Michelle Weidenbenner is the founder of Moms Letting Go Without Giving Up
and the All-Mighty Mom Tribe – private support groups for moms of addicted
loved ones. There are close to 2,000 moms in her groups.
She’s a passionate podcaster who wants to stop the stigma of substance use
disorder and help moms of addicted loved ones find hope, courage, and support so
they can identify their superpower and help change the addiction landscape.
I had the privilege of meeting Michelle at the Igniting Souls Conference in 2021. She has such an inspirational message of hope. I know you will be blessed knowing her and her story. Here is our Q and A.
Tell us a little about your journey in writing Unhackable Moms of Addicted
Loved Ones, Closing the Gap Between Havoc and Hope. How did you know this
was the book you needed to write?
When my son and daughter-in-law were struggling with addiction, I thought they
would die. Nothing I was doing helped so I started researching and realized that I
didn’t know much. I shared what I was learning with moms in my podcast and in
my first book, Moms Letting Go Without Giving Up, Seven Steps to Self-Recovery.
(Free ebook at MomsLettingGo.com)
Along the way, I made it my goal to reach one million moms. That’s when I
decided to create a 30-day program that could be shared across the United States
(and maybe other countries too).
Moms are the best people to stop this
epidemic. We are the most emotional and passionate about helping our children.
If you could only offer one word of encouragement or piece of advice to a
person struggling with addicted loved ones, what would it be?
HOPE. Find hope. Where is that for you? I call myself the Chief Hope Builder. I’m
often looking for ways to bring that to moms. It’s important for them to never give
up, to find what they’re looking for.
Here is a little excerpt from the book:
“The word “hope” occurs in the NLT Bible 159 times, the KJV 133 times, and the NIV version
175 times. It’s an important word.
Hope is anticipating that something you desire will come true. It’s wanting something so badly that it keeps you excited for the future. It’s an optimistic state of mind, a positive outcome. Hope can make a tough situation bearable. Hope helps us define and visualize what we want for our future. Hope can provide the key to making our lives better.
God wants us to have hope. He gives this gift to us by promising to be with us in the difficult
times. He doesn’t take away our pain but helps us cope with our pain—if we let Him.
Hope is listening to a recovering addict’s story, a light in a dark alley, the calming winds after a hurricane. It’s the promise of a better tomorrow.
Since we know hope is important, shouldn’t we search for it? Yes! Yet so many moms give up.”
A few ways to find HOPE is to talk to a recovering addict and discover how bad
they were before they found sobriety. We think, if they can do it, so can my child.
The second thing is to understand the HOPE CYCLE. (Something I created. See
below)
Ways to Find or Recapture Hope
1. Take action over the outcome. But first a person needs to know that they can control the
outcome, especially if they suffer from learned helplessness.
2. Learn how to improve your faith.
3. If you’re angry at yourself, or someone else, forgive so you can break free of the long-
held grudges that might be keeping you in hopelessness.
4. Look for what you want to find – positive people, funny videos, transformational stories
5. Connect with others who understand
6. Avoid comparisons
7. Find hope heroes – those role models who overcame adversity, so they can show you the
way
8. Listen to stories of the people who have recovered
9. Focus on things you can control.
10. Start a project you’ve always wanted to try.
11. Get involved in the solution.
12. Believe you can achieve your goals
13. Tap into past resiliencies. I lead workshops in the jail where incarcerated people share
stories of when they’ve been strong in their lives.
14. Perform a random act of kindness.
15. Make your mess a message for others by speaking to support groups.
16. Chase your dreams – establishing your boon helps.
17. Do something small every day toward finding hope so it becomes a new habit.
18. Practice prayer or meditation. Do it alone and/or with others. We see a new perspective
when we pray with someone else. We’re able to borrow hope from them.
19. Take comfort in not knowing the outcome or being responsible for it. Just as much as X
might happen, X might not happen too.
20. Start a gratitude journal
Hope is a shared human experience. When we express our hopes with others and surround
ourselves with hope builders, we see hope and feel positive energy. Hope emerges through
interactions with the people who surround us.
What is your next book or project you are working on?
I’m giving a TEDx talk in October so I’m trying to memorize that, but my next big
goal is to write a screenplay. I’m always looking for ways to reach those one
million Mama Bears who want to fight for the sake of their children. A movie
would be a great way to encourage and motivate moms, don’t you think? I pray
every day for God to show me the scenes to create.
Click on Michelle's book to purchase on Amazon. Click here for free access to video series for book purchasers.
Want to meet other amazing people like Michelle Weidenbenner? Join us at this year with other ACES (authors, coaches, and entrepreneurs) at the Igniting Souls Conference 2022!
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