Letting go of control is terrifying when control has been the only thing keeping you together.

That’s where Beth McDonough was, using alcohol to manage what she couldn’t say out loud, couldn’t process, and couldn’t put down. What started as a way to cope with Trauma became something with a grip of its own. And working in crime reporting only made it harder to put the weight down at the end of the day.

In this episode, Lyndsay Soprano sits down with Beth McDonough for one of the most honest conversations the show has had about addiction, shame, and what recovery actually looks like when you’re in the middle of it. Not the cleaned-up version. The real one.

This episode is for anyone who has ever used something — anything — to survive a version of themselves they didn’t know how to face. Recovery is not a straight line. Beth’s story is proof that it doesn’t have to be.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

Episode Highlights:
(00:00) Introduction to Chronic Pain and Coping Mechanisms
(02:52) The Impact of Crime Reporting on Mental Health
(05:41) Personal Stories of Trauma and Coping
(08:12) The Journey Through Alcoholism
(11:14) The Role of Shame in Addiction
(13:57) Reconstructing Life After Addiction
(16:40) The Importance of Seeking Help
(19:44) Empowerment Through Shared Experiences
(22:30) Conclusion and Call to Action

Find Beth McDonough Online Here:
Website: bethmcdmedia.com
Instagram: @bemcdn
Facebook: Beth McDonough
YouTube: Beth McDonough
LinkedIn: Beth McDonough

Find The Pain Game Podcast Online Here:
Website: thepaingamepodcast.com
Instagram: @thepaingamepodcast
Facebook: The Pain Game Podcast
LinkedIn: Lyndsay Soprano
YouTube: The Pain Game Podcast

Subscribe on YouTube | Merch Shop is OPEN!! | COMING SOON: The Pain Hub – A Women’s Healing Community. Subscribe Now!

Unfiltered convos. Dark humor. Real healing. 
This is where pain meets purpose — and you’re not doing it alone.

++

Want to be a guest on Giving Pain Purpose with Lyndsay Soprano? Send her a message on PodMatch, here: 

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Lyndsay Soprano Lyndsay Soprano, Host of Giving Pain Purpose and Founder of The Pain Hub

Lyndsay Soprano is a bold, unfiltered voice in the chronic pain and trauma recovery space—transforming unimaginable suffering into unstoppable advocacy. She’s the founder and host of Giving Pain Purpose, a raw and riveting show that dives into the realities of living in—and rising from—chronic pain, trauma, and invisible illness.

Diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in 2017—one of the most painful conditions on the McGill Pain Scale—Lyndsay is also a survivor of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, infertility, depression, anxiety, and divorce. She’s walked through hell more than once—and set up a mic right in the middle of it.

Her mantra, “The only way out…is through,” isn’t just podcast fodder—it’s a way of life. After years lost to misdiagnoses and failed surgeries, she took healing into her own hands, choosing a trauma-informed, integrative approach that blends grit, grace, and humor.

She brings over two decades of entrepreneurial and creative firepower as the owner of Bound-by Marketing, launched in 2000. With degrees in Communications, Creative Writing, Vocal Performance, and an MBA in International Sales + Marketing, Lyndsay knows how to tell stories that stick—and heal.

Lyndsay is not here to sugarcoat the journey. She’s here to give pain purpose—and to help her audience and guests feel seen, understood, and not alone.