Menu
Sign In Search Podcasts Libraries Charts People & Topics Add Podcast API Blog Pricing
Podcast Image

The Dr. John Delony Show

My Husband’s Addiction Grosses Me Out

23 Mar 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What is the wife's concern about her husband's addiction?

5.718 - 16.433 Unknown

My husband has been using nicotine couches for a couple years now, and I just find it really, really gross.

0

16.453 - 45.966 John Delony

Number one, I think Kelly is setting me up here. So mine is out now, and I can have this conversation more honestly. What's going on? This is John with the Dr. John Deloney Show. Taking calls from hurting people, regular people, fun people from all over the planet talking about their mental and emotional health, their marriages, whatever they got going on in their life.

0

45.986 - 49.13 John Delony

Let's go out to Portland, Oregon and talk to Emily. What's up, Emily?

0

51.133 - 52.314 Emily

Hi, Dr. John. How are you?

0

52.534 - 53.375 John Delony

I'm great. How are you?

54.016 - 61.105 Unknown

Honestly, I'm a little cold because I'm sitting in my car and it's like four degrees. Four?

61.325 - 61.425

Yeah.

Chapter 2: How does John address the wife's feelings towards nicotine use?

62.333 - 63.154 Unknown

Something like that.

0

63.194 - 74.011 John Delony

That is unconscionable. That is too cold, said this Texan Nashvilleian. Jeez, that's freezing. Well, thanks for braving the cold for the call here. What's up?

0

74.031 - 104.433 Unknown

Yeah, so I wrote in because my husband has been using nicotine pouches, like the Zin pouches, for a couple years now. And I guess before that, he was vaping, and I really didn't like the vaping, so he switched to the pouches. And I just find it really, really gross. And I don't want him using nicotine. And yeah, I just want to know if there's any way I can convince him to stop.

0

106.975 - 118.988 John Delony

Number one, I think Kelly is setting me up here. Number two, I am going to take my nicotine patch out that I have in my mouth right now. Stand by. All right, so mine is out now.

0

Chapter 3: What underlying issues contribute to the husband's addiction?

119.389 - 141.809 John Delony

And I can have this conversation more honestly. So, all right, so you said a couple of things here that I want to double click on, okay? Sure. So what is his, when he tries to paint you this rosy picture of nicotine, what is he trying to do? What is he telling you?

0

144.551 - 147.454 Emily

Well, he tells me that he,

0

148.143 - 172.66 Unknown

He thinks it's good for him. He thinks it's like he's self-medicating, maybe for ADHD. And he says, you know, it makes me a better husband and a better father. And like, it just makes his mind sharper. And he likes to use it if he's stressed. But, you know, then he just pretty much uses it constantly all the time.

0

173.501 - 175.264 John Delony

Okay. Okay. So, well, I've got his story.

0

Chapter 4: How does the husband's past influence his current behavior?

176.493 - 197.022 John Delony

underneath your story, I heard you say you think it's gross, right? And I've a couple of times in my life grabbed a Coke that I thought was a Coke and it was a dip can. And so that's disgusting, right? I've been there. And seeing a bunch of like wadded up, dried up pouches laying around somebody's car or house is disgusting. Like I get all that.

0

198.504 - 222.027 John Delony

But I also heard underneath the, I think it's gross is you don't believe him. Tell me about that. Or it's a moral thing. Like, I think what he's doing is wrong. And I think he's making up a story about it to justify his actions. And that's what you find gross. Or let me say it really good.

0

222.047 - 224.23 Unknown

Both are true. My husband's weak.

0

Chapter 5: What steps can couples take to improve their communication?

227.775 - 248.438 Unknown

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that is the story that underpins it. And I don't want to feel that way, but that's how I find myself feeling. And every time I see him with one in, which is all the time, it makes it really hard for me to respect him.

0

249.22 - 250.442 John Delony

Okay, tell me about that.

0

253.763 - 273.875 Unknown

Well, so I guess there's a few different layers to it. I mean, part of it is that both of his parents died of addiction. Okay. What kind of addiction? His dad died of lung cancer from smoking cigarettes. Okay. And then his mom died of alcohol addiction. Okay. Yeah.

0

Chapter 6: How can one balance personal needs with family responsibilities?

273.895 - 279.184 Unknown

So his parents died when he was 15 and 21, respectively.

0

279.204 - 279.805 John Delony

Yikes.

0

280.004 - 311.466 Unknown

Yeah, so very young. And, you know, my family have struggled with alcohol addiction a bit too. And so it's a very addiction as, you know, broad brush is a very sensitive topic for me. And, you know, it's not something that I sort of play with, if you will. I love it. Okay. And, but I feel like he is just kind of playing with it. Like, no, I'm not addicted, but I am, but I'm not, you know?

0

311.707 - 334.066 John Delony

Sure. So here's what, what you said is really powerful and I want you to hold it tightly. Okay. The stories that you're making up are yours, right? Your body's alarm system to anybody addicted to any substance is the alarm going off in your chest.

0

Chapter 7: What strategies can help in healing after a betrayal?

336.068 - 337.149 Emily

Yes, I would say that.

0

337.209 - 365.522 John Delony

And I want you to own that discomfort and own that your body's trying to take care of you and not create a story about morality or character issues and dump that on somebody. Because the one thing I've learned about addiction is, yes, there's some insanely addictive chemicals. few more addictive than nicotine. It's insane, right? I know, personally, I know, right?

0

366.023 - 394.859 John Delony

And I'll tell you my story with them, but that's not as important as what I'm going to talk about here, is the addiction isn't the main problem. The main problem is the thing underneath it. What is that addiction working to support? Right? Right. So the hardest question your body has probably been asking since you were a little girl is, what is so bad about me? What's so bad about us?

0

394.979 - 398.323 John Delony

What's so bad about this home that you have to do that?

0

402.128 - 404.311 Emily

Yeah, that's pretty accurate.

Chapter 8: How does one redefine their identity after leaving a dream job?

408.417 - 409.999 John Delony

That is heartbreaking.

0

415.086 - 435.438 Unknown

Yeah. I remember saying that to him, too, actually. Like, you know, do you feel like I'm not doing enough? There you go. Like, if he's feeling so stressed and so uneasy in his body that he needs to turn to a substance. There you go. Then clearly I'm not setting up the right environment for him.

0

435.459 - 441.268 John Delony

There you go. And what does he say when you say those kind of things to him?

0
0

442.628 - 448.256 Unknown

Well, I haven't said that to him in a long time because I forced myself to put it on the back burner so we could live.

448.897 - 457.028 John Delony

I know, but by putting it on the back burner, you actually went all the way full circle and put all of your internal stories onto him.

458.83 - 460.693 Unknown

Yes, that's fair.

460.713 - 473.719 John Delony

So here's the path forward is, hey, I want to talk to you about something. Here's what I'm seeing and here's what I experienced in my home. You know this. I know you experienced this too in your home. And then here's the important part.

474.28 - 485.423 John Delony

The story I'm choosing to make up is there was something wrong with me when I was a little girl that was so bad that my parents had to drink just to survive my presence.

Comments

There are no comments yet.

Please log in to write the first comment.