09/03/2026
Most people think recovery is about quitting drinking or drugs.
But what happens when you do that… and you’re still miserable?
In this week’s episode, I sit down with Kaela Demerjian to talk about a part of recovery that doesn’t get talked about enough. Kaela got sober young, but sobriety alone didn’t fix the pain underneath it all. She spent years searching for belonging everywhere: in relationships, communities, identities, even moving across the world.
What ultimately changed her life wasn’t just abstinence. It was finding community, guidance, and people who understood her.
One of the most powerful moments in the conversation comes when she talks about a mentor who helped her through one of the darkest periods of her life by saying something simple:
“Just stay for five more minutes.”
Not fix everything.
Not solve your whole life.
Just stay.
This conversation is about belonging, recovery, identity, and what it really takes to rebuild a life when you’ve spent years trying to escape it.
Whether you’re sober, struggling, supporting someone who is, or just trying to figure out life like the rest of us, this episode is worth a listen.
🎧 Five More Minutes: Why Recovery Sometimes Means Just Staying
with Kaela Demerjian
Available wherever you get your podcasts.
