Recovery from the Lies We Tell Ourselves to Survive Trauma with Naomi Morad (Part 2)Recovery from the Lies We Tell Ourselves to Survive Trauma with Naomi Morad (Part 2)
Retrieving Sanity
Host Keegan Reid and trauma-informed practitioner Naomi Morad talk about dissociation, the "void" left by trauma and how somatic work and brain spotting support sobriety and emotional healing. Their conversation focuses on slow, layered recovery, self-awareness and the reality that old coping mechanisms once kept people safe.
26:35•26 May 2026
Healing the Void: Trauma, Dissociation and Sobriety with Naomi Morad
Episode Overview
- Nobody else can fill the internal void; that emptiness often comes from a split within oneself caused by trauma.
- Dissociation, including turning to alcohol or drugs, can be a protective mechanism that helped someone survive overwhelming pain.
- Healing happens in layers over time, with the subconscious only bringing up what a person is ready to process.
- "Slow is fast" in trauma work; pushing too hard or too quickly leads to overwhelm and setbacks.
- Awareness of emotions, triggers and body sensations is a key skill that can reduce depression, support recovery and reshape old patterns.
“Because nobody can fill that void, only you yourself.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol and face old wounds head-on? This conversation between host Keegan Reid and psychosomatic practitioner Naomi Morad speaks directly to anyone in recovery who senses that alcohol, drugs or people-pleasing were never the real problem – just ways of coping with something far older and deeper.
Naomi, a survivor of trafficking and long-time trauma worker, breaks down how dissociation shows up as a split from oneself, that hollow "void" many people try to fill with substances or distractions. As she puts it, "Because nobody can fill that void, only you yourself." Rather than shaming those coping strategies, she explains them as protective mechanisms that once kept someone alive.
You’ll hear Naomi describe healing as an onion: layer after layer of memories and feelings that surface only when the subconscious decides a person is ready. She stresses that "slow is fast" in trauma work—rushing just leads to overwhelm, shutdown and the urge to quit. Her explanation of brain spotting, somatic approaches and neuroplasticity keeps things grounded, using a simple "dirty kitchen floor" analogy to show how the brain can reorganise itself without forcing new positive beliefs.
Keegan brings in his own experience with alcohol, guilt and self-blame, giving voice to the common fear: if I change, who will I be? Naomi reassures that people can be both terrified of change and still move towards it, highlighting the moment many reach for help: when despair finally becomes unbearable.
Their chat also covers manic depression, the difficulty of feeling anger for lifelong people-pleasers, and the importance of awareness—spotting what triggered that emotional crash instead of assuming it came from nowhere. This is a grounded, honest listen for anyone in sobriety or trauma recovery who’s tired of white-knuckling it and wants to understand why healing takes time – and why that’s actually a good thing. What if going slower is the fastest way you’ll ever move forward?
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