Chapter 3 Stigma

Kyle Layne

Chapter 3 Stigma began as an answer to one question: What would you tell someone who is struggling with addiction right now? It is the original recovery podcast from Kyle Layne, author of the forthcoming memoir Chasing Control. Through honest conversations about addiction, faith, family, loss, sobriety, and repair, the show explores what it means to stop hiding, tell the truth, and become trustworthy again. The work continues through More Than Capable, where recovery becomes a broader practice of faith, discipline, community, and rebuilding a life that can hold the truth.

  1. 2d ago

    Chasing Control Is Here: Join the Early Movement + a Listener-Only Launch Week Special | EP019

    Chasing Control is officially out in the world. I wrote this book for my children. But as early readers have begun sharing what they saw in its pages—addiction, recovery, grief, faith, fear, family, honesty and hope—I know the story will impact far more people than I ever imagined. This is a short, personal launch-week episode about what this moment means, some of the early reactions that have stopped me in my tracks, and how you can help this story reach the people who may need it. LAUNCH WEEK SPECIAL: The Chasing Control Kindle edition is just $0.99 during launch week. If you’ve been thinking about reading it, this is the week to jump in. 👉 GET CHASING CONTROL HERE If you want to help carry this work forward: • Buy the ebook during launch week — even if you’re also grabbing the paperback or hardcover.• Read it and leave an honest rating and review on Amazon. Early reviews make an enormous difference for an independently published book. Follow this link to leave a review on your book order.• Share it with someone. If a person came to mind while you were listening, send them the book or this episode. This is bigger to me than selling copies of a book. Chasing Control is one part of a body of work about what happens when ordinary people stop hiding, face what is true, and discover what they are capable of walking through. And I’m not finished. One of the next goals is producing the author-narrated audiobook of Chasing Control. If you believe in this work and want to help build what comes next, you can become a sustaining member of More Than Capable on Patreon. 👉 SUPPORT MORE THAN CAPABLE ON PATREON 👉 SUBSCRIBE TO THE MORE THAN CAPABLE SUBSTACK Thank you to every person who has walked beside my family, read an early copy, sent a message, shared the work, prayed for us, challenged me, or simply stayed close. My daughter’s life mattered. What my family has walked through matters. And if telling the truth about it helps someone else feel less alone—or gives them the courage to face something they’ve been avoiding—then this work is doing exactly what I hope it will do. Chasing Control: From Bottle to Death to Lifeby Kyle Layne

    Chasing Control Is Here: Join the Early Movement + a Listener-Only Launch Week Special | EP019
  2. 12/31/2025

    When Recovery Isn’t the Whole Story

    👉 This conversation continues on the More Than Capable podcast. Subscribe here: Apple Podcast [Click Here] Spotify [Click Here] YouTube [Click Here] To hear the full episode and continue forward with this work, please pause here and subscribe to the More Than Capable podcast on your listening platform of choice. Do you need immediate help? Suicide Hotline - 988 Substance Abuse and Mental Health hotline - 1-800-662-4357 Want to reach out? Find us on: Instagram (@chapter3stigma) YouTube (@Chapter3Stigma) Chapter 3 Stigma Substack This episode marks an important turning point for Chapter 3 Stigma. In this conversation, I’m joined by my wife Alyssa to talk openly about why this body of work is being intentionally sunset — not abandoned — and how it’s evolving into something broader, deeper, and more aligned with where this journey has led. Chapter 3 Stigma was created for people at their lowest point — those battling addiction, shame, isolation, and the belief that they were beyond help. Its purpose was always clarity, accessibility, and hope. Short, honest episodes meant to meet someone in the depths of despair and remind them they weren’t alone. Over time, however, the conversation expanded beyond addiction itself. Recovery didn’t end the work — it revealed it. Together, Alyssa and I reflect on: Why growth sometimes requires letting go of what once served you The hidden work of recovery that begins after sobriety How identity, self-belief, and discipline are rebuilt in small, unglamorous steps The tension between accepting who you are and knowing there’s more ahead And why community — not motivation — is what carries people forward Chapter 3 Stigma will remain available as a resource for those in early recovery and for loved ones seeking understanding. There will be a small number of final episodes released here to thoughtfully close this chapter, with a focus on relationships, family, and life after recovery begins. This isn’t an ending. It’s a widening of the lens. If this work has ever helped you, please consider subscribing, rating, and sharing. Those simple actions help this message reach people who are still quietly searching for a way through. You are not alone. You are loved. And you are more capable than you think. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Chapter 3 Stigma 01:01 Transition to More Than Capable 02:43 Reflections on Past Conversations 07:22 The Purpose of Chapter 3 Stigma 10:19 Navigating Recovery and Relationships 11:48 The Garbage Can Sticker Project 16:59 The Concept of More Than Capable 22:11 The Journey of Self-Belief 28:38 The Human Experience of Struggle

