Dallas Bragg argues that approval addiction is a hidden prison that fuels substance abuse. Drugs medicate deeper emotional wounds rooted in needing others' validation. His Recovery Alchemy framework starts with decomposition: becoming a curious, compassionate observer of your own patterns instead of self-critical.
You cannot heal what you cannot see. So most men are so unconsciously addicted to approval, they don't even realize they're in this prison. They think the problem is crystal meth when really crystal was just the chosen medication for a much deeper wound. They were addicted to approval before meth. The first phase of transformation is what we call decomposition in Recovery Alchemy. It's about becoming the compassionate observer of your own patterns. It's seeing what needs to be treated, right? It's about getting curious. Hmm, why am I like this? Instead of critical of, why do I keep doing this? Right? There's a difference there. And it's curious about, why do I need other people's opinions to feel okay about myself?
