Validate Me

In this episode of Validate Me, Peter Rosenberg sits down with Jennifer Acker for an honest conversation about sex addiction, sexual compulsivity, validation addiction, and the trauma that betrayal can leave behind.

Jennifer Acker breaks down why these behaviors often go much deeper than sex, how the need to feel seen and validated can develop early in life, and the role social media and modern technology can play in feeding that cycle.

They also get into the other side of addiction: what happens to the person who has been betrayed. From the shock of discovery and the need to know everything, to disclosure, rebuilding trust, and deciding whether a relationship can actually survive infidelity.

Plus, Jennifer Acker explains arousal templates, how unhealthy patterns become wired into the brain, and what it can look like to begin changing them.

A different kind of Validate Me conversation, this time with an expert helping us understand what may actually be happening underneath the behavior.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:19 Meet Jennifer Acker
04:58 What Does “Sex Addiction” Actually Mean?
06:27 Understanding Validation Addiction
08:08 Where Does the Need for Validation Begin?
13:42 Social Media & Modern Validation
17:31 When Does the Behavior Become a Problem?
22:48 Understanding Betrayal Trauma
24:24 Do You Have to Want to Change?
25:32 “Tell Me Everything” — What Happens After Betrayal
27:53 The Disclosure Process
29:33 Lie Detector Tests & Disclosure
31:08 Can a Relationship Survive Betrayal?
32:10 Can You Ever Fully Trust Again?
37:17 How Long Are You “In the Doghouse”?
39:08 What Is an Arousal Template?
41:37 When Sexual Patterns Become Unhealthy
43:14 Can Arousal Patterns Be Rewired?
46:42 Building Healthy Intimacy
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Recovery isn't just about getting sober. It's about confronting the stories you've been telling yourself, breaking generational cycles, and learning how to be honest with who you are.
In this episode of Validate Me, Peter Rosenberg sits down with General Steele to talk about addiction, trauma, family, faith, recovery, writing his memoir, and the lifelong work of healing. Together, they explore how pain gets passed down, what it takes to break the cycle, and what trauma leaves behind long after the wounds are invisible.
If you enjoy the conversation, leave a comment and subscribe. If you have a question, story, or topic you'd like us to discuss on a future episode, email us at validatemeshow@gmail.com.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:18 Steele’s Early Life
5:02 Growing Up Around Trauma
9:45 The First Drink
14:30 Addiction Takes Hold
19:12 Faith, Recovery & Redemption
24:38 Writing His Memoir
29:45 Breaking Generational Cycles
34:10 Living With Accountability
38:15 The Work Never Ends
42:30 Final Thoughts

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In Part 2 of Peter Rosenberg's conversation with Rory, the discussion shifts from personal validation to what happens when millions of people have an opinion about you. Together, they unpack internet outrage, parasocial relationships, public criticism, platforming controversial voices, Joe Rogan, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and why validation is something no amount of success can permanently satisfy.
If you haven't watched Part 1 yet, start there first for the beginning of the conversation.
Enjoying Validate Me? Subscribe, leave a comment, and join the conversation. If you have a question, story, or topic you'd like us to discuss on a future episode, email us at validatemeshow@gmail.com
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Validate Me Ep. 7:

Rory of Rory & Mal on Fame, Validation & Living in Public (Part 1)
In Part 1 of this conversation, Peter Rosenberg sits down with Rory for an honest discussion about validation, public criticism, podcasting, fame, race, ego, and what it means to build a career while thousands of people have an opinion about your life.
From the pressures of internet culture to learning how to separate your identity from public perception, Rory opens up about the moments that challenged him most, and what he's learned from them. Together, he and Peter unpack why validation can show up in unexpected ways, especially when your life is lived in public.
This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation.
Part 2 drops next Thursday.
Send your stories, questions, and experiences with validation addiction to validatemeshow@gmail.com
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In this episode Validate Me, Peter Rosenberg sits down with Big E for one of the most open and powerful conversations we've had on the show.
Big E reflects on his lifelong battle with depression, the pressure many men feel to stay silent, and the years he spent believing that asking for help was a sign of weakness. Together, he and Peter explore how shame, identity, family, faith, and vulnerability shape the way men learn to deal with pain, and what can happen when we finally decide to talk about it.
More than a conversation about mental health, this episode is a reminder that opening up doesn't make you weak. Sometimes it's the strongest thing you can do.
Send your stories, questions, and experiences with validation addiction to validatemeshow@gmail.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.