  3. 11/05/2025

    From Loss to Leadership: Building Community After a Stillbirth with Zach Tauscher | Ep 71

    Do you need immediate help? Suicide Hotline - 988 Substance Abuse and Mental Health hotline - 1-800-662-4357 Want to reach out? Find us on: Instagram (@chapter3stigma) YouTube (@Chapter3Stigma) Chapter 3 Stigma Substack After losing their daughters — Lucy and Brynlee — cousins Kyle and Zach found themselves walking parallel paths through unimaginable loss and slow, patient healing. In this powerful conversation, Zach shares the story of Brynlee's stillbirth and how he and his wife, began rebuilding their lives while honoring her memory. Together, Kyle and Zach open up about the unseen side of grief, the guilt that fathers often carry, and how men can learn to grieve out loud instead of in silence. Zach explains how he transformed his pain into purpose — starting a local support group for parents navigating pregnancy and infant loss, speaking publicly for the first time, and finding meaning by helping others heal. This episode is for anyone learning to live after loss — parents, partners, or friends trying to understand what it means to move forward with both love and grief in hand. Topics Covered: Grief, guilt, and the father’s role in loss The power of community and shared healing How men can process emotion without shame Turning tragedy into purpose and leadership Chapters 00:00 — Introduction 03:40 — Brynlee’s Story: The Day Everything Changed10:55 — Grieving as a Father: Isolation and Silent Pain18:30 — The Unseen Weight: Guilt, Faith, and Questions Without Answers26:15 — Communicating Grief: Marriage, Family, and Support Systems34:10 — Finding Purpose in Pain: The Early Stages of Healing42:55 — Building Community: The Birth of the Support Group51:45 — Leadership Through Vulnerability58:20 — Hope and Legacy: Keeping Brinley’s Memory Alive1:04:40 — Closing Reflections: Living Forward with Love and Grief

  4. 10/22/2025

    The Science & Heart of Alcohol Recovery with Dr. Amy Swift | Ep. 70

    Do you need immediate help? Suicide Hotline - 988 Substance Abuse and Mental Health hotline - 1-800-662-4357 Want to reach out? Find us on: Instagram (@chapter3stigma) YouTube (@Chapter3Stigma) Chapter 3 Stigma Substack What actually happens inside rehab? What keeps people in recovery after they leave? Dr. Amy Swift, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Silver Hill Hospital, joins Kyle to pull back the curtain on the clinical and emotional sides of recovery. Silver Hill Hospital Website They explore: The difference between inpatient, residential, and outpatient programs—and how families fit into each. Why recovery starts with small, “chewable” steps (and what “holding hope” really means). How DBT tools like emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness reduce relapse risk. The power of family involvement—and how loved ones can help without enabling. The truth about co-occurring disorders (depression, anxiety, bipolar) hiding under addiction. What happens after rehab—discharge plans, emotional reactivity, and rebuilding relationships over time. Dr. Swift’s blend of clinical expertise and human compassion offers a roadmap for anyone touched by addiction—patients, families, and professionals alike. Chapters 00:00 Welcome & Dr. Smith Intro 01:08 Why This Conversation Matters 03:04 What Is Silver Hill Hospital 04:25 Inpatient vs Outpatient Explained 06:22 Who Decides the Right Program 07:15 When Families Bring Someone In 10:31 The Fear of Rehab & Early Resistance 12:43 The Family’s Role in Recovery 14:12 Post-Rehab Reality 16:30 DBT & Emotional Skills for Recovery 17:30 Using Conflict as Growth 18:00 Discharge Plans & Perfectionism 21:18 Recovery Is a Marathon 22:28 Family Week at Silver Hill 23:38 When the Family Isn’t Ready 25:35 Addiction Within Relationships 26:24 Dr. Swift’s Journey Into Addiction Medicine 28:11 Finding Confidence as a Clinician 29:46 Redefining Success & Holding Hope 31:29 Emotional Boundaries & Letting Go 33:15 Building Resilience as a Healer 36:44 Women, Shame & Motherhood in Recovery 38:01 Kyle’s Story: Leaving Family to Heal 41:30 Healing Parental Guilt & Late-Stage Redemption 43:19 The Light Returning Gratitude in Recovery 45:17 Co-Occurring Disorders Explained 50:48 Facing Emotions After Detox 51:29 Feeling Again 53:04 Advice for Families & Society 54:25 Closing Reflections

About

Chapter 3 Stigma began as an answer to one question: What would you tell someone who is struggling with addiction right now? It is the original recovery podcast from Kyle Layne, author of the forthcoming memoir Chasing Control. Through honest conversations about addiction, faith, family, loss, sobriety, and repair, the show explores what it means to stop hiding, tell the truth, and become trustworthy again. The work continues through More Than Capable, where recovery becomes a broader practice of faith, discipline, community, and rebuilding a life that can hold the truth.