The Addiction to Being Needed | The Real Podcast – Mindset Rehab Series

What if one of the most praised traits in women—being helpful, reliable, and selfless—is actually one of the biggest reasons we feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and stuck?

In this powerful episode of The Real Podcast, Sally Luehman explores The Addiction to Being Needed, one of the most subtle and socially rewarded mindset patterns affecting high-achieving women, entrepreneurs, leaders, and mothers.

This episode is part of Sally’s 10-part Mindset Rehab Series, where she breaks down the unconscious thought habits that quietly run our lives—addictions to struggle, comfort, excuses… and now, being needed.

Being needed feels like purpose. It feels like love. It feels like leadership.

But for many women, especially overachievers and entrepreneurs, the need to be needed becomes an identity—and eventually a trap.

In this episode, Sally shares personal stories from motherhood, leadership, entrepreneurship, and coaching to uncover how:

• Over-helping turns into control
• Oversharing becomes a way to feel relevant
• Doing other people’s work blocks their growth—and ours
• Being “the fixer” creates burnout instead of fulfillment

Who This Episode Is For

This episode is for you if you:

• Are a high-achieving woman or entrepreneur who feels constantly needed
• Struggle to rest without guilt
• Often step in to “save” situations that aren’t yours
• Feel exhausted from being everything to everyone
• Notice resentment creeping in even though you “love helping”
• Wonder who you are when no one needs you

Topics Covered in This Episode

• What the addiction to being needed really is (and why it’s so sneaky)
• How motherhood trains our brains for constant responsibility
• Why oversharing is often about validation, not connection
• The difference between helping and taking over
• How being needed feeds the ego while draining the soul
• Why high-performing women struggle the most with this pattern
• How control disguises itself as leadership
• Why empowering others requires stepping back
• How to detox from being needed without losing your identity
• The difference between trained vs. untrained brain responses
• How to shift from fixing to coaching
• Why rest feels unsafe for so many women
• How this addiction impacts relationships, teams, and families

A Real Conversation About Identity

Sally speaks candidly about the identity shift many women face when life changes—when kids grow up, businesses evolve, or roles shift.

If you’ve ever thought:

• “If I’m not needed, am I still valuable?”
• “Who am I when I stop fixing everything?”
• “Why do I feel anxious when I’m not busy?”

The Real is a podcast for women who want to grow—personally, professionally, emotionally, and financially—without pretending, performing, or burning out.

Hosted by Sally Luehman, entrepreneur, real estate broker, and mindset coach, the show explores:

Visit coachingworks.net to schedule a free coaching session and explore how mindset coaching can help you.