Addictions and compulsions—whether it’s reaching for chocolate, binge-watching TV, getting high, smoking, having sex, or drinking a glass of wine each night—are often responses to deeper, unconscious, unresolved emotions. The urge to stop these behaviors might seem like the solution, but it misses the real issue: they’re rooted in unconscious, unprocessed trauma and emotional pain (aka repression) in the body. We see this in characters like Rue from Euphoria, whose addiction stems from emotional struggles, not just the substances she turns to. Rue uses drugs to numb overwhelming feelings of trauma, loss, and inadequacy that she’s unable to process, much of it stemming from her father’s death and the grief she can’t cope with.
Throughout Euphoria, we see Rue using drugs as an escape from feelings of worthlessness and sadness, only to be left with guilt and shame after acting on her compulsion. Her behavior reflects how addiction becomes a desperate attempt to soothe internal suffering, much like everyday compulsions such as overeating or binge-watching. The deeper healing begins not when Rue tries to stop using drugs but when she starts to face the emotional wounds driving her addiction. This mirrors the idea that true recovery isn’t about stopping the behavior—it’s about addressing the unfelt, unexpressed, unprocessed emotions beneath it.
In Natural Recovery from Suffering, we use specific somatic inquiry tools to process what’s happening within us when compulsion arises. We connect the addictive behavior with unmet childhood needs, unresolved traumas (often with parents, caregivers, siblings and bullies), and the unexpressed emotions about it that got stuck in our bodies. By learning to stay present during compulsions, rather than stopping them, we can process the guilt, shame, and self-punishment that follow. This compassionate approach shifts the focus from trying to stop the compulsion to understanding its root, leading to deeper healing and recovery.
Finally, test it for yourself: look at the subject of your compulsion in your mind's eyes, and say “I don’t need it. I don’t have to have it.” And just be present and observe what’s happening in you in reaction to that. Is there any tension? Also, after this, do the same with your parents. Look at them in your mind's eyes and say, “I don’t need their love, attention, acceptance and protection”. What’s arising in you now?
Do you see any connection?
If this resonates with you, I’m here to support you on this journey.
Warmly,
Serena
"What you find inside transforms everything outside!" 🌀
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