Should I Walk Away From My Addicted Ex, Even If It Feels Like Abandoning Her?

This week on the Big Sister Hotline, Clem unpacks the painful tension between love and self-protection when someone you care for is trapped in addiction. Our listener writes about her ex-partner’s struggle with alcoholism and bipolar disorder, and the guilt of stepping back. Clem explores how compassion and boundaries can coexist, and why saving yourself is sometimes the truest form of love.Content Warning: This episode includes conversations about alcohol addiction. If you or anyone you know is struggling, you can reach out to the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015 for free, confidential support.If you would like to submit a question for a future episode, please email [email protected] Clem on Instagram & FacebookSubscribe to her Dear Clementine SubstackJoin her PatreonThis podcast is part of the Kind Regards Network. Follow @kindregardsnetwork to stay in the loop, meet your next audio obsession, and more.Interested in collaborating? Drop us a line at [email protected] - we’d love to hear from you.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/clementineford-bigsisterhotline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Big Sister Hotline, Clem introduces a different kind of episode; a guided meditation. A gentle practice to help you sit with loneliness, reconnect with your breath, and meet your inner child with tenderness and love. Born out of a listener’s question about friendship and isolation, this meditation invites you to soften, to play, and to remember that you are never truly alone. Let this be a moment of stillness, grounding, and care - a gift from your Big Sister to you.If you would like to submit a question for a future episode, please email [email protected] Clem on Instagram & FacebookSubscribe to her Dear Clementine SubstackJoin her PatreonThis podcast is part of the Kind Regards Network. Follow @kindregardsnetwork to stay in the loop, meet your next audio obsession, and more.Interested in collaborating? Drop us a line at [email protected] - we’d love to hear from you.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/clementineford-bigsisterhotline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Big Sister Hotline, we’re diving into the tender, complicated terrain of neurodivergence - from the anxiety of seeking an ADHD or autism diagnosis, to the lifelong stories we tell ourselves about being “lazy,” “disorganized,” or “too much.” Clem reflects on her own experience of diagnosis, the grief and relief that can accompany it, and why the medical system so often fails to see women clearly. More than a label, a diagnosis can offer language, tools, and compassion - but as Clem reminds us, your worth was never contingent on external validation. Whether or not you choose that path, you already have permission to love yourself exactly as you are.If you would like to submit a question for a future episode, please email [email protected] Clem on Instagram & FacebookSubscribe to her Dear Clementine SubstackJoin her PatreonThis podcast is part of the Kind Regards Network. Follow @kindregardsnetwork to stay in the loop, meet your next audio obsession, and more.Interested in collaborating? Drop us a line at [email protected] - we’d love to hear from you.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/clementineford-bigsisterhotline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Big Sister Hotline, Clem is delving into the raw terrain of family conflict; when the people we’re told to love unconditionally become the ones who wound us most deeply. Our listener writes of a painful rift with her sister, fractured by a series of cruel remarks, and the ache of missing the niece caught in the crossfire. Clem reflects on the grief of sibling estrangement, the shadow work that cruelty often conceals, and the ways projection can mask unspoken unhappiness. Family bonds can tether us in complex, sometimes suffocating ways - but true healing lies in honouring love, boundaries, and self-respect in equal measure.If you would like to submit a question for a future episode, please email [email protected] Clem on Instagram & FacebookSubscribe to her Dear Clementine SubstackJoin her PatreonThis podcast is part of the Kind Regards Network. Follow @kindregardsnetwork to stay in the loop, meet your next audio obsession, and more.Interested in collaborating? Drop us a line at [email protected] - we’d love to hear from you.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/clementineford-bigsisterhotline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Big Sister Hotline, we’re talking about protest; why it matters, what it achieves, and how it keeps us human in fractured times. From Gaza to the streets of Melbourne, protest is both a moral stand and a collective lifeline, reminding us that people power has always shaped history. Clem dives into the difference between war and genocide, unpacks the double standards in how resistance is framed, and explores why both nonviolent and violent protest have been essential to liberation struggles. Protest isn’t just about policy - it’s about solidarity, hope and refusing to give up our humanity.If you would like to submit a question for a future episode, please email [email protected] Clem on Instagram & FacebookSubscribe to her Dear Clementine SubstackJoin her PatreonThis podcast is part of the Kind Regards Network. Follow @kindregardsnetwork to stay in the loop, meet your next audio obsession, and more.Interested in collaborating? Drop us a line at [email protected] - we’d love to hear from you.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/clementineford-bigsisterhotline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Big Sister Hotline, Clem unpacks the heartbreak of friendship. Those moments when trust dissolves into silence, workplaces become battlegrounds, or cherished connections fracture without explanation. The grief of a friendship ending can rival the sharpest romantic split, yet it’s a loss we’re rarely taught to mourn. In this episode, Clem reflects on how we navigate these ruptures, what pop culture reveals about repair and release, and why sometimes the most radical act of love is learning when to let go.If you would like to submit a question for a future episode, please email [email protected] Clem on Instagram & FacebookSubscribe to her Dear Clementine SubstackJoin her PatreonThis podcast is part of the Kind Regards Network. Follow @kindregardsnetwork to stay in the loop, meet your next audio obsession, and more.Interested in collaborating? Drop us a line at [email protected] - we’d love to hear from you.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/clementineford-bigsisterhotline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Big Sister Hotline, Clem responds to a listener who has just left an emotionally abusive relationship and is navigating the challenges of co-parenting a young child. Clem talks about the courage it takes to leave, why emotional abuse and coercive control are real and damaging, and how survivors can begin to rebuild their sense of self-worth. She shares strategies for resisting old dynamics, setting boundaries through tools like grey rocking, and finding strength in the knowledge that leaving is an act of protection and love for both yourself and your child. Clem also reflects on the bigger picture; how society teaches women to absorb blame, and why we must reject the idea that our worth lies in cushioning men’s chaos. Content note: This episode contains discussions of emotional abuse, alcohol abuse, and co-parenting in the aftermath of both. If you or anyone you know needs help, please contact 1800RESPECT or call 000 in an emergency.If you would like to submit a question for a future episode, please email [email protected] Clem on Instagram & FacebookSubscribe to her Dear Clementine SubstackJoin her PatreonThis podcast is part of the Kind Regards Network. Follow @kindregardsnetwork to stay in the loop, meet your next audio obsession, and more.Interested in collaborating? Drop us a line at [email protected] - we’d love to hear from you.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/clementineford-bigsisterhotline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Big Sister Hotline, Clem responds to a listener in her fifties who writes about feeling lonely and unsure how to make new friends. Clem talks about the importance of friendship at every age, how capitalism and ageism shape our connections, and why it’s normal for relationships to drift as we change. Clem shares some practical ideas for meeting people later in life, the role of solidarity across generations, and ways to soften loneliness while building new bonds.Media mentioned in this episode:Consumed by Aja BarberShe Shapes History ToursIf you would like to submit a question for a future episode, please email [email protected] Clem on Instagram & FacebookSubscribe to her Dear Clementine SubstackJoin her PatreonThis podcast is part of the Kind Regards Network. Follow @kindregardsnetwork to stay in the loop, meet your next audio obsession, and more.Interested in collaborating? Drop us a line at [email protected] - we’d love to hear from you.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/clementineford-bigsisterhotline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on The Big Sister Hotline, we hear from a listener who is nearly 40, co-parenting with her ex, and longing for another baby. They still orbit each other - fighting, sleeping together, even going to kink workshops - but she knows how much the arrival of their first child strained their relationship. Should she risk diving in again, or is she courting disaster?In classic Clem style, we unpack the myths of the nuclear family and its role in upholding capitalism, why babies don’t “fix” relationships, and the importance of building a village around motherhood regardless of the model your family takes. We also talk about grieving the children we may never have, the pressure of the ticking clock, and remembering that a woman’s worth isn’t defined by her fertility.It’s messy, it’s complicated, and it’s exactly the kind of real talk you come here for.If you would like to submit a question for a future episode, please email [email protected] Clem on Instagram & FacebookSubscribe to her Dear Clementine SubstackJoin her PatreonThis podcast is part of the Kind Regards Network. Follow @kindregardsnetwork to stay in the loop, meet your next audio obsession, and more.Interested in collaborating? Drop us a line at [email protected] - we’d love to hear from you.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/clementineford-bigsisterhotline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode of the newly relaunched Clementine Ford's Big Sister Hotline, Clem dives deep into a listener's struggle with intimacy, trust, and the emotional and physical scars we carry with us.Today's caller shares her painful experience of body-shaming, sexual humiliation, and abuse from a man, leaving her torn between wanting to explore sexual connections and feeling hesitant to trust anyone with her body and emotional well-being.In this unapologetically honest, yet heart-led session, Clem delivers no-nonsense truths about the toxic dynamics of hookup culture, misogyny, and how some men exploit women’s vulnerabilities to impress other men. From sharp rebukes of damaging behaviour to practical advice on rebuilding sexual trust, Clem reminds us fiercely that your body is your own, and you deserve every intimate encounter to leave you feeling empowered, not diminished.Content note: This episode contains discussions of body shaming and image-based abuse. If you or anyone you know needs help, please contact 1800RESPECT or call 000 in an emergency.If you would like to submit a question for a future episode, please email [email protected] Clem on Instagram & FacebookSubscribe to her Dear Clementine SubstackJoin her PatreonThis podcast is part of the Kind Regards Network. Follow @kindregardsnetwork to stay in the loop, meet your next audio obsession, and more.Interested in collaborating? Drop us a line at [email protected] - we’d love to hear from you.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/clementineford-bigsisterhotline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.