Soberly Speaking

Join our Patreon: ⁠⁠https://patreon.com/SoberlySpeaking⁠ 
Raised in South Africa by two morticians, Kerry grew up with a loving mother and an absent, alcoholic father who, in her words, should never have been a parent. In sobriety, memories of him behaving in sexually inappropriate ways towards her, and allegedly involving his friends, have begun to resurface.
But the harm within her family didn't end there.
Kerry also shares that she experienced sexual abuse by her brother. As she got older, a moment involving him and her younger sister forced her to confront a reality she could no longer ignore.
By adolescence, Kerry was already drinking heavily, and that pattern of survival followed her into adulthood. After moving to Australia, isolation, loneliness and a later violent relationship deepened her dependence on alcohol. The cycle of unsafe and untrustworthy men continued to repeat itself throughout her life.
Eventually, Kerry reached a breaking point and found Alcoholics Anonymous. She shares how AA helped her begin rebuilding her life, particularly through Step Four, where she was finally able to have honest conversations with her mother about what really happened in her childhood home.
Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised.
This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, addiction, drug use, mental health, suicide and recovery. If this episode raises anything for you, please reach out to a trusted support person or contact a crisis support service in your area.
The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015
⁠https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline⁠
Lifeline Australia provides 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services. Call 13 11 14
⁠https://www.lifeline.org.au⁠
1800RESPECT provides support for people impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence and abuse. Call 1800 737 732
⁠https://www.1800respect.org.au⁠
Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea
Creative Director - Beaudene Perussich
Image & Logo- Jasmine Rule
In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Join our Patreon: ⁠⁠https://patreon.com/SoberlySpeaking⁠ 

What happens when the life you were born into is the very thing trying to destroy you?

Tove never chose gang life. She was born into it.

Raised around gangs, addiction and violence, some of Tove’s earliest memories were pumping her stepmother’s stomach after overdoses. As she got older, gang members became her friends, then her partners and addiction became the only constant in a life defined by chaos.

After a violent multi-gang shootout at her house and fearing for her safety, Tove fled New Zealand with nothing but a carry-on bag, leaving behind everything she’d ever known.

Now living in Australia and 18 months sober, she’s rebuilding her life while facing the uncertainty of possible deportation and unresolved legal matters.

In this exclusive interview, Tove speaks publicly for the very first time about growing up in gang life, generational trauma and whether escape is even possible when everything is stacked against you. 

Follow Tove on Instagram: @tove_uhh

Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised.
This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, addiction, drug use, mental health, suicide and recovery. If this episode raises anything for you, please reach out to a trusted support person or contact a crisis support service in your area.

The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015
⁠https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline⁠

Lifeline Australia provides 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services. Call 13 11 14
⁠https://www.lifeline.org.au⁠

1800RESPECT provides support for people impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence and abuse. Call 1800 737 732
⁠https://www.1800respect.org.au⁠

Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea
Creative Director - Beaudene Perussich
Image & Logo- Jasmine Rule

In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Join our patreon: ⁠https://patreon.com/SoberlySpeaking 

Jackie grew up in Singapore as a bilingual only child, raised in top schools and even finding early fame as a pop star. In a country where drug possession carried the death penalty, her life could not have looked more different to where it eventually led.
After moving to Australia, a traumatic event one night changed everything. From that point on, Jackie began using substances to cope with what she had experienced. Following a marriage breakdown and being separated from her child in another country, she turned to what she knew would numb the pain.
What followed was a cycle of dangerous relationships, each one more volatile than the last. After experiencing domestic violence and homelessness, Jackie found herself with an ex-bank robber facing serious charges. In an act of loyalty that would change her life, she took the blame for firearms-related offences and ended up in prison.
It was there, stripped of everything, that Jackie realised no one was coming to save her. And for the first time, she got on her knees and started to pray.
TikTok: jac.macy

Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised.
This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, addiction, drug use, mental health, suicide and recovery. If this episode raises anything for you, please reach out to a trusted support person or contact a crisis support service in your area.

The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015
https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline

Lifeline Australia provides 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services. Call 13 11 14
https://www.lifeline.org.au

1800RESPECT provides support for people impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence and abuse. Call 1800 737 732
https://www.1800respect.org.au

Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea
Creative Director - Beaudene Perussich
Image & Logo- Jasmine Rule

In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Join our Patreon: ⁠https://patreon.com/SoberlySpeaking 

Nitrous oxide a.k.a. nangs, is something I’ve never spoken about on this platform before, yet it’s sold right under our noses. Tiny canisters are available over the counter in almost every tobacconist across Australia, legally accessible to anyone 18 and over.

Sam Bramman was 18 when he first tried a nang at a party. Within just three weeks, he was repeatedly seeking it out, driving from shop to shop and waiting outside tobacconists for them to open.

It then escalated rapidly. While in a manic state, Sam drove from Sydney to the Gold Coast, where he ended up in Surfers Paradise screaming at cars and damaging hotel rooms.

Sam is now sharing his story publicly to raise awareness and advocate for changes to how easily nitrous oxide can be accessed in Australia, particularly among young people.
Visit No 2 Nangs here: https://no2nangs.au/

Instagram: @sambramman

Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised.

This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, addiction, drug use, mental health, suicide and recovery. If this episode raises anything for you, please reach out to a trusted support person or contact a crisis support service in your area.

The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015

https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline

Lifeline Australia provides 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services. Call 13 11 14

https://www.lifeline.org.au

1800RESPECT provides support for people impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence and abuse. Call 1800 737 732

https://www.1800respect.org.au

Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea
Creative Director - Beaudene Perussich
Image & Logo- Jasmine Rule

In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Join our Patreon: ⁠⁠https://patreon.com/SoberlySpeaking⁠ 

Jay grew up in Geelong as a young gay dancer, supported at home but often made to feel different outside of it. His early experiences of bullying, trauma and assault shaped the way he saw himself, and how drinking and substances became a way to feel confident and finally accepted.

After moving to Melbourne to study dance professionally, Jay found himself deep in the party scene, but what began as partying eventually escalated into harder substance use and reached a point where his family feared for his life.

Jay speaks openly about hospitalisations, rehab, the moment he saw his dad cry for the first time and the long process of rebuilding his life. Now three and a half years sober, Jay works in the same detox facility he once went through himself.

Jay’s Instagram: @jxytaylor

Disclaimer: The stories and experiences shared in this episode are personal accounts told in good faith. While we strive to present these narratives accurately, the views and claims expressed are those of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified. Soberly Speaking and its host, Julia Rangiheuea, do not take responsibility for the accuracy or validity of the information shared. Listener discretion is advised.

This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, addiction, drug use, mental health, suicide and recovery. If this episode raises anything for you, please reach out to a trusted support person or contact a crisis support service in your area.

The National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline is a free and confidential 24/7 phone service that provides counselling, advice, and information for those struggling with addiction. Call 1800 250 015

https://toolkit.lifeline.org.au/articles/support/national-alcohol-other-drug-hotline

Lifeline Australia provides 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention services. Call 13 11 14

https://www.lifeline.org.au

1800RESPECT provides support for people impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence and abuse. Call 1800 737 732

https://www.1800respect.org.au

Creator & Host- Julia Rangiheuea
Creative Director- Beaudene Perussich
Thumbnail- Jake Abernethy

In the spirit of reconciliation Soberly Speaking acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.