Click here to read the episode highlights. 

The "Living with Heart" Podcast is brought to you by Chip Dodd Resources (www.chipdodd.com) and The Voice of the Heart Center (vothcenter.com). You can connect with Dr. Chip Dodd at [email protected]. Contact Bryan Barley for coaching at [email protected]. 

Be sure to subscribe to Dr Chip Dodd’s new Substack. He will be sharing two to three articles a week. The topics focus on healthy relationship, personal growth, and leadership. 

writers and other creators to publish content directly to their subscribers’ inboxes.

In this new season, “What is Addiction” we will focus on three main aspects of addiction:

How Addiction Operates

Addiction as a feelings problem

Addiction is a “feelings” disorder. A disorder of not knowing how to face, feel, and deal with the feelings that come with living life on life’s terms. 

Life is a “feelings” experience, one we don’t control as much as we must face, feel, and deal with as wisely and productively as we possibly can.

To face life wisely and productively requires that we live in connection with others and God in an intimate way. 

The substitute for living relationally connected is to distract ourselves from our own needs. This means that we attempt to find a counterfeit connection that offers a relief, but not what we genuinely need.

The distraction from our own hearts becomes the addictive process.

Addiction is marked by negative consequences for the addicted person, but their actions don’t change.

Addiction also has its foundation on the defense of denial.

Denial has five characteristics:

Addiction is rooted in toxic shame.

Toxic shame is the internal sense of contempt a person has towards