A Lifelong Journey Of Healing: Ways to Process, Release, And Heal From Trauma With Shalev AmarA Lifelong Journey Of Healing: Ways to Process, Release, And Heal From Trauma With Shalev Amar
I Love Being Sober
Tim Westbrook talks with trauma-focused attorney Shalev Amar about how unresolved trauma fuels addiction and anxiety, and the varied methods he uses to heal. The episode outlines practical daily routines and long-term strategies for anyone wanting emotional relief and more stable recovery.
42:35•10 Aug 2021
Healing Trauma for Lasting Sobriety with Shalev Amar
Episode Overview
- Trauma often underlies addictive behaviours, including alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling and food.
- Repeated "small" emotional wounds can be as damaging as major traumatic events and may lead to complex PTSD.
- Effective healing usually involves stacking multiple methods such as trauma release exercises, breath work, journalling, meditation and body-based therapies.
- Consistent self-care routines, including sleep, exercise and clean nutrition, are crucial for emotional stability in recovery.
- Healing from trauma is a lifelong commitment; without ongoing work, symptoms tend to return and worsen over time.
“Once you see that it's possible not to suffer, that it's possible to feel good, you have no choice. Your mind will torment you if you don't do the work.”
Ever wondered what it takes to move from a lifetime of trauma into genuine emotional freedom? This conversation between host Tim Westbrook and attorney-turned-trauma student Shalev Amar lays out a no-nonsense view of healing that speaks directly to people in recovery. Shalev shares how his own history of generational trauma, anxiety and painful relationships pushed him to spend "more time studying trauma, psychology, neurology...
than I have studying the law." He explains big T events like war, abuse or major accidents alongside the often-overlooked small T experiences such as neglect, constant criticism and feeling like the family scapegoat. As he puts it, repeated small hurts "can actually become just as severe as the big T trauma" and lead to complex PTSD. The episode speaks strongly to anyone using substances or behaviours to cope.
Shalev argues that many addictions are attempts to "get some relief from the pain" of unresolved trauma—whether through alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling or even food. He and Tim keep things practical, discussing daily routines, self-care and recovery habits like breath work, journalling, meditation, cold exposure, massage and nutrition.
Tim sums it up simply: he does his morning routine because "I want to be happy, joyous, and free." You’ll also hear Shalev run through trauma-healing methods ranging from trauma release exercises and network chiropractic care to more intense options such as plant medicines and the Amazonian practice of kambo, always stressing medical guidance and legality. His core message is that healing is a lifelong commitment: "You don’t stay in the same place.
You either move forwards or you move backwards." For anyone in sobriety or thinking about it, this episode offers a brutally honest yet hopeful reminder that while trauma work is hard, there is "a light at the end of the tunnel" if you keep going. How might your recovery change if healing your nervous system became your top priority?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.