Ep 2: Addiction to Awakening: Sobriety, Spirituality & the Search for God with Phil Sell
2h 16m | Sep 23, 2026In this episode of Know Thy Healing, I sit down with one of my oldest friends, brothers, and fellow travelers in sobriety for a deeply personal conversation about addiction, recovery, spirituality, and the search for God.
We share stories from some of the darkest chapters of our lives — drug addiction, destructive habits, self-sabotage, and the strange ways we tried to escape ourselves — while also reflecting on what those experiences eventually forced us to confront.
From there, the conversation moves beyond sobriety itself and into the deeper questions underneath addiction: What are we really searching for when we reach outside ourselves for relief, stimulation, numbness, or escape? Is addiction only about substances, or can it be understood as a distorted attempt to find connection, meaning, wholeness, or even God?
We talk openly about our own shifts from atheistic skepticism into spirituality, and the ways science, philosophy, personal experience, and the esoteric gradually began to overlap. We explore consciousness, faith, purpose, the nature of reality, the importance of an open mind, and the willingness to question one's own belief systems.
This episode is raw, vulnerable, and at times deeply personal. It is less about presenting answers and more about tracing the path that led both of us to ask better questions — about addiction, identity, God, truth, and what it means to live without constantly reaching for something outside ourselves.
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Disclaimer: This podcast is shared for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical care. Nothing discussed here should be interpreted as medical diagnosis or treatment. Guests speak from their own experience, training, and perspective. Use your own discernment and seek appropriate professional support when needed.
