The Truth About Addiction

Dr. Samantha Harte
  • 4.7 (13)
  • Mental Health
  • Weekly

Dr. Samantha Harte is a speaker, best selling author, coach and sober mom of two. She is here to tell the truth about her life, which requires telling the truth about her addiction: how it presents, how it manifests, and how it shows up again and again in her recovery. This podcast is one giant deep dive into the truth about ALL TYPES OF addiction (and living sober) to dispel the myths, expose the truths, and create a community experience of worthiness, understanding and compassion.If you are a mompreneur and are looking for a community of like-minded women who are breaking all cycles of dysfunction and thriving in business, family, body image and spiritual well-being, join the waitlist below! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1rXCADAwdxnvpLNYR143KgrGPD0DLT7ExZgLwCR9hiqk/edit

  1. 2d ago

    What If Your So Called "Defects" Are Actually Protective Adaptations...

    Send us Fan Mail Calling them “character defects” can feel like a punch you didn’t sign up for. We’re taking Steps Six and Seven and flipping the script with a trauma-informed reframe that replaces shame with understanding. If you’ve ever heard recovery language that made you recoil, you’re not broken. You may be having a very normal reaction to a label that doesn’t fit how human coping actually works. We walk through why traits like perfectionism, people-pleasing, proving, performing, or shutting down aren’t evidence that you’re defective. They’re often adaptations, protective skills you learned early when you felt unseen, unheard, unsafe, or not enough. I break down a practical way to think about these patterns as assets and liabilities, and then go deeper: the real question isn’t whether a part of you is “bad,” it’s whether that part is burdened with so much fear or shame that it’s working at all costs. We also talk about the moment an adaptation turns maladaptive, how active addiction often forces that clarity, and why pain can become the circuit breaker that wakes us up to change. From there we get specific about what recovery looks like day to day. Addiction is the silencing of parts. Sobriety turns the volume up. Recovery is listening with love and curiosity, restoring safety, and integrating those parts rather than trying to remove them. Whether God language feels supportive or loaded for you, there’s room to heal and make a real start. If this perspective helps, subscribe, share the episode with someone who needs a kinder framework, and leave a review so more people can find trauma-informed recovery that actually feels human. To book a FREE discovery call with Dr. Harte, click the link below: https://calendly.com/drharte/free-discovery-call-w-dr-harte Support the show #thetruthaboutaddiction #sobriety #the12steps #recovery #therapy #mentalhealth #podcasts #emotionalsobriety #soberliving #sobermindset #spirituality #spiritualgrowth #aa #soberlife #mindfulness #wellness #wellnessjourney #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #sobermovement #recoveroutloud #sobercurious #sobermoms #soberwomen #author #soberauthor #purpose #passion #perspective

  2. Oct 13

    A Trauma-Informed Take On Turning It Over with Dr. Sam

    Send us Fan Mail If the word “God” makes you tense up, Step Three can feel less like healing and more like being asked to surrender all over again. We take a clear-eyed look at the original Step Three language and why it can collide with religious trauma, coercive faith backgrounds, and anyone who has learned that “obedience” equals safety. When recovery asks for your will, it can accidentally echo the exact systems that silenced you in the first place. We also push back on a common accusation people hear in traditional rooms: that hesitation means you are willful, prideful, or “too full of self.” Our take is the opposite. Many of us in addiction have spent years disconnected from our authentic self, shamed for our needs, and trained to distrust our own instincts. Real sobriety is not about becoming smaller. It is about becoming honest, integrated, and internally safe enough to choose better, day by day. Then we offer a trauma-informed reframe of Step Three you can actually use: a decision, just for today, to align with your true self, your intuition, and the most compassionate energy you can access. If “God” works for you, we talk about finding a loving definition that does not punish. If it does not, we give you permission to remove the word, change the phrasing, and build a recovery path that helps your body exhale. If this resonates, subscribe, share this with someone navigating the 12 steps with religious trauma, and leave a review with the words that feel safest to you. To book a FREE discovery call with Dr. Sam, click he link below: https://calendly.com/drharte/free-discovery-call-w-dr-harte Support the show #thetruthaboutaddiction #sobriety #the12steps #recovery #therapy #mentalhealth #podcasts #emotionalsobriety #soberliving #sobermindset #spirituality #spiritualgrowth #aa #soberlife #mindfulness #wellness #wellnessjourney #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #sobermovement #recoveroutloud #sobercurious #sobermoms #soberwomen #author #soberauthor #purpose #passion #perspective

