
Episode #56
Motherhood, Escapism & Recovery: Both Can Be True
What happens when you love your children deeply—but part of you still wants to escape? In this episode of Cake for Dinner, I sit down with author Jessica Guerrieri for an incredibly honest conversation about motherhood, sobriety, addiction, identity, and the complicated truths women are often afraid to say out loud. Jessica shares how her desire to become a mother ultimately forced her to confront her relationship with alcohol—and the moment she looked at herself after another night of drinking and realized she had finally had enough. We talk about why addiction doesn’t always look like losing everything, why you don’t need a traumatic childhood or dramatic “rock bottom” to deserve recovery, and why getting help before your life completely falls apart should be celebrated. Jessica also opens up about what happened years into sobriety when, during the isolation of the pandemic, she began experimenting with THC as another way to check out. That experience led her to one of the biggest themes in her writing: maybe the deeper issue isn’t always the substance itself. Maybe it’s the need to escape. And motherhood can create plenty of feelings we want to escape from. We get real about postpartum depression, identity loss, feeling claustrophobic in motherhood, mommy wine culture, wanting to hide from your children even though you adore them, and why two seemingly contradictory things can be true at the same time. Jessica also explains why she uses fiction to explore addiction, trauma, sexual assault, grief, sisterhood, recovery, and the parts of womanhood that are often considered “too much.” Ultimately, this conversation comes back to one powerful idea: the opposite of isolation and escapism may be connection—the feeling of finally being seen, heard, and understood by another person. If you’ve ever loved your life while simultaneously wanting to run away from it, this conversation is for you. Learn more about Keesha: https://keeshascott.com/ Book Pre Order CAKE FOR DINNER: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0H5CW77FP?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B0H5CW77FP&linkCode=xm2&tag=simonsayscom&dplnkId=ca66e48c-1d99-4095-a35e-8d40794ffd1d&nodl=1 Follow Jessica Guerrieri: https://www.instagram.com/jessicaguerrieriauthor

