Addicted to Dysfunction

The other day I came across a quote that stopped me in my tracks:

“You can never help a person who is committed to their dysfunction.”

It’s blunt. It’s piercing. And it’s true.

So many of us, often without realizing it, become addicted to the very things we say we want freedom from—pain, stress, worry, chaos, anxiety, even disease. Why? Because over time, our dysfunction becomes familiar. It becomes part of our identity.

For some, it’s the attention—whether negative or positive—that comes with it. If I’m always the one struggling, then people check in on me. If I’m always overwhelmed, I have a reason for not showing up fully. Deep down, the fear whispers: If I let go of this pain, if I no longer carry this dysfunction… will anyone love me for who I really am?

When dysfunction becomes our default, it’s easy to forget that we are more than our pain. We are more than the labels or the cycles that have defined us.

At TDAH!, we believe transformation begins when you start to see yourself differently. Healing happens when you discover your true identity apart from the chaos. That’s where freedom lives.

You are not your dysfunction.
You are not your trauma.
You are not your weight, your stress, your diagnosis, or your past.

You are more. And once you start to believe that, the addiction to dysfunction loses its grip.

So let me leave you with a question today:
👉 What part of dysfunction have you been holding onto because it feels safer than letting it go?

The first step in your healing journey might be simply noticing where dysfunction has been mistaken for identity. And from there, you get to choose something new—something healthier, freer, and full of life.

Because freedom is possible. And you are worth it.