  3. Sep 30

    You Are Not Insane You Are In Survival Mode-A new way to consider Step 2 of the 12 Steps of Recovery with Dr. Sam

    Send us Fan Mail Step Two can be the moment people quietly decide the 12 steps are not for them. “A power greater than myself” can sound like religion, and “restore me to sanity” can feel like a slap, especially if your so-called insanity was actually what kept you alive in a volatile childhood. We go straight into that tension and name what many listeners have thought in meetings but rarely say out loud. In this episode, Dr. Sam offers a modern, trauma-informed reframe of Step Two that does not require a specific belief system: can I trust that there is another part of me, beyond this protector part, that can restore me to safety? From there, we walk through a practical parts-work approach that fits naturally with addiction recovery, emotional sobriety, and nervous system regulation. You will hear how protective strategies like anxiety, perfectionism, and the urge to escape are not moral failures. They are adaptations, and they deserve care, not war. You will also learn a simple daily practice we call the spiritual boardroom, where each part gets a seat at the table and your authentic self takes the CEO role. Then we share a three-step tool you can use in real time: regulate the body with long exhales, reassure the activated part that you are safe now, and take one action aligned with your true self while letting your parts come along. If you are looking for trauma-informed recovery, a fresh take on AA Step Two, or a way to build self-trust without preaching, press play. Subscribe, share with someone who feels stuck on Step Two, and leave a review so more people can find this reframe. To book a free discovery call with Dr. Sam, click the link below: https://calendly.com/drharte/free-discovery-call-w-dr-harte Support the show #thetruthaboutaddiction #sobriety #the12steps #recovery #therapy #mentalhealth #podcasts #emotionalsobriety #soberliving #sobermindset #spirituality #spiritualgrowth #aa #soberlife #mindfulness #wellness #wellnessjourney #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #sobermovement #recoveroutloud #sobercurious #sobermoms #soberwomen #author #soberauthor #purpose #passion #perspective

  4. Sep 21

    A Trauma-Informed Reframe Of Powerlessness and Unmanageability In Recovery-with Dr. Sam

    Send us Fan Mail “We admitted we were powerless… and our lives had become unmanageable.” If those words make you feel smaller instead of safer, you’re not broken and you’re not failing recovery. I’m sharing a raw, solo deep dive into Step One and why the traditional 12-step framing can hit differently when trauma is part of your story. I also talk about a recent personal shift, an “identity collapse” that finally freed me to speak clearly and directly about a modern, trauma-informed reframe of the 12 steps. I take you back to a pivotal moment: a cocaine overdose the same night I was accepted into my doctoral program, followed by the unsettling reality that fear didn’t instantly stop my use. From there, I unpack why I initially recoiled at AA language and why labeling ourselves as “powerless” can reenact the very helplessness many of us already lived through. Yes, addiction can become chaotic and dangerous, and responsibility matters, but shame and harsh labels are not the same thing as accountability. Then we build something better. I offer an alternative Step One anchored in two simple, expansive ideas: release what you cannot control, especially what was done to you against your will, and reclaim your sovereignty, agency, and power over what you can change. If you’re newly sober, questioning AA, or tired of repeating the words powerless and unmanageable, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review with the recovery language that actually helps you heal. To book a free discovery call with Dr. Sam, click the link below: https://calendly.com/drharte/free-discovery-call-w-dr-harte Support the show #thetruthaboutaddiction #sobriety #the12steps #recovery #therapy #mentalhealth #podcasts #emotionalsobriety #soberliving #sobermindset #spirituality #spiritualgrowth #aa #soberlife #mindfulness #wellness #wellnessjourney #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #sobermovement #recoveroutloud #sobercurious #sobermoms #soberwomen #author #soberauthor #purpose #passion #perspective

  5. Sep 14

    My sister did NOT die of a drug overdose-even though that's what the records say.

    Send us Fan Mail The call said my big sister died of a drug overdose. The death certificate might agree, but I don’t. What I watched, what I lived through, and what I’ve learned in 17 years of recovery points to something quieter and more lethal: untreated shame. The kind of shame that doesn’t say “I did something bad,” but whispers “I am bad,” then demands secrecy, denial, and isolation as the price of staying numb.  I walk through the months leading up to that call, when texts became rare, reassurance sounded scripted, and the truth stayed just out of reach. Then came the photos that made my stomach drop and the explanation that didn’t add up. If you’ve ever loved someone through relapse, you know that sick mix of panic, hope, and helplessness. I also share the hardest boundary I’ve had to learn: being a lighthouse, not a rescue boat, and why that distinction matters for families, friends, and anyone trying to support addiction recovery without losing themselves.  From there, I pull the conversation down to the floor, beneath the surface talk about ego, self-centeredness, or willpower. When someone believes they are not worth saving, drugs can become a last-ditch painkiller for an identity that feels broken. The way out is not more punishment or more silence; it’s honest connection, trauma-aware support, and the slow work of building self-trust and self-compassion until a new identity starts to feel real.  If shame has been the loudest voice in your head, I want you to hear this: you can create something new. Listen, share this with someone who needs it, and if it resonates, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find honest conversations about addiction, relapse, trauma, and recovery. Support the show #thetruthaboutaddiction #sobriety #the12steps #recovery #therapy #mentalhealth #podcasts #emotionalsobriety #soberliving #sobermindset #spirituality #spiritualgrowth #aa #soberlife #mindfulness #wellness #wellnessjourney #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #sobermovement #recoveroutloud #sobercurious #sobermoms #soberwomen #author #soberauthor #purpose #passion #perspective

  6. Sep 6

    How to RADICALLY SHIFT from Sobriety to Recovery with Dr. Sam

    Send us Fan Mail Quitting alcohol can be a miracle and still feel miserable. I’m talking straight today about the gap nobody explains clearly enough: sobriety versus recovery. Sobriety is putting the substance down. Recovery is getting your life back and, more importantly, getting yourself back. If you’ve been “doing everything right” but you still feel anxious, angry, or hollow, you’re not failing. You might just be trying to heal with willpower alone.  I share what early sobriety really looks like, including why staying in the same places and routines can keep you triggered and activated. When the numbing stops, all the buried feelings come up fast: anxiety, rage, sorrow, sadness, and the urge to control everything or disappear into people pleasing. That constant internal battle can turn into white knuckling, and it often sets the stage for relapse. I also name the quieter threat: behavioral relapse, where we swap substances for “acceptable” obsessions like perfectionism, body control, or other compulsions that keep us on the surface of the pain.  The turning point, for me, is learning how to meet shame with self-compassion. I talk about how forgiveness isn’t a single lightning bolt moment, it’s hundreds and thousands of small choices that rebuild trust with yourself. That’s how authenticity comes back online, intuition gets louder, and you start living from love instead of punishment. If this resonates, listen through to the end, share it with someone who’s newly sober, and please subscribe and leave a review so more people can find real recovery. To book a FREE discovery call with Dr. Sam, click the link below: https://calendly.com/drharte/free-discovery-call-w-dr-harte Support the show #thetruthaboutaddiction #sobriety #the12steps #recovery #therapy #mentalhealth #podcasts #emotionalsobriety #soberliving #sobermindset #spirituality #spiritualgrowth #aa #soberlife #mindfulness #wellness #wellnessjourney #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #sobermovement #recoveroutloud #sobercurious #sobermoms #soberwomen #author #soberauthor #purpose #passion #perspective

  7. Jul 24

    The difference between SUCCESS and FULFILLMENT-with Ricky Rebel

    Send us Fan Mail Success can be a drug, especially if you’ve lived through addiction, people-pleasing, or the kind of hustle that turns your nervous system into a constant alarm. We sit down with Ricky Rebel and get painfully honest about the moment success starts to mean “money, period” and the moment that belief collapses into a deeper question: if you’re already talented and loved, why does chasing the next milestone still feel like survival? We talk about the difference between success and fulfillment, and why external markers like cash, status, followers, and “being seen” can hijack your self-worth. You’ll hear how we handle the perfectionist voice when goals feel far away, what gratitude actually does for mindset and emotional regulation, and why an existential view of life’s absurdity can restore perspective instead of making you numb. We also dig into the real-world friction: discipline and structure can create financial freedom, but if it crushes your spirit, it can also poison everything you’re building. Then we bring it back to action and creativity: somatic dance as body-based healing, workshops that blend movement and meaning, Vegas shows, DJ sets, and an upcoming album that uses auto-tune as an artistic choice while still telling the truth emotionally. If you’re chasing big dreams, building a wellness business, navigating sobriety, or redefining work-life balance, this conversation gives you language and tools to hold the “both-and.” Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who’s chasing goals without peace, and leave a review telling us: what does success mean to you right now? To book a FREE discovery call with Dr. Harte, click the link below: https://calendly.com/drharte/free-discovery-call-w-dr-harte Support the show #thetruthaboutaddiction #sobriety #the12steps #recovery #therapy #mentalhealth #podcasts #emotionalsobriety #soberliving #sobermindset #spirituality #spiritualgrowth #aa #soberlife #mindfulness #wellness #wellnessjourney #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #sobermovement #recoveroutloud #sobercurious #sobermoms #soberwomen #author #soberauthor #purpose #passion #perspective

  8. Jul 17

    Breaking The Anxious Attachment Cycle with Dr. Sam

    Send us Fan Mail Anxious attachment can convince you that love means urgency, intensity, and proving yourself. When someone pulls back, it can feel like your whole body is on fire, and you’ll do anything to get close again, over-text, over-give, over-think, and over-function. I’m sharing a solo, deeply personal look at how that pattern has shown up in my life, why it can feel just like addiction, and what I’m doing to change it after 17 years sober. We break down what anxious attachment actually looks like day to day: getting “all in” too fast, obsessing about someone’s availability, and unraveling when the relationship hits a bump. I walk through the moment a friendship rupture snapped me into awareness, and the sentence that captured the whole wound: “If I love you hard enough, maybe you won’t leave me.” From there, we trace the roots back to childhood, where hypervigilance and self-silencing can become survival skills that later shape adult relationships. Then we get practical. I share the framework that guides my healing, repair what you can and mourn what you can’t, plus the slow, steady building blocks of secure attachment: pacing new connections, treating instant intensity like a red flag, and letting people earn access to your love and attention. When you feel activated, I offer a simple body-based self-soothing practice (hand on heart, speaking to the younger parts) to ride the emotional wave without acting it out. If this hits home, share it with someone who needs it, subscribe, and leave a review so more people can find the tools to move from anxious attachment to secure attachment. What pattern are you ready to notice first? To book a FREE discovery call with Dr. Sam, click the link below: https://calendly.com/drharte/free-discovery-call-w-dr-harte Support the show #thetruthaboutaddiction #sobriety #the12steps #recovery #therapy #mentalhealth #podcasts #emotionalsobriety #soberliving #sobermindset #spirituality #spiritualgrowth #aa #soberlife #mindfulness #wellness #wellnessjourney #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #sobermovement #recoveroutloud #sobercurious #sobermoms #soberwomen #author #soberauthor #purpose #passion #perspective

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4.7
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Dr. Samantha Harte is a speaker, best selling author, coach and sober mom of two. She is here to tell the truth about her life, which requires telling the truth about her addiction: how it presents, how it manifests, and how it shows up again and again in her recovery. This podcast is one giant deep dive into the truth about ALL TYPES OF addiction (and living sober) to dispel the myths, expose the truths, and create a community experience of worthiness, understanding and compassion.If you are a mompreneur and are looking for a community of like-minded women who are breaking all cycles of dysfunction and thriving in business, family, body image and spiritual well-being, join the waitlist below! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1rXCADAwdxnvpLNYR143KgrGPD0DLT7ExZgLwCR9hiqk/edit

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Samantha Harte
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    117
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Truth About Addiction
  • Show Website
    The Truth About Addiction

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