#107 How the Addiction Cycle Works (And How to Finally Break It)

Struggling with trauma/PTSD and need help? Join my private recovery community here and get my 9 best relief tools 100% FREE: In this high-impact session, Brad and Kayleen break down the addiction cycle into four clear stages: trigger, pain, addictive behavior, and fallout. They explain how this cycle feeds itself and why awareness alone is a major step toward breaking free. But awareness isn't enough — you need a plan. The key insight is that there are two journeys you must walk to truly overcome addiction. The short-term journey is about breaking the habit by using healthy coping skills when pain hits. The long-term journey is about healing the root trauma that's driving the pain in the first place. If you only do one, you'll stay stuck. Do both, and you can get to a place where the addiction becomes a complete non-issue. Brad and Kayleen also dive into the critical role of self-talk — how you're either talking yourself into the addictive behavior or talking yourself into a different choice. They share practical strategies for preparing ahead of time, including creating a list of enjoyable activities you can turn to when the urge hits, and how to use that moment of pause to redirect yourself. 💡 What You'll Learn The four stages of the addiction cycle and how they feed each other Why the fallout from addictive behavior affects literally everything in your life The two journeys required to break free: short-term habit change and long-term trauma healing Why healthy coping alone won't fully solve the problem How to prepare a list of enjoyable alternatives before the urge hits The power of self-talk in that critical moment of decision Why getting out of your environment is a key strategy How to build references of success that you can lean on 🧠 Key Takeaway You need to walk two journeys to break the addiction cycle: change the habit through healthy coping skills, and heal the underlying trauma that's driving the pain. One without the other keeps you stuck. 🔗 Next Steps

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#107 How the Addiction Cycle Works (And How to Finally Break It) is an episode from The Overcoming PTSD Podcast by Overcoming PTSD.

This episode is 58:06 long.

This episode was published on Feb 24, 2026.

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