TAM+ EP74 Stuck in Survival Mode? The Link Between Trauma and Addiction
The Addicted Mind Podcast
Duane Osterlind, LMFT
4.8 • 621 Ratings
🗓️ 19 June 2025
⏱️ 16 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Do you feel like you're constantly on high alert, waiting for the next shoe to drop? Like your body is braced for impact even when there's no real danger around you? You're exhausted, on edge, and maybe you find yourself reaching for something—anything—to make it stop. A drink, a pill, a behavior that gives you just a moment of peace.
If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. And more importantly, you're not broken.
In this eye-opening episode of The Addicted Mind, host Duane Ostlund reveals the hidden connection between past trauma and present-day addiction. Drawing from groundbreaking research by experts like Dr. Bessel van der Kolk and Dr. Bruce Perry, Duane explains how trauma literally rewires our brains, keeping us stuck in survival mode long after the danger has passed.
You'll discover why your brain's alarm system (the amygdala) won't shut off, how chronic stress floods your body with harmful hormones, and why substances become a desperate attempt at self-medication rather than a moral failing. This isn't about willpower—it's about biology.
But here's the hope: there's a way out. Duane shares the surprising antidote to this cycle—and it's not what you might expect. Instead of running from uncomfortable feelings, the path to healing involves gently turning inward and learning to embrace your nervous system.
Through practical techniques like body scanning and interoception (awareness of your body's internal signals), you can begin to retrain your brain. You'll learn to shift from asking "What's wrong with me?" to "What happened to me?"—a simple question that changes everything.
This episode offers both scientific understanding and practical hope for anyone who feels trapped in cycles of addiction, chronic stress, or emotional numbness. Whether you're struggling yourself or supporting someone who is, you'll gain valuable insights into the body-mind connection and discover that healing truly is possible.
If you live in California, Idaho, Virginia, or Florida and are looking for counseling or therapy, please visit Novus Mindful Life Counseling and Recovery Center.
NovusMindfulLife.com
We want to hear from you. Please leave us a message or ask us a question: https://www.speakpipe.com/addictedmind
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Addicted Mind Plus, the podcast where recovery, mental health, and wellness take the front seat. |
| 0:07.3 | I'm Dwayne Austerland, and joining me is my co-host, Eric Osterland, known for his insightful work on the Stuck Brain podcast. |
| 0:14.3 | In each episode, we'll dive into actionable, small steps to help those in recovery journey further along the path to wellness. |
| 0:22.3 | Our conversations are designed to be concise, typically around 15 minutes, though we may |
| 0:26.9 | occasionally delve deeper when the topic demands it. Our goal to provide you with practical |
| 0:31.9 | advice grounded in real experiences and expert insights to empower your recovery journey. |
| 0:38.3 | So whether you're on a break, on a walk, or just taking a moment for yourself, |
| 0:42.3 | join us as we explore the many facets of recovery and mental health, one small step at a time. |
| 0:48.3 | This is The Addicted Mind Plus, where your journey to wellness gets an extra boost, so let's get started. |
| 0:59.1 | I don't know if you're like me, but have you ever felt like you're living in a constant state of high alert? Like your body is braced for some kind of impact, even when you know |
| 1:06.3 | there's no obvious danger, and you're exhausted, you're on edge. And maybe, just maybe you find yourself |
| 1:14.4 | reaching for something to just numb it all out. Maybe a drink, a pill, a behavior that offers you |
| 1:21.5 | a moment of escape and you feel stuck. You can't understand why you can't just get over it. What's wrong with me |
| 1:29.4 | that I keep going back to this over and over again, even though I don't want to do it? What if I told |
| 1:35.5 | you that this feeling, this state of being, isn't a moral failing or a lack of willpower? What if it's a deeply ingrained survival response, |
| 1:48.0 | living in your body, and driving your present moment? All right, everyone, welcome to the |
| 1:54.2 | Addicted Mind Plus. I'm your host. My name is Dwayne Austerlund. And today we're going to be |
| 1:59.4 | delving into a topic that lies at the very heart |
| 2:03.4 | of so many of your struggles. The profound and often unseen impact of trauma on our brains and |
| 2:11.9 | our bodies and how it directly fuels the cycle of addiction. Now, if you're someone who feels chronically stuck |
| 2:19.8 | in survival mode, if you experience persistent stress that seems to have no source, or if you use |
| 2:29.9 | substances to quiet the storm inside, or some kind of behavior to numb out, then this episode is |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Duane Osterlind, LMFT, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Duane Osterlind, LMFT and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.