What if the first voice you hear in the morning tells you you're worthless?

This episode goes beyond addiction, into belonging, rage, and the fight to feel worthy.

Tommy Morris returns for part two of our raw, real, and transformational conversation and this time, we're diving into the messy middle of recovery. The shame. The resistance to love. The desperate need to belong.

If you've ever woken up with a heavy head and thought, "What am I even doing here?" this episode is for you.

We're talking about what it really means to heal the beliefs that kept you stuck. The ones that say you're unlovable, unworthy, too much. And we're walking straight into the tender truth: that you can build new belonging. But only when you're brave enough to let people in.

Tommy doesn't hold back about the rage, the knee-jerk reactions, the moment he nearly became a pimp (yes, really), and how picking up the phone saved his life. Again and again.

I'll be honest, this one gave me goosebumps.

In part two of my conversation with Tommy, we move from chaos to clarity. From self-pity as a comfort blanket to the unshakable power of human connection.

You'll hear how Tommy rewrote the story of who he thought he had to be - tough, invulnerable, always on guard and learned to accept love, even when it made him squirm.

We talk about his daily rituals, the friends who became family, and why saying "I'm lonely" can be the most courageous thing a person in recovery will ever do.

This isn't just about addiction, it's about identity, trust, and learning how to belong without betraying yourself.

If you're in a funk, spiralling in your head, or scared to reach out, this episode will meet you where you are and remind you: you're not alone. And you never have to be again.

What You'll Learn:

• How to catch your thoughts before they spiral into shame

• What real support looks like and why it often starts with strangers

• The surprising reason we resist affirmation (even when we crave it)

• Why old habits feel like safety, and how to build new 'warm blankets'

• How group belonging can rewire your relationship with trust

• The mindset shift that helps you trade judgment for curiosity

Resources & Links:
Need support with addiction or recovery? You are not alone. Start here:

Narcotics Anonymous - https://na.org
Alcoholics Anonymous - https://aa.org

Listen & Subscribe:

Don't miss the final part of Tommy's journey next week, follow the show on Apple or Spotify and get new episodes as soon as they drop.

Love what you're hearing?

Here's what one listener said about part one:
"I cried listening to Tommy's story. The honesty hit me in the gut, I felt less alone."

This is your reminder that you don't need fixing, you just need tools. And I'm here with you, every step of the way.

This episode was produced by Key Step Support - www.keystepsupport.com

When you've never felt loved, you'll chase belonging anywhere, even when it leads you down a path you never meant to take.

Tommy Morris didn't start using drugs to get high. He used them to feel less alone.
In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Tommy shares the early story that shaped his addiction, growing up in a home full of alcohol, silence, and violence, where vulnerability was punished and affection was absent.

By the time he was 11, drugs became his way out. Not of the house, but of his feelings. What started with smoking weed in the woods with other lost kids quickly became a spiral into heroin, crack, prison, and shame. But that's not where this story ends. It's where it begins.

This is Part 1 of a 3-part series with Tommy, a journey through chaos, connection, and the long road to recovery.

What You'll Learn:
• Why emotional neglect can be more damaging than violence
• How addiction often starts with the need to feel safe
• The real reason so many boys learn to numb, not feel
• What belonging looks like when you've never known love
• How Tommy's childhood laid the groundwork for prison, not possibility
• The moment he realised: this doesn't have to be my life

Resources & Links:
Need support with addiction or recovery? You are not alone. Start here:

Narcotics Anonymous - https://na.org
Alcoholics Anonymous - https://aa.org

Listen & Subscribe:

Don't miss Part 2, where Tommy shares how recovery finally started to stick, and the one moment that changed everything.

Follow Who Do You Think You Are Talking To on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode.

If this moved you, share it:

You never know who needs to hear Tommy's story. Forward it to a friend, post it on your socials, or leave a review to help more people find their way home to themselves.

Remember:

You don't need fixing.
You need space to feel.
You need tools to stay.
And you need people who see all of you, and stay anyway.

I'm here. With you. Every step of the way.

Still dreading that one question, that one look, that one comment? This is the episode that shows you how to stop hinting, start speaking up, and finally feel calm, clear, and in control, without the emotional hangover.

You promised yourself it would be different this year… but it's happening again.
Your throat tightens. Your shoulders rise. Someone makes a comment or expects too much, and suddenly you're doing what you've always done - smiling, swallowing it, and telling yourself, "It's not worth it."

You go home exhausted. Resentful. Drained.
And then you replay the whole thing in your head.

In Part 1, we talked about saying no to your own behavior, the people-pleasing, perfectionism, and emotional over-functioning.

Now, in Part 2, we're going deeper. Because no amount of self-awareness will change your life unless you learn how to ask for what you need.

And no, this doesn't require confrontation, drama, or blowing up at the wrong person.
It just requires clarity. Calm. Courage. And the emotional skills most of us were never taught.

This episode is your invitation to stop bottling it up, and start showing up - for real.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why hinting doesn't help - and what to say instead

• The one sentence that will instantly shift your communication style

• 3 go-to frameworks to ask for what you need (without guilt)

• How to model emotional safety when someone else shuts down

• What to do when a loved one's comment reopens an old wound

• How to quietly set boundaries without confrontation or drama

• Why real change doesn't happen when the calendar flips, it happens when you do

Resources

Holiday Boundary Blueprint: Your cheat sheet for dodging drama at the dinner table.
https://preview.mailerlite.io/forms/816991/173971389271770683/share

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❤️ Remember:
You don't need permission to need what you need.
You don't have to confront everyone to set a boundary.
And you don't have to disappear to keep the peace.

You're allowed to change. You're allowed to speak up. You're allowed to take up space.

And every time you do, it's not just a win for you, it's a pattern you're rewriting for everyone who comes after you.