What Happens When You Stop Lying to Yourself?
Manage episode 478681010 series 3490806
Chad Aranzonzo, veteran and cousin of host Noel, shares his powerful journey from rock bottom to recovery after waking up in the hospital from alcohol poisoning and seeing the pain on his mother's face.
• Serving in the military taught Chad to accept death, creating a mindset he couldn't turn off in civilian life
• After returning home, Chad drank heavily to numb PTSD symptoms, eventually reaching two bottles a day
• January 19th, 2023 became his turning point when he woke up in the hospital after vomiting blood
• Recovery forced him to face his trauma without alcohol, describing it as "looking in a broken mirror"
• Learning to identify self-deception and the "armor" he created as protection mechanisms
• Discovering that authentic connections require first being honest with yourself
• The profound weight lifted when truly forgiving others and himself for the first time
• Finding glimpses of happiness and working toward peace as his ultimate goal
• Valuing genuine presence over empty words: "Just sit there, man, I know who you are"
• Shuffling forward every day: "It's going to get worse, but the better is way worth it"
https://www.serenitycovetemecula.com
Chapters
1. Meeting Chad: Hitting Rock Bottom (00:00:00)
2. PTSD and Numbing the Pain (00:07:16)
3. Learning to Look Inward (00:16:02)
4. Breaking Through Armor and Self-Deception (00:22:53)
5. Finding Peace and Accepting Love (00:31:17)
6. Genuine Connection and Moving Forward (00:38:09)
68 episodes