Silencing the Inner Critic - Understanding the Addict Voice

🎙️ Episode 30: Silencing the Inner Critic – Understanding the Addict Voice

In this deeply personal and eye-opening episode, Jason Coombs reflects on the one-year anniversary of his father’s passing—and what emerges is a raw, real conversation about one of addiction’s most cunning enemies: the inner critic, or what Jason calls the “addict voice.”

Families often wonder: Why can’t they just stop? Why don’t they believe us when we tell them they’re enough? This episode offers real answers—and a powerful framework for recognizing how internalized shame and toxic self-talk keep people stuck in destructive cycles, even when they want to change.

Jason draws from his own recovery journey, his Iron Man training, and Chapter 7 of his book Unhooked to reveal how the addict voice operates like Gollum—manipulative, believable, and brutally loud—while the real self is quiet, kind, and often drowned out. Whether you’re someone struggling with addiction or a loved one who feels helpless on the sidelines, this episode will help you understand what’s really going on beneath the surface.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

• Why the addict voice is so believable—and how to spot it
• What well-meaning “encouragement” often misses (and what actually helps)
• The life-changing question that stopped Jason in his tracks: “If I talked to you the way you talk to yourself, would we be friends?”
• A Hindu practice called Genshai—and how it can change everything
• How mirror affirmations, cold plunges, and encouraging others can actually rewire your brain

👪 For families: This episode will help you stop spinning your wheels trying to fix what’s not broken in you. Learn how to stop rescuing and start reconnecting—so you can influence from a place of peace, not panic.

👤 For individuals: If your own self-talk has become a weapon, Jason gives you practical, compassionate tools to stop the spiral and start healing.

💡 Big takeaway: The inner critic drains energy. Encouragement—even to yourself—creates strength. Whether you’re in recovery, supporting someone who is, or somewhere in between, this episode will give you tools to silence the voice that says you’re not enough…and finally hear the one that’s been whispering truth all along.

📚 Want to go deeper? Jason’s book Unhooked is available on Amazon and Audible. For more resources or to find support for your family or loved one, visit brickhouserecovery.com

Register for Live UNHOOKED to reclaim your clarity, your strength, and your sanity starting today!

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For more information on treatment services, check out brickhouserecovery.com