Addicted to Drama

With empathy, humor, and unique insight, a psychologist examines drama addiction and charts a path for healing in this groundbreaking book.

Do you know someone who seems to thrive on chaos, a person who manufactures crisis where there is none, makes mountains out of molehills, and whose very presence feels like an inescapable whirlwind?
You may even label them a “drama queen.” 
This person might be someone close to you. 
This person might even be you. 

In this groundbreaking book, clinical psychologist and mind-body expert Dr. Scott Lyons turns the notion of the “drama queen” on its head, showing that drama is actually an addiction and those who are suffering with it are experiencing a much deeper psychological, biological, and social pain. For a person addicted to drama, the intensity becomes their way of coping.  Their life is a constant cycle of crisis, chaos, and chronically high levels of stress. They may never be able to relax without an internal alarm going off, sending them spiraling back toward chaos. Drama is the stirring, the excitement, the exaggeration, the eruption, the unrest, and the medicine to feel alive in relation to the numbing of the internal and external world around them. For a person addicted to drama, the drama is often how they survive—or think they do.

With studies, primary research, and patient stories, Dr. Lyons deconstructs this little-understood addiction, sharing: 

• what drama addiction is and what it is not 
• how to identify patterns of drama addiction in yourself and others 
• the somatic effects of drama addiction, including chronic fatigue, autoimmune disease, joint and muscle pains, and other conditions 
• the origins of drama addiction— and how we are heading towards a global pandemic of a dependency on crisis and chaos 
• accessible exercises for recovery and healing 

Rather than dismiss addiction to drama as just attention-seeking, Dr. Lyons offers clear-eyed empathy, humor, and practical strategies to help us all understand and break free of the drama cycle. 

• “Dr. Scott Lyon’s new book Addicted to Drama compassionately unpacks the underlying dynamics that keep many of our relationships stuck in cycles of stress and chaos. Offering relatable examples and actionable steps, this book will help you break free of these patterns to create deeper and more authentic relationships.”
  Nicole LePera, The Holistic Psychologist, New York Times bestselling author of How To Do The Work
• “Are you someone who thrives on tumult and catastrophe? Who perks up at the first whiff of bad news? Read Scott Lyons’s Addicted to Drama and you’ll see how these tendencies are holding you hostage."
  New York Times Book Review
• “One of our lifetime's most significant and silent endemics stems from jumping from one crisis to another and creating chaos to run from deeper pain, depleting our vital energy, resources, and time. Dr. Scott Lyons offers a step-by-step process to solve this draining dilemma and heal the underlying pain. Read, learn, heal and find safety away from drama--in yourself and from those who are addicted to it.”
  Peter A. Levine, PhD, author of Waking the Tiger, Healing Trauma, and In an Unspoken Voice
• “Dr. Scott’s new book guides readers through a compassionate journey of understanding how an addiction to DRAMA is playing out in our lives and being replicated on a mass scale. Dr. Scott shows us that there is hope, with a fresh perspective on healing trauma and liberating ourselves from crisis, chaos, and the addiction, the never-ending cycle of drama. Read this book to heal yourself and make a change in the world.”
  Justin Michael Williams, Grammy-nominated artist, author of Stay Woke: A Meditation Guide for the Rest of Us
• “I highly recommend Addicted to Drama to anyone struggling with drama addiction or looking to improve their relationships and find greater peace and balance in their lives. Dr. Lyons' insights and guidance are invaluable and have the potential to transform the lives of readers.”
  Dianne Poole Heller, PhD, author of The Power of Attachment
• “Addicted to Drama is an incredible resource of tools for transformation. Whether you’re looking to find more peace and intimacy in your relationships, become more resilient and thrive under stress, or break free of cycles that keep you in pain and suffering, this is the book to help set you free.”
  Sheleana Aiyana, Rising Woman, author of Becoming The One
• “Addicted to Drama is a must read for anyone caught up in this vicious circle. As the founder and president of Cancer Schmancer Movement, identifying dis-ease in one’s life and gain the tools to distance yourself from unhealthy habits is the beginning of living your best life in optimal health. This journey we all begin at birth is a learning experience and a constant quest to become more refined, present and mindful.”
  Fran Drescher, actor, health activist, and author of Cancer Schmancer
• "[An] illuminating debut...underlaid with thorough psychological insight but remains eminently accessible, bolstered by relatable anecdotes and actionable advice. Readers will find this a thoughtful, practical entry."
  Publishers Weekly