Episode 7: Beyond the Substance: Understanding Addiction as a Survival Strategy (Part 2)

In Part 2 of this series, we explore how addiction goes far beyond substances — showing up in our daily lives through food, phones, productivity, and the constant chase for approval or control.

We dive into the science of dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical, and how overuse of certain behaviors creates dopamine withdrawal — a state that leaves us feeling anxious, restless, unmotivated, or numb. This isn’t a failure of willpower. It’s a survival response rooted in trauma, stress, and nervous system dysregulation.

I share personal stories and insights from Dopamine Nation and Sick Enough, alongside clinical reflections on how people — including teens, caregivers, and high performers — often use these behaviors to self-soothe and survive.

We also explore how to rewire our brains for long-term healing. You’ll learn how intention, small dopamine breaks, nervous system regulation, and compassionate curiosity can help restore balance to your reward system and build new, healthier patterns of coping.

This episode is about shifting from shame to self-understanding, from autopilot to awareness — and beginning the work of choosing what actually supports your healing.

Because when we stop asking “What’s wrong with me?”
 and start asking “What am I using this for?”
 —we begin to take back control of our own story.

music copyright 2025 Jason Houghton