Sex Addiction and Betrayal TraumaSex Addiction and Betrayal Trauma
Addict II Athlete Podcast
A panel of therapists, coaches and a betrayal trauma survivor talk through sex and pornography addiction, the shock of betrayal, and paths towards healing. The discussion blends personal stories with practical tools on trust, boundaries, treatment options and dating again after deep hurt.
1:24:57•1 Feb 2023
Sex Addiction, Betrayal Trauma and the Long Road Back to Trust
Episode Overview
- Addiction is framed as a pattern of compulsive behaviour that continues despite harmful consequences, often rooted in earlier trauma.
- Sex and pornography addiction are explained as behavioural addictions that alter dopamine receptors and can be as gripping as substance use.
- Betrayal trauma can trigger PTSD‑like symptoms and even physical "broken heart" effects, and partners need their pain fully validated.
- Recovery involves honesty, consistent behaviour, solid safety plans and building connection with self, others and a higher power.
- After betrayal, healthy dating rests on clear values, firm boundaries, noticing red flags and rebuilding self‑trust rather than rushing into relationships.
“The opposite of addiction is not sobriety, it's connection.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This panel chat on Addict II Athlete brings together therapists, life coaches and a survivor of betrayal trauma to unpack sex addiction, pornography, and the emotional wreckage they can leave behind.
Hosted by clinical mental health counsellor and addiction specialist Blu Robinson, the conversation is aimed at anyone affected by sexual or pornography addiction – from those battling the behaviour themselves to partners trying to make sense of shock, deceit and broken trust. You’ll hear licensed therapist Kathy Kinghorn break addiction down as a compulsive pattern with real neurological impact, describing how overused dopamine “joy receptors” actually shrink.
Blu adds a practical frame: addiction as an attempt to soothe unresolved trauma, with secrecy and gaslighting growing around a core wound. On the other side of the equation, life coach Marnie Bowne shares her experience of discovering a 21‑year partner’s escalating behaviours, from pornography to prostitutes and strippers. She talks about sleepless nights, intrusive thoughts, PTSD‑type symptoms and even losing trust in her own judgement.
Therapist Holly Martinez and betrayal trauma coach Raquel Kester explain why this shock is classed as trauma, how “broken heart syndrome” can literally affect the heart, and why recovery means far more than “just getting over it”. The panel swap practical ideas too: how to spot real recovery (honesty, consistency, solid safety plans), why the opposite of addiction is connection, and what healthy dating after betrayal might look like, including boundaries, red flags and learning to like yourself again.
You’ll also get a taste of different healing approaches, from EMDR and accelerated resolution therapy to internal family systems and Blu’s treadmill‑based trauma work. If sex addiction or betrayal trauma has rocked your life, could this be the conversation that helps you feel less alone and a bit more hopeful about what comes next?
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