Why Most Habit Change Fails (And How to Break the Addiction Cycle)

Why Most Habit Change Fails (And How to Break the Addiction Cycle)

From Two Percent with Michael Easter by iHeartPodcasts

May 14, 2026 · 2h 5m

About this episode

Michael Easter discusses addiction and habit change with therapist Ryan Soave, exploring the deeper issues behind addiction and practical strategies for recovery.

Sobriety isn't just "not drinking"—it's learning how to live without needing relief on demand. In this episode, Michael Easter sits down with therapist Ryan Soave (18+ years sober) for a sweeping conversation on why addiction often acts like a solution to deeper pain, how fear and shame quietly run the show, and what it takes to break the compulsion loop for good. They dig into habit change that actually sticks, how to rebuild identity and community, and practical ways to regulate your nervous system so you don't have to numb yourself.  Ryan Soave is a licensed mental health counselor, transformational coach, and person in long-term recovery. He has spent nearly twenty years and over ten thousand clinical hours working with people navigating trauma, addiction, and the survival patterns that quietly run their lives. His approach brings together modern neuroscience, body-based therapies, and ancient wisdom traditions, all built around one idea: most of us confuse discomfort with threat and spend our lives reacting to things that aren't actually dangerous. Learning to feel bad is the first real step toward living well. Ryan has sat on both sides of the therapeutic…

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