Claim OwnershipTill The Wheels Fall Off
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Till The Wheels Fall Off (TWFO) podcast is hosted by Matt and Paige Robinson. TWFO focuses primarily on the relationship dynamics between spouses and partners of alcoholics or addicts and ways to best navigate the difficulties of codependent, addicted, unstable, and narcissistic behavior. The program is enjoyable and informative for anyone seeking self-betterment, inspiration, perspective, or direction with themes ranging from boundaries, recovery, marriage, and parenting with tons of humor built in. With over twenty years of experience in codependency recovery, addiction recovery, mental health battles, and navigating life's hurdles, the duo offers a valuable and unique perspective that is both inspiring and relatable.
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252 Episodes
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Have an episode suggestion? Text us! In this episode of Paige’s Perspective, I’m breaking down the difference between toxic positivity and the power of pivoting. We’ll talk about how social media, family, and even traditional recovery spaces sometimes weaponize positivity to silence your pain, and how serenity has been mistaken for emotional shutdown. Then we’ll reframe it. Pivoting is about being honest and grounded — holding two truths at once: “This is hard, and I can handle it.” You’ll ...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! “What if” feeds anxiety. “Even if” builds a plan. In this episode we unpack what “one day at a time” actually looks like for both spouses and people in recovery. We break down how to use it as a call to action instead of a reason to wait it out. You’ll learn how to swap future-tripping for present-focused steps, set values-based boundaries, and stack micro wins that add up to real change. We also get honest about the ways this phrase gets misused in relati...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! Shame can keep you stuck in self-judgment or help you grow, depending on what you do with it. In this Mindset Monday, Matt talks about what shame really is, where it comes from, and how to move through it without collapsing or running from it. You’ll learn how to handle the first wave of emotion when it hits, reframe the thoughts that follow, and turn that discomfort into accountability instead of avoidance. Matt also shares how shame shows up in relations...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! Many spouses believe they’re catastrophizing — blowing things out of proportion, imagining the worst — when in reality, they’re minimizing. In this episode of Paige’s Perspective, we explore how minimization shows up as a survival strategy, how addicted partners manipulate us into shrinking the truth, and how society reinforces it with messages like “at least he’s not hitting you” or “forgive and forget.” I’ll share real-life examples of what minimizing lo...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! You’ve probably heard the saying, “A drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts” But is that really true? In this episode, we break down drunken honesty and get real about what alcohol does (and doesn’t) change. From the science of lowered inhibitions to the deeper beliefs and resentments that surface when the filter drops, we explore why it’s not just about what was said in the moment but about the patterns that reveal who someone really is. Most import...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! In this Mindset Monday, Matt tackles a listener’s question about “living amends” - why they’re often a cop-out in recovery and never enough to repair a relationship. He breaks down why true amends require naming the harm, validating the pain, and offering repair, and why skipping this step leaves partners carrying the past alone. From there, the episode shifts into a powerful conversation on acceptance and how it can serve as a spiritual foundation fo...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! In this episode of Paige’s Perspective, we’re talking about the power of change and choices. How many times have you thought, “I’ve messed up. I’ll never change. I’ll never be enough”? Maybe it was after snapping at your kids, numbing out with your phone, or slipping back into an old pattern. One bad moment doesn’t define you. It’s what you choose to do next that matters. Neuroscience shows us that every time we make a new choice, our brains rewire to make...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! When your child’s tone, excuses, or sneaky moments feel eerily familiar, it can trigger real fear - are we replaying my partner’s behaviors? In this episode, we unpack the difference between normal child development and harmful adult patterns. We dig into nature vs. nurture (genes load the gun; environment pulls the trigger), why kids’ emotional immaturity is expected while adult immaturity is damaging, and how to respond without projecting old wounds onto...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! We’ve all heard it: “At least he’s a good dad.” It sounds comforting, but it’s often a cover for hard truths. In this Mindset Monday, we dig deep into what fatherhood really means - and why showing up at games, birthday parties, or posting highlight-reel moments doesn’t make the cut. You cannot be a bad husband and a good dad. We break down the myths that underlying ideas and biases that keep this narrative alive - visibility bias, selective memory, social...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! In this episode of Paige’s Perspective, I break down the difference between eustress (productive stress that builds resilience) and unsafe stress (toxic, chronic stress that erodes your health and peace). We’ll explore why your body often confuses the two, how adrenaline and cortisol show up in both, and the key markers that help you recognize whether stress is shaping you or breaking you. You’ll learn: The dangers of unsafe stress and how it rewires your ...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! “How do I support their recovery?” is probably the most common question families ask in addiction recovery, but the answers they get are often vague, contradictory, and unfair. In this episode, we unpack what treatment centers hand out to families, why so much of it is confusing, and what support really means. We talk about boundaries as a form of support, why encouragement and space matter, the role of positive reinforcement, and the hard truth that you c...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! Emotional intelligence is not soft. It is how you stop letting feelings run the show and start letting values drive your choices. In this Mindset Monday I break down what emotional intelligence really is, why it decides the quality of your marriage, fatherhood, and career, and how to build it with simple daily reps. We walk through the five components of emotional intelligence , real-life ways they show up, and three drills you can use today: Name it, don’...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! In this Paige’s Perspective, we get honest about triggers; the sounds, smells, and behaviors that send spouses of addicts into panic. Too often, these reactions are dismissed as character defects or controlling behavior. The truth? Triggers are trauma responses. They’re alarms your body sets off when safety is missing. We’ll look at common triggers, what they really represent underneath (betrayal, secrecy, abandonment), and why it’s not the alcohol itself ...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! Spouses are told to learn the addict, but who teaches the addict what their choices did to the spouse’s brain, safety, and sense of self? In this conversation, Matt and Paige build on Paige’s recent mini episode to name the gap in traditional recovery. We break down why amends without education fall short, how betrayal trauma rewires responses, and why partners are mislabeled as codependent when many are reacting to real harm. We walk through a family-prog...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! Our brains love comfort, routine, and the familiar - even when the familiar keeps us stuck. In this Mindset Monday, Matt breaks down pattern recognition: why we miss our own loops, how denial and rationalization create blind spots, and how simply naming the pattern turns “I’m stuck” into something you can actually solve. We get real about sobriety (why “the safe number is zero” for some of us), relationships (no-contact, hopium, and learning to trust actio...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! In this episode of Paige’s Perspective, I dig into a powerful comment from one of our listeners: “As the spouse, I’m basically told to become an expert on their addiction, yet they don’t have to become an expert on my trauma.” This one line exposes the imbalance in the recovery world. Spouses are often told to go to Al-Anon, read the Big Book, and learn about addiction, but no one tells them to study their own trauma caused by their partner or expect their...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! Matt and Paige pull the lid off a loaded topic: resentment. You’ve been told to “let it go,” to forgive, to be grateful - but what if your resentment isn’t a defect...what if it’s a warning? In this conversation, we separate toxic positivity from real safety, show how resentment protects you in unhealthy dynamics, and explain when it becomes dead weight in a healthy one. We talk early recovery (why 1–2 years of consistent change matter), why prepackaged re...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! We’ve all said it: “I can’t walk away, I’ve already put too much in.” That’s the sunk cost fallacy talking. In this episode, Matt breaks down why we stay in jobs, relationships, and habits that don’t serve us, and the five psychological traps that keep us stuck. More importantly, we'll share practical ways to start moving forward so you stop protecting your past and start building your future. Find video clips and full length video from this episode on You...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! In this episode, Paige talks about the difference between boundaries and expectations, how to shift your language so boundaries feel empowering instead of exhausting, and why they’re less about fairness and more about safety. Boundaries are the rules you live by — not rules for anyone else. If you’ve ever struggled with setting boundaries in relationships, family, or even daily life, this episode will help you see them as a tool for freedom, self-protectio...
Have an episode suggestion? Text us! “Should I stay or should I go?” It’s the question every spouse of an addict whispers in the dark, and the one that can paralyze you with fear, guilt, and hope. It's the question with no clear answer. It's not "leave" or "run" or any other number of invalidating things you've heard...it's also not "stay no matter that" or "In sickness and in health used to mean something". It's usually somewhere in between - unless there's abuse - and yes, addiction is a fo...
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I would seriously love to meet with you all when in McKinney!! My husband and I really enjoy this podcast as well as Tik Tok
matt, I want to challenge you regarding paige's car. maybe she doesn't want it to be a hot mess either. being a mom with kids ill tell you, she probably doesn't have control over it and has let go of it. maybe grab the kids and help her clean it out.