This week on Rated Mom Confessions, Dena shares a story of rebuilding that will stay with you.

Dena opens up about overcoming addiction, redefining herself through motherhood, and building a life rooted in family, purpose, and second chances. From career shifts to becoming a successful loan officer, Dena reflects on what it really takes to rebuild — and how motherhood became both her anchor and her catalyst.

With heartfelt moments and rapid-fire questions, this episode offers a raw and relatable look into growth, grace, and the complexity of Mom life and a woman who built her life from the ground up after addiction.

Powerful Quotes From the Episode

"Sometimes my blind spot is being too trusting of people."

"The hardest season of my life was when I struggled with addiction in my late teen years."

"That taught me growth, perseverance, and perspective on how precious life is."

"The main thing I teach my kids is to be kind and respectful to others."

"The biggest thing I'm working on is that 'no' is a sentence and not people-pleasing as much."

"My why is definitely my family. That's what gets me up every day."

"I love that I'm starting to catch myself doing things—it's almost like I'm getting some therapy from the podcast, which is awesome."

Self-isolation is a common coping mechanism for many women — but when does it help, and when does it quietly turn into emotional withdrawal?

In this episode of Rated Mom, Heather, Dena, and Jessica talk honestly about why women self-isolate, how overwhelm and overstimulation trigger it, and how to recognize when alone time stops being restorative and starts becoming harmful.

We share personal experiences, unpack the shame and self-judgment that often follow isolation, and talk about the pressure women feel to "perform" socially even when they're depleted. You'll hear how to reframe solitude as intentional self-care, how to set boundaries without guilt, and how to reconnect with others in small, realistic ways.

This conversation isn't about fixing yourself or forcing connection. It's about awareness, compassion, and learning how to create space without disappearing.

If you've ever wondered, "What's wrong with me?" — you're not alone. And you're not broken.

Timestamps:

00:00 Why this topic resonates with so many women
01:05 What self-isolation actually looks like
01:27 Healthy solitude vs emotional withdrawal
03:15 Overwhelm, overstimulation, and shutting down
04:22 Shame, judgment, and self-awareness
06:03 Recognizing patterns and triggers
07:54 The pressure to perform socially
11:05 Why staying busy doesn't mean you're okay
13:42 Reframing self-isolation as self-care
15:21 How to isolate intentionally (without disappearing)
17:30 Communicating your needs to partners
20:22 How to support someone who self-isolates
23:16 When self-isolation becomes depression
27:11 Tools that help break the cycle
30:03 Small steps back to connection
31:42 Final thoughts: it's safe to be seen

If this conversation resonated with you, follow Rated Mom and save this episode so you can come back to it when you need it. Sharing it with another woman who might feel seen by this episode makes a bigger impact than you know.

Powerful Moments from the Episode

Heather:
"Sometimes disappearing feels easier than explaining how overwhelmed you are."

Dena:
"I thought something was wrong with me — like, why do I do this?"

Dena:
"When I'm doing everything but nothing well, that's when I shut down."

Connect with Rated Mom:
🌐 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

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
🎙️ Produced and edited by resilientvoicemedia.com

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

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
🎙️ Podcast produced and edited by ResilientVoiceMedia.com

Podcast Produced and edited by the team at ResilientVoiceMedia.com

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