What If It’s Not About the Addiction?
Mar 24, 2026
What if the question isn’t,
“Why can’t I stop this?”
But instead,
“What is this giving me that I don’t know how to find another way?”
In this week’s episode of Master Stress with Dr. S, I sit down with ultrarunner and author Charlie Engle to explore addiction, identity, and the deeper drivers behind the choices we make.
Charlie shares his journey through years of crack cocaine and alcohol addiction, prison, and ultimately into extreme endurance running — and what it really takes to change.
But this conversation goes beyond addiction.
It’s about loneliness.
Belonging.
And the patterns we return to when we don’t yet have another way to cope.
We explore:
- Why behaviours that harm us often serve us in some way.
- The role of early experiences in shaping coping patterns.
- Why ultimatums and control rarely create lasting change.
- The importance of boundaries, self-care, and allowing consequences.
- How real transformation often begins with a different question.
Sometimes the path forward isn’t about forcing change —
but understanding what’s been driving it all along.
LISTEN HERE
With care,
Dr. Safia
Coach | Breathwork Facilitator | Doctor | Speaker
Bsc MBBS DCH DRCOG MRCGP MPH DipOccMed
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