In today’s delicate world, laden with the horrors of the Covid19 pandemic and racial injustices hitting fever pitch, other systemic problems have been temporarily swept aside. In this episode, Dr. Judy meets New York Times’ Best-Selling author Eilene Zimmerman, who talks about her new memoir “Smacked,” and the opioid epidemic that shattered her family and caused her to deeply examine her life.Eilene, a decorated journalist of more than 30 years, recounts the day she found her ex-husband Peter dead in his $2 million home from a drug overdose and the devastation he left behind. To Eilene and her children, it seemed almost impossible that Peter, an Ivy League educated, high-functioning senior partner at a prestigious law firm, was secretly wasting away for years due to his severe opioid addiction. After this startling discovery, Eilene made it her life’s mission to find out everything she could about the epidemic of addiction and transformed her career to help others who are struggling.In this profound, soul-searching episode, Dr. Judy discusses the signs of addiction, co-dependency, insecurity and the common preconceived notions of what drug addicts “look” like. If you, or someone you know, struggle with any form of codependency or addiction, this episode will arm you with five lifesaving tips to fix blurred boundaries, reconfigure childhood attachment issues, enhance low self-esteem and heal deep seated grief. You will be moved by Eilene’s stories of brutal self-examination and how she and her family have taken the valuable lessons learned to move on and inspire others to rebuild and live their best lives.In this episode, we discuss:1.   The day that changed Eilene’s life forever (5:50)2.   The myths of the opioid epidemic (11:30)3.   The Gateway Hypothesis and progression of substance use (19:20)4.   Early attachment and how it affects our romantic lives as adults (24:45)5.   The power of the father-child relationship in shaping who we are (30:00)6.   When people don’t believe in unconditional love (36:30)7.   The slippery slope of enabling in a codependent relationship (40:45)8.   Working through family trauma after an untimely loss (48:00)9.   Eilene’s career transformation and overcoming negative self-talk (55:00)10. SuperCharged Tips of the Day (62:00)Drjudyho.comInstagram.com/drjudyhoTwitter.com/drjudyho            Facebook.com/doctorjudyhoInstagram.com/stage29podcastsTwitter.com/stage29podcastsFacebook.com/Stage29PodcastsEilenezimmerman.comTwitter.com/eilenezInstagram.com/eilenezwriterFacebook.com/eilene.zimmerman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices