Why Liars Get Angry When Confronted

Why Liars Get Angry When Confronted

From Inside The Mind Of An Addict by Amber Hollingsworth

June 3, 2026 · 33 min

About this episode

Amber Hollingsworth discusses the bargaining cycle in relationships affected by addiction and how it perpetuates conflict.

You've had the same fight a hundred times. You've watched them at their best and seen them throw it all away. No matter what you do, the relationship always seems to end up back in the same painful place. In this episode, Amber Hollingsworth explains why that happens, and it's probably not what you think. The cycle you're stuck in isn't really about the drinking, drug use, or addictive behavior. It's about bargaining. The person struggling with addiction bargains with themselves constantly: "I'll quit tomorrow." "I'll cut back." "I'll get help after this one last time." But family members often find themselves bargaining too: "If they just understood how much they're hurting me, they'd stop." "If they hit a big enough consequence, they'll finally change." "If I could just get their dad to stop enabling." "If I could just get them into treatment." When both sides are caught in bargaining, the cycle keeps repeating and everyone ends up exhausted. Amber breaks down exactly what the bargaining cycle looks like on both sides of the relationship, why it keeps families stuck, and what it actually takes to step off the roller coaster. She also discusses how to know when it's time to keep…

People in this episode

Host: Amber Hollingsworth

Topics covered

  • addiction
  • bargaining
  • relationships
  • mental health
  • family dynamics

Keywords

  • addiction
  • bargaining
  • relationships
  • mental health
  • family
  • confrontation
  • cycle
  • change

More episodes of Inside The Mind Of An Addict

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Inside The Mind Of An Addict podcast page.