

• How spiritual growth and humility can become powerful tools for healing

• What it looks like to build a meaningful life after years of chaos

Kaela's Instagram: @KaelaDemerjian

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaelasaez/