Addiction isn’t about willpower—it’s about who we believe we are.
In my TEDx Talk, I strip away the clichés and confront the truth: addiction is a battle for identity. It’s not just a behavior to fix but a reflection of how we see ourselves in the world. Until we change that identity, we remain trapped in the cycle.
I speak from experience. Addiction consumed me until I realized I wasn’t fighting the substances or the habits—I was fighting me. And I’m not alone. In Western Sydney, three others transformed their lives not through quick fixes but by ripping apart their old identities and building new ones.
One turned their addiction into fuel for connection, creating a community where they finally felt they belonged. Another found purpose in the chaos, turning their struggles into a mission that gave their life meaning. The third broke through the darkness by leaning on spiritual transformation, discovering a higher purpose that lifted them out of despair.
These weren’t surface-level changes. They were deep, painful, and raw. But they worked.
My talk isn’t just about understanding addiction—it’s a call to action. Stop blaming people for their struggles. Help them rebuild their identity. Show them they can be more than their pain, more than their past.
Addiction isn’t just about quitting something. It’s about becoming someone. And the sooner we start seeing it that way, the sooner we can truly help people escape it.