In this powerful episode of Chats With Colleen, Colleen sits down with nurse practitioner Anna Grano for an honest, deeply human conversation about the ways trauma, anxiety, and everyday stress can push people toward unhealthy coping behaviors — including substance misuse and medication dependence.

Drawing from her experience working in psychiatric care, Anna explains how certain medications can provide fast relief but also carry significant risks when used outside their intended purpose. As she notes, “those medications work really, really well… the problem is they’re very addictive,” a reality many people don’t fully understand when they begin relying on them to get through daily life. Colleen echoes this concern, sharing that she often sees people “turning to substances or misusing their medications,” even when they’re seeking help rat ...