addcounsel

Childhood Trauma and Addiction

“Always remember, if you have been diagnosed with PTSD, it is not a sign of weakness; rather, it is proof of your strength, because you have survived!”

― Michel Templet

Childhood Trauma

Most children will have experienced some kind of trauma from the moment they’re born. An infant’s very first experience upon leaving the safety of its mother’s womb can be a deeply traumatic one, especially if the birth isn’t straightforward and problem-free, which is so often the case. Consider a young child separating from their parent and being placed in the care of a nanny or a local nursery for the first time. Separation anxiety can be highly distressing for both the parent and child. However, childhood trauma and continued sustained harrowing experiences can grievously affect/impair the emotional development of a child.

Witnessing domestic violence or being raised by an untreated alcoholic or drug addict in a volatile and unpredictable environment is usually enough to alter the brain development of a young child, inducing long-term anxiety and a myriad of other mental health problems.The biographical film, Mommie Dearest, often comes to mind to those in recovery support groups such as Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA/ACOA). The extreme dysfunction of the upbringing of the off-spring of a fully functioning alcoholic and the turbulent emotions habitually felt by these young children in this cult film, struck a chord with many in the adult children of alcoholics movement in the 1980s and early-1990s, in both the US and UK.

Childhood trauma doesn’t necessarily have to be associated with a haphazard upbringing fuelled by addiction and alcoholism. A child of a bi-polar parent(s) or caregiver struggling with a severe mental illness or brain disorder such as autism, could also experience substantial trauma. In some cases, childhood trauma could have very little to do with parents/care givers. For instance, a child being in the wrong place at the wrong time, could witness or be directly impacted by an extreme event such as an earthquake, terrorist attack or faulty train line.

Needless to say, a child being subjected to any form of sexual or physical abuse, (whether it be an isolated incident or more long-term) will often bear the weight of this trauma into adulthood and throughout their lives until the appropriate treatment for this is received.  Sadly, in many cases, this much needed help is never sought, often resulting in the victim of abuse sinking into addiction. Severe trauma can be activated by anything that a child is terrified of, and which utterly overwhelms its developing brain. Maria Montessori, the pioneering pedagogist and physician whose child development philosophy has been adopted word-wide for decades, identified and described the critical effects on the development of an infant’s brain in her work The Absorbent Mind published in 1949.

According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network: “Traumatic reactions can include a variety of responses, such as intense and ongoing emotional upset, depressive symptoms or anxiety, behavioral changes, difficulties with self-regulation, problems relating to others or forming attachments, regression or loss of previously acquired skills, attention and academic difficulties, nightmares, difficulty sleeping and eating, and physical symptoms, such as unexplained aches and pains. Older children may use drugs or alcohol, behave in risky ways, or engage in unhealthy sexual activity.”

The author of the article continues: “Children who suffer from traumatic stress often have these types of symptoms when reminded in some way of the traumatic event. Although many of us may experience reactions to stress from time to time, when a child is experiencing traumatic stress, these reactions interfere with the child’s daily life and ability to function and interact with others.”

Many individuals seeking help for an addiction to a substance or behaviour (gambling or porn to name but a few) will have a history of childhood trauma. This is why many in recovery talk about both their childhood and adult experiences whilst trying to navigate their way in long-term recovery. More on this later.

Trauma and Addiction are Separate Conditions

While it’s certainly true that many people seeking help for alcoholism and/or drug addiction will have a history of childhood trauma and severe childhood abuse, it’s imperative to recognise that trauma and addiction are two separate conditions. Psychological trauma is a response to a deeply distressing event, which leaves an imprint on the human brain. Whereas alcoholism and addiction (drug addiction, gambling addiction, sex addiction, food addiction, for example) is a chronic addictive brain disorder, which progressively worsens over time without medical and professional treatment.

An individual with a history of trauma may indeed have an anxiety disorder or clinical depression, but show no signs of alcohol addiction or any other addictive behaviour. They may be able to drink the occasional glass or two of wine, or place a bet at the Grand National and have no compulsion to repeat or give it another thought. Whereas a person with a gambling addiction, won’t be able to gamble without strong cravings, and obsessive thoughts manifesting because of ‘acting out’.

A person with an addiction to alcohol may very well have a history of childhood trauma, but not necessarily so. Some may have been raised in a relatively calm and stable home, with emotionally intelligent parents/care givers. In fact, some people who have been in recovery for many decades, and had children in recovery (therefore their children have been raised by sober parents), have watched their offspring struggle with alcohol abuse and dependency (alcoholism/addiction often runs through thegenerations, occasionally skipping a generation).

This is why addiction, particularly alcohol dependency, is being increasingly linked to both genetics and social environment. The general consensus around alcohol dependency and genetics is that while there isn’t an “alcoholic gene,” genetics likely play a vital role. According to the National Library of Medicine (National Center for Biotechnology Centre): “It should be emphasized that while genetic differences affect risk, there is no ‘gene for alcoholism’, and both environmental and social factors weigh heavily on the outcome. Genetic factors affect the risk not only for alcohol dependence, but also the level of alcohol consumption and the risk for alcohol-associated diseases, including cirrhosis and upper GI cancers. Knowing that genetic factors affect risk does not mean that we know which specific variants contribute, nor how. This is an area of active research as new genes and variants are being identified.”

The author of the article continues: “It is likely that, as for most complex diseases, alcohol dependence and AUDs are due to variations in hundreds of genes, interacting with different social environments.”

Recovery from childhood trauma and addiction

An individual can heal and recover from both trauma and addiction. The human brain has a remarkable aptitude to heal and rewire itself. The brain itself is an organ which is constantly changing, especially when exposed to new experiences and/or environment. In recovery, individuals can diminish stress, anxiety, depression, and overcome addictive behaviours. It’s possible to consciously drive connections in the higher and lower regions of the brain through therapy, support groups, meditation and if needed, carefully monitored medication. This rewiring of the neurons in the brain is now referred to as neuroplasticity.

In Christopher Dines’ book, Drug Addiction Recovery, Harvard Medical School Professor of Neurology, Rudolph E. Tanzi, PhD. (who isolated the first Alzheimer’s disease gene) wrote in the foreword: “This basic understanding of the brain is very important for people who suffer from an addictive behaviour, because addiction of all kinds makes us prone to compulsive and impulsive behaviour. To heal your emotional wounds, to shift from survival mode to one of thriving, it’s imperative that you do not try to edit, filter or regulate your thoughts and emotions – no matter how distressing or painful they may be. Whether you are grieving or coming to terms with a trauma or great loss, learn that the key is not to try to control your feelings, but sit on the beautiful mountaintop of consciousness and simply observe without judging. When you approach your emotional pain in this way you automatically bring about a balance between your instinctive brain and the higher areas of your emotional and intellectual brain.”

At Addcounsel, we understand just how far-reaching the impacts of childhood trauma can be. Experiencing flashbacks to traumatic events, nightmares, a sense of guilt and shame can all make it extremely challenging to integrate into society and perform effectively. You don’t have to go through this alone, and many of these distressing symptoms can be ultimately eradicated with timely treatment. Our clinic takes an integrative and ‘whole person’ approach to treatment, focusing on the symptoms, triggers, and causes of your childhood trauma/PTSD/complex PTSD.

Here are some of the therapies and approaches used to treat both conditions, all of which Addcounsel provides to our clients. We offer 24 therapies led by our world-class team of professionals. Here are a few:

  • EMDR therapy
  • Mindfulness
  • Meditation
  • Yoga
  • Psychodynamic therapy
  • Attachment therapy
  • Family systems therapy
  • Hypnotherapy
  • Adult sibling therapy
  • Cognitive therapy

Our experts can leverage the world’s most extensive menu of treatment services to help you recover, and create a robust aftercare programme to support re-integration into your family and lifestyle. We appreciate just how daunting it can seem to address addiction and childhood trauma, let alone both. Please contact us today to start your recovery.

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