David Choe on Huberman Lab: Why shame is its own addiction

Gambling, sex, and workaholism wired Choe into the same shame loop; he explains why addiction compounds and how facing trauma becomes raw creative fuel.

David ChoeguestAndrew Hubermanhost

Dec 22, 20253h 53mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: December 22, 2025
Duration: 3h 53m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

David Choe is a world-renowned artist, writer, podcaster and TV host. He tells how as a child, he was made to believe he was destined for greatness but also that he was a complete disgrace, leading him to channel his energy—including deep shame—into art that brought him global recognition. He shares about his addictions that put him on a decades-long cycle of extreme highs and lows and that forced him to eventually acknowledge and heal the childhood trauma he was battling inside. David shows up with raw, authentic presence to show us how we can transmute pain and shame into our best creative work and, more importantly, how complete vulnerability, especially about our hardest experiences, is the ultimate tool for forgiveness and self-acceptance. He also tells us the actual story about early Facebook, Pee-wee Herman and Santa Claus. Note: This conversation includes topics and language that may not be suitable for younger audiences. Episode show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/KYfcdAq *Thank you to our sponsors* AG1: ⁠https://drinkag1.com/huberman Eight Sleep: ⁠https://eightsleep.com/huberman LMNT: ⁠https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Function: ⁠https://functionhealth.com/huberman Mateina: ⁠https://drinkmateina.com/huberma *Huberman Lab* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://x.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter *David Choe* Website: https://davidchoe.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@davidchoe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidchoe X: https://x.com/davidchoe Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidchoe1 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@davidchoe Medium: https://medium.com/@David_Choe Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/david_choe IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2446835 *Timestamps* 00:00:00 David Choe 00:03:10 Drawing, Black & Colors, Death 00:12:54 Telepathy, South Bay 00:17:52 Sponsors: Eight Sleep & LMNT 00:20:40 Childhood, Podcasts, Mundane Moments & Artist Life 00:28:45 Mother, Beliefs, Religion, Artistic Ability, Childhood 00:33:27 Gambling, Transformation; Immigrant, Disgrace 00:40:10 Street Art, Graffiti, Creativity; Paintings, Payment; Sports 00:52:08 Sponsor: AG1 00:53:30 Santa, Belief; Journal, Vulnerability; Heart Break, Art 01:00:16 Facebook, Graffiti; Theft, Gambling 01:10:57 Adapting, Creativity 01:17:16 Album Cover, Art & Payment 01:23:40 Sponsor: Function 01:25:28 Immigrant & Belonging, Academics, Learning Art, Marvel Comics, Shame 01:35:11 Shame, Gambling Addiction, Stress 01:43:05 Sexual Abuse, Trauma, Shame, Addiction 01:51:52 Early Career, Pornography, Author 02:01:20 Graffiti, Disappointment, Rejection; Early Magazines 02:08:26 Sponsor: Mateina 02:09:27 Pornography, Co-Dependence; Movie Set 02:18:00 Pride & Family, Vice; Pokémon 02:26:44 Podcast, Workaholism, Shame, Reality; Anthony Bourdain, Channing Tatum 02:38:54 Writing, Career Success, Workaholism, Vice, News, Self-Sabotage, Heart Attack 02:52:21 Growth & Pain, Sizzler; David Arquette 02:58:40 Rehab, God, Purpose, Parents & Disappointment, The Choe Show, Pee-Wee Herman 03:05:53 Gratitude, Korean Immigrant, Self-Reflection, Brokenness 03:14:37 Emotion, Saying No, Suicide; Vacation & Workaholism, Art 03:25:23 Legacy; Vacation, Work; Authenticity 03:31:15 Surviving & Thriving, Suicide, Addiction, Play the Tape Out, Fun, Feeling Enough 03:44:43 Hope & Faith, Electronics, Santa Claus 03:51:23 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter #HubermanLab #Creativity Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

SPEAKERS

David Choe
guest
Andrew Huberman
host

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring David Choe and Andrew Huberman, David Choe on Huberman Lab: Why shame is its own addiction explores david Choe on addiction, shame, and turning trauma into art David Choe joins Andrew Huberman for an intensely raw conversation about addiction, shame, creativity, and survival. He describes a life shaped by childhood abuse, abandonment, and self-hatred, and how those forces drove him into graffiti, crime, compulsive work, and severe gambling addiction. Through stories of hustling his way into art, pornography illustration, Facebook’s early murals, and collaborations with figures like Anthony Bourdain and Pee-wee Herman, he shows how delusion, pain, and blind faith powered both his success and self-destruction. Now in long-term recovery, Choe talks about learning to sit still, accept himself, and reorient his creativity toward connection, healing, and helping others.

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