Trauma, Attachment, and Addiction: Why the Past Won’t Stay in the Past. So many people I work with come in thinking their addiction is the problem—but more often than not, it’s actually the symptom. If you’ve ever wondered, “Why do I keep doing this when I know it’s hurting me?” or “Why do I feel so empty or anxious all the time?”—you’re asking exactly the right questions. And to answer them, we have to go backward before we can move forward.