Trauma and Addiction: The Link We Can’t Ignore
This post briefly summarizes Carrie DeJong’s free eBook, “Trauma and Addiction: The Link We Can’t Ignore”. Click here if you would like to download the full article.
Often, people view addiction as a “choice” – those addicted “choose” to use.
Rarely do people living in the chaos of addiction want to be there. It isn’t that they want to be addicted – it may be that they do not know how to live life without their substance or behaviour. But what exactly creates the move into addictive patterns of substance use?
Here is a crucial piece of information: addiction is often a symptom rather than “the problem” itself. While addiction certainly creates additional “problems”, it’s helpful to be curious about what drives the behaviours that lead to addiction in the first place. Excessive use of drugs, alcohol or other unhealthy coping behaviours probably began a way to “fix” some problem or pain.
Although not all addiction is caused by trauma or painful life experiences,
we certainly have learned that trauma is a much more common experience, especially in the lives of those struggling with addiction. There is also a greater understanding of trauma’s profound impacts on a person’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
There has been a significant movement towards identifying and exploring the connection between trauma and addiction in recent years.
Here are some of the topics covered in the e-Book:
It provides a deeper look at the pain of addiction disorders and offers a fresh perspective on how trauma can contribute to addictive patterns. It explores the profound impact of adverse childhood experiences and chronic stress on substance abuse.
Learn why addiction is often a symptom rather than the core issue, as individuals turn to substances and compulsive behaviours to self-medicate and manage overwhelming trauma symptoms.
Understand how hyper-arousal and hypo-arousal symptoms of trauma play a role in addiction as we decode the science behind trauma responses.
Discover the remarkable findings from the groundbreaking Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, which uncovers the staggering link between childhood trauma and substance use disorders. Understand the statistics that allow us to make the connections between trauma and addiction disorders.
Embrace the concept of trauma-informed care and its pivotal role in supporting healing and recovery. Gain a compassionate understanding of the journey towards overcoming substance use disorders, especially when trauma is a contributing factor.
Don't miss out on this invaluable knowledge. Join us on the path to greater understanding, compassion, and recovery.
Unlock the insights. Make sense of the connection between trauma and addiction.
