The Hidden Psychology of Addiction, Ambition & Feeling Seen | Ryan Soave

In this episode, I sit down with psychotherapist Ryan Soave for a wide-ranging conversation about addiction, obsession, anxiety, and the pressures of modern life. We discuss why addictive behaviors are often attempts to solve deeper emotional problems, the blurry line between healthy ambition and destructive obsession, why external success often fails to make us feel seen or fulfilled, and my idea of “diversifying your dopamine” by building multiple sources of meaning, pleasure, connection, and purpose. We also explore whether modern life is making us more anxious, why too much freedom can paradoxically make us less free, how virtual reality can trigger remarkably real fear responses, and why a good therapist should sometimes challenge you rather than simply validate you.