Episode 160: Crime Reporter Becomes the Headline

With Guest Beth McDonough

April 28, 2026

This Episode Vibes About...

Beth McDonough didn’t set out to become dependent on alcohol. She set out to survive. In this conversation, Lyndsay sits down with Beth to talk about what it really looks like when a coping mechanism stops working — the trauma underneath it, the weight of a career spent in crime reporting, and the shame that kept her stuck long after she knew something had to change. This is an honest look at recovery, family history, and what it actually takes to start trusting yourself again.

Investigative Crime Reporting
Covering Mass Tragedies
Postponing Your Own Care for Others
Becoming the Headline
Overcoming Alcoholism
Legal Consequences

Show Notes

Letting go of control is terrifying when control has been the only thing keeping you together.

That’s where Beth McDonough was, using alcohol to manage what she couldn’t say out loud, couldn’t process, and couldn’t put down. What started as a way to cope with trauma became something with a grip of its own. And working in crime reporting only made it harder to put the weight down at the end of the day.

In this episode, Lyndsay Soprano sits down with Beth McDonough for one of the most honest conversations the show has had about addiction, shame, and what recovery actually looks like when you’re in the middle of it. Not the cleaned-up version. The real one.

This episode is for anyone who has ever used something — anything — to survive a version of themselves they didn’t know how to face. Recovery is not a straight line. Beth’s story is proof that it doesn’t have to be.

Episode Highlights:

(00:00) Introduction to Chronic Pain and Coping Mechanisms

(02:52) The Impact of Crime Reporting on Mental Health

(05:41) Personal Stories of Trauma and Coping

(08:12) The Journey Through Alcoholism

(11:14) The Role of Shame in Addiction

(13:57) Reconstructing Life After Addiction

(16:40) The Importance of Seeking Help

(19:44) Empowerment Through Shared Experiences

(22:30) Conclusion and Call to Action