Richard Hoffman here. Today, we delve into the complex interrelationship between personality, identity, and the notion of the inner self or true self, which I like to visualize as vertebrates along an emotional and spiritual spine. Just as physical vertebrates help us to stand upright, these emotional and spiritual vertebrates allow us to withstand life’s challenges. Think of each vertebra as containing an essential part of what I call "self-stuff"—self-acceptance, self- esteem, self-worth, and other similar traits. Initially, these vertebrates are fluid, like gelatin mix before it sets. They are shaped through our formative years and ideally solidify by adulthood. If developed and solidified properly, these vertebrates equip us to face life robustly. What disrupts this process? Trauma. It causes us to wrap these vertebrates in a protective coating, effectively stopping their development and limiting our access to our core self. Trauma can be acute—like abuse or abandonment—or more insidious and repetitive, subtly altering our development over time. To cope, human beings often develop mechanisms, either behavioral or chemical, to insulate these vertebrates further. These mechanisms range from substance use to behavioral patterns like perfectionism or avoidance. Though these mechanisms might shield us from pain temporarily, they prevent the vertebrates from maturing and restrict our access to them, prompting us to seek external validation or to become reliant on substances or behaviors that mimic the feelings these vertebrates are supposed to provide naturally. For instance, if you wrapped up your self-motivation vertebrate at a young age due to trauma, it ceases to mature, leaving you perpetually requiring external motivation to initiate or complete tasks. As these core components of our identity remain underdeveloped and inaccessible, we struggle to find internal stability and a true sense of self, leading us into a cycle of dependency and dysfunction. This forms the basis for the core addictions we experience: security, control, sensation, and suffering. Overcoming these challenges involves addressing the trauma head-on, unwrapping these vertebrates, and allowing them to mature properly. This requires not only facing and processing the trauma but also practicing new, healthier coping mechanisms that reinforce the resilience and functionality of our inner selves. This process is arduous but essential for anyone seeking to reclaim their life from the grips of addiction and deeply ingrained trauma.