Hard seasons don't look the same for everyone — and they don't arrive on the same timeline.

In this episode of Rated Mom, Heather, Dena, and Jessica share personal stories from different difficult seasons of their lives: financial uncertainty, addiction and recovery, caregiving through terminal illness, panic attacks, grief, and the work of healing afterward.

We talk about how these experiences shaped our boundaries, challenged our faith, forced self-reflection, and changed how we show up for ourselves and others. This isn't a comparison of pain or a dramatic collapse — it's an honest conversation about navigating hardship in our own ways and finding strength through support, accountability, and grace.

If you're walking through a hard season that doesn't look like anyone else's — this episode is a reminder that there's no "right" way to survive it. And you don't have to do it alone.

Timestamps

00:01:04 Financial uncertainty and taking action anyway
00:01:54 Feeling disconnected from yourself
00:04:06 Caregiving through terminal illness
00:08:06 Grief, loss, and emotional aftermath
00:14:41 How loss reshapes priorities
00:23:09 Recovery, accountability, and relapse prevention
00:32:59 Setting boundaries to protect mental health
00:36:25 Different forms of addiction and hidden struggles
00:43:17 Shame, stigma, and owning your past
00:45:24 Why addiction isn't about willpower
00:47:27 Trauma from overdose experiences
00:48:32 Spiritual moments in recovery

If this conversation resonated with you, follow Rated Mom and save this episode so you can come back to it. Sharing it with another woman walking through a hard season could matter more than you realize

Powerful Quotes from the Episode

Dena:
"I was really unhappy. I didn't even recognize myself."

Heather:
"My panic attacks were out of control. I couldn't sleep. And then Marty died — and I carried all of that grief."

Dena:
"Looking back, I can see where God literally carried me through situations where I should be dead."

Healing doesn't erase the past, it proves you survived it, and that survival can become someone else's hope

RESOURCES:

🌐 Website: https://www.ratedmom.com/
🔗 Links: https://linktr.ee/ratedmom

Follow the hosts:
• Dena: https://www.facebook.com/share/1YYxWExz9R/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Heather: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DSnFyt4Gk/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Jessica: https://www.facebook.com/share/1D1f3e9iKD/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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🎙️ Podcast produced and edited by ResilientVoiceMedia.com

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