Journaling Through a Spouse’s Addiction: A Conversation with Jennifer Shook

Hi, my friend. Welcome back to the Journal Gently podcast.

Today’s conversation is for the woman who may be carrying something very heavy in her marriage—something she doesn’t often talk about out loud.

You see, addiction has a way of isolating not only the person struggling with it, but also the spouse who is trying to love, endure, pray, and hold everything together behind the scenes. Many women quietly wrestle with questions like: Where is God in this? Why do I feel so alone? And what does healing even look like for me?

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Jennifer Shook. Jennifer is a coach who works with women whose husbands are struggling with addiction, and she brings both deep compassion and practical wisdom to this conversation.

Together we’re talking about some of the invisible struggles women face when addiction enters a marriage—how it affects a woman’s sense of safety, identity, and trust, and why so many women feel unable to ask for help or even admit what’s really happening.

If this conversation reflects part of your own story, I want you to know you are not alone—and you are not invisible to God.

Welcome, Jennifer.

[interview]

For those of you listening, if this conversation stirred something in you—whether recognition, grief, relief, or even just the feeling of “someone finally understands”—I want to encourage you to sit gently with whatever surfaced.

You don’t have to carry this alone. And you don’t have to rush your healing.

Before we close, I want to invite you to take a quiet moment with the Lord and perhaps hold a simple question in prayer: Jesus, what do You see when You look at me in the middle of this story?

Or simply: Lord, show me the next small step toward safety and healing.

If you’d like to connect with Jennifer or learn more about the work she does supporting women whose husbands struggle with addiction, you’ll find all the links in the show notes.

And if this episode might bring comfort or clarity to someone you know, consider sharing it with a friend.

Thank you for being here. I’m grateful for the space we get to hold together in these conversations.

CONNECT WITH JENNIFER SHOOK:

Jennifer is a seasoned Christian life coach with over 20 years of experience in leading and mentoring women into their true identity in Christ. Her personal journey through the pain of her husband’s addiction and betrayal has deepened her understanding of heartache and the transformative power of God’s love. Through this experience, she found the strength to stop rescuing others and start rescuing herself, embracing the healing and purpose God had planned for her.

• Website
• Free: Navigating Marital Grief Worksheet